Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1902 — A SISTER'S VENGEANCE [ARTICLE]

A SISTER'S VENGEANCE

By GEORGE MANVILLE FENN

CHAPTER I. “Then you’re a villain!" “Nonsense, Mary; be reasonable.” “Reasonable, Captain Armstrong? I am reasonable, and I am telling you the truth. You are a villain!” “Why, you foolish girl, what did you expect?” .... “That you would be an officer and a gtmtieman. Once more, is it true that you are going to be married to that lady?” “Well, you see ” “Answer me, sir.” “Oh, well, then, I suppose I am." “Then I repeat it, James Armstrong, you are a villain!” “What nonsense, you fierce-looking. handsome termagant! We have had our little pleasant chats, and now we’ll say good-by pleasantly. I can’t help it, I have to marry; so you go and do the same, my dear, and I’ll buy you a handsome wedding dress.” “You cowardly, cold-blooded villain!” “Come, come, my good girl; no more strong words, please. Why, what did you expect?” “That you were wooing me to be your wife." “A captain in the king's navy marry the daughter of an old wrecker, the sister of as utter a smuggling scoundrel as «c*n be found' about this port to Dartmouth!” “When a girl gives her heart to,the man who comes to her all soft words and smiles, do you think she remembers what he is? It is enough for her that she loves him, apd she believes all he says. Oh, James, dear James! forgive me for all I’ve said.” “There, that’s enough. You knew as well as I did that there was nothing serious meant, so now let’s bring this meetto an end.” “To an end?” “Yes; you had no business to come here. But, as you have come, there are five guineas, Mary, to buy finery; and let’s ■hake hands and say good-by.” Captain Armstrong, a handsome man with a rather cruel-looking, thin-lipped mouth, took five golden pieces from his great, flapped, salt-box-pocketed waistcoat, gave the flowing curls of his wig a ■hake, and held out the money to the dark, black-eyed woman standing before him with her sun-browned cheeks slightly flushed, her full, red lips quivering, and a look of fierce passion distorting her handsome gypsy- countenance. As he spoke he dropped the golden coins one by one into the woman's hand, ■miled, glanced quickly at a door behind him, and caught her in his arms. “There, one more kiss from those ripe, red lips, and then ” As sharp a back-handed blow across the face as ever man received from an angry woman, and then, as the recipient involuntarily started back, Mary Dell flung the golden pieces at him, so that one ■truck him in the chest and the others flew tinkling across the room. “Curse you!” cried the captain, in a low, savage voice, “this is too much. Leave this house, and if you ever dare to come here again ” “Dare!” cried the woman, as fiercely. “I dare anything. I’ve not been a sailor’s child for nothing. And so you think that • woman’s love is to be bought and sold for a few paltry guineas. Look here, James Armstrong. I wouldn’t marry you aow if you prayed me to be your wife—wife to such a cruel, mean coward! I .would sooner leap overboard some night and die in the deepest part of the barker."

"Leave this house, you vixen.” "Not at your bidding, captain,” cried the girl, scornfully. “Captain! Why, the commonest sailor in the king’s ships would shame to behave to a woman as you have behaved to me. But I warn you,” she continued, as in her excitement her luxuriant, glossy hair escaped from tts comb and fell rippling down in masses •—"I warn you, that if you gp to church ■with that lady, I’ll never forgive you, but have such a revenge as shall make you sue the day that you were born.” “Silence, woman; I’ve borne enough! (Leave this house!” “When I have told you all I think and feel, James Armstrong.” “Leave ,my house!” cried the captain tor the third time, furiously; and, glancing through the window as he spoke, he changed color at the sight of a graypaired gentleman approaching with a .tall, graceful woman upon his arm. “Ah!” cried Mary Dell, as she read his excitement aright; “so that Is the woman! Then I’ll stop and meet her face to face, and tell her what a contemptible creature she is going to wed.” “Curse you, leave this house!” cried the captain, in a savage whisper; and, catching his visitor roughly by the shoulder, he tried to pull her toward the door; but the girl resisted, and in the struggle a chair was overturned with a crash, the door was flung open, and a bluff, manly (Voice exclaimed: “Why, halloo; what's the matter now?” “What’s that to you?” cried the captain, angrily, as he desisted from his efforts, and the girl stood disheveled and panting. her eyes flashing vindictively, and a look of gratified malice crossing her face, as she saw the confusion and annoyance displayed by her ex-lover. “What is it to me? Why, I thought there was trouble on, and I came to help.” ! “To intrude where you were not wanted, you mean. Now, go,” snarled the captain. “No, don't go,” cried the girl, spitefully. “I want you to protect me, sir, from this ■san, thia gentleman, who professed to love me, and who. now that he is going to be married, treats me as you see.” ~ “It's a IU, woman!” cried the captain, who noted that the couple whose coming bad made him lower his voice had now passed after looking up at the window, and who now turned again fiercely upon the woman. “No, it isn’t a lie, Jem,” said the newcomer. "I’ve seen yon on the beach with bar many a time, and thought what a blackguard you were.” “Lieut. Armstrong, I am your superior Officer,” cried the captain. "How dare K speak to me like that! Sir, you go arrest for this speech.” “I was not addressing my superior offipor.” said the newcomer, flushing aligbt-

ly, “but my cousin Jem. Put me in arrest, will you? Very well, my fine fellow; you’re captain, I’m lieutenant, and I must obey; but if you do, next time we’re ashore I’ll thrash you within an inch Of your life as sure as my name’s Humphrey. Hang it, I’ll do it now.” He took a quick step forward; but the captain darted behind the table, and Mary caught the young man’s arm. “No, no, sir,” she said in a deep voice; “don’t get yourself into trouble for me. It’s very true and gallant of you, sir, to take the part of a poor girl, but I can fight my own battle against such a coward as that. Look at him, with his pale face and white lips, and tell me how I could ever have loved such a creature." “Woman—” “Yes, woman now,” cried the girl. "A month ago no word was too sweet and tender for me. There, I'm going, James Armstrong, and I wish you joy of your rich wife —the pale, thin creature I saw go by; don’t think you are done with me, or that this is to be forgotten. As for you, sir,” she continued, holding out her hand, which her defender took, and smiled down frankly in the handsome, dark face before him, “I shan’t forget this.” “No,” said Captain Armstrong, with a sneer. “Lose one lover, pick up another." Mary Dell did not loose the hand she had seized, but darted a bitterly contemptuous look upon her late lover, which made him grind his teeth as she turned from him again to the lieutenant. “Was I not right, sir, to say he is a coward? I am only a poor-class girl, but I am a woman, and I can feel. Thank you, sir; good-by, anfi if we ever meet aghin, think that I shall always be grateful for what you have said.” At that minute there were voices heard without, and the captain started and looked nervously at the door._ “I’m going, James Armstrong,” said the girl, “and I might go like this; but for my own sake, not yours, I’ll not.” She gave her head a sidewise jerk which brought her magnificent black hair over her left shoulder, and then with a few rapid turns of her hands she twisted it into a coil and secured it at the back of her head. Then turning to go, Humphrey took a step after her; but she looked at him with a sharp, suspicious gaze. "He told you to see me off the place?” she said, quickly. “No,” cried Humphrey; “it was my ov*n idea.” “Let me go alone,” said the girl. *'l want to think there is some one belonging to him who is not base. Good-by, sir! Perhaps we may meet again.” “Meet again!” snarled the captain, as the girl passed through the doorway. “Yes, I’ll warrant me you will, and console yourself with your new lover.” “Look here, Jem,” cried the lieutenant, hotly; “officer or no officer, recollect that we’re alone now, and that you are insulting me as well as that poor girl. Now, then, you say another word like that, and hang me if I don’t nearly break your neck.” “You insolent—: Captain Armstrong did not finish his sentence, for there was a something in the frank, handsome, manly face of his cousin that meant mischief, and he threw himself into a chair with an angry snarl, such as might be given by a dog who wanted to attack, but did not dare.

GHAPTER 11. “What’s she a-doing of now?” “Blubbering.” “Why, that’s what you said yesterday. She ar’n’t been a-blubbering ever since?” “Yes, she have, Bart; and the day afore, and the day afore that. She’s done nothing else.” “I hates to see a woman cry,” said the first speaker, as he seated himself on the edge of a three-legged table in the lowceiled cottage of old Dell, the smuggler —a roughly built place at the head of one of the lonely coves on the South Devon coast. The place was rough, for it had been built at different times of wreckwood which had come ashore; but the dwelling was picturesque outside, and quaint, nautical, and deliciously clean within, where Abel Dell, Mary’s twin brother, a short, dark young fellow, singularly like his sister, sat upon an old sea chest fashioning a netting needle with a big clasp knife, and his brow was also covered with the lines of trouble. He was a good-looking, sun-browned little fellow; and as he sat there in his big fisher boots, thrust down nearly to the ankle, and a scarlet worsted cap upon his black, crisp curls, his canvas petticoat and blue shirt made him a' study of which a modern artist would have been glad; but in the early days of King George the First gentlemen of the palette and brush did not turn the inhabitants into models, so Abel Dell had not been transferred to canvas, and went on carving his hard-wood needle without looking up at the man called Bart. There was not much lost, for Bartholomew Wrigley, at the age of 30—wrecker, smuggler, fisherman, sea-dog, anything by turn—was about as ugly an athletic specimen of' humanity as ever stepped. Nature and his ancestors had been very unkind to him in the way of features, and accidents by flood and tight had marred what required no disfigurement, a fall of a spar having knocked his nose sidewise and broken the fridge, while a chop from a sword in a smuggling affray had given him a divided upper lip. In addition he always wore the appearance es being ashamed of his height, and went about with a slouch that was by no means an attraction to the fisher girls of the place. “Ay! If the old man had been alive —” “ ’Stead o’ drowned off Plymouth Hoo,” growled Bart. “In the big storm,” continued Abel. "Polly would have had to swab them eyes of hern.” “Ayl And if the old man had been alive, that snapper-dandy captain, with his boots and swkord, would have had to sheer off, Abel, lad.” ** ’Stead o’ coming jerry-sneaking about her when he was at sea, eh, Bart?” “Them’s true words,” growled the big, ugly fellow. There was a pause, during which Abel carved away-diligently, and Btfrt watch

ed him Intently, with his hands deep in his pockets. “It’s all off, ar’n’t it, mate?" said Bart, at last. “Ay, it’s all off,” said Abel; and there was another pause. “Think there’d be any chance for a man now ? S’pose not,” with a sigh. “You see, I’m such a hugly one, Abel, lad.” “You are, Bart. There’s no denying it, mate; you are.” \ “Ay! A reg’lar right-down hugly one. But I thought as p’r’haps as her heart were soft and sore, she might feel a little tort a man whose heart also was very soft and sore.” “Try her, then, mate. I’ll go and tell her you're here.” “Nay, nay, don’t do that, man," whispered the big fellow, hoarsely. “I durstent ask her again. It’ll have to come from her this time.” “Not it. Ask her, Bart. She likes you." “Ay, she likes me, bless her, and she’s alius got a kind word for a fellow as wishes a’most as he was her dog.” '“What’s the good o’ that, lad? Better be her man.”

“Ay, of course; but if you can’t be her man, why not be her dog? She would pat your head your ears; but I alius feels as if she’d never pat my head or pull my ears, Abel, lad; you see, I’m such a hugly one. Blubbering, eh?” “Does nothing else. She don’t let me see it; but I know. She don’t sleep of a night, and she looks wild and queer, as Sanderson’s lass did who drowned herself. I wish I had hold of him. I’d like to break his neck.” Bart put on his cap quickly, glanced toward the inner room, where there was a sound as of someone singing mournfully, and then in a quick, low whisper: “Why not, lad?” said he; “why not?” “Break his neck, Bart?” The big fellow nodded. “Will you join in and risk it?” “Won’t I?” “Then we will,” said Abel. “Curse him, he’s most broke her heart.” . “ ’Cause she loves him,” growled Bart, thoughtfully. “Yes, a silly, soft thing. She might have known.”

“Then we mustn’t break his neck, Abel, Tad,” said Bart, shaking his head. Then, as if a bright thought had suddenly flashed across his brain: “Look here. We’ll wait for him, and then—l ar’n’t afeard of his sword—we’ll make him marry her.” “You don’t want him to marry her,” said Abel, staring, and utilizing the time by strapping his knife on his boot. • “Nay, I don’t; but she do, poor lass,” said Bart, with a sigh, “and if I can do what she wants, I will as long as I live.” “Ah! you always was fond of her, Bart,” said Abel, slowly. “Ay, I always was, and always shall be, my lad. But look here,” whispered Bart, leaning toward his companion, “if he says he won't marry her, and goes and marrids' that fine madame—will you do it?” “I'll do anything you’ll do, mate,” said • Abel, in a low voice. “Then we’ll make him, my lad.” “Hist!” whispers Abel, as the inner door opened, and Mary entered the room, looking haggard and wild, to gaze sharply from one to the other, as if she suspected that they had been making her the subject pf their conversation. “How do, Mary?” said Bart, in a consciously awkward fashion. “Ah, Bart!” she said, coldly, as she gazed full in his eyes till he dropped his own and moved toward the door. “I'm just going to take a look at my boat, Abel, lad,” he said; — '“6oming down the shore?”

Abel nodded, and Bart shuffled out of the doorway, uttering a sigh of relief as toon as he was in the open air, and taking off his flat fur cap, he wiped the drops of perspiration from his brow. “She’s too much for me, somehow,” he muttered, as he sauntered down toward the shore. “I alius thought as being in love with a gell would be very nice, but it ar’n’t. She’s too much for me.” “What were you and Bart Wrigley talking about?” said Mary Dell, as soon as she was alone with her brother. “You,” said Abel, going on scraping his netting needle. “What about me?” “All sorts o' things.” “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Why, you know. About your being a fool—about the fine captain and his new sweetheart. Why, you might ha’ knowed, Mary.” “Look here, Abel,” cried Mary, catching him by the wrist, and dragging at it so that he started to his feet, and they stood face to face, the stunted brother and the well-grown girl wonderfully equal in size, and extremely alike in physique and air, “if you dare to talk to me again like that, we shall quarrel.” “Well, let’s quarrel, then.” “What!” cried Mary, starting, for this was a new phase in her brother’s character. “I say, let’s quarrel, then,” cried Abel, folding his arms. “Do you think I’ve beep blind? Why, it has nearly broken poor old Bart’s heart.” “Abel!” “I don’t care, Polly, I will speak now. You don’t like Bart.” “I do. He is a good, true fellow as ever stepped, but ” “Yes, I know. It aren’t nat’ral for you to like him as he likes you; but you’ve been a fool, Polly, to listen to that fine jack-a-dandy, and—curse him; I’ll hhlf kill him next time we meet!” Mary tried to speak, but her emotion choked her. “You—you don’t know what you are swing,” she panted at last. “Perhaps not,” he said, in a low, muttering way; I know what I’m going to do.” “Do!” she cried, recovering herself, and making an effort to regain her old ascendency over her brother. “I forbid you to do anything. You shall not interfere.” N, “Very well,” said the young man, with a smile; and as his sister gained strength he seemed to be subdued. “Nothing, I say. Any quarrel I may have with Captain Armstrong is my affair, and I can fight my own battle. Do you hear?” “Yea, I hear,” said Abel,- going toward the door. "You understand? I forbid it. You shall not even speak to him.” “Yes, I understand,” said Abel, tucking the netting needle into his pocket, and thrusting his knife into its sheath; and then, before Mary could call np sufficient energy to speak again, the young man passed out of the-cottage and hurried after Bart Mary went to ths little casement and

stood gazing after him thoughtfully for a few minutes. Then turning and taking the seat her brother had vacated, a desolate look of misery came over her handsome face, which dropped slowly into her hands, and she sat there weeping silently as she thought of the wedding that was to take place the next day. (To be continued.)