Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 418

The Gold Game of New York by T. C. Harbaugh.

Omri Otway, a nineteen-year-old verdant youth from Greenblade, New Jersey, arrives in New York City for the first time, carrying papers concerning an English estate involving his grandfather Anthony Morley. He travels to Sharpe and Dodge, a detective agency claiming to locate lost heirs and fortunes. The operators—Silas Sharpe and Darius Dodge—eagerly examine Omri's documents, their eyes glistening with avarice as they recognize potential profit. After discussing the case, Sharpe escorts Omri into the city's lower districts, leading him toward Mulberry Street. A sharp-eyed boy named Felix Fox observes the detectives' suspicious behavior and decides to follow them, sensing a scheme. The narrative traces Omri's naïve navigation of crowded urban streets and hints at his imminent exploitation by the cunning operatives.