Night-Hawk, The Mounted Detective — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

NIGHT-HAWK, THE MOUNTED DETECTIVE. ‘If you believe his story, you have been im- posed upon.”’ ‘¢ You think so?”’ sé I do.”’ ‘‘Mr. Pladwell, I know his tale to be true!’’ ‘‘ How do you know it to be true?’’ ‘‘T have proved it!”’ ‘‘ Ah! that alters the case!’’ said the owner of the Castle. ‘‘t wouldn’t permit you, sir, to be imposed upon by an impostor, and I determined to prove the young man’s tale, and I gathered the real points before I permitted him to tell his story to me.”’ , ‘‘ Will you tell me how you have learned that his tale is true?’’ | ‘* No, sir.’’ ‘‘ Then I reserve the right to disbelieve it.’’ ‘‘T am sorry to hear you say it, sir!”’ ‘“ Indeed, why?”’ ‘‘ Simply because you compel me to go over to the assistance of the young man.’’ ‘* You may & that and not keep him out of rison. He made an attempt to rob this house. e made a murderous assault upon me. I can send ‘him to prison.”’ ‘‘T admit that you can.”’ ‘‘ His claims will not save him from going to prison.’’ | ‘‘No, sir, nor will his going to prison save you from making an accounting of his father’s former interest in your business. All he has to do is to prove that he is the legal heir of Henry Pladwell, and that he can do!”’ ‘* Never, sir!’’ | ‘My name is Tom Hawk, and I tell you 1 can prove it, and then you may be compelled to go to. more trouble than a proper and just pri- vate settlement would cost.”’ ‘‘ What am I to understand, sir?”’ ‘‘-You are to understand that this young man is to have his just rights.”’ ‘‘ And I am also to understand that you be- come his champion?’’ ° : ‘* Yes, sir.’’ ‘‘But you are the principal witness against him as a robber?” “< ¥ea. Sir. : , ‘*‘ Will you seek to prevent his conviction?’’ ‘No, sir; on the contrary, if 1 am compelled to arrest him, I will urge him to plead guilty.”’ ‘‘ And then?”’ ‘‘ My plans are my own.” ‘‘ And what do you ask me to do?” ‘Leave the matter to your son.”’ _-** My son?”’ . éé a he : ‘‘ Where is he?’ ‘‘ Never mind; will you leave the settlement to him?’’ ‘I must consider the matter.’’ ‘‘T have one more request to make.”’ ‘‘ You wish to make a demand on your own behalf, I suppose?’ : lie FE CSR ‘‘ Well, what is it you desire?’’ ‘‘ Your son is engaged to marry a very estim- * : ** How?’’ | -**T can not bring myself to acknowledge as a relative of a young m:n who is known as a thief —a common midnight burglar.’’ | ‘‘ Ts it your name you are seeking to save and not your money?”’ ‘‘T care nothing for the money!”’ ‘‘T am rejoiced to hear you say so, sir.”’ ‘‘ | speak the truth.”’ _ ** Then listen to me; you are proposing just the course to bring disgrace upon your name.’’ ‘Can I not proclaim this young man an im- postor?”’ ‘¢ And he can prove his claim.”’ _** This is terrible.’’ ‘*One moment, sir; listen to me.”’ The detective proceeded and presented the case of young Henry Pladwell in its true light. The master of the Castle listened to the end. ‘‘T am your friend in this matter, sir, and the friend of your son.”’ | ‘‘ And you insist upon my consent to his marriage with this woman who is therconsort and-companion of a gang of thieves?”’ ‘On the contrary, sir, she is a true and noble young wornan.’’ The detective proceeded, and related all the circumstances as far as Miss North was con- cerned; and when he had concluded, Mr, Plad- well said: | | ‘17 am glad to hear all you have told me. I have been laboring under a great mistake all this time.’’ ‘Yes, sir; and now you must be careful that you do not commit a graver mistake,”’ ‘‘In refusing to settle with this young man?”’ ‘* Yes, sir.”’ , ‘If I was fully convinced that he would be- come a worthy man, I would not hesitate a mo- ment.’’ : | ‘‘-You have heard his whole story?” «Gok OB | ‘* All the particulars of his life, as far as he can relate them?’’ ‘é Yes.’’ ‘‘Then I have nothing to say; I leave this matter to your own conscience.’ _ **T am willing to act under your advice.’’ ‘ Wholly?”’ e¢ Yes.”’ ‘* Enough. cide?”’ ‘‘ And your decision is—’’ ‘‘ You’shall have my decision in a few days— possibly hours.”’ ‘* And when shall I seeemy son?’’ ‘‘T will not render my decision until your son is present, ’’ | ‘* And he is safe and well?’’ ‘‘T have every reason to believe that he is; but you shall know all very speedily.’’ The detective left the room, mounted his horse, and rode away. He rode directly to the cottage where the young man Henry Pladwell lived. He found the young man awaiting his coming. Tom Hawk dismounted and motioned his protégé to follow. They walked to the It will not take me long to de- able young lady, and I demand that you con-‘ Srove where the talk had occurred the previous sent to the union.”’ ‘* You demand it?’’ é¢ if do.”’ CHAPTER XLVIII. A MOMENT the master of the house paced the floor. He was evidently laboring under great agitation, and it was some time before he spoke; at length, however, he ejaculated: ‘‘'Phis is a terrible position for me.’’ ‘“T thought you loved your son?”’ ‘‘1 do; and it is for his sake I am acting in this matter.’’ ‘‘ You are acting for your son?’ &é Yes. > ‘* What is your purpose?’’ ‘To save his name,’’ ‘* Save his name?’’ <¢é¢ Yes. 99 For Complete Catalogue night. , ‘‘ Where is your cousin?’’ demanded Night- Hawk. ‘“ You mean Charles Pladwell?”’ ‘‘ Before 1 answer your question let me ask you what is the decision concerning myself?”’ ‘‘T will answer no questions until I know where Charles Pladwell can be found.”’ ‘*T expect him here to-day.”’ ‘‘ Have you communicated with him?” ¢é Yes. > ‘Tell me all about it.’’ ‘‘ Charles Pladwell has been sick in a public hospital. He was injured accidentally, and he has been lying in the hospital for over three months,”’ ‘* How was he injured?”’ ‘‘He was about sailing for South America, and was injured the day the ship was to, have sailed.”’ ; | - (HE END. s ’ of all the works published in THE e ‘> ow @ see page ‘* Did cident?’ SOND Gin .“* You will swear to that?” ‘¢T will.’’ ‘““Why did he not communicate with his family?”’ see ‘‘T would not let him do so.”’ ‘‘ How could you prevent it?”’ ‘‘ He was in a private hospital; all his letters were suppressed at my request.”’ ‘And that is why his folks have not heard from him?”’ é Yes.’’ ‘“‘ And he will be here to-day?’’ ‘é Yes.’ ‘* He will come alone?”’ ‘‘No; a friend will bring him to me.”’ ‘* Here?”’ éé Yes.’’ ; ‘* When do you expect them? ‘* By the noon train.’’ ‘‘ And now one word more; suppose your uncles settles with you, what are your inten- tions?’’ ‘To leave the country.” ‘* You will leave at once?’’ ce Yes.’”’ ‘* It is best.’’ Be | ile ‘‘-You are liable to arrest here.” ‘* 1 know that, sir.’’ ‘“And again, your associates would never give you any peace; they would turn against ou.”’ . ee I know that, sir.’’ ‘‘ All right; you will receive the amount you claim.”’ ~ ‘* One hundred thousand ?’’ ‘Yes; but you will be compelled to sign a quit claim absolute.’’ ‘*T will do it, and 1 shall always be thankful to you.”’ ‘“You have every reason to be thankful to me; were it not for me you would be a crimi- nal; were it not for me you would be in jail awaiting trial, or you would already be in prison for life.’’ 3 ‘‘T will never forget your service.”’ ‘J will tell you how you can’ best repay it.’’ ‘* How, sir?’’ | ‘‘ Become an honest man.”’ “*T will.”’ | Later on in the afternoon Charles Pladwell arrived. The young man looked sick, but the | resemblance between the two cousins was in- deed most remarkable. ! The cousins were introduced. A long expla- nation followed, and Charles and Henry Plad- well proceeded in company to the Castle. The father and uncle and the detective met in the library. All matters were settled, and it was arranged that a meeting should take place in NewYork on the following day. Henry Pladwell left the house, and after he had gone the detective summoned Charles into the parlor. When the young man had crossed the threshold the door was closed, and two glad cries sounded in the detective’s ears. Emily North was in the parlor awaiting her _ lover. : We will not relate what occurred, if is un- necessary; those scenes have been too often de- scribed. Night- Hawk had performed the romantic part of his work well and he was present at the mar- riage of his protégés, Charle’ and Emily, and on the night of the marriage both thanked him for his noble work in their behalf. Night-Hawk had an interview on the steamer dock a week later with a young man who was going to England, and many a word of good advice was dropped in the prospective passen- wer’s ear. Then our hero returned to the country to trace the gang, and his adventures will form the subject of another narrative. you have anything to do with the ac- 93 OLD SLEUTH LIBRARY» ; * : t,' fap a : j ee We f, a > et i ren eh a © * Y os ; hy. ae : se ” r ; . " 4 % os 4