Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1006 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

. i ie en = . grab, [ couldn’t buy a sbell. ‘stiff wrapping-paper, nea a plain _It—” he ceased speaking, being now occupied ** 'W hat’s that?” ‘*The feller badn’t enough ducats to make a plaster for a wart,” averred Frank, now direct- ing his attention to his left foot. ‘ What the blazes do you know about it?” ‘*T was there; that’s all.” ‘You there? I might have known that, though. You’re everywhere, you Bowery rat, But, the paper says the boy came out alive, with a box under his arm, and left it in safe keeping. How do you know there was no money in it?” ‘There weren’t nothin’ but papers. I took a squint to the bottom.” ‘Why you—sun-downer! and stand up and face me, were you—”’ **Don’t you say nothin’ more bout that boy, or you'll make me proud and sassy,” rejoined Frank, rubbing away more briskly than ever. “*T might have known it,” said Dick to him- self, ‘*There’s no deviltry the young rascal’s notin. Tell you what it is, Frank,” he cried, dropping his paper.and starting up, ‘* there’s been enough of this, Ill have no more of it, If you go and make a ghost of yourself, what’s to become of the smartest young ferret in New York? If you try any more such risks, you dog, Ill take a cart-whip to your hide.” ** See here, Dick Wister, answered Frank, dropping the brush and facing him, ‘“ Don’t you begin now buying me for a fool, ’cept you’ve ‘gota big pile of greenbacks to waste, I didn’t jump into that fire for a lark, nary time. And, if I ain’t bad}; sold, I’m in on the biggest thing that’s been scratched up for a year.” ‘* The deuce you are!” ** The coon lied wholesale! He didn’t have no more money in his room than l’ve got in my ~pocket—and if peanuts was selling at a cent a The fellow’s work- ing a job of some sort, and he’s built that lie out of wind to help him out. But, that’s only the begining. Who do you guess he was?” ‘*1’d say General Washington, only he’s dead, I can’t think of anybody else,” answered Dick, ‘¢ What do you think of the Artful Dodger?” ** The devil!” Dick kicked over his chair, this time, in his surprise. “‘If it ain’t him it’s his brother. I didn’t climb that ladder for no lark, I tell you. When the feller was bellowing like a bull-calf ’bout his money, I twigged his face, and jumped three ‘feet. That’s what took me up the ladder. All I’ve got to say is, that the box I brought down had those letterson it: J. P. C,” ** John P. Clarkson!” exclaimed Dick, ‘* Tt looks amazing that way,” ** You left that box to be called for?” ‘* Yes, with Tommy Brown, of the Seafoam Restaurant, ~~, Dick hastily thrust on his hat and seized his overcoat. ‘* You rascally long-winded jackanapes!” he bt bee ‘* Why didn’t you tell me this before y>reak? If it is the Dodger our cake’s all dough, He’s been after that box two hours ago.—Come, you monkey, snatch your hat and get ready to fly.” ‘* I don’t see no such hurry,” rejoined the boy in his easiest manner, _ * You don’t, eh?’ Dick bent his eyes on him stare. ‘* Hal what is it?}—You confounded retailer of news, you’ve got something else in your bag!” | “ aoe bet!” answered Frank, seating himself quietly. Dick flung his overcoat on a chair-back, tossed his hat on the table, and dropped again into his chair, ** Out with it!” he ordered. ‘‘Nomoreof your squirrel tricks, you cub,” ‘* This is it,” answered the grinning boy, as he Drop that brush See here, Frank, drew a paper parcel from under vest, “I wasn’t quite green enough to give Tommy Brown the whole biz. t a little memento for myself.” ** You're a jewel, Frank!” ** Dunno “bout that; but I ain’t no fool,” Dick seized the package, which was made of y folded and securely tied. Heturnedit over. On it was written in band: * Jacos P, CONVERSE,” | _.“ Sos is that your J, P.C.? I hope you have- n’t found a mare’s nest,” _**T reckon you don’t think the Dodger’s carry- ing his own name—after footing it from the po- Hi and getting a cool thousand put on his me ‘“‘ Hardly,” answered Dick. ‘' But—there’s a ant named Jacob P, Converse in this city. Te ee ee 7. aaa ~~ - = Se ee | ee ET . a Se Flipper Frank’s Flush me ee A ee nce eS gm et ge —— an ie Se eth e ' > 3 carefully untying the package. For reasons of his own he preferred not to cut the string. While he is thus engaged we may as well re- late a fragment of previous history, of much im- portance to our story. A year before, Dick Wister and his apprentice had been engaged in an interesting bit of detec- tive work, which ended inthe unearthing of a gang of counterfeiters, of whom the leading spirit was a man named John P, Clarkson—a keen rogue, who had so long eluded the police that they had complimented him with the title of ‘‘ The Artful Dodger.” He proved himself to be worthy of the title. He was tried, and sentenced to ten years’ im- prisonment as a counterfeiter. Yet, by a very shrewd trick, he managed to escape the bands of the police. He had since been sought for, far and wide, the State offering a reward of a thou- sand dollars for his apprehension; yet he was still at large, and the search for him had been almost given up as useless, Under these circumstances, Dick Wister’s in- terest in the boy’s communication is not to be wondered at. There was an unusual nervousness in his fingers as he sought to untie the strings, which doubled the difficulty of the job, ‘‘Hang that knotl—By Jove, boy, if you’ve struck the Dodger’strail— Ha! that’sit.” The knot yielded, ‘‘There’s a thousand in this, sure enough, but there’s glory and reputation worth ten thousand more. Can the Dodger have been masquerading here under our noses as a business man? He's sharp enough for it.” The string was now loose. He threw it aside, and turning the package over, carefully unfold- it, Frank looked on with intense interest. Was it possible that the man had told the truth, and that fifty thousand dollars in bank-notes lay within? All things are possible, and he watched the opening paper as a miner might watch the one of the pick that is to lay bare a gold mine. In a minute the package was wide open, and its contents revealed, Frank fell back in his chair, with a breath of relief. ‘*l knowed it!” he said, “I told Tommy Brown the feller waa playing it. Nothing but papers, and not a greenback in the pile,” The package, indeed, seemed to contain only a number of neatly-folded papers—letters, the most of them seemed, As for money, there was not a trace of it present, . Not a word came from the detective’s lips, He opened the letters one after another, read them with an eye that seemed to take in their important contents almost at a glance, and laid them one by one aside, Not a change of expression came upon his im- passive features as he read, When finished, he took up his pipe, filled it again with tobacco, struck a match, and lighted it. He leaned back in his chair in exasperating silence. Yet the boy asked no questions. He knew that there is no use to pump at a well that will flow of itself if it be given time. ‘ Dick took a dozen puffs in silence, Then he picked up one of the letters, and looked over it in. ‘**'You’rea jewel, Frank, as I said before,” he remarked, ‘*I know it,” answered Frank, in the same ‘“They’d have me among the crown aes of England, if they ceuld get me, But ’m out of a true-blue American mine, and ere ain’t any use in Vic’s bidding for me,” tone, ** These papees may be worth their weight in gold,” continued Dick, ‘*That’s more to the p’int than calling boys jewels,” retorted Frank, ‘‘ Come now; let out; is the Dodger in them?” . “That I can’t say,” answered Dick, ‘* but my fancy runs that way.” He took a folded letter from a package in his drawer and compared the writing. : ‘‘ Look, boy; it’s very much alike, This is one of the Dodger’s epistles. It’s very much the same, ‘‘1t is the same, I should say,” announced Frank, after somparing the two letters, ‘‘ What are they all about, Dick?” he asked, “That’s what I’m trying to smoke out, I don’t just see through this little “ene This writer—he signs himself, you see, A Wilson —is working up some game which his corres- pondent Converse isin. But he’s too cautious to ut down in ink what it is, or where it’s to be: one, And these letters came from all over the West. The latest comes from Chicago, can make out is that it will take a big stake in ready cash to work the job, and Converse is to find the money,” ‘By Jiminy!” exclaimed Frank, ‘is that what he’s up to? Swearing he lost fifty thou- sand in the fire! Like as not that’s a dodge to shut up people’s eyes. The fifty thousand’s salt- ed down somewhere for this game,” Dick’s only reply was to rise, knock the ashes from his pipe, and wrap up the letters again. Then, putting the package in his drawer, ke re- sumed his coat and hat. ‘* Come,” he said to Frank. ‘¢ Where are you going?’ ‘*To Tommy Brown's, I want to see this man when he comes for his box—if we are not too late,” In less than half an hour afterward the two were in the restaurant which Krank had visited the night before under such exciting circum- stances, : ‘* Hello, young one!” exclaimed the proprietor heartily. ‘* "Round again, safe and sound, and not a hair singed! Give us your hand, boy, I don’t often have the chance to welcome such a hero,” ‘*How are you, fire-bug?’ asked the police- man, from a corner in which he was seated, ‘* Has the man been after his box yet?” asked Frank, ‘‘ No,” answered the policeman. ‘‘ He didn’t know it was saved tijlan bourago, Itook him word myself, and he jumped a foot from the floor, Whether it was joy or t’other, I couldn’t make out,” ‘¢Didn’t I tell you it was a fake?’ averred Frank. ‘‘ He didn’t want it saved!” | ‘“* Maybe mot, but— Hush! here he comes now!” | He had seen an approaching form from a win- dow. In a mivute afterward the door opened and the rescued man walked into the saloon. Dick Wister, who had seated himself in a re- tired corner of the room on entering, now looked up, fixing bis eyes with much interest on the stranger, What he saw was a manof over the middle height, and somewhat corpuleat in figure. His face was smoothly shaved, and while in no re- spect. handsome, had a certain dignity, and a fixed and resolute expression, . Frank looked toward the detective, and caught a negative shake of the head from him. He had just arrived at the same opinion himself. This man was not Jobn P, Clarkson, though he bore considerable resemblance to that personage. He was enough like him to be his brother, but was not the Artful Dodger himself, a ‘*T am told you havea box of mine, saved from the fire last night,” be said in a voice of studied ease to the restaurant-keeper. ‘* Hereitis,” answered Mr, Brown, ‘‘ The key I gave to Mr. Joves here, that there may be no meddling with the contents,” ** Judicious, but unnecessary,” answered Mr. Converse, receiving the key from the polieeman, ‘*It only holds some ordinary business oo He unlocked it, and ran his fingers carelessly through the contents, : ‘They are all right. Do I understand that there was nothing else saved? My money—” His voice seemed to quiver, ‘“*T reckon it’s aches, in the hotel cellar,” an- swered Frank stepping forward. ‘'’Most ny handful of ashes "ll pass for it. I thought I it when I struck that box, After I got that it was a leetle too warm to go on a hunt for spon- dulicks.” *“ Ah!” exclaimed Mr. Converse. ‘‘ Do I understand that this is the brave boy who risked his life to save my property?” ‘*That’s about the size of it,” answered the policeman, / ‘Then I certainly owe him a reward, Here, ay Sear young friend,” 6 pressed some money into Frank’s band. ‘** And you, gentlemen—” “No, no, we want nothing. You have lost enough already.” ‘*That’s so,” said Frank. ‘* And I won't teke a penny, either.” Se, ‘You must, boy! I insist on it,” ‘‘T won’t,” declared Frank, ‘I'd think I was robbing you.” 3 The gentleman refused to receive the money back, but Frank thrust it into his ket, re that he wasn’t mean enough to take t. ; A conversation ensued, in which Mr. Converse questioned Frank closely concerning his experi- ence in the burning room. Did he see nothing but the box? The money was done up in a close paper parcel, ready to be taken to next morning. Frank stoutly avowed that he considered the box eng? SP satisfy any reasonable person. When he got his ten ers on that he made for the ladder, After a few words more the . fF ‘ —. - ¢ * ” 7, e = ak . : ad . — °s ‘ - e* i. « o = = = sic | @ fon | Se LN — 7 Ph > —* iter = Poe x \- 4 2 7 >, - r. « we Ye Ces ata “5 : eae ~" ie \ = __ a hoe Sal (on | T+ > > a com