Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1015 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

ee ** Where are all the servants?” asked the offi- ‘cer of Leland, ‘‘Is the house deserted?” ** When I came up | rung the bell repeatedly,” put in Tom, anxious to exculpawW /iinoclf, **Then I leaned over the balustrade, I saw the body on the floor, and as the door was unlocked I came in, thinking that I might nose outa big thing for my paper.” ** That may be so, but you'll go with us all the same, You can telephone your paper from the station, though I guess you won’t get much of an answer,” Boland saw that but little faith was placed in either bis protestations or explanations, At this moment the front door was again opened and a swish of skirts sounded in the hall, De Lancy Leland sprung to the doorway in order to prevent the new-comer from entering the drawing-room, but he was too late. Then Tom Boland bebeld a bewitching vision of feminine loveliness looking in upon him and the rest. He noted a pair of large, limpid eyes glancing downward, while their wondering expression changed into one of fear and horror, ** Agnes,” cried Leland, stepping forward and attempting to lead the girl from the room. ‘¢ This is no sight for you.” But the girl, who seemed to be hardly as oid as Boland, broke away from bim, and, darting forward, took one long, recognizing look at the figure stretched on the carpet. She did not faint, but, after a gasping cry, checked herself and looke:| round upon them all, with her fea- tures convulsed by mental agony. ** Who has done this?” she faltered at length, ** Weill, iniss,’ said one of the officers, ** we don’t know, for certain. But we rather think this is the fellow.” She gazed upon Boland with fear, wonder, perplexity and ave-sion contending in her man- ner, then she turned to tve corpse, “Oh, my pvor father!” she cried, ‘* Who could—” Again she looked at the youth, ‘* You seem too young to bave duue such a terrible thing. Isitsurethat— I—I—” ‘* No!” exclaimed Tom, interrupting her ener- getically, ‘‘I didnot do it. | wouldn’t have harmed a bair of his bead, Ob, believe that, miss! It is the truth,” ‘*I—I do not think you guilty,” she mur- mured, then sinking to the floor beside the body, she began to weepas if her heart was break- ing. Leland tried to lead ber away, but she resist- ed. At this moment the old female servant who had acted as her escort, and who bad fallen be- hind for some reason, camein, Agnesrose and fell sobbing into the woman’s arms, after evinc- ing a certain repugnanceto Leland’s very touch. She was assisted from the room, Then Mulligan took Tom by the arm, ‘* The gurrul may think ye’reinnicint. Sure IThope you are, But at prisint you'll say no more and come along wid me,” As be took Tom out, the young reporter saw @ newspaper man coming up the steps, in a r asb, ‘* We will be scooped, after all!” he thought, despairingly. ‘* Well, thisis tough, And I had such a pretty start of them all!” As the patrol wagon bore him to Police Head- ‘quarters in Mulberry street, he felt that the only consoling feature in the whole business was the opinion expressed by the commodore’s lovely daughter, ‘“* Bless her heart!” he thought, ‘‘I seem to be down on my luck now, but, should the police fail, I will find the murderer of her father if it takes me ten years!” But at present this valiant resolution was veo, discounted by his circumstances. At eadquarters he was ,at once taken into In- spector Byrnes’s private room, The famous de- tective looked the lad over critically, then ques- tioned him closely. CHAPTER III, FIRED! TOM AS A LISTENER, WHILE Tom wag replying as best he could a yelephone was sent to the office, as follows: ‘* Have arrested a young man calling himself Thomas Boland on suspicion of murder, He claims to be one of your reporters, As your rman is not here now, we suggest that you had better send one along at once, Com- modore Sutherland has been killed. Old Briggs in the editorial-rooms nearly fell oe the floor as he stood with his ear at the re- ver, ‘* What the deuce!” he exclaimed. Then en- ~ued a brief, rapid interchange of questions and s COT ee eee a ees The — Reporter-Detective’s Big Pull. ee —E—————— 6 OF ewe ~ = replies that lasted about three minutes. ‘‘ This is what comes of sending a green hand on such an assignment,” He felt like kicking himself, but tore into the reporters’ room instead and dispatched two trusty men, who had come in, to tbe scene of the murder, with orders to rush the news no matter who was hurt or whatitcost, A third reporter took a cab for Headquarters, where he was usu- ally stationed at this time, but as ill-luck would vs it, had returned to the office with ether tems. ‘* See what that little fool has to say for him- self,’ was the night-editor’s parting injunction, then he sat down and wiped the perspiration from his brow. ‘‘ Hang it!” he soliloquized, when he was once more alone. ‘‘ That kid might have made his fortune, It is the first time I ever knew of a man’s getting himself killed for tue benefit of bis interviewer. And the commodore, too! Holy smoke! Boland might as well quit newspapering now.” The magnitude of the crime and the impor- tance of the victim rendered the police hard to satisfy. Daylight was at hand before Tom walked out into the street,a free personage, As he went moodily down the street something began to hurt one of his feet, He took occasion to enter a barber-shop and remove his shoe and stocking. Then be found the scarf-pin, and also the remnantof necktie. He had concealed them inside his stocking, and during the anxieties in- spired by his arrest be had forgotten them, As his identity was proved before being thorougbly searched the articles had escaped Cetection. ‘* Had I better turn them over to the police?” he asked himself, ‘‘ No, I will not. They bave not treated me with much consideration, and I am going to look into that murder a little my- self. Must doit for my reputation’s sake,” He stowed the articles away in his pocket; then, ashe proceeded on his way, he bought a copy of the World and glanced over its still damp pages. He also secured copies of the other morning papers. The World's account was, if anytning, less full and explicit than those of the Herald, Sun and Tribune. All the advantage that might have accrued from his early presence on the ground had been more than lost by his arrest. He bad lost his «hance, With maledictions on bis own ill-luck and the blindness of the police, when egged on by Le- land, he took his seat in one of the elevators and was hoisted to the editorial floor of his own r. riggs was putting on bis hat preparatory to leaving. Boland saw that there was blood inthe night editor’s eye, so tospeak. Briggs returned to his desk and scribbled rapidly. ‘* Here is an order for your pay to date,” he said, handing Tom aslip of paper. ‘‘ You may consider yourself discharged without further notice,” ** But, Mr. Briggs, I think I might convince the managing editor that I could not help being arrested and detained. Don’s you?” ‘* You should have helped it, Boland,” said Briggs. ‘‘ A man who cannot help blundering, at such a time as that, has no business on a live newspaper,” ‘** Is not this a little hard on a follow?” **Of course it is hard. We have to be bard with each other, in order to hold our own with the rest of the papers. I am sorry, Boland. But you had better try something else for a liy- ing, next time, besides reporting. You're not in it. There!” Then Briggs took himself off to breakfast and bed. Tom returned to the street, and wan- dering across City Hall Park, turned up Broad- way, feeling rather dejected. He was almost a stranger in New York, and realized the difficulty of securing another job under present circum- stances, is parents were not rich, and he felt too independent to burden them again. The cashier of the paper had paid him just twelve dollars, That, togather with a little pocket change, was a/l that lay between him and utter destitution. Ten hours ago he had felt quite sure of making a mame for himself on the staff. He even anticipated a round increase of salary, as a reward for the scoop he shou’d bave handed in. Now, every one who had heard cf his recent effort was doubtless laughing athim. Yet he knew that he had been prompt, nervy and cool, Even yet, he did not see how, under the circum- stances, he would have been justified in doing differently. Insensibly his steps tended toward the scene of the murder. He did not feel like going to bed, At that e»rly hour Fifth avenue was nearly de- serted. While hestood behind a lamp-post, gaz- ing gloomily at the Sutherland mansion, which he had finally reached, the front door opened, ee ee ‘nor there, with me. TT and Tom saw De Lancy Leland descend the steps. At sight of this man the youth’s indignation rose. He'‘also remembered what he had read and heard concerning the nephew of the com- modore, and his reputed loss in the great rail- road deal, ‘* As I have nothing else to do,” Tom decided, **T believe 1 will keep an eye op you.” So he followed cautiously, while Leland walked rapidly down Fifth avenue to Broadway, and then turned eastward for several blocks, finally entering a saloon at the corner of a sive street, where the neighborhood first began to appear somewhat disreputable. After a moment's re- flection Tom also entered. There were several private stalls at one end, from one of which came a sound of voices, Tom sat down in an adjoin- ing stall, ordered a lemonade, drew forth a paper, and sat there listening, though pretend- ing to read. No one else was in the saloon but the bar- keeper, and Tom felt sure that he recognized the harsh, strident. tones of the man who had de- nounced him to the police. The partition pre- vented him from seeing his neighbors, or being seen by them himself, ‘* How will to-night at midnight do?” asked a strange voice, ‘‘No. We must give hertime. I shall havea talk with her this afternoon, Then, if she fails to come to time, we can resort to force, I had rather proceed by milder means if possible.” The last speaker was Leland. So quiet was the room, that Tom, not four feet away, could hear every word through the thin, low parti- tion, ‘* Well, sir,” said the strange voice, ‘‘ just as you think best, So’s I’m paid, ali’s one tom’. But it is my opinion, that, if she really won’t g:, the quicker you ssk her go the better.” ‘“*Yes, yes. But we must go a littie slow. Her father vet lies dead in the house, His slayer not yet known.” ‘*! wonder now who did do up old Suther- land?” ** You need not look at me, doctor,” protested Leland, and Tom detected vexation in his tone. ‘‘It is true that the commodore was the cause of my ruin in the last deal. Yet 1 would have scooped him had I beenable, But when I marry bis daughter it willall come back to me, wita an additional million or two in the bargain.” *“You have not married ber yet, Leland. Many @ man has been done up for a smaller Joss than you sustained. But, all that is neither here When must I make my move?” ‘* Not before I put the facis of the case square- ly before her, The commodore died intestute. But I have bad papers fixed up that make me administrator and guardian of his daughter. If she finally refuses to marry me, you and your assistants can step in with your lunacy proceed- ingsandsoon, Agnes is young, but sho is with- in the legal matrimonial limit, especially when her guardian takes hold, Sbe has no near rela- tives—none at all in fact, except me, I think she will be amenable to reason.’ ** if all goes well then, I am to receive—” ‘*One thousand dollars if you don’t stir a peg, Five thousand if you find her out to be of un- sound mind, and fifty a week for whatever time you keep her safe within the walls of that in- fernal retreat of yours, How is that for doing so light a job?” ‘*You overlook the other possible risks, A man isa fool to put himself in danger of Sing Siny, unless he is sure of a fat fee. Well, let me know when I am tomovein theaffair, 1 will go out from here first, Leland. We had better not be seen together in public more than neces- sary just now.” : Boland, glancing over the top of his paper, saw a heavy set, pockmarked man go by who, be found out later on, was a certain Doctor Studley, proprietor of a private retreat for in- sane people somewhere on Long Island. Leland remained sometime longer, asdid Tom, for lack of sometbing better todo, Finally the first went out, while Boland buried himself behind his paper in order to avoid any chance recogni- tion, After waiting a few minutes Tom strolled leisurely out into the street, reflecting Ceeply. ‘*I have an idea that Miss Sutherland is the intended victim of a foul conspiracy,” he said to himself. ‘‘If her immediate friends prove to be as indifferent as her only relative seems treach- erous, she certainly needshelp. I will look into this murder and defeat this scoundrel. Who said I was out of a job? Seems to me I have got a pretty big contract on hand right now. Let me see, What had better be my next move, § wonder?” 4 Pa © * * # t