Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1015 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— ——_ - - SS ee =———— |} awakened from a nap. — -- lighted when he heard steps draw near and the padlock creaked as it was unfastened, The door slightly opened. Tom heard the voice of the butler. ** Master haven’t come yet, I’ve brought you a bite of supper, though it is more than you de- serve, Come here and get it or you will do without till breakfast.” ** All right,” mumbled Tom, as if he had just ‘*Ha-hum! Believe I must have been asleep. My, whata cramp I’ve got in that leg! Please, sir, would you mind setting the dish on that empty barrel by the door? I am just that stiff I can hardly move,” While the butler, grumbling at the youth’s “* laziness,” put one foot inside in order to reach the barrel Torn sprung noiselessly forward. The man’s outstretched arm was seized and he was jerked yiolently, stumbling over the sill as he felltothe ground. The plate was shattered scattering the food. But before he could move further, or even ery out, his throat was grasped and squeezed until he could barely breathe, Then a knotted handkerchief was thrust into his mouth and drawn tight behind his ears, so tight that tbe blood nearly gushed from the corners of hislips. A pair of bandcuffs, which Tom, as a self-constituted detective, had pro- vided him-elf with asa matter of course, were gnapped about his wrists behind his back, and his legs were bound with strips from the butler’s own apron. In two minutes the man lay as helpless as a new-born babe, unable even to call out. ‘* Now, my friend,” said Tom, ‘‘ I am sorry to have to return your offer of supper in this way, but, as I’ve got another appointment, it is neces- sary for me to leave without the pleasure of sée- ing your master here. Have to let you take my place. You may tell him that, though you think you have foiled me to-day, he will hear from me soon enough agsin, especially if he at- tempts anything against the peace or freedom of Miss Sutherland. Ta-ta, old boy!” Boland now left the coal-house, locked the bes and threw che key over into the adjacent ey. ‘*Grunt away!” he muttered, as he heard the butler’s efforts to release himself, ‘* You will work a good while before you succeed, if Iam any judge of knots and handcuffs, Lucky I provided myself with darbiesand pistol. Didn't think I would need the first so soon. Perhaps it won’t be long before I will have a use for the gecond,” But, instead of escaping by the back yard gate, Tom now boldly made his way to the house again and entered. CHAPTER VI, AN INTERRUPTION, BoLAND's idea was that, as the butler prob- ably had not made public his knowledge of the young man’s identity in view of Leland’s con- tinued absence, the risk of re-entering the house would not be great, and the possibility of learn- ing something serviceable thereby ought not to be neglected, He was still in his waiter’s costume. Avoid- ing the kitchen and the cook, he stole through the basement corridor that led by a stairway to the upper front hall. The drawing-rooms and library were in darkness, Then he crept up to the second floor and there met Miss Sutherland’s maid, who uttered a low exclamation of alarm. ‘*It¢is only To said Tom, trusting still to prevarication, ‘‘ Where can I find your mis- tress? Cook wants to send up supper,” ‘*Qook must be crazy,” said the maid, ‘‘ Miss Sutherland have had tea and she be walkin’ in the Square,” ‘“‘The very thing for me,” thought Tom, and making a brief excuse for bis error, he ran down to the basement, put on his hat and coat, and sought the street through the rear exit by way of the alley. In the quiet little Square before the house he came across Miss Sutherland under the trees, He soon made his altered situation known, and though she seemed glad to see him, her nervous start when he told bow the butler had overheard and frustrated his first plans, evinced that she was much alarmed. Yet, when he related how he had evened upthings with that me Ry or functionary, she laughed, but suddenly looked gerious again, ** T shall be deprived of was beginning to feel that she said sadly. ‘* Not so,. miss. We will merely have tochange our programme. “Tet us sit down on this bench and talk it over,” our services just as I t had one true friend,” So they seated themselves at a retired naok where the electric light shone dimly and the sur- rounding shrubbery was thick, ‘*Of course,” explained Boland, ‘1 will not be a waiter any longer. But there are other ways for metoaid you. Have you no relatives or near friends who would receive you if you left this house here? Leland is too great a ras- cal to take charge of you, even if be is your guardian, which—by the way—I don’t believe at all.” ‘‘T have acquaintances here, But the few real friends of mine are in other parts of the country. Having been away so long I am almost a stranger to my father’s friends heré, Besides, De Lancy would undoubtedly make any one with whom I took refuge, give me up,” ‘““] have it!” exclaimed Tom. will trust yourself entirely to me? true,” ‘¢T have no one but you to trust now,” ‘*T am young, I know. But I would die for you if necessary,” ‘*T feel sure that you mean well.” ‘¢ This Leland has threatened you with confine- ment in a mad-house, hasn’t he? Well, you re- main quiet. Seem to asseut to whatever he r: quires, except to insist on delay as faras the murriage goes, Then wait until you hear from meagain. You must also be ready to fly ata moment’s notice whenever I say the word,” ‘‘Would going off with you be—be exactly proper?’ This with a modest blusb, ‘* Yes, under thecircumstances, I should only take you to my mother. She is a dear good woman, My parentslivein thecountry., That fellow will never find you there and she will care for you asif you werea daughter, She cannot help loving you if you wili allow her to,” “ But will not Cousin Leland still have au- thority over my property? Can he not, at any time, take charge of me, should he fini me? It will be four years yet before | am twenty- one. Boland knit bis brow in deep thought~ then his face brightened as he said: ‘*'You will have to trust to what can be after- ward done, I think your cousin’s guardianship over you and your property can beset aside, In fact, I feel sure that it can.” ‘¢ That would be delightful. But how?” Tom leaned forward and whispered in the girl’s ear. Her face took on an expression of amazement and fear, ‘* Tt is horrible!” she exclaimed, ‘‘ Horrible enough,” commented Tom. ‘ But I have a conviction that De Lancy Leland is base enough for anything.” ‘Tg he?” hissed a harsh, grating voice directly behind the two young people. ‘‘ We will see about that.” ‘* Boland jumped to his feet with one hand on his revolver, and Miss Sutherland uttered a low ery of dismay, Then the form of a man thrust itself between the youth and the girl, and turn- ing, grasped the arm of Agnes, t was Leland himself, white with rage as his sinister eyes burned with a baleful light! Be- side him was the cross-eyed butler. ‘‘Itis you, is it?’ to Tom, whom he at once recognized, for tbe lad had lost his glasses in the fracas at the coal-house, ‘‘ Not content with blundering over the corpse of my poor uncle, you must meddle in my affairs, Pity the police could not hold you. Butif 1 cause your arrest, you will scarcely go free so easy. Now, * But you I shall be He pointed down the graveled path, but Bo- land merely smiled, ‘*T said for you to go!” insisted Leland. ‘‘If you remain in this neighborhood, I will have you run in,” ‘“‘T hardly think you will,” returned Tom, calmly, as he drew something from an inside pocket of his coat. Do you see this?” Under the flare of the distant electric light something flashed brightly as he stretched forth his arm, It was a diamond scarf-pin of a peculiar shape, Around the stones was a crest of arms in filagree-work. Leland staggered back with features gray as those of a corpse. Agnes seemed to recognize the coat of arms. Boland bent forward, ‘‘Do you know where I found that?” he de- manded, Leland gazed vacantly, like a man stricken with palsy, | ‘“‘Tt was in bis hand,” added the youth, rapidly. ‘‘There was a piece of torn necktie there, too, There was blood on botk.” \ Without giving the amazed man time to re- cover, Tom turned from him, lifted his hat to Agnes and said, with meaning emphasis: ** Remember!” The Reporter-Detective’s Big Pull. aaa TE Then he walked rapidly away toward one of the entrances to the Square. He had gone perhaps thirty yards. when Le- land recovered his nerve, ‘‘ After that fellow!” he urged to his at- tendant. ‘‘ Don’tlosesight of him, See where he stops—what he does—if you have to shadow him until morning. And hark!” He whispered in the butler’s ear, The cross-eyed man nodded and slipped quiet- ly away. Leland turned to the commodore’s daughter. He attempted to draw her arm within his own, but she resisted with such unmistakable aversion that he bit his lip in fury. ‘““T will go with you, since I must,” she said, “but you sball not touch me, Besides, what did that young man mean by producing that pin? I surely recognized your coat of arms,” They were walking toward the house now, Lelaud did not reply until he had carefully closed the door behind them both, ‘¢ You are too curious,” he said. ‘‘ The fel- low stole the pin, of course. His impudence needs taking down,” ‘‘ T do not believe that, De Lancy. He is cer- tainly an honest—” ‘* Silence!” he harshly interrupted. ‘‘ What do you know of such vagabonds as he? You seem so determined to thwart me that [ must take stringent measures, Once for all, will you quietly marry me and thus avoid a restraint which will be as unpleasant to you as the impo- sition of it will be irksome to me?” ‘+No!” she defiantly replied, forgetting in her anger the advice as to delay given by Tom _ be- fore they were thus interrupted. ‘ A hundred times no! Not if you were the last man on earth,” Ha clinched his fist as if about to. strike her, but restrained himself with an effort. ‘‘ Very well,” be rejoined. ‘‘On your head be the blame for whatever may follow, You must be ready to leave here at daylight.” ‘‘ Where am I to go?” she asked, feeling a sud- den thrillLof alarm that dashed her anger aside. ‘‘ That you will know, induetime, Y«u need not try to run away. I[shall not allow you to go out again. Every door and window is se- cured, and you yourself are watched. You may have fooled me once, but I hardly think you will, again.” By this time they were up-stairs in her own sitting-room. Without waiting to hear more he pow abruptly went out. Agnes sunk back intoa chair. She felt discouraged. Adroit as Boland appeared to be, it seemed as if Leland were fully his equal at that sort of game, besides having the advantage of possessing both money and personal influence, : She trembled and wept. If Tom’s suggestions and the hint conveyed by the mysterious pin were true, she wasin the power of a man who would stop at no crime which be might deem necessary in order to compass his purposes, he was her legal guardian! ‘‘ What shall I do?” she faltered. ‘‘God have mercy! What can I dof” CHAPTER VII. SHADOWED, SMALLEY AND THE BUTLER. WHEN young Boland departed from the Square, he passed down the street he happened to be on, until be came to Fourth avenue; then he made his way down-town. Once, after stop- ping to light a cigarette, and remove his wig, e noticed a man over the way pause in an ad- jacent doorway. Presently he looked back. As he suspected, the man was following. Tom made several detours, but soon found that this shadow was not to be easily shaken off. Finally, as the man passed a jeweler’s window diagonally across the street, the youth thought he recognized the cross-eyed butler. “Leland must be scared,” thougbt Tom, “or that bloke would not beon my track. m give him the shake. I wonder how he got out of the coal-house so quick?” The young reporter increased his pace and presently turned into the upper Bowery, where the increasing crowds of wayfarers promised to assist in his escape. Watching his chance he darted into the side door of a certain well-known resort for printers and newspaper-men, and looked eagerly about, Then he hurried across the long bar and billiard-room and tapped a round-faced, jolly-looking young man on the shoulder, The latter was i y watching a game from one of the chairs against the wall, ** Hello, Smalley!” land. you to do me a favor.” ‘All right, youngster,” returned Smaliey, somewhat cautiously, as if be feared that Tom *““T want \e : 4i*>@ Af - : ; > 4 . ware + 2° ab +} * p : : : r ’ . “ . ‘~~ % Ou - . far ie 7 it, : o/s » * +> < on ‘ > ae a (4 MEDS Ste I) ae : 7 ia, (7), . & , * Ld o id é s » « < ° a’ 7 1 < . 7° Ga. : st Le ae ¢ . Vike heey oP ae p vote “a » } = » - ~ . ap ; wet: ez " OoKS;TCcOoOmM N a 7 ay + s : ‘ p, ‘ ; 1g? =a °° we el » - (oF 9 ae & *- ate