Beadle's Half-Dime Library No. 109 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— -_—e -_—-- — ee ee - —— ee ee _ ** Are you sure you never heard the name?” the loafer demanded, eying her, keenly. “Quite suro. Why should I know such a person, sir?” * Waal, [ thought mebbe ye might hev heerd sech a name,” was the reply, and then turning upon his heel he left the shop. Honorable Clancy Adair dwelt in a small abinat the northern end of the town. Inside his abode he had the usual comforts of a miner’s camp, and in addition, had a Chinaman to cook his meals for him. On the same evening of Beautiful Bill’s call at the candy-shop, the speculator was sitting in his vabin engaged im reading, and smoking his pipe, when there entered no less a personage than Captain Sally Savage. dair looked up with a frown until he saw whoit was, when he simply motioned the host of the ** Roost” to a seat. ‘* Well?” he demanded, interrogatively. ** Not by a long shot, et ain’t well,” Captain Sally replied, grimly. ‘‘ Leastwise, ef ye mean about thet job 0’ Jast night, yer Honor.’ ‘Well, what about it?’ the mayor demanded angrily. ‘* Did you let the fellow escape?” ‘“*Nary 9 time—not we, fer thet ain’t ther calibre o’ me an’my old woman, Ye see we pullin double harness fust class, considerin’ ther amount o’ tongue she’s got, and \hen we take in a job, we allus freeze to et, like grim death to anigger. But ye see, we didn’t quite cook our chicken this time!” His mayorship uttered a snarl of rage. ** ‘You are an accursed blockhead!” he growl- ed. ‘I should have intrusted the job to better hands. Go on, anc tell me about it.” “Waal, ye see,” Captain vem 4 said, engulfing a huge chew of tobacco, ‘thet I and Nance had laid ther trap all right, an’ had got << far as ais room, when my oe Kate, she stuck in her snoot, accompanied by a full hand o’ barker:, an’ we had ter poe ee,” *‘ And Carroll Holly is abroad, a free man?” Honorable Clancy asked, excita ly. ‘‘T reckon heis. Leastways, ho pulled out ©’ my establishment, an’ he’s beon on the ter-lay him.” r fos him. He shall not loag enjoy bis | freedom!’ the other replied, fiercely. “Til have him out of harm’s way if I have to mur- der him myself.” In Rough Shod’s famous ciu;; thero was © urchin named Jimmy Flynn, whom nobody «2: related to. ‘ Jimmy had turned up in Rough Shod, one morning, a dirty, ragged littl customer of eleven or twelve years—a od, with all his sjualidness, who possessed a brizyh., intulligen’ face, and brick-red hair, and > betraye’l 4 shrewd nature, When asked where he hailed from, ae replied that he had ‘‘footod it” from - -‘sco, an.’ pro- dacing a_blacking box, he forthwith bounced” the inquirer fe: shine. As re- sult he was soun richer by twenty-fi,. cents which he shoved into his trowsers povke., an went off, whistling. That was all anybody ever learned in re ard to him, except that he was sharp and shrew a bargain, and possessed of a » idy mic: at money-making, — Not a whit cared ho what was the nature of a job so long as it brought in the ready cash, and did not entail a cri:uinal act, Witty and sassy as one of the famed hood- sums of the city of his nativity, ready to fight when crowded on, and merry when left alone, Jimmy Flynn was a notoriety in Rough Shod, and 2 prime favorite. About the sar time thas Clancy Adair was nolding a conversation with Captain Sally. Jimmy Flynn had a customer, [.r, Barry ‘leredith, tourist, was the party -efore whom Jimmy knelt, and worked ind icty in »pol- ishing a pair of boots sized nun rr five, at least. And an artist was Jimmy, soon evid nt Ly the shine Le produced. se ver ar’, su. ,” he said, rising and hold- ing out a wand to receiv» his fee, whith was no* rernarkabl for .ts cleanness, “Tis a fir job, as io quane would care ter criticise, an’ it’s a quarter I’m wantin’ ” ‘‘ And it’s a quarter you shall have,” replied Meredith, witha slight laugh, as he tossed the coin up in th- air, and Jimmy nimbly sprung forward end ciught it between his tecth. *‘ But, here, don’t be in* hurry, my lad, D’ve another job for you, for which Pil give you a dollar.” ‘“ Ayyoh! thin I'm yerlad, medari’, Give us ther twig an’ thor twicker, au’ bedaa Pm of a-lookin’ fer ther galoot as tricd “o | | | D oe ee at it like a Frisco moskeeter on a raid fer free lunch.” ‘All right; come with me, and | will give you the work to do at once, and the pay after you're done.” ‘*Nary, yer Honer; et’s mesilf as kicks loike a mule, sure. Pay as yez goes, an’ ye’ll never git in debt.” ‘*Hal ha! avery good bit of advice. Well, come alouz, and you shall have your salary in advance. I suppose you know every body in the town?—that is you are extensively acquainted?’ ‘*Sure, I know ivery man, woman an four- legged baste in the town,” Jimmy replied, with due pride, for he esteemed it a great honor io know all the people in Rough Shod’s little city albeit there were some hard characters tha were not worth knowing. Barry Meredith made no further inquiries, but led the way to the rival hotel of the town which was much larger and more convenient than Savage’s ‘* Roost.” The tourist had found out this fact, and changed boarding-places at once, To a pleasant room on the second floor of the hotel, he led the way, and gave Jimmy Flynn a chair, while he seated himself at a table and wrote hastily upon a sheet of delicate note- paper. Inclosing it when finished in an envel- ope to match, he turned to the ii ish lad, ‘* Here, my son, is a note, which 1 want de- livered. But, first, tell me if you know the whereabouts of a young lady named Edith Yates? It is to her I wish this note to be given.” ‘Yates, is it?’ Jimmy muttered, scratching his bricky head—‘* Edith Yates? Sure an’ et must be the candy-woman up the street.” ‘Describe her, and I can soon tell you,” Meredith replied, excitedly. ‘Is she good-look- ing, with brown hair, and blue eyes, and—” ‘** Fot the divil do | know about how she looks whin | never seen her, at all?” Jimmy demand- d, “Sure, if the candy-woman yez mane, cha sey she’s ius purty as the Vargin Mary.” ‘It is probably the same,” Meredith mutter- d, a strange gleam in his dusky eyes. ‘“At any rate, you can take this note to her, an. bring me back a» answer. Here is your dol- ’ lor, for the “ob.” | Jimmy first took the dollar, and then the note, ond with ©, broad grin took his departure. "Vhile Meredith paced the room, a grim con- -ction of the brows betraying vexation. '. know well enough what her answer will bo,” muttered, th. contraction deepening > scowl. “it will be ‘No! a thousan of buu I eare not. If she remains im- Minnie will not, ve meantime Jimmy Flynn hurried away erran land soon made the candy-shop, to ' Edith engaged in dusting her counter, and ‘\giug snatch from a pretty ballad, -\nd when Jimmy shook the note under her in, she looked surprised. Nover since her comin . Leadvill had she seen a letter; the sigh. of one was therefore refreshing, ‘Let me have _ if it is for me,’ she said, reaching forth h-r hand. ‘*Ta' ta don’t you wish you had it?” Jimmy cric , snoving the note abruptly into his pocket, * Dow t get in . hurry, my daisy. 1 reckon I’m boss »’ arms, now, bedad, and yez’ll have ter AL8 inspection ifove I presint yez with yer ologna.” Jimmy meant diploma, but somehow got thing: mixed. as Give me the letter, sir, if it is for me,” Edith eri , a little indignantly, for the boy’s playful- ness annoyed her, ‘‘Arrah! be aisy, me darlint, an’ if ye can’t be aisy, be aisy’s as ye can!” quoth Jimmy, dancing about. ‘But, comin’ ter biz, be you Missus Edith Yates, what is good-lookin’, wi’ brown hair and blue eyes?” **Lam Edith Yates. Give me the letter, sir.” ‘Faith, and isn'tit thet sam. thet [m after doin’, m jewel? 1ou’re as onpatient as Mrs, MeCarthy’s pig. There’s the letter, mum, an’ tha sender said as how I was to fetch the loikes him an answer.” Faith seized the letter eagerly, and tore ott the wrapper, but the moment she caught sight of the handwriting, she staggered back with a gasp, her fave sudenly grown pale, The note was written in a stylish hand, and rane follows: “Miss Epira YATES; ‘Dear Lovy. I hav at last found you, after a long and earnest search in every State and Territory inthe Union. Perhaps now you will believe in mv good intentions when I come to tell you that my coming here is on purpose to make poor Minnie my wife—poor, dear Minnie, whom I have so foully wronged and deserted in the past Dat God knows fant Iomdcan toco the sat. 6 tue ue . r.. eed Ty eadwood Dick as Detective. F em meee 8 - AT TE Se o~e - —_ —_ | the dear girl, an] thus lift forever from her young ' life the cloud of disgrace. / you—and Minnie, “Therefore, [ first write this to ask your pardon, and request that Lm .y be permitted to come and see ud my child, ‘* Nepentantly, Barry Merepirae.”’ This was all, }ut »nough to cause the eyes of Edith Yates to fairly blaze with anger and in- cdionation, ‘‘ He shall have his answer!” she said, with a bitter little laugh, and ; oing behind the counter she hastened to pen the reply, which, when fiu- ished, read as follows: ‘ “Srr: Your note is r.ceived. No, Barry Meredith / you can never set foot within my hom >, except s eee oe giving the note the a pare f your life, for if you ad. I will shoot yo ang for it within th. next hour, You are d uble-dyed ‘ain, anu we both tate yo as. snaj hates fire. Take warning by this, and keep away, ¢ you will find that Jam not afraid of you. You sha never look upon the face . your victim, if I c# help it, Loathingly, *EpiTn YAtTEs,"’ ‘There, take that back to him,” she saig o Jimmy Flynn—“‘ take it to him, with my bitterest curse.” ‘Faith, an’ Iwill ‘o that sami-, mcm, but where is the curse, mum? Yez didn’t give it te me. Edith was forced to smile even though she was greatly ang red. ‘Tell him tha. 1 curse him—that will be suf- ficient,” she said. Jimmy bowed, and took his leave greatly wondering, ‘*Arrah! wasn’t she a darlint, though! but it’s sour as a vinegar-barrel she bees on tha chap az writ tha note. Bedad, it’s to tell him, I was, too, that she was afther ursin’ him. Wurra! fot a wry face he will make, sure, au” ef 1 sympathize, mebb it’s after givin’ mz anither lift h-’ll be, to do sum ither job. Faith, it’s a fat day fer tha loiues -f r akin’ money.” Straight back to Barry M redith Jimmy went with Edith’s reply, and the man read it with s cynical smil» curving his sensual lips. ‘**Very well,” he said, grimly. ‘ It ismomore than I expected. Let her look out, herself. It is not her sister that I care for—ha! ha! no, bur for her proud self. Yes, and I'll humble that superfine spirit of hers, if [ have to raise these very mountains—I swear it by all I hold sacred in the next world,” ‘Shure, an’ if it’s any liftin’ jobs yez have, } can lift as many pounds on top of a meal of bafe and peraties, as the next man,” Jimmy merge g rh la le ** WIL, let me see. Perhaps I’ve another it for you,” Meredith said, thoughtfully, “ write another note, and you are to take it bac! to the same place you did this, only you are t give it toa woman who has a ba by, and whose name is Minnie, This you are to do without the knowledge of the woman Edith, Do yow understand ?” ; ‘“‘Arrah! it’s mesilf that does. And am I ta have another dollar for the job?” *“‘ Ay! five of them, if you succeed in doing as I have directed. Now, you go out and skir- mish around in the neighborhood of the candy me ee find out all of the points, while ¢ write the note, which will be ready for you im an hour.” Jimmy bowed, and took his departure, whi Ba:ry M-redith «ized pen and paper and seated himself at a table, N\... ato ching, loving ietter,” be mut tered, with a mo king smile—“sach a one a will bring Mine Vor y arms, wherever I inav beckor her. Once in my power she shal never—” | He dit not finish the sentence but abruptly began writing. CHAPTER IV. DEADWOOD DICK As he had said, it was hie purpose to write: lovir~ letter, and he soon 16 ai. ‘shed, and é ° * DeaREsT Minnte: 1 write this to let ou kno that I have come to Rougu Shod in search £ vou no longer to act tue pait of an unpriacip i vilai but to hunt yeu cp &nd mar.y you- yes, merry -o1 my darling, ‘or . now realizes how bitterly — av. wronged you in the pest, aad I waut to ctone or making you my precious wire { have ovnuil tat my life is « dull, eching void without your sheery reseacé, an.' i wanh you .or sny wite—went .o Ly rom you 1 .e eloud of disgrace, aud jive to our a ALC, _— Port e.0.e c. Heaven, listen to me, Minnia, su. do» t cast this @ iu.ein scorn. ° have u eaty w.ts- ter to your wister, out she is imm<¢vah nd tira | Chits' oof me if | come near her, Say nohine ism oto her, but if you wad, sip from the ho: ICO com gs) (E (E(0)