Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1090 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4: find his nibs, an’ the make up aun’ get married, his nibs will be so tic led that he’ll commit sui- | Joe muttered, to himself. ** Then there’s a whoppin’ lie out somewheres!” ‘* Ef that gal at ther tide an’ leave me the twenty thousand! My, oh! | depét was puttin’ on all them whimpers she’s a mit wouldwt I put on ther lugs then! I’d buy in’ hull Centennial fer a specerlation, to say 10thin’ about Elm avenue an’ Shantytown.” Once in the vicinity of the alleged abiding- Jlace of Archibald Gibbs, however, he looked saarply about him. The neighborhood abounded with places of questionable character, many of the grim-fronted brick tenements and rum-mills having the repute of being ‘* fences ” for thieves, and a retreat for even more reprehensible crim- inals, from the smart, shrewd burglar to the more brutal garroter and murderous rough. Joe knew enough about the locality not to have any difficulty in spotting the house where Gibbs was said by the Directory to reside. It was one of the oldest houses in the row, and the ground floor was occupied as a. “‘ bucket- shop” saloon by one Patsy O’Neill. There was a side entrance, upon the door of which was a sign announcing that ‘Boarding & Lodging” could be obtained within. Taking a good survey of the place, Joe passed nlong to the next corner, where a negro was jusily engaged in ** working” a little of mor- tar, with which to repair some adjacent chim- ley. “Hello, dad—shine ’em up fer ye?” Joe de- danded, pausing and squatting upon his box. * Make ’em so bright you'll think your eyes have gone on a Centennial eclipse.” **Go ‘way long off, chile!” was the gruff re- sponse. ‘*‘ Dese yer boots nebber heed no black- in’ on de outside, ’ca’se dar’s plenty ob black on de inside,” ** Don’t say so! of these days!” ‘Deed, an’ I’se no coon. I’se a gentleman. No common nigger "bout me /” ** Ain’t, eh? ell, that’s what I tho’t. Look kinder like an Upper-Ten. S’pose ye live found bere?” “Yeas, sah; right ober dar in dat yar yonder tree-story house.” *“*Phew! I want to know! all ther neighbors, eh?’ **’Deed, bub, I knows all I wants to ob ’em. Don’ ’sociate wid none ob de common trash.” ‘*T)’vye know a man by th’ name of Gibbs who hangs out over at Patsy’s?” ‘‘Gibbs!” and the colored aristocrat looked hard at his interrogator, ‘‘Gibbs! Look yar, chile, don’ try to poke fun at me, or I'll cut you, I will, shua!” ‘* Why, who’s trying ter, poke fun at yer? W hat’s th’ defickelty between you an’ Gibbs?” ** Defickelty! Look yar! didn’t dat yar Gibbs Yarn my gal ’Lize to sw’ar at her dad an’ mam, an’ drink rum? ‘‘She’m up de Pennypack now, fer stealin’ from de parson’s colleckshun-box. Dej/ickelty! I jes’ done tole you, boy, dat yar Gibbs am a bad man, an’ if yo! don’ keep ’way from him, you git corrupt!’ The now wide-awake Joe hitched his*stool nearer to the curb, ‘See here, old man,” he said, impressively, ‘* vou don’t like Gibbsy?” ‘Deed, an’ goodness knows I don’t, honey. Dat yar man am bad, cl’ar fru an’ fru.” ‘‘That’s what I want ter know about. I’ve been tryin’ ter git p’ints about him. Now, see here, [ reckon you hain’t no objection ter havin’ a couple of extra dollars m yer pocket?” ‘‘"Deed I habn’t, chile. Dey come won’ful handy.” ‘Then answer me a few i an’ shall have ’em, Whatis the c sy’s nlace?” ** Bad—drefful bad.” ‘¢ What sort o’ men put up there?” ‘Bad — drefful bad Thieves, ‘snatchers,’ m’lers—'deed, ebery sort.” ‘* What does Gibbs do?” ‘‘ Snatches stiffs, sometimes.” ** Indeed !” And here Jubilee scratched his head, as if he had suddenly been struck with an idea. ‘* Does a Mrs. Bradford live there?” ‘‘ No, sah. No woman lib dar, ’cept de cap- t’in’s daughter.” ‘©The * captain’s’?” ‘< Yes, sah; Cap’n Mark’s Sally.” ** Are you sure there is not a young woman in ther house—one that came there late last night?” ‘Oh! dat was de ‘ capt’in’s’ daughter, sah!— just arrived from off somewheres, She an’ de *capt’in’ com’d home in a cab.” ‘*Sure? Positive?” as Lis, See’d’em git out and go *ato de saloon.” Guess you're a cute coon, one S’pose you knows ye iaracter of Pat- } | hoss atit. She either was or else/wasn’t what she pretended; an’ if she wasn’t, she an’ Gibbsy are workin’ some big game. ‘* Might have been Gibbs or a pard of his, who snatched her sachel. But what object was there in it? There’s a mystery here, somewhere, an’ Andy Allan figgers in it, or else why the insur- ance? ‘There must be a Laura Murray concerned, somehow, or else the policy wouldn’t ’a’ bin or- dered drawn in her favor— Hello!” The door of O’Neill’s saloon had opened and Gibbs and another man stepped out upon the street. ‘* Now fer it!” Jubilee mused. ‘‘ I must shad- der them, an’ try an’ find Miss Murray,if sucha person exists.” And gathering up his box, he dodged around the corner. oe ee CHAPTER IV. [BY CHARLES MORRIS. ] THE TABLE-IMP, JUBILEE JOE soon found that he had no easy job on hand in shadowing the two men who had just emerged from Patsy O’Neill’s saloon. It was not that they had any special reason to fear pursuit, but they were,men who had been so often under the eyes of the police that they were cautious to the very toes, and took no step without knowing just where their foot was going to be planted. Gibbs’s companion was a specially suspicious chap. His little, half-shut eyes kept rolling everywhere, and it would have been a cute spy that could follow that man far without being discovered, He was a tall, lantern-jawed man, with long, stiff, sandy hair, and carried himself as straight asadie. His clothes were somewhat seedy, but were worn with a show of military smartness. ‘*Sure as shootin’ that’s him! That coon’s ‘Cap'n’ Mark,” muttered Joe. ‘But Tl bet a pig ag’in’a cocoanut that he never sarved in ther milletary, or carried a bagonetin ther home ards. He’s high-cockalorum in ther footpads’ rigade, he is. And if Idon’t tie his eye-wink- ers into a hard knot afore ’m through, why, Til sell my box an’. go ’prentice toa cobbler.” Flinging his box jauntily over his shoulder, Joe jogged along, on the other side of the street from the two men. To all appearance he did not know that such men were in existence, his whole soul seeming set on finding a job. ‘Black ’em! Black ’em!” he kept lustily call- ing. ‘“‘Shine’em up; mister? .Put sich a polish on them flatboats as you won’t know yerself in ‘em. Make you think yer mammy changed you fur a mind fookin baby in ther cradle. Shine ‘em! Shine ’em!” Joe’s persistent cry at length brought him a customer, This was a slab-sided countryman, who was lounging along with a shabby valise, and boots that looked as if he had recently been wading in a plowed field. ‘* Here, boy,” he called. ter give me a shine-up. charge?” Joe halted, looked down at the number twelve stogies, cocked his left eye, and winked his right. ** Guess ther tariffll be "bout a silver quarter fur that job, mister.” ‘* A quarter, you young rascal? Want to rob me, do you? S’pose you think I’m a green- horn.” ‘* Didm’t dream o’ sich a thing,” rejoined Joe. *¢ Any blind man with a glass eye could twig you was a college professor, or a railroad president. But if I’m ter tackle them there bug-squashers, you've got ter shell ont lively. I don’t take wholesale jobs at retail prices.” ‘* You confounded son of a pickled mackerel! are you trying to chaff me?’ roared the country- man. ‘* Blame your ugly eyes, you want some- body to kick the impudence out of you. And I’m just the chap to do it.” He made a rush at Joe. But he might as well have tried to nab a mosquito. Joe ran lightly ahead, just out of reach, laughing in a way that doubled the man’s rage. “It’s jubilee times, boss. called out. ‘* And you'll rise, if I can get the toe of my boot under your corporation.” ‘**Scuse me,” answered Joe. ‘‘ Like ter ’com- erdate you, but can’t afford to wait. Gota in- vertation to take dinner with ther mayor.” The enraged coun chased Joe for more than two squares, en he gave it up in dis- ** Reckon you’d bet- How much do you Prices is riz,” he ective. — — — ee —_——- -_— a eg gust, puffing and blowing with his exertions. Joe instantly unshipped the box from his shoul- der, and took a seat on it, looking at his baffled pursuer with a glance of irritating fmpudence. ‘* Wouldn’t you like ter come along to that dinner. party, stranger? Goin’ter feed high, you bet! Little pigs on toast, an’ buttered parsnips, Like to have yer.” ‘Td like to have you, and an ox-hide to teach you manners,” muttered the count*yman, as he turned away in disgust.. Joe picked up his box and jogged on. This specimen of street-Arab impudence had not been without an object. The boy did not want a job, and took this way to get out of it. And he want- ed a good excuse to follow his game, without be- ing suspected by the suspicious **‘ Captain,” whose rolling éyes were never still for a second. He had now been for some time in pursuit, and a considerable distance had been gone over. His run from the countryman had taken him ahead of Gibbs and the ‘‘ Captain.” He walked aga | on, satisfied that they were close behind Reaching the next corner he stopped and looked in a store window, as an excuse for glancing back along the street. To his utter surprise the men had disappeared. He rubbed his eyes. But not a trace of them was to be seen. A quarter of a square back was the opening te a narrow cross-street, Joe knew it well. It was a place renowned for its English chop and ale houses. He ran back with all haste to the cor- ner of this street,.aand gazed down it. He was justin time. One of his men was out of sight. he other was just stepping into the open door of a house. Jubilee Joe scratched his head. An idea quickly popped into it. Hiding his box in a safe corner he hurried after them. “They’ve dug into Johnny Flynn’s,” he de- clared. ‘*‘ Lucky I know Johnny. lm goin’ ter see what’s in ther wood.” In a moment more he entered thesaloon. The door opened into a short entry, and this into the tap-room. The latter was square, gloomy, and low-ceilinged, dingy and blackened with tobacco smoke, ‘The floor was sanded, and was provided with a number of small tables. The two men whom Joe was after stood at the bar, talking to the landlord. Joe looked slyly around him, There was a long table in the corner covered with a long cloth that reached tothe floor. The men’s backs were toward him. With a wink to the round-fac| landlord, who recognized him, Joe slip;«t around the room by the wall, and plunged i - der this table, the drooping cloth quite corces!}- ing him. é two men, oblivious to this movement, con- tinued their talk with the landlord. ‘** He’s here, then?” ‘** As sure has a ’oss is a ’oss.” ‘*Tell him we’re on hand, And let’s have a brimmer of your best home-brew.” The landlord bustle4 around, placed chairs to the end of the table under which Joe was hid- den, and set on it a brimming beaker of ale, with a brace of tall glasses. ‘Yell find that prime. this side o’ hold Hingland,” The youthful spy heard the landlord leave the room, Thetwo men at the table poured out glasses of ale, and took a long draft of the foam- ing beverage. “°Tain’t bad,” said the voice of Gibbs. ‘I hope t?other job ’ll pan out as well.” “Tf Tom Smith only puts through Ais share correct,” answered the ** Captain,” in a grating voice. ‘Drop all that,” cried Gibbs. ‘*Tom Smith issunk in a simoon. Andrew Allan has taken his place. I guess Andy can fill the bill far bet- ter than Tom.” ‘* Tf he can only ** He can do it. ways I should say Andy’s up to silk chokers. ain't afeard of that young man.” The two men laughed, as if highly amused. ‘*T hope he’ll do it as well as we’ve done owr share of the speculation.” ‘‘ What did you do with the girl’s hand-bag?” asked Gibbs, ‘‘ Pocketed the cash lining, Guess I earned that for the risk. It wasn’t much, anyhow, And as for the papers—” | ‘* Yes, Whats what we’re here for.” ‘‘T think they give her pedigree pretty 2om- plete. Gotthem here. We can take them in.” ‘‘Good. Are you sure of Sally? Is shesmart enough?” : ‘‘Tf she ain’t smart, there's no gal going that knows beans, And she’senough like that Laura Aren’t none better pray respectable.” ‘om’s up to snakes. Or aii | m ee en