Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 130 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

*“ You'd best dry up while your skin's whole. There’s of this now; let’s hear what you Mix bent his eyes memtetingty on the ceiling gS rt a of smoke from his lips. | at’s your favorite brand of cigars?” he asked, Rymoocently, as if he had not h Hogan's ques- “Do you want me to smother you?” cried the letter, og sleeves with grim meaning. “3 don’t smoke none but Concha de Figaros,” timed Dick, with sublime disregard of Hogan’s threat. ‘This is a ginuine Concher, Jist smell that ‘ewer Wf you want rose-water and cologne rolled into enmand ironed out flat. Why, it’s enough to make gay toy his grandmother.’’ tter do you om for your Con- now?’ asked Hogan, taking the pipe from his at’s an out-and-out Continentaler. Guv me ng buck tor holding his horse, I allers take cigars and nickels, Conchers, you sg, is the of my biz’ness. But nickels is necessary.” sat watching the boy as if uncertan just o make of him, It was evident enough that were waste words with Dick. The latter gusoked on in silence for a few minutes, looking his mwettled comrade quietly in the face. Then, laying @eascant remnant of his cigar on the table, he slow- wie down his chair from its dangerous angle. ow, s’pose we come to biz,” said Dick, setting Mis hat over the other ear, and buttoning one but- mm of his coat. “3m agreeable.” “Mought have had it long ago if you hadn’t me Ae so short with your chocolate-colored ,”’ with a comical] grimace. you see Harris?” “Fve got a ridick’lus whim that’s the job I took and Dick fastened another button with great . “When you find Dick Darling go back on ou kin git out your mud-scrapers and aed t e river bottom for him. I’m one of the t kin bear death but not disgrace.” “Yer a blamed long-winded, short-haired, knock- , imperdent young son of a ship’s monkey,” ogan, wrathfully. ‘And if you don’t int soon there'll be a death in the y without the trouSle of your drownd- Hogan raised his short, avoney figure from his @uair, and laid down his pipe, as if this were his first — toward putting his threat into execution. ee lint = ee wee ee ee ee ou. Don’t keer if I do, long as my Con- @ee's smoked out,"’ said Dick, quiet pick ng UP @epipe and inserting it between his lips. ‘There g@ifers was something ‘bout a ginuine meerschaum inti liked.” He puffed away in seeming unconsciousness of Mike wrathful attitude of his companion, who stood @erif overcome by this sublimity of impudence. Fin- , with a short, savage laugh, he sunk again into , exclaiming : be shot if I don’t b’lieve that rae Sin ag stop to arcy the p’int if there was a pil ver comin’ @ewn on his head. Oome, Dick, now, what did Har- Y she ! he wasted a good many parts of speech >to argyfy into me that boy’s PP spat were only for ornament; which, in course, didn’t stand reason. He guv me a letter, though, which I will come to the heel of it quicker nor I kin.” laid down the pipe which Hogan made haste riate. Then followed a general unbutton- tern diving into multifarious pockets, with which *3 apparel seemed plentifully eapris’ A gene- wit assortment of boys’ pocket merchandise adorned om: ve apn ah 9 the table as Dick emptied pocket after s search, ell, if it don’t beat bugs and butterflies!’ he , indig . “I know [sunk it in one of pockets; and there ain’t a pickpocket this side g Kong could find a thing after it’s once buried pockets. Can’t find it myself half the time.” you've lost it I'll be hanged if I won’t grind tuto soap-fat!"’ roared Hogan. A ought as well made : up ‘d got it insured, on it,’ muttered Dick as he continued his fon. “think I'll take out a policy on every- I in oes inter my pockets arter this, Mought the insurance companies, om ” took off his hat to scratch bis h for an idea him out of the difficulty, when out dropped letter; agpony heme the floor at H "sg feet. looked down on it with an odd contortion of ce. sell m t if there ain’t some sleight-of- y PR te} efu see’d Blitz across the street. uttin’ that letter in my hat. do theirselves.”’ paid little attention to the boy’s mutterings, agite picked up the letter and tore it open, eviden to its contents. moved to the other side of the table, as if against the gathering storm that showed in Hogan’s countenance, and stood sl egiiee the strongly-marked face of the man, as ran down t ody are P . P were mu ngs an mblings as oO thunder, as he Sonitinned to read. analy, a sudden outburst of wrath, he slapped the violently down upon the table, a prodigious breaking from his lips like that central peal pder which makes the roof rattle and the dance. I be cantankerously smashed into tin six- xo this don’t take the big rag off the that ever I run across!"’ he ejaculated. ain't a genius for bizness,’’ shaking bis . dif you Detective Dick. o— oo rr | ee ee ee ee fist at Dick. ‘‘Lucky for you that the tabie’s be- tween us, if you think anything of your bones." “What's wrong?’ asked Dick, with childlike in- mec What's wrong?” echoed H ! Th 63 ‘8 wrong?’ ec ogan, loudly. en, ene lowering his voice, he asked: Fan you ‘Kin I read?”’ repeated Dick, indignantly. ‘Kin a duck swim? Kina fox eat grapes? I'd be a purty uate of the No. 1 Keystone primary if I hadn't ‘isted in that much eddication. Wonder if he takes me for a fresh emigrant?”’ “Read that, then, and out loud. I want to see how it strikes you.” “All ©. K., uncle,” assented Dick, confidently buttoning up his coat till he looked like a trussed turkey. ‘Don’t find me goin’ back on literatoor.” He raged fis hat down savagely on his head spread t oo pe r before him, shut his right eye and sérgtched eft ear, as if these were ne- yer ng preliminaries of a dipping into literature. ~e lerdelfy, April one, eighteen hundred and—a Pa ” ” Dick, with slow and emphatic manner. se rag it ain’t an April fool sell. Kinder looks e A ‘*Go on,” commanded Hogan, energetically. ‘** Edward Hogan, Esq.’ hat’s Esq.?”’ sé on ” “Tt means ‘go on’ doesit? All right,’’ said Dick, going on, with sundry interpolations of his own. Dick was no great success as a reader of manu- script, and it was with many a trip and stumble over the big words, which stood e tall stones in his way, that he made his slow journey down the rugged pathway of the letter. ** Bus-i-ness is bus-i-ness’ (wonder if he thinks we want to be told that); ‘and what is worth doing at all is worth a man doing himself.’ (That ain’t good mar. Should have said hisself).”’ Hogan sat listening, with a smile of deep mean- ing. Re In what high-way or by-way of in-solence you icked up the boy you sent me I'd like to know, for don’t believe such crooked crab-apples grow in every orchard.’ ‘““Now who the dogs ever heered of a crooked SEAb-SP Ine? demanded Dick, looking up from the ter. Hogan made no answer but a grim smile. ‘“*Ag for in-trust-ing any bus-i-ness of impor- tance (guess big wordsis sold cheap in his country to such a messenger, I would as soon put my han in a hornet’s nest after honey.’ (That’sfun. Tried it myself once. Kinder ’preciate your feelings there).”’ “ Blow me if ft ain’t like pouring water on a duck’s back,”’ growled Hogan. ‘I was fool enough to think there was some shame in the boy.”’ Dick seated himself before proceeding, leaning back, with his heels on the table, to the greater en- joyment of his literary task. **T asked him to tell me where you were living, and he asked me if 1 wanted to buy him for a donkey? (Bet he could been bought cheap jist then.) Then [ re-quest-ed to know his residence, and was informed tnat he lived at the corner of Goose and Spruce, next door to whale- bone alley.” ‘** Don’t he write a slashin’ hand?’’ queried Dick, admiringly. “ Jist look at that Goose! And he dashes off Whalebone as if it done him good.” ** What did you tell him such stuff for?” * Tweren't none of his bizness where I lived.” “** He next took occasion to inform me that he was first cousin to General Grant, and nephew to the Emperor of China, and cared no more for my riches than a Newfoundland dcg cared for a terrier pup.’ (That’s very well, Mr. Harris, but you ain’t putina word of your own imperdence).”’ ‘* You seem to enjoy that letter,’’ remarked Hogan, with a e. **Tt’s kinder entertaining.” ***T was next informed,’’’ continued Dick, ‘* ‘that the city Ilived in wasn’t fit for a respectable boot- black to emigrate to, and that it would do first rate to set up in a corner of a Philadelphia square as a specimen of a one-horse village.’ “T tell a that fetched little Harris,’’ Dick laugh- ed, asift ‘*He e recollection was highly eee talked so big of the City of Chester, that I couldn't help puttin’ in a back-handed slap.’ ‘You seem to have distinguished yourself pretty pose these are enough il-lus-tra-tions (don't reckernise the word) of his mode of conversa- tion,’ ’’ continued the er. “ ‘I was silly enough to let him goon for an hour. Ppl know how you'd sto x sheng 3 I certainly not trust im- rtant business such a messenger. You know where I live, and have not informed me where you live. Come down and see me yourself. Yours truly, *** H, WILson Harris.’ “Short and sweet; with oceans of my imperdence, and not a word of. his own,” and Dick spoke in- tng | oop dignantly. ‘* That’s just like men. They think boys ain't got no souls.”’ You’re a high old messenger, You ought to have a premium,” said Hogan, sourly. “Do you know anything else?” * Only that the schooner Lucy flung the hawser on Chester pier last night."’ “ The devil!” cried Hogan, rising so suddenly as to overturn his chair. ‘* And he leaves the only bit of news worth a picayune to the last!” He rushed hastily from the room, followed by an irritating laugh from Dick. CHAPTER II. THE SINGING LESSON. Hoaan’s hasty journey was to the telegraph office, Arrived there, however, he was not so hasty in send_ rssthesenshantendeedesneipienneAaiaeetenteendatiecetea etiam =a. a ing his message, but spent full twenty minu with the aid of a pocket-dictio , and a peculiarly cut piece of paste-board, in inditing it. The clerk looked at it curiously, and then up at ** Want this sent just as it reads?" ‘*Sartin. And maybe you'd better run it over to see if it’s writ out plain. Wouldn't do to get one of them words wrong.” Be - Wilson Harris, Chester, Penna,” began the clerk. “Chocolate, cows, corpulent, cucumbers, crim nal, carter, cake, can, combine, calico, ‘* CHARTER.”’ ‘Ts that right? Your cipher seems to'run to C's. Chocolate cows, and corpulent cucumbers are queer specimens.”’ “All correct. Hope it won’t run to seed. Push her through, my friend. I expect an answer.” It was half an hour before the answer came. It was couched in the same cipher, which seemed to give Hogan more trouble to read than it had to write. ** Let me see,"’ he muttered, ‘I told him to keep a spare eye for the Lucy, and especially for the red- haired mate. I judge this tobe: ‘I have been watch- ing, but have seen nothing’—‘cranberry,’ what’s that? Oh! ‘suspicious.’ ‘Seen nothing suspicious. eee -_ my—’ ‘curtain concert.’ What the blazes a ” Hogan thumbed his book for several minutes, theu cy ye < ‘**Kyes open!’—Keep my eyes open! Hope you will, Harris. 1am afeared, though, you'll hava dust thrown in them, Wish I was down there myself, but I've got to pay my compliments to our mutual friend, Harry Spencer.”’ Hogan had long since left the telegraph office, and was making his way as rapidly as a street-car could carry him to an up-town locality. Arrived in front of a stylish row of houses on North Eleventh street, he was met, as if by pure chance, by a plainly-dressed man, who had been lounging carelessly on the nearest corner. ‘What news?” was Hogan’s first remark to thie individual. “All serene. The bird is caged yet. Wish to Heaven he’d show a wing.”’ ‘“*You are too uneasy, Tom. I hope you haven't sold your business?”’ **Do you take me for a fool, Ned, Hogan?” ans- wered Tom, angrily. “I haven’t been shadowin rascals for ten years not to know the first ropes ye ’Tain’t for any young fox like this to run under an old hound’s nose,” ** Been any signs?”’ “A rusty-looking lad, that might have been a tele- graph boy, went in half an hour ago, He ain’t come out since. There was a very bright-faced young lady, too, wentinan hourago. She left just before you came.” ‘* Bet on your having an eye for the ladies, Tom,” laughed Hogan. ‘‘ You can slide now. I'll take up | the next watch,.”’ They walked carelessly on together, Hogan filin his favorite meerschaum. He took a long, delight puff at it, and then said: ‘*Be on hand at six, if nothing turns up before. I'll smoke him if he shows his nose.”’ Tom walked on,and Hogan turned on his heel, stationing himself in an indolent attitude against an awning-post, and smoking diligently as his eyes rested on the houses before him. We will take the privilege of entering the particu- lar house to which his attention was directed. From the parlor of this rather plainly-furnished residence, a half-hour orso before Hogan took up his watch, there came the tones of a remarkably sweet lady’s voice, accompanying the piano, im what seemed more of an exercise than a song. Thetones of the voice vibrated musically through- out the house, and might have stirred the dull ear of the watcher in the street had his soul been sensitive to the influence of music. There mingled with it now the manly tones of a fine tenor voice, while more vigorous sounds came from the piano. But we will intrude on this music-lesson, as it seems to be. The jyoung a whose voice is so full of bird-like a tall, beautiful opt very stylishly ————.. t sweetness is dressed, a light-haired, blue-eyed witch, on whom a eyes of the gentleman are fixed in deep admira- on. He is a very handsome fellow, and has about him. that ease and ty of manner which seem to be the {prerogative of culture. He is dressed rather sent but wears his clothes with au air that gives hem ail the effect of stylishness. Bi ee is well done, ve provingly. within the } “ well done,’’ he says, ap- ‘*The range of your voice has increased. ast few weeks.”’ set fa really think so?”’ she asked, pleased with. e. his e 8 “Yes; you struck that upper note clearly to-day. . Last week you could not sound it,” s an i to me ae at aor have reached me roof of the house,”’ she returned, laughingly. “A pry Sarr I spat pa ‘ “ie , ‘Oh, no! not yet,’ and he spoke appeali ee wish YOU to try this new song vith nee It med beau- tiful hing, and will just suit your voice.” ‘* Love Waits,’” reading in its title, with ash of her shoulders. ‘‘ Something sweetly sentimen I su What is love waiting for?” ‘Heaven knows, If I were a lover, now,I eould tell you what I would be waiting for.” “**For a smile from the sweetest eyes under the sun,’’’ she read, looking intently at the music. ‘*Let me see them,” and laying his hand lightly am her arm, he peered earnestly into her face, ‘S-CO Gomileboo