Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 130 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

- as 7 ee Ces elena 6 & & FR he goes, house five minutes,” declared M ‘ ri a et ee + ee ee “Ol! no nonsense,"’ she exclaimed, turning quick- iy nway. “ You are a mere tease,” Yat the flush on her face showed that she was not mite displeased. thout a word he laid the music on the piano, amd ran his hand softly over the air. “Do you think you can catch it? It is easy.” “Sing it yourself first. I want to hear the move- ment.’ “He sung witha great dealof feeling and power, she listening with a charmed expression as the rich tones of his voice filled the room with music. The ¢ was deeply sentimental, and its fervent mean- fae thrilled in his voice. “She is as winsome as the summer rose, Ah! false was he that painted lovo’seyes blind; Phe —— are ed when those bright orbs un- close; hove waits no more when love's soft heart grows cin Pid His voice lowered and vibrated rangey as he @ to these lastlines. He seemed to feel deeply sentiment of the song, and held on to the *“* Love waits no mors” with a fervend insistence that thrill- ed the heart of his hearer with deep emotion. Iie was silent for a moment, the echoes of his vaice seeming still to fill the room with music. “Do you like the song?” he asked, quietly. “Oh! indifferently,’”’ she answered. “ Will you try it now?” “Not now. I thank you,” coolly, “The lesson is ended, then,” shutting down the piano with almost a bang, “Which lesson?’’ was her innocently-expressed inquiry, as her bright eyes rested & moment on his ““The music-lesson,”’ he replied, rathercurtly. “I was not aware that I was teaching any other lesson,”’ “ Ah! truce was he that painted love's eyes blind,” éhe sung, with a laughing intonation. She seized her music and turned toward the door, He stood irresolutely, his face flushed, his foot nervously tapping the floor. “You s not go till you have told me what you ” he declared, suddenly taking her hand. ‘Why, you wished me to sing it a minute ago,” with a quick glance. “I hope I caught the senti- ment properly.” “But your paraphrase? words?” “Excuse me. That is oneof the things no woman explains,’’ withdrawing her hand resolutely from " an Thbeagnt! Helen; I have dared to think—I have dared to hope—”’ She stood listening with downcast eyes, and with an undefined expression on her face. She was cer- tainly not deeply displeased. Yet he was not destined to finish his hesitating sentence. The door near which they stood suddenly opened, and a boy, of the most unmitigated boyishness, stepped saucily into the room. It was no other than raged, independent Dick Darling, *“'Seuse me,”’ he said, with a meaning glance from one to the other of the pair upon whom he had in- truded, ‘S’pose maybe if I was to call ag’in, it mought be more agreeble, ll retire to a sofy in the parlor till you git throug.” “Stay where you are, you wicked young rascal,”’ cried Mr. Spencer, Iax;hing in spite of his chagrin. “Shall I see you to the door, Miss Andrews?” “Don't you mind me,” suzgested Dick, reassur- ingly. ‘*T never peach, no matter what signs I see,”’ the x Your change of my seated himself on the piano-stool as they left room, “Tl be shot if they wasn’t spe | love! Iswow, if I ever see’d sich fun!’’ a broad smile breaking over face, as he brouzht his hand down for an em- slap upon his knee. It fell, however, on the bank of keys of the piano, ae such a clash of sound that the boy made a movement backward, The result was an everturning of the piano-stool, and a helpless rolling ef Dick over and over upon the carpet. | “I wonder what blamed kind of a nitro-glycerine he keeps in that mahogany box!” he muttered, as he ously picked himself up. “If it often goes off that way it’s what I should call a concealed dead- ly weapon. An’ that’s ag*in’ the law.” Dick eyed it askance, as if not quite satisfied with tts mity. ° In mischief before he is in the r. Spencer, as he —— ee the front doorat the sudden uproar in r. “ Who is he?’’ asked Miss Andrews. “Oh! a young gentleman who has deigned to take me under his care, and who calls on me at the most nvenient moments— an 1 all.” “ He is ragged enough,” sne admitted, with a shrug. “But I am intruding on your time.” Her voice was lowered intone, as she stood a mo- ment, her hand on the door knob, as if hesitating to open, ., When shall I seo youagain?” he asked, “Oh! this day week, I presume; if nothing hap- g.”? “Then, may nothing happen,” he retorted, with a deep meaning in his tone. “** Love Waits,’ shall be our next lesson.”’ * Love waits no more,” she sung, with a iy? as- pect, as she quickly opened the door, ‘“* Good-day,” and she ne yen hastily into the street. His face hada very happy look, as he turned back from the door. **T would have liked to annihilate the boy, though,” he muttered. TO ee Detective Dick. — 2+ oe mee a eee od When he entered the room Dick was standing in the middle of the floor looking defiantly at the offend- 0. t do you call that critter?” he asked, point- ing to the instrument. That’s a piano.” “Oh! that’s a pianer, is it? Does it often go off?” “Tt is a little dangerous to boys, sometimes,” ad- gee Mr, Spencer, running his rs lightly over @ keys. Dick listened, with a pleased ear, to the rich tones of the instrument, **Swow I didn’t know it was bottled-up music, Got many tunesinit? Let’s hear **‘ Hail Columby.”’ Mr. Spencer ran over the air requested, to the in- finite delight of the hearer. Nec that beats a hand-organ holler—monkey an . ““And now I want to know what made you bolt me the room without an invitation?’ demanded Mr. pencer. ‘You ought to post yourkitchen gal better. She told ne you was here. I took that for invertation enough,” “In future you would do best to knoek before en- tering my private room. What brings you here to- day ?’ e spoke a little impatiently. S'pose I knowed you was in here sparking that prett gal?’ and Dick buttoned his coat d atly. ‘Couldn’t have dragged me in with a yoke of oxen if I'd a-knowed it.”’ **She’s a pupil of mine, Dick. Iwas giving her a singing-lesson. " ** Oh! a singin’-lesson!” said Dick, with an incre- dulous wink. ‘* Hope she likes singin’-lessons.”” ‘* What do you want, boy? I have no time to spare, ‘* Come here to-day to tell you your fortune.” “T guess I will excuse you that duty, then,” with asmile. ‘I have no fortune to tell.” ‘* More than you think,maybe. Give me your hand.” Mr. Spencer extended his hand to the boy, who took it in his own soiled palm, ‘The lines don’t come out clear,’’ he muttered, after ring over it. ‘“*Maybe you'd best cross it wir Bpen laid a piece of silver in bis palr r. Spencer a piece of silver open n. “That helps it amazingly,”’ said Dick, is heametiy pocketed the coin. * Tell you what, there's fun here; and there’s danger. Here's a light-haired lady get- tin’ into the house of life—and here comes 4 mar- riage with three bridesmaids.” * Drop that, Dick,” and Mr. Spencer attempted to withdraw his hand. ‘“There’s danger,” continued Dick. “This line leads to trouble. There’s a red-headed man in it. Best keep clear of red-headed men for the next month.” “Quick, boy; get done with this nonsense!” ‘*There’s no nonsense in it,’’ protested Dick, sturd- ily, poring more closely over the hand, “ You were going to Chester to-day?” ‘How under the sun did you guess that?” asked Mr. Spencer, in surprise. “Its all here,” dec‘ared Dick, slyly. “When you ge there, keep clear of a red-headed man. If sich a one wants to talk to you jist knock him down or vamose, There’s a plot here.” “This is some rascally nonsense,” averred Mr. Spencer, drawing away his hand. ‘*What do you mean by it all?” ** Don’t you go to Chester. That’s what I méan.” “Ido not think I will give up my journey on ac- count of your fortune-telling.”’ ‘““ There’s danger, I tell you,’ spoke out Diek, ear- nestly, ‘There's a red-healjed man there, mate of the schooner Lucy. That's allI can tell yon. You must keep clear of him. There’s a game ag’in’ you. If sich a chap wants to talk to you don’t give him no closer qu rs than you would askeeter, There's danger atloat.”’ ‘* What is it, Dick? What do you know?” demand- ed Mr. Spencer, impressed with the boy’s earn manner, ‘Don’t know half what I'd like to,” answered Diek. ‘Only know that the devil’s got his foot loose, and got his eyeon you. There’s folks tryin’ to sell you out; jist you be spry.” i ony are * strange customer, ‘y shall eres of red- 8. ou have no more busin m time is limited,” peer cade “ All right!” said Dick, going to the front window, and looking out into the street. “Is there an easy back way out of your house?” ‘i Yes. Why?” ‘***Cause there’s eyes in the front mustn’t see me, that’s all. Do you know that this palatial mansion is shaddered?”’ : . ‘**Shadowed! What is that?’ ‘**Watched,’”’ explained Dick, m ously. ‘“* There’s eyes on you that you won’t eas an pe. voice Can’t tell no more, but jist you beware.’ had grown very low and mysterious. “And what- ever turns up don’t use my name. “ If I’m wanted, a ie - a asa Mr. § laughi **T will + ght,” r. Spencer, ng. wi be faithful to you to the death: and will avoid all red-headed men. This way, Dick.”’ In a few minutes more Dick was treading his way through back alleys, out of that neighborhood. Ina very short time after, Mr, Spencer left the house, and walked quickly down the street. He cast Snap glance around, but saw nothin more suspicious than a thic!:-set man leanings agaipnt &@ post and smoking a meerschaum. CHAPTER III. DICK GOES INTO BUSINESS, Two gentlemen were seated in earnest conversation near the front window of a hotel room Arch street, Philadelphia, - —— « --- - me me ee ee ee eee ee ee eee a . ahaa = oo eeoenses — oa ce ee a " CE i TERT te a pent en nr —— on - ~— 8 eee ae —s oe 8 ee ee — One of them, a large, full-faced man, sat with hie feet on the window-sill, in a remarkably easy at- titude. The other was a small, delicatély-framed man, who seemed to be greatly annoyed by some og ty ere P ** Do you know, my dear boy, that we have so far been bamboozled? “That's just the word for it—. bamboozled,"’ remarked the © man, with an ease that was not shared by his companion. “A new ten-dollar issue on the market, The Paw- kusset bank, It’s deuced provoking,” declared the small man. ‘‘And after six months’ work vo -haven’t the shadow of a clew.”’ ‘Oh! it- will come. It will come,” protested the Nae, CORT “We have set things working, you ow. “ Workin ainst us, I fear,” was the bitter rep!\ . ‘*We have net put them on their guard. The me tery iprows deeper every move we make.” ** Not a bit, my lad,” declared the large men, un- concernedly, “We knew nothing then, and we know no more now. That is whatI call atudu go. We will strike daylight yet, don’t fear that." “Well, if you ain’t the confoundedest, easies!-roing, — most unsatisfactory specimen of a private detective that I ever run across then I'll sell out,” cricd the small man impatiently, ‘I believe if an earthqua) » were to rattle the house to pieces it wouldn't gei a shake out of you.” ' “T don’t know,” was the quiet rejoinder, chills and fever tried it once. I was to shake than it was, though, so I shook it off. But, what ia the good of worrying? You can’t butter your pars. nips y grumbling at your ill-luck.”’ ‘1 have never been so long in the dark in any Cole I ever took on in my life,” said the testy gentleman. * And “s are een Nec $B coding ta ‘ abe is a gang of counte rs ® country wit bad money under the very noses of the Goyernimeut detectives. There is not a month but that som. nw issue comes out. And itis no bung work, I icll the kee) em ron They are first-rate mechanics, elbows I ever saw at hiding their trail. Th y we just shamiing the whole Secret Service." **Every dog has his day,’ declared the otber, in his easy manner. “Let them alone. Give t).. m rope. ey will hang themselves yet. We bove made ourselves somewhat too visible. We had better get back into the shadow and hide our hand. It sometimes pays to take to earth and only use your eyes.’ ‘Yes, and let Pinkerton's men step in and take t} » ame out of our bag,”’ was the impatient reply. — { now they have scouts out. How would it sound |» say that Will Frazer and Jack Bounce, the not- i Secret Service officers, worked for half a year on « blind trail and then let themselves be pinked by Pi- kerton, I shouldn't like to see that in print." ** Well, Jack Bounce, for one, don’t care a fiz,’* Reon. the large man, indolently shifting his fee. it comes toa free race between the detectives, tla devil take the hindmost, that’s my me. But when I trouble myself about anyt less impori- ant than burnt steak for dinner, or such like capitat crtmes, you can tell me of it.” “You are a Spree philosopher, Jack,"’ confessed his comrade. ‘I don’t know, though, t it make pe any worse at your busincss, ir suppose there is» o much stir about me. My game leaks out. 1 don’t know when I was ever more ashamed of myself than about something that happened to-day." “Ah! Let’s hear it?’ asked Jack. “Do you know that I was accosted by an impu- dent young rascal in full street uniform—a cast-i! coat and rags for breeches. He had my name pat, and my vocation, too, it seems, And, that wast all. He bad smelt our business here, and was gu!) * to put us onsome wonderful track for only tent. '- lars. I was more inclined to give the youn villo ten kicks, I never knew before that I carried wiy business in my face," Before he got half-way through, Jack Bounve's feet were on the floor, and he was eying his comri!. ay fl | idn’t know that you valued ten dollars +a ou know it wasn’t the dollars."’ “It looks devilish like it,” was the vexed Die, * You were out of temper, Will, and haven't pot be. x: to it yet; or you wouldn’t have let that boy off .o yt You think, then, that he hadn’t smelt my busi- ‘*T know you are not afool. It don’t do to shut door in our own faces. You can take my word for it that it was not from you that the boy learned all tho... He may have had the very clew that has beea bail. ing us. lshould like to see him." I think I should kuow him again,” with a tumfl- ity that showed that he felt the force of this re-~ proach. “ Then you had best keep your eyes open for bim,"* declared Jack, in decid accents. “That spring must be pumped dry.” Will’s reply was a sudden leap to his feet and rash to the window. a pas is ae aan cree. «Sed, he te coming: a sees you,” edJack. “ 0 into the hotel. He bas not given it up yet.” *“ Had I best go down and look him up?” “Wait, wait,’ ordered Jack. “You will aever learn the virtues of waiting. If he knows us he will us. * Well, I wash my hands of the young villain. You can manage him.”’ A few minutes passed in silent waiting. Then Jack tira policy was confirmed by a loud knock at r. “ Come in!” he cried, resuming his easy attitude. ‘Phe door opened and in walked Dick Darling, tus Corr “The | JOOKS- COM