Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 145 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Captain Ferret, the New York Detective. of a subject, which weuld admit him to the ioe rdingly, F ho appeared nearly as ecordi , Fox, who ap ear much interest in the case as the judge him- self, took his Copareaye, to pay another visit to the doctor in order to get a description of the dead woman. In the meantime, Bob also left the judge’s mansion, and took a car for the old city, getting out at Eighteenth and Market, and walking briskly ity 4 the latter thoroughfare, north- ward, until be came to a row of tenement buildings, of, anything but a prepossessing as- t pect. Mounting a flight of rickety stairs to the sec- ond floor, Bob continued along the hall until he came to a door upon the right-hand side, which he tried, and found unlocked. Entering, he found himself in a large, plainly- ed room, which served the purpose of kitchen, dining-room, parlor, and bedchamber. Though poor and shabby, the general aspect of be ee was at least clean, and arranged to as good effect as possible. ora Bacon sat near the stove with the baby in her lap, to whom she was feeding milk out of a nursing-botitle. Near the table sat no less a personage than the tery peli ssh Tetaeted in smoking a cigar, while he ap in an i but an viable frame of mind. ‘| Bob gave vent to a low whistle of astonish- ment, and turned to Flora, inquiringly. “**Mornin’ to you, Miss Flore,” he said, doffing his elegant silk hat, and taking a seat. ‘‘ Guess DPve run inter a port whar 1 ain’t needed, eh?” *‘ Why, Bob, is that really you?” the girl de- manded, admiringly. ‘‘I didn’t know you when ou first came in, you were so changed. You ook really like a fine gentleman.” ““"Spect I am a reg’lar high-toner, ef ther truth waz only known. Didn’t ’spect ter find Mickey Fresco Angel-oh Mitch heer, tho’,” and the rejuvenated bootblack fired the superintend- ent a quizzical look, “Oh! you needn’t fear for him,” Flora re- plied, in antly. ‘“‘His presence here is un- welcome, while yours is quite the reverse.” ‘Oh! that’s it, is it? Isay, Mickey, how do that sound to ye?” the youth demanded, tanta- lizingly, ‘‘Ruther a nose-breaker, ain’t it, fer sech a purty pill as you, even ef ye do aspire ter be a clown in a sarkus?” . “*Miss Bacon is incensed with me because I offered her a good thing by proposing to make her my wife, but she will get bravely over that, and aceede to my terms, if you will only have the good grace to take your leave, young man,” was Mitchell’s reply. ‘*Betaclam your case is ho less,” Bob re torted, coolly. ‘‘Miss Flore, she knows what she’s about, every once in a while, you bet, an’ she’s got a beau wo’t punches trip-slips ona hoss-car, an’ he’d punch you, too, ef he know’d you was heer. Guess when Miss Flore seg I’m exkusable it'll be time enuff fer me to va- moose.” ‘*'Phat’s it, Bob; don’t you desert me,” Flora cried, her eyes flash not have the kindness to depart, before long, I she'! call an officer. Because of his undesirable attentions to me. I was obliged to hand in my resignation at the factory yesterday, and now be has come to further annoy, and even threat- en me. Thinking to influence me to marry him, he has even promised to inform me who my parents were, but I have refused him.” _ Bully fer you, Miss Flore! Mickey Angel-oh ain’t no shakes fer you, nohow. Jest you hang ter yer street-car beau—he’s solid Muldoon, fer ou. ‘Sides, Mickey Angel-oh ain’t allus a-goin r be a big superintendent o’ a caliker mill. Bet er clam I know er few p’ints thet’ll help him ter a cumfortable bunk down in Moya, an’ as fer who se parents wer’, ’spect I know full’s well as Mickey Angel-oh Mitch,” ‘‘Curse you, boy!” Mitchell cried, fiercely. ‘Vl break your head if you don’t keep your aouth shut. You don’t know a thing about that girl’s parentage.” “Get any ducats to bet on that?’ Bob de manded, coolly. ‘ Guess ye’ve fergot I was be- hind ther bookcase, when ther madam was a- tellin’ erbout it, hain’t ye? "T'wixt_you an’ me, Mickey, yer jig’s erbout up, an’ ef I was you I’d either skip fer other climes, or go down ter Moya an’ give yersalt up like er major. Slow- iy but surely ther net is weaving around you et will finally constertoot yer windin’ sheet.” Mitchell arose with an oath. “I will not remain here, to listen to such nonsense, from a mere boy. gee you on the street, sir, I'll have and sent up, for vagrancy,” he mm mm mm mr mn 6 ee ee ee a a a | | | —— haughtily. ‘‘ Miss Bacon, what answer am lI to have from you? Will you marry me, be blessed with my love, and learn the parentage that you have never known?—or will you choos: my hatred, amd live forever in ignorance of your birthright and title?’ ‘‘ A thousand times better to remain forever in ignorance ef my parentage, sir, than to marry one whom I could never love or even respect!” ‘‘ Bravo! hurra!’” Bob cried, rising in his en- thusiasm, tossing his hat into the air, and catch- ing it again en his head. ‘‘Thet ’ar waz done ~: fust class—reg’lar Romeo an’ Juleet style! ickey Angel-oh, you’d make a fust-class heavy villain, ef ye was ter color up a little wi’ caliker Gren) Flore she’d knock ther spots clean off m John Drew, as a he’rine.” “Then, look out for me!” Mitchell cried, shaking his fist at Miss Bacon, unmindful of the werds of Boss Bob, ‘‘ for you have not heard the last of me. I'll have you yet in spite of yourself.” Then turning he strode from the room, slam- ming the door behind him, in no gentle way. ‘I dunno, but I ’spect ef I was a little big- ger, I'd lick the ugliness outer that Mickey An- gelo, jest fer fun,” Bob declared. ‘‘ He’s a bad pil, but is gittin’ purty near ter ther end o’ bis clothes-line. How’s the baby?’ ‘Oh! itis getting along ever so nicely, and makes me scarcely any trouble,” Flora replied enthusiastically kissing the little stranger. ‘I ex’: love it like 1 would a brother or sister.” ‘‘ Well, that ain’t bad,” Bob acknowledged, withagrin. ‘’Spect everybody wouldn’t stop much at havin’ you fer a brother or sister. Guess it cums natteral fer ye ter like ther little ’un, ’ca’se how et was yer own sister’s baby.” ‘* What! my sister’s child—this ?” greatly ‘<> ora cried, excited, t it is,” the Bootblack King replied. “‘ Nothin’ s’prisin’' in it either, compared wi’ sum other pints I've learned. Guess mebbe when dewelerpments cums toa focus, you'll hev ter own me fer a brother, too.” ‘* Really you speak in riddles, Bob, and I can- not understand them. Please explain for the satisfaction of my curiosity.” ‘‘Can’t do that, yet. Will ’splain all, next time [come. Jest dropped in ter set yer thinkers a-goin’, an’ git yer anticipatin’ masheen in workin’ order. Stand ready ter cum wi’ ther Nondescript, whenever I send him. It may be scon, an’ et may be later, accordin’ tew dewelop- ments. Good-by!” And the next moment he was gone. Mitchell, after leaving the tenement abode of Flora Bacon, returned at once to the calico fac- tory, and found a stranger in the office, en- gaged in looking over the books. ** What does this mean?’ he demanded, an- erly 3 ‘“who are you that you take so much iberty in looking over the ks of this estab- lishment?” *“*T am the new superintendent of the mills, ing. ‘If Mr. Mitchell does | in the place of the man Mitchell,” the stranger replied. ‘If you are he, you will find an ex- lanatory note there on the table from Judge over, sir.” With an eath Mitchell snatched up the letter, and tearing it open, read the following: rintendent and resentative in business, are no longer needed, as ve learned of ges villainous associations, which render you an unfit person, to be in my employ. I would suggest that you take your leave at once, and save yourself trouble. JupGE TURNOVER.” Without a werd the displaced villain quitted the office for the street; but when here, his dis- appointment and rage found vent in a ready flow of curses. “it is the work of that accursed boy, Boss b, again,” he hissed, white with passion: ‘“‘through him I have lost this position, and mayhap my liberty. But, curse them, I will be reve on both him and the judge. It must be a bold game to be su ul, but I shall play to win. The boy shall die, this time, for a certainty, and there is another ready way to strike Turnover that will either bring me back my situation, or a cash equivalent.” He_ hurried at once to Madam Fayette’s Eighth street establishment, and found the madam seated in her ping parlor, engaged in peruies ay letter ; but she looked up, with an nquiring expression en her face, as she saw his evident anger. “ve lost my situation through the infernal “‘Srr:—Your services as my su re I The next time I | bootblack,” Mitchell burst forth, as he entered, you arrested | ‘‘I have just received my discharge v: ers oe eee —_—_——— ——— 13 that boy, we are all liable to get ourselves into an unenviable scrape.” ** Only you, I and McFadden,” the madam re- lied, evenly. ‘‘Frothin ham has skipped for ew York, en route for London, accompanied by the rest of the boys, He says ‘London offers a safer retreat for him, as there was a prospect of things getting too hot for him here. He didn’t forget to take my jewelry along with him, neither, nor the contents of m box. I told you once I was suspicious of him.” Mitchell seated himself, with a growl. “I care not--let him go. If we take care of ourselves, we shall do well. Things are work- ing in the devil’s way, all around. I visited the Bacon miss, this morning, and she refused me ain.” The madam gees. ‘** | thought likely, by the temper you are in,” she confessed. ‘‘ Maybe if you would try the mother, instead of the daughter, you’d have better success.” “ Pshaw! I can have you later, after I’ve mar- ried the girl, and through her got a piece of Turnover's fortune. There’s one thing flat!’ ** What is that?” ‘“Why, we must play a game card, now—a card that leads to wealth, and at the same time leads to protection.” “IT do not understand you; how do you mean?’ ‘‘] will explain. We must capture this girl, and a her, in some place, and hold her there. In this — we can make terms with Turnover, end at the same time he and his young tool, Boss Bob, will not give us over to the au- thorities until they can secure the girl. In this way we can work upon the judge for a big amount, when we will skip out, and let him have his girl.” “Your plan may work,” the madam admitted, toying witb the letter she held. ‘‘But there are ten chances to one it will not. Turnover will never give up his ducats until be has thor- oughly tested every other way of getting the advantage.” “‘ Well, it’s our best hope to risk, at any rate. We sbali either win largely, or lose all and go to jail—and that comes within one of staring us in the face, now. As to the boy—” “T have a yom of getting effectually rid of him,” the madam interposed. ‘‘ To-morrow is Pennsylvania day, at the Centennial, and it shall be his last day to live.” ‘““We ought to have made sure of him the other time we had him. Then we would not have been betrayed, and I should yet have my position,” Mitcbell growled. ‘““ Well, we didn’t do it, and there is no use of crying over spilt milk. Come closer, and I will inform you of my plaus in regard to the disposal of the hootblack.” Accordingly they moved their chairs closer to- gether and in lowered voices discussed dark schemes which boded no good to either Boss Bob, or Flora Bacon. A well-matched pair were the two avast as regards scheming, and be it not said to their credit, either, for both were educated, intelligent, and fitted for a far better existence, than that which they led. CHAPTER XI. MALONEY, SR., AND BOSS BOB. In the meantime, Boss Bob returned to the Turnover mansion, and found that Fox had al- ready arrived there ahead of him, from his visit to the doctor’s. He placed a written description of the dead woman, in Bob’s bands, and the boy perused it attentively. *‘Reckon that’s all’s necessary,” he decided. “Snect I kin reckernize ther corpus, at once. I'll waltz around and pay Paddy McFadden a — to-night, jist at the top av the avenim’, so will. It being well along in the day, ard having some other arrangements to complete, be once more took leave of Turnover and Fox, and re- turned to town. The undertaking establishment of Patrick Mc- Fadden was located in a small two-story house in Buttonwood street, and here the wily ax pv tor was wont to carry on all branches bis trade. He supplied funerals with coffins ani hearses, at shortent notice; received bodies and kept them iced until time for interment, and also preserved bodies by the emba!mer’s art. It was no unusual occurrence to see half a dozen or mere coffins enter his place, or leave it, every day, and altogether he did a rusbing busi- ness at handling the dead. The lower story of his house had a front or n- _ ing of double doors, so that he could drive into cried, rising, , from Turnover. What isto be done? ‘itrough ' the build ing. (©) JOO lin (Sc HAC