Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 209 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 Ft ~~ ee eee te ee eo ee ee | es ~socmeres ° . . one : . - one « +e — ma”, Mr. Daniels, had to say? I am afraid | of me,” Fritz replied, ‘und I'll bet a dollar I | there's no chance tor you, just now,” * Dot feller is a sucker vot eats all der bait eff der hook,” Fritz declared, nodding bis head. “What? Why, Mr. Daniels is a thorough gentleman, and one of our most efficient em- ployes. You have made a singularly wrong estimate of our foreman!” the merchant said, a trifle severely. “The boy is hardly to blame,” the man Fisk remarked. ‘‘ Daniels has rather a hang-dog look about the eyes, By the way, friend Harrington, I suppose a little advice wouldn't be offensive to you, eh?’ “From you, certainly not, Mr. Fisk. Fire away—volumes of it, if you like.” * Well, what I wanted to advise was that you retain the services of our son of I[srael, here; don’t tax him with work, you know, but just let bim loaf about the store—like your spotted pet cat yonder, you see,” ‘* Yes, yes, I see, I see—as a spy, eh?’ “Ye. He can keep his ears and eyes on the alert; it won’t do any hurt, at the worst, and may do good. I like the lad’s eye, and I'll wager my hand he can be trusted.” ‘*In order to do this, he would have to be put on track?” “Yes, but you won’t lose anything by it. If his presence were liable to create suspicion, be might occasionally be given some small jobs to do, with the understanding that he was simply there to learn the business.” ‘“‘Perbaps your plan is a good one. How do you think you would like such a berth, Fritz?’ | ‘* You want me to play up der loafer, und keep an eye on efferypody, und when I hear somedings vot you vant to know, I coomes und dells vou apoud it?’ ‘Yes, that is it exactly.” “But, you vill haff to tell me somedings apoud vot you want to know, in order that I vill know vot I am to keep watch for.” “Well if you will promise to keep every- thing a secret that you learn, from every liv- ing person except myself and Detective Fisk, here, I will take you into my confidence and employ, at a moderate salary to begin with, with an increase as Isee that your services merit it.”’ “TI promise upon my hozor ash a shendle- man, todo as you vant, and work yoost der best I can,” “Well, then, listen: This is an extensive jobbing establishment, doing a business of sev- eral million dollars yearly. In addition to handling American dry goods and notions both wholesale and retail, we also import from foreign countries costly laces, silks, cloths and jewels —in the latter Jine especially, we doa heavy besiness in the way of importing and wholesaling. I1t is a daily occurrence for us to take in large sums of money, after banking hours, which’ we must per force leave in the safe, here, over night. Of late, our cashier, my nephew, whose naine is Thomas Ward, has privately complained to myself and partner, Mr. Schloss, that sums of money varying from five to ten dollars, have, on frequent occasions, been extracted from tbe safe during the night, or, at least, after business hours. To satisfy my partner, Thomas has been suspended from our employ, and Mr. Schloss, in person, has taken charge of the cash department for the last week. But the thefts still continue, No later than last night ten dollars was taken from the safe, when Mr, Fisk, who had been left here On watch, was attracted toward another portion of ths establishment, by suspicious sounds, Thus, you see, the thief or thieves, are not only bold but adroit and skillful in their work, which makes us the more eager to capture them. It is for the purpose of spot- ting the culprits that you are to henceforth take up a position as an employe of the firm. Do you comprehend?” , CHAPTER V. GETTING AT THE CASE, ‘¢Yaw—I dink I understand what you vants F | | | bottom of it, would bea step toward making | yourself. EEE a a ee a, —— catch der tief before I’m here a week,” ritz, the Bound-Boy Detective. f } ** Well, my boy, if you are successful, you'll | not lose anything by it,” ‘“’You’d better put him on the otber matter, too,” Fisk suggested. ‘‘ He may be successful, there,” “Ah! yes. another matter that, if you could get at the your fortune, I suppose you must be aware that there is a duty assessed by our Govern- ment on all foreign goods arriving in Ameri- can ports?” “‘T haff heard dot; yes, sir.” ‘Well, as that duty is very high on costly fabrics and jewels, the fact somewhat lessens the profit on imported goods, Owing to this, certain unscrupulous people have made it their business to smuggie cargoes of foreign articles into American markets, without pay- ing duty, and disposing of them at a figure considerably less than we merchants who have to pay duty, can afford to do on the same class of goods, But, of late, matters have become more complicated, and everything goes to show that there is a League of Smugglers in this vicinity, who drive a paying business at their nefarious trade, and their agents are scattered about the surrounding country, as receivers ard disposers of stch illegal mer- chandise. Of late, not only our establishment, but one or two other jobbers in this city, have made a singular and startling discovery —that we have been dealing very considerably in smuggled goods, for which we had never puid acent. This discovery was made by taking an inventory of our stock, and comparing it with a previous quarterly inventory, and then comparing the two with our purchase and sales book. The result of the comparison was that we had about five thousand dollars’ worth of stock above what we had purchased. “It was on making this discovery that we privately called in the services of detective Fisk, as an investigator, and we learn from him that there are at least two other jobbing houses in the same fix. There seems. but one solution to the matter—this league of smug- glers have agents in our employ, to whom they supply the goods, and these agents watch their opportunity to sell the goods over our own counters, in place of our own stock, and put the money in their own pockets,” “Vel, den you vants to know who dose agents are?—ish dot it?’ Fritz asked, taking a meditative squint. “That is it, exactly, but, you see, it is a business that must needs be conducted with the utmost caution. Were the Custom House authorities to suspect that we were harboring un-dutied goods, there’d be a big row, and even if we were able to prove ourselves clear of all guilt, the affair would get publicity and be apt to injure our reputation as a business firm. Then, again, it is our aim, by what clew we have got, to trace the matters to the very root by ultimately discovering and breaking up the smugglers’ league. To the man who _ is successful in so doing, the authorities will awarda handsome reward, I have no doubt,” ‘* And, 1’ll wager he'll earn his money, too, before he gets at the bottom of it,” Fisk said, drily. “I reckon I’m ordinarily smart in working up such cases, but I'll be jiggered if my closest attention to the case has availed me anything. Still, two heads are always better than one, and maybe our friend, Fritz, will have better luck, for he can see and do what no one else can, if employed here in the store.” ‘*T dink I vill like der job,” Fritz declared. ‘‘But maype I vould go at it somevat differ- ence asb you vould—vot den?” ‘You can arrange that to suit yourself. If you need money to carry into execution any advisable plan, I will furnish it.” ‘** Vel, den, I loaf apoud der store for awhile, und uff I haff no success, I vill take some sam- bles of goods, und go oud mif der smaller cities ash adrummer. Pyme py I find somedings I Now, you see, Fritz, there is } } | | sahtatlatind REARS neta Ps | vant to know—den, vonee I sdrike der track, I follow id up,” ‘Good plan! You may go pow, and returp to-morrow morning, by which time I will have it understood about the establishment that you are a wealthy young Jew, who bas paid for a privilege to linger about the place for the sake of getting an idea of the business, in view of either purchasing & partnersbip or starting for This will satisfy the curiosity that might otherwise arise among our employes, and secure for you courteous attention.” ‘*How many about the place bave you taken inte your confidence concerning the smuggling business?’ Fisk asked thoughtfully. ‘“‘Your-elf, Mr. Schloss and Fritz, here, aside from myself, are the only ones in the secret,” “It is well, I would adv'se that you do not permit it to get into the hearing of any other person until actually necessary, as it would be apt to put the guilty parties on guard,” Fritz then left the store, and went back to the pawnbroker’s shop, where he had left his grip-sack, Rebecca was still behind the counter, and welcomed him with a smile, ‘* Well, what luck, Fritz?’ she inquired. ‘Der best of luck, Rebecca, Der old man has taken me in ash silent pardner, und I Lid fair to own a hal’ of der blace afore long.” “Why, Fritz, what do you mean—youdcn’t mean you’ve got a position?” ‘‘Vel, I should say so, Rebecca. Der old rascal yoost engaged me right avay off, to set around und do noddings. Dot’s vota feller gets for lookin’ like a reg’lar masher, und dressin’ like a Saratoga swell. Vy, Rebecca, you yoost ought to bave seen der folks look ad me ven I go oud on der street! 1 suppose id vas pecause I looked so flip — vas id?’ ‘Yes, that must have been the reason. But I don’t urderstand what you mean by saying you have got a job to sit around and do noth- ing, Fritz?’ ‘* Vel, dot is all right, Rebecca. Von of dose times, ven der grab-apples got ripe, I tell you all apoud it. Not now, however. It vas a se- gret, you see, und vimmens dcn’d keep segrets vorth a bal’ of a dellar.’ “Oh! Fritz, you’re just awful, to speak so disrespectful of the ladies—poor me, of all others. [I’m just dying for you to tell me the secret, Fritz!” ‘*| cau’t helb id; | know you pe a purdy sblendid girl, Rebecca, und all dot, but I could- n’t tell you at bresent, not if you vas to kick ofer der bucket a hal’ of dozen times, Re- becca.” “ But, Fritz, can’t you trust me? [ won't give it away—never—never—never! there!” ‘‘Rebecea, ven I got sdarted up in pizness, I vill trust you for anything you vant, trom shoe-buttors und darning needles to a pair of susbenders, but you mustn’t ask no questions. vat I am to do at der store. I sit apoud und keeb my ears oben— dot’s all.” ‘“‘Ob! you mean fellow! I see through it al) now. They’ve hired you to keep. watch on poor Tom. They’re bound to make him trouble if they can, when he’s just as innocent as can be ” ‘How you vas know dot, Rebecca?” ‘‘ Because Ido. Tom’s just the nicest fellow living, and you will say so when you know him—and all the girls are just in love with him,” . ‘“‘Dis veller, Thoms, he vas Mister Har- rington’s nephew, eh, Rebecca?’ | ‘Yes, and it was just through tkat mean. Dolph Daniels that he got discharged. Money was missing from the safe, you see, on several occasions. Tom he complained of the loss, and the firm held a consultation. I heard Dolph tell Mr. Schloss that as Tom was the cashier he ought to be able to account for the loss, as no one aside from him and the firm had access 10 the safe. Dolph also told Mr. Schloss that Tom was in the habit of frequenting faro-rooms evenings, and playing and drinking, and that as it required no little capital to carry on this (e6) DGOls ALS