Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 220 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

_— - Se ERE EIEEE ee —_ _—- ! were certainly looking black for Frank. He reflected | for a few moments. He then lifted a packet ot goods which lay before him, ‘*Are you familiar with this article, Mr. Sharp?” he asked the detective. “Yes. I brought it here.” ** Where did you obtain it?’’ “From under a cot bedstead in rooms, which I understand was the of the prisoner. **Do you recognize it?” members of the firm, They examined it closely, particularly investiga- ting the marks upon the covering. All present waited in breathless interest for their answer. “itis part of the stolen goods,’ announced Mr. Thompson gravely, **Are you sure of that?”’ **We cannot be mistaken.” “That will do, gentlemen. I must commit Frank Tanver, the prisoner at the bar, to answer the charge of burglary. The hearing is ended.”’ Poor Frank sunk nervelessly into a chair, and cov- ered his face with his hands. His nerves had been strained to their utmost tension, and a natural re- vulsion now overcame him, A dreadful vision of the penitentiary opened out before his eyes. Mrs. Tanner broke out into a loud wail of grief. She threw her arms around Frank’s neck, and could hardly be removed by the efforts of her husband. Mr. Clark,’ who had remained stolidly silent throughout the examination, now approached the distressed boy, and whispered in his ear: See g up your spirits, my boy. I don’t believe you had any more to do with this burglary than my- self. You are the victim of a plot, and I have a sus- jicion of who is at the bottom of it. That bad rother—”’ Oh!’ exclaimed Frank in horror. “You don’t think— Oh! sir, Tom would never—Tom’s wild, sir, but I’m sure he’s not bad at heart.”’ * Very well,” answered Mr, Clark, with an assuring smile. “At any rate I will look into this matter more closely.” Meanwhile Mrs. Tanner was being removed from the court. The detective, Mr. Sharp, lent his aid to the husband to support the distressed woman. ** Don’t you be in sich a stew, wife,”’ said Mr. Tan- ner soothingly. ‘‘ Frank’ll swim through all right, ou see. Frank’s solid, right through. If it was hat young villain Tom, now—”’ **Who’s Tom?” asked the detective hastily. “Tom? Why, he’s my other son.”’ ‘* Your other? I thought you had only the one.”’ * T never have much to say *bout Tom, ’cause he’s kicked adrift. He’s a little scapegrace as is rowin’ his own canoe.”’ Mr. Sharp asked no more questions, but a light came into his eyes. Had he caught the end of a new thread? Mr. Tanner’s sleeping-place He passed it down to the CHAPTER XII. MR. SHARP ON THE SCENT. WE are again in the office of Thompson, Clark & Co. Only two persons are present, Mr. Clark and the detective, Mr. Sharp. There is an earnest look upon the merchant’s faceas he addresses bimself gravely to the officer. “ Between you and me, I am inclined to think that Frank is innocent of that crime. It looks decidedly as if there was a plot to injure him.”’ The officer shook his head. ‘“You have too much trust in human nature,”’ he remarked. ‘* And besides, who would get up such a plot to injure a boy like this?” ‘TT don’tknow. Butif Frank is not honest then I am badly deceived. And it may not have been an intention to injure — but to wrtene the real rob- bers by laying the blame upon him,” ‘Thore is ot reason in that,’? admitted Mr. Sharp. “I have had that notion myself.” “Well, then, I want you to work it up on that line. Look -? the whole affair. You have some sus- icion about old Tanner’s inovements. Investigate hem And try and discover if the boy was really at the theater that night.” “I will,” answered Mr. Sharp. ‘‘And I hope to find that rascally brother of the lad. that he had a hand in this pie.” “I would give something to have Frank proved innocent,’’ responded the merchant. ‘ Do best, Mr. Sharp. If you succeed it will be worth your while.” Mr. Sharp took his hat. Their business was over, and he was a man of action, and not disposed to waste words. It was not many minutes afterward when he en- tered the establishment of Micky Flynn, that g¢entle- man of Milesian descent whom Mr. Tanner patron- ized. There were but two or three of his ordinary cus- tomers present, and Mr. Sharp entered into a quiet | conversation with the proprietor, in reference to the movements of Mr. Tanner. ’ ‘‘ Not the one of me knows,” exclaimed Micky, a little angrily. ‘“‘i’ve got to ‘tend to my bar, and sorry I'd be to be nosin’. round my customers. Jacob Tanner’s a dacent man enough. And he ys fur his drink on the nail, or he goes dry. Ihat's my tactics.”’ ‘That's a clever way of doing business,”’ laughed Mr. Sharp. “ Yes, l'litry some of your oldest ale. —That’s got afine bead on it,” as Micky brought a _ is fancy he will take care of that. ‘*] like a prime old malt, and | ” foaming glass. © fancy you've got-it there. “Ye can well say that,’ answered the pleased | proprietor. ‘‘ You'll not find the like of that brew- in’ at every hand’s turn, I promise ye.”’ Mr. Sharp dallied over his ale, * Tom Tanner, Scalawag and § other oath. It might be | your | ‘You don’t remember, then, about Jacob Tan- ner on that evening? I was curious, for a certain reason, to know if any one was with him.” ‘* Now you spake of it, it’s cornin’ till me as there was. A good lump of a boy. And betune you and me he drank whisky like a fish drinks water. I dunno who the hard-headed little shrimp was, but he must ha’ been weaned on Tipperary potheen.”’ *You don't know him?” aneianad a tall, raw- boned fellow, who sat at aneighboring table. ‘*’ by the beard of a Jersey oyster, Ido! Why, he’s just the juiciest little hound as ever rubbed out shoe- leather on brick pavements. Didn't I hire him in my oyster-cellar once, and the bullet-headed sand- | snipe served me out by sendin’ rotten oysters to my best customer? The primest Blue-P’ints ain't no temptation to ber since.”’ And Fred Jones the oyster dealer, for it was he, rounded off his remarks by an oath of the very salti- | est fragrance. ‘Will ye tell the gentleman who the lad was?” queried Micky. ‘‘ All I know of him is that he had nickel-plated innards,”’ ‘It was Tom Tanner,’ answered Fred, with an- “Tt was old Tanner’s young hopeful, blast his topknot! I thought at first he was goin’ to | be serviceable, and eat all the sp'‘iled oysters hisself: but when he begun feedin’ my customers on ’em I ruv hima neat little hint that we’d best dissolve partnership. Ain’t set eyes on the little blue-nose shark since, afore t’other night.” Mr. Sharp finished his ale. ‘* And they left here together—about what hour?” he inquired. **Som’at after eleven, I consider. Old Jake was a trifle overcome, and the boy was helpiu’ him. I know it, fur | pegged out just behind them.” Mr. Sharp felt that he had gained some important information. All this, in connection with old Tan- ner’s loss of his key, and his finding it the next morn- ing on a table, instead of in its usual place in his pocket, began to point suspicien in another direc- tion. It was desirable to gain information about Tom Tanner’s habits and associates. To suspect him was only half the battle. To find him was equally necessary. Wr. Sharp set inquiries on foot in the tenement- house in whielk the Tanners occupied apartments, and also among the boys in the vicinity. He suc- ceeded in learning the social status of the two boys, Frank being voted honest, intelligent and industri- ous, and Tom an unmitigated young rascal, without an ounce of good in his composition. This was sat- isfactory so far as it went, but it threw no light upon the present residence of the scapegrace. Where is he to be found, became the question. Mr. Sharp’s next move was to visit Frank in pris- on. It was possible that he might know something about Tom’s whereabouts. He found the unlucky ye in a clean but very contracted cell, and in a de- cidedly gloomy state of mind. He was resting with his head on his hand, and hardly lifted his view his visitor. Frank was so young, active and energetic, that confinement bore on him quite as hardly as the charge against him. ‘Well, my boy, how do you feel?’ asked the ace to | officer. “As if I’d like to be out of this,’’ answered Frank, gloomnily. ‘I’ve no doubt of that,’’ was the cheery answer. ‘*But don’t get down-hearted, Frank. We'll bring you out all richt, yet.”’ Frank lifted his head quickly. “Oh, Mr. Sharp! You don’t believe I’m guilty then? You don’t believe I did it?” ‘*No, Frank. I think you are innocent.” ** Oh, thank you, sir! And I hope Mr. poms ei and Mr, Clark ain’t much down on me. I can’t bear that they should think I would steal from them.,”’ ‘They don’t, my lad. They are in your favor.”’ “Well, that’s good news anyhow,” said Frank, lifting up his head with a bright flash in his eyes. ‘*They’ve been so good to me that it hurts me more | om anything to have them think I could do such a thing. +? Mr. Sharp had helped himself to a chair, the only one in the cell. Frank was seated on the side of his cot. ‘* By the way, Frank," asked Mr. Sharp, suddenly, ‘*T would like to know something about your run- away brother. Do you have any idea where he is?”’ This was asked in an off-handed manner, but Frank looked up with quick apprehension. ‘“ Why, no,” he answered. ‘I don’t know where Tom is. Why, what do you want to know that for?”’ ‘for information,” answered the officer, with a laugh. “But you don’t think that Tom had anything to do with it?’ cried Frank, in alarm. “Oh, no, sir, you don’t know Tom. He's been a pretty wild boy, know, but he’s not so bad as that, Tom's just like all the boys, Mr. Sharp. It’s only mischief that makes him play tricks. He’s not,such a bad boy,”’ ‘*Not if hie ‘is anything like you,” replied Mr, Sharp, looking with much interest at the iIngenuous face of the lad. ‘‘ But I didn’t say that I suspected him. lIonly asked if you knew where he was,”’ ‘*No, sir. I haven’t seen nor heard from him for ayear. I wish I did,for I’m afraid he might get into trouble—that is, I mean, he might get into misery and hunger.”’ ‘Don't fear that,’ was the confident reply. ‘TI ‘But I hope you won’t think he’s been doing wrong. I'd rather go to vrison myself than have anything happen to poor Tom.” The boy’s voice was full of pleading. He evident- ly had a very soft spot in his heart for his dissolute caperrace. Then | 13 eS — brother. Mr. Sharp continued to look at him mus- ingly. ‘Mr. Parsons denies being at the theater that night,’ he remarked, with a change of the topic of conversation. ‘** But he was there,”’ Frank confidently answered. **T don’t see what makes him deny it, I know I wasn’t mistaken.,”’ ; “Has he anything against you? Would he be likely to wish you harmy” ‘Il have never done anything to him,’ answered Frank, indignantly. ‘Mr, Parsons is very overbear- ing, and maybe l’ve answered him too quick some- times. When a fellow is doing the best he knows how, he don’t like to be put upon, you know.” Mr. Sharp smiled at Frank’s remark. He began to see through the difficulty, “Was Mr. Parsons alone at asked. ** No, sir. the theater?’ he He was talking to a gentleman when I assed him. It was aman that looked very much ike him, too. Might have been his brother, only I think he hasn't got any.” Mr. Sharp's conversation with the youthful pris- oner lasted for several minutes longer. At the end of that time he left the prison with some new ideas about the case, but without much new information, But the statement that Mr. Parsons had been seen talking at the theater with a gentleman closely re- sembling him wasimportant. It was worth working up, and Mr. Sharp made it his first business to in- stitute inquiries about this doubtful personage, He soon found that there was such a person in ex- istence;: not a brother, but a first cousin of Mr. Parsons, and closely resembling him in feature, His next point was to see this gentleman, Mr. Sharp was spending a good deal of time on the investigation of this case. The day was waning, but be did not feel that his labor had been without its reward, Though the weight of evidence had not been taken from Frank’s shoulders, it had been lightened. An hour or two more was occupied in looking up Mr. Williams, the cousin of Mr. Parsons, But he was at length found and the detective pro- ceeded rather bluntly to business, ‘*Excuse me for asking you,” he said. ‘But were not you and your cousin, Mr. Parsons, at Wal- lack’s theater together on Thursday night?” The person addressed lifted his eyes in surprise at this question. ‘** No, sir,’’ he replied. Mr. Sharp was somewhat taken aback. Had Par- sons warned his cousin? ‘*That is all l wished to know. I am obliged,” re- marked the officer, turning away fora moment’s thought. f ‘Why do you ask me that?’ queried Mr, Williams curiously. ‘*‘ We were at the Winter Garden, not at Wallack’s. Westopped a few minutes in the ves- tibule at Wallack’s, but concluded not to go in. Why do you ask?” ‘“At what hour was that?’ asked Mr. quickly. ‘* About half-past seven.”’ ‘“Thanks,’’ was the officer’s reply. ‘It’s a joke of our friend Parsons, I guess. Some one said he saw him at Wallack’s, and he denied being there. I volunteered to find out. A very neat sell for Par- sons. Good-day, sir.’ ‘* Good-day,”’ answered Mr. Williams, laughing at the cuteness of his cousin. “The plot is thickening,’ tective, as he walked away. ‘* Parsons wanted te injure the boy, that’s clear. Lethim look out that his gun don’t kick and hurt himseJf worse than his victim. So far, so good. But I’ve got one more job pt a through to-day.’ his job, however, was one not to be done ina moment, It consisted in visiting the various ‘*fencces,”’ or receivers of stolen goods, to see if he could discover any indications of the “placing” of the proceeds of the late burglary. This was a dubious mission. Probably a search would be needed ere he could discover if the lost goods had become part and parcel of the stock in trade of any of these shady gentlemen. But there were several of them who had much reason to be afraid of Mr. Sharp, and who would be more likely to acknowledge possession of the goods, and play the honest dodge, than expose themselves to the risk of a search. Two or three of these personages were visited that afternoon, without favorable results. The next morning Mr. Sharp resumed his round. The last of these gentlemen visited was a personagé of the name of Nathans, who kepta very neler ne Be but very much suspected pawnbroker’s shop. This individual answered Mr. Sharp's inquiries with the same protestations which had been used by his brothers in the trade. ‘‘T drive an honest business, Mr. Sharp, and you know that,’’ he protested, ‘I wouldn’t touch shady goods tor a fortune.” , ‘* Except that sometimes you get taken in, friend Nathans,’’ remarked Mr. Sharp, with a krowing wink. ‘As in that Brammerly affair, for instance,” ‘“Why such things will he open, ” volubly cried the broker. “Shady goods look very much like safe goods, Mr. Sharp. How is a gentieman in business always going to know? If he pays a fair price for goods he is never sure what he’s buying.” ‘But shady folks don’t look so much like safe folks,’ was the answer. “Come, come, Nathans that won't wash. You know a thief by sight. And half of the night workers in the town are acquain- tances of yours.” ** No, no!’’ declared the broker. “TI give vp telling a thief from an honest man nowadays. Can’t tell a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I don’t do business with Sharp | commented the de- Gom SS Ehboo