Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 262 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

=caceunanea narbdle impu- i1ethin’ pee empty ode . flash, ard to ned in = »% left doing lge in-9° uched sanding rely in } were | of thea in hiss @ are , and’ ick ey é n war thre, ch hy rticu: ' ‘ound ! d the | 20als. table. « d. A, docu- held never vould isted, omed, while 5 one yught swayrid f ‘Andad Ox as*id e pa- ale) sai ‘ a Tyble a fat intly. " tack ence" , and ‘itten ight-. tions nger ating p the reat, . -end- ‘here: 4 isk a a6 a — only light 4 ‘bh he: OC- ‘ffer- ea rlara i He wru -e-hen a pair of young arms being D4 L sme all about it. Maybe I can think of something. we eens | ee ee - —— Mart looked around him suspiciously. “I thought I heard a noise in here,’’ he remarked. “It must have been next door. You can hear so ‘ainly through these walls. Well, whatsay you now — | Have I kept my bargain’ Are you satisfied » have me burn the papers?”’ “This is what I think.’’ Jerry snatched up two of the documents and hurled them into the fire. He was about doing the same for the others when Mart laid a hasty hand on his arm. ‘*Not so quick,” he said. ‘mine them first. * The fugitive in the closet crouched lower. ‘might have a long stay. ‘*Give me time to ex- He CHAPTER XII. A STORY AND A LISTENER. Wurtz Mickey was thus getting himself into a 4) -ap up-stairs Joe was getting out of his trap below. ¥ It was time, too. The girl had begun to ask some mwkward questiong about Mickey’s new-invented h ‘mammy and the baby.’’ But Joe had been taught he important lesson that it is both wicked and dis- 4, onorable to lig, aud would sooner have had a tooth ulled out than tell an untruth. ‘There was nothing for it, then, but to get out of M 1at place as soon as possible, ¥ he didn’t want to afrouse suspicions. He emptied the pan of sand as inlickey bad directed, and hastily took his departure, re Tiving to balance the empty pan on his head. j, “It’s a good tin pan; and it was bought and paid or. There's no use throwing it away," he solilo- uizad, as he looked around for Mickey, whom he Bi lilly expected to see. 1 But no Mickey was visible, and the thought began uw dawn in Joe’s brain that maybe his wide-awake t)ardner had not left the house after all. It might « ‘ave been all a trick. « But if he hadn't left the house where was he? "in intense dread began to arise in Joe’s mind, The oy were all there. Suppose Mickey should Mall into their hands? He could hardly think of the atossible result without ashudder. That they would loop the monic, Rhee into mince-meat was the least ee anges t passed through the lad's fright- ncy. tv Something must be done. It would never do to fuave cma a A to such a fate. While thus t .ogitating had been, almost without knowing prvhat he intended, moving through the streets to- ovard the locaiity of Mrs. Malone’s humble resi- ence, Re ‘He had a half-idea of confiding the whole story to 1 2 old lady, and asking her adviee, as he was quite ta loss to know himself how to act. The police (night be informed, but Joe was terribly afraid of Khe police. Was he not himself a fugitive from jus- eice? And would not their first movement be to lock thm up in Moyamensing prison? y orhus inwardly debating he approached the street jt Malone honored with her abode, But what ‘as that’ A stout policeman lurking at the corner *)f the street. Joe involuntarily drew back. The Jvery sight of a blue coat and a brass star was too uch for his nerves. y Making a detour he approached the street from ts other extremity. But here, to his horror, stood another policeman, still burlier than the former. The frightened little fellow fancied that the eyes of this rdian of the law were fixed suspiciously pon his face. He hastened nervously away. .“*They’re after me, I know they are,’’ he fear- ully declared. ‘They're watching Mother Malone's “,ouse and I daresen’t go there any more. And I daresen’t go home. And I’m afeared Mickey will be murdered. And whatever am I to do?”’ his hands in dismay, The situation “was too difficult a one for his young brain. If he ad only Mickey's roaey wlt now! But Joe was a gery erent pattern of a boy. He had not had his grits sharpened by being kicked around the world. _atard times forms a good grindstone for sharpening numan wits upon. Ina deep quandary Joe had made his way for se agi squares, when he was suddenly brought to a t. ‘his was caused by a hand catchjng his coat, and ung around his eck, * Oh, Joe! Joe! am to see you!” ‘* Mollie!’ exclaimed Joe, with a gush of gladness. ‘' Whatever are you doing away up here?” ‘* ve been on an area for mamma. Ain't you coming home, Joe? You don't know what a dread- fv! way we've been in.”’ ‘*i’m afeared, Mollie,’’ he replied. ** You needn’t be, Joe. Mr. Barton was there, and he was ever so kind. Mamma is sure he won't have you hurt,” “I'd like to go home everso much. But I daresen’t. If you only knew how glad I « You don’t know, Mollie.” ‘Don't know what? You don’t mean to say that you've really been stealing? Oh, Joe, I couldn't never, never, believe that!”’ : “T wouldn’t steal—no, not if I'd starve first!’’ as- serted Joe, ¢*But it looks ever so like it, And I know I can’t make them believe anything else.”’ “Talways said you wouldn’t, Sit down and tell You know mamma says I'm very quick.” Mollie had quite the air cf a young lady of wide poe cotter and tried judgment. Her pretty, earn- est young face was ful’ of lines of decision as she ulled Joe down beside her on a door-step. Evident- y, although she was the younger, she was of a more decided character than her brother. n Joe was rather glad of the occurrence. He was me a a eo ee ee - ———— — spwcases _—— _pered Joe. The Young Sleuths. -_ — —-s a ----- —- oe burning to confide his heavy secret to somebody and who better than his sympathetic sister? And then she might advise him what to doabout Mickey. He had great confidence in her judgment. He accordingly did so, going over the whole story from the beginning. As may be imagined, there was many a jong-drawn breath and many an excla- mation from the listener. Mollie became worked up to a high pitcb of nervous excitement as Joe told forced to aid in the robbery. She griped his hand Se ee er My = 1 oe ee 13 bound not to lose sight of Joe again until she ha@ safely landed him home, While these events were taking place, Mr. Barton had been closeted with one o @ most a ae As days went by SS Ce een — — --- —e ++ a _- —_-. — a officers in the detective service. without any clew to the robbers he had grown more and more anxious. That Martin Stewart was at the bottom of the | robbery he had now no doubt, The telegram received of how they had been caught by the burglars ahd | | had telegraphed to England for information from him was undoubtedly a fraud. Mr. Barton and with both her own, while her hazel eyes seemed dis- | learned that Stewart had not been at his ordina y tended to double their size as they gazed with awe- | home for over a month, struck interest into his face. The story of the pursuit by the watch-dog, of the imprisonment in Mr. Barton's house, and of the final escape, excited no less of a nervous strain in the listener. ‘*Mercy! Just to think!" she kept exclaiming. ‘Why, you're a regular hero, Joe. It’s amercy you weren't scared out of your ten senses.”’ “I was scared enough, Mollie. I tell you that. And I’m worse scared than ever now. I don’t know what Lever am to do, ’ *‘ Why what else is the matter, Joe?"’ He proceeded with the story, finishing with the account of that afternoon’s adventure, and the fact that he had left Mickey in the house of the bur- glars. But Mollie was not nearly as much scared by this as he had expected. In the first place, she had not a very exalted opinion of Mickey as a companion for her brother. Inthe second place, the story she had just heard gave her _— confidence in his ability to take care of himself. ‘* He will come out all right,’’ she declared. ‘' He's too cunning to get caught.”’ ‘But think what kind of men these are, Mollie. They are cunninger than Mickey. And they’d kill him just as quick as our tarrier would kill a rat. I wish I could only think of something to do.” ‘Tell the police, Joe,’’ advised his wise young sister. ‘*I’'m afraid to go near them.” **Then let me tell them.”’ " No, no, Mollie. Can’t you tell me something else 9? The children, as we have said, were seated during this conversation upon the step of a house, There was no one behind them to listen to Joe's revelation, and only an occasional rinfront. He had there- fore spoken more loudly than he would otherwise have ventured to do, quite oblivious of the fact that the shutters of the window close beside them were rtly open, and the sash raised. Had he known hat a person was seated beside this window, in full hearing of every word he had said, he might have chosen some safer place for his story. The person in question had been reading, and paid no attention to the conversation of the cnildren on the doorstep nearly below him, until certain names attracted his notice. He then listened for a mo- ment to Joe’s narrative. Soonit became consider- ably more interesting than his book. The latter was closed and laid aside, while the reader devoted himself to a close interest in Joe’s story. And this was raore than idle curiosity. His face changed at different parts of the we Here it lighted up. There it grew shadowed. Finally, as the tracking of the burglars to their den was told, a triumphant ex- peeneine came upon the listener's face. ere was he light of hope and pleasure in his oes as he lis- ten for a moment more, and then rose and quickly walked to the front door of the house, which he quietly ite gr ‘* What ever shall I do, Mollie?’ repeated Joe, in a tone of despair. ‘*T will tell you,” came in another voice from be- hind them, ‘ Joe sprung up in deep alarm and hastily turned to see who had spoken. His eyes with frightened ickness traced the ontlines of the figure who on the step. He recognized that slender form and youthful face. He had seen them in Mr. Bar- ton’s house on the night of the burglary. It was Milton, Mr. Barton's nephew. Joe's first maples was to fly. But the alert gow sprung quickly from the step and caught him y the collar. “Come, come, my lad, none of that!'’ he cried, ** You are not going to get off so easily again.” “Don't hurt him! It is my brother!” cried Mollie, with mingled appeal and defiance. ‘*Don't be frightened, little one. I won’t harm him. Keep still, Joe, Ihave just heard your whole story, and Iam satisfied you are innocent.” ‘*| had nothing to do with the robbery,’ whim- ‘*} came to the house to tell about it, and they wouldn't let me see Mr. Barton." ‘*T know all that,’’ answered Milton, ‘“ That stupid fellow who turned you away has confessed. Mr. Barton knows you are innocent,”’ * Oh! you don’t say so?’’ cried Joe, with clasped hands and joyful face. ‘*‘And he needn't keep away from home any longer?”’ asked Mollie, **No; he can go home safely.”’ **Oh! won't mamma be glad!"" The child danced in excited joy. ‘*But you must come with me now to police head- quarters,"’ ‘* What for?’ asked Joe, with new alarm. ** Because I want you to put the officers on the track of the burglars. And Mickey is to be saved, ou know. You can lead us to the house where you eft him?" om cried Joe, joyfully. “Come right away. I'litell you allaboutit! I’m se afraid they might kill poor Mickey." ie three set off at a quick pace. | | Mollie was “He must be in this city,’ he declared. ‘* Who else would want my papers, or know just where to look for that box ?”’ ‘It seems to me that you were rather confiding, to trust such an important box in such an unsale place,’’ answered the detective, severely. “It was only there temporarily,” replied Mr, Barton. “I had made it up with my papers and some loose funds which I happened to have on hand, to deposit in the Safe Deposit building. I do so every spring before going to the country. Stewart must have known this.”’ is The detective mused a moment over this informa- on. “TI wish we could find those boys,” remarked Mr. Barton, ‘We are on the look-out for them, But I doubt if they will be of much use to us when found,”’ ‘*T am sure they will then,” declared Mr, Barton. ‘*T am sure they know a great deal,”’ Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden and excited entrance of three persons, one of whom Mr. Barton recognized as his nephew Milton. The others were a boy and a girl, They all presented flushed faces and dilated eyes, and seemed boiling over with excitement, ‘What in the world is the matter?” exclaimed the detective, a little angrily. ‘ You have come in as if you had been shot out of a cannon,”’ “T have the most glorious news," exclaimed Milton, in a tone of deep enthusiasm, ‘ This is little Joe Joram, whom we have been looking for. He has told me the whole story. He knows where the burglars are, and can lead us right to the house, And Mickey, the other boy, is there, trying to get the stolen box away." Mr. Barton was on his feet, as much excited as the speaker, The officer kept his coolness. “Come, come, sit down,” he said, ‘“‘ Tell us the phys story, and then we will know better what to ,"* ‘“‘And while we're telling it a / might catch Mickey and kill him,’’ declared Joe. “Oh, Mr. Barton, make them come rightaway! It would be dreadful if they’d kill poor Mickey! Ili tell you all about it afterward.”’ * The boy is right,"’ rejoined Mr, Barton, decidedly. ** We had best strike while the iron is hot." “Very well,” answered the officer, coolly. ‘We can test the lad’s story, at anyrate, Wait. I will ae force together for the expedition iImmedi- ately.” CHAPTER XIII, MICKEY GOES FOR THE PLUNDER. ‘‘Coont that gold, Jerry,” said Mart, waving hie hand rather contemptuously toward the heap of yellow metal on the table, ‘I have something here that 1 am more interested in.”’ He seated himself leisurely in an arm-chair, drew toward him the hcap of folded papers, and begam to quietly unfold and examine them. Jerry lost no time in obeying orders, He was, as we might say, not much of a scholar, and the court ing proceeded but slowly under his unaccustomed fingers, while Tim stood by looking on with the gloating eyes of a miscr. ‘Not much in that, any way,"’ and the paper Mart had been examining went dashing into the fire, where now the remnants of the box were sink- ing into a heap of white ashes, ‘* Five hundred and fifty,” announced Jerry, after some time spent in the task of counting. ‘Very well. Split it between you. That's the bargain. You have the balance in your pocket." es on a bit of paver, that may not be worth the pice of the ink on it,’ was the contemptuous reply. “You're a big gun now, Mart Stew but, I can remember when you were no bigger nor us; and in them days you played some queer tricks. a your check's sound, but I'd sooner finger the cash,”’ ‘You can easily get the cash forit. You have only to present it at bank.”’ * All a pa Here’s for you, Tim, I'll freeze on- to the yaller boys for mine.”’ ‘* Not much,” answered Tim, sternly rejecting the proffered check. ‘Take it to the bank now, and find out for your- selves if itis a fraud,’’ remarked Mart. “You take It, Tim,” answered var “DPilstay here. Don't you burn no more of them papers, Mart, till we know if the money is sound,”’ s Why, you tried to burn them yeurself a few minutes ago,”’ “That's when Iwas a bit of a consarned foel, I’ve come round to my senses since. Peg out, Tim, I'll watch the swag here till you come back.” Tim iost no time in obeying orders. While he wae gone Mart settled himself comfortably in hisarm- chair, and went on with the perusal of, his prize documents. Jerry, for his part, stationefl himself with his elbows on the table, his chin in his and his small eyes fixed alternately with affeoti on the gold, and with anepicion on his co He plainly had but little faith4n Mart Ste &