Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 262 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

ce ee ee re a ee ee em ee - out of his composition. The Young Sleuths. 9 \ fk EAN NCCES OREN NS SERRE NEE A A I SR OS ALI OS I mc RO a RN ll RR RE 5 ceitieenentnaiatiel the darkness swallowed them up, until they be- came but faint shadows to their pursuers. But now the latter fancied themselves to be gaining, The shadow ahead grew more distinct. It had certainly ceased moving. In a moment more they were close upon it, and—to their amazed eyes they saw it was nothing but a clump of bushes. “This way!” was thecry. ‘* They can’t keep ‘‘Where are they? We have lost sight of them,” spoke another voice, “Spread, then. Take in the whole field. They can’t escape us.” The pursuers ran hastily onward, spreading eut like a fan, to right and left. They, too, goon disappeared in the darkness, only their voices revealing their position. Hardly had they,done so ere asmaller shadow emerged from the shadow of the bush. ‘*We’s done fer'em, as sure as you live!” came a youthful voice. ‘‘Sold ’em as a as dishwater. Lawsee! wasn’t it gay that bus was yere?” ** Bet it was!” answered Joe’s voice, “Strike this way, Joe. Cross the road ag’in. And back ’long the wall. They’re flung, sure as shootin’.”’ Two faint shadows dashed across the road and gained the shelter of the wall, just as some new pursuers, bearing lanterns, made their ap- pearance ihrough the gate. A half-hour afterward a weary and disap- pointed party slowly returned to the mansion, with only a story of failure to tell their eager questioning friends. ‘*How they escaped us I don’t see. We didn’t leave an inch of ground unsearched. But the young rascals had the darkness in their favor.” ! Among those who listened to these words was the dazed, reddened, woe-be-gone face o Joseph the footman, banging back on the very edge of the crowd as if too utterly ashamed of himself to show his face in honest company. Every ounce of dignity seemed to be washed i that pace long! We’ll soon run them down! CHAPTER VIII, UNDER COVER, A LIGHT tapping sound fell on the window of a house in a -narrow street in the southern region of the city. It was a window on the second floor, in the rear of the house, The sound had continued for some time, when a childish form quickly raised itself from the bed that occupied the room, and cast a half-scared lance toward the window. The sound con- inued, and the child sprung out of bed to the floor, and fearfully approached the point whence came the startling noise. The window was slightly raised, and the tones of a low voice now came through it: ‘** Don’t be scared, Mollie. It’s only me!” With a hasty impulse the child rushed for- ward, threw up the sash, and gazed eagerly t. ou ‘Oh, Joe, is it you?” she cried. ‘‘ Where are you, Joe?” ‘*Don’t make any noise,” warned the voice. ** Don’t waken mother.” ** Where are you, Joe? And do tell me where you have been? You don’t know what a way we’ve been in about you.” She had now caught sight of a youthful figure and an upturned face. It was Joe Joram, who stood on the roof of a shed, from whieh he had been able to just reach the window, : ‘*You ecan’6 climb in there. Wait, Pll run Cown and open the door.” ‘No, no, don’t /” exclaimed Joe. ‘‘I mustn’t stay. Ive got to go away and hide. But I had vo tell you and mother first.” ‘Got to hide? Oh, Joe! What, forever, have you been doing?” ‘The cops are after us, Mollie. nothing. But Ive got to hide.” ‘*Oh, Josie Joram! Just to think!” ‘You'll bear lies about me, Mollie. But don’t you believe them. I wouldn’t do nothing wrong for nobody. But I’m afraid they’ll take me to prison. Don’t you believe them, Mollie. And tell mother I ain’t done nothing wrong.” He was interrupted by an impatient voice from below: ** Bite off that taffy. It’s gittin’ on to day- light, and we’s got to scoot.” **Who’s that down there?” cried Mollie, in alarm, her pretty, childish face peering down toward the ground. ‘It’s only Mickey Malone. It’s him and me that’s in the scrape.” I ain’t done ** Tt’s ali because you will keep going with that bad boy,’’ declared Mollie. ‘Maybe ther’s wuss nor Mickey Malone,” came from that youthful hero, in a tone of indignation. ‘‘I ain’t learned Joe nothin’ he didn’t know, you bet on that. I'm goin’ to slide, and if he don’t want to be gobbled up by the cops he’d best foller.” “There. Good-by, Mollie. You tell mother; and don’t believe no lies, for you know I wouldn’t do seme wrong.” He lifted himself from the shed by his two hands, kissed the pretty, beseeching lips that leaned imploringly from the window, and the next. moment sprung from the shed to the ground, ‘*Good-by, Mollie. It'll be all right soon.” ‘“What’s that?” came in a quick, startled voice from behind. ‘‘ Who are you talking to, Mollie?” ““Oh, mamma! It’s Joe! He’s been here! But he’s gone again!” “Joe!” The distressed mother hastily ran down-stairs, and flung open the back door of house. But she was too late. The boys had disappeared, | here the two boys spent the remainder of that night we donot know. Mickey was well posted in the sleeping places of newsboys and bootblacks, and they managed somewhere to get their wet clothes dried and to snatch a morsel of sleep. It was a sleep, on Joe’s side, well sprinkled with ugly dreams, but no log could bave slumbered more soundly than his experi- enced companion. About nine o’clock the next morning the youthful partners made their appearance in a very uninviting down-town locality, a dirt and narrow street occupied by crazy and well- soiled residences, the abodes of abject poverty, to all appearance, ‘Now see yere, Joe,” explained Mickey. ‘They don’t know me from a bunch o’ beets, but they’s got you down fine, You's got to kee shady till it blows over. ButI ain’ta bit afeare on ’em,” ‘Oh, Mickey, hadn’t you best hide, too? Maybe they'll know you.” ‘** How’s we goin’ to live without work, hey? I’s got to do double duty now, for I’s got to. pay board for both oS us. You don’t s’pose no- body’s goin’ to give you yer grub for notbin’? That kind don’t grow ’round these yvre dig- in’s,.” | ** But how long will we have to hide?” ‘*See yere, Joe,” Mickey’s voice fell as he gazed cautiously around him. ‘‘ I’ve got them burglars spotted. S’pose I ‘don’t know that Jerry? You bet I do, then! and I’m bound to find where he bangs out, too. Now I'll tell you what itis. We're down for stealin’ that box of diamonds. How’s we goin’ to make the thin square? I'll tell you how. We've got to stea if back ag’in from the burglars! If we kin step up to Mr, Barton and say, * Yere’s yer box,’ d’ye spose that won’t make itall hunky? Why Joe, they’ll be makin’ statoos of us next, an settin’ ’em up in the Park.” Joe laughed gleefully at the extravagant fancy of his friend. Micksy’s scheme did not appear to him as wild as it was in reality. It was very much as if he had proposed to go to a hornet’s nest in search of honey. ‘“Yere we are, Joe. Now don’t you git skeered. I s’pect old granny ’ll guv me Yankee Doodle.” He opened the door of one of the houses and went in with his bold swagger, followed more timidly by Joe. The room in which they found themselves was a narrow ‘apartment, well filled with battered furniture, and with a cook stove at its rear end, over which bent an old woman in a cap. She looked quickly around at the entrance of the boys, and revealed a wrinkled and soured face, with a strongly Irish cast of features. The look which she cast upon Mickey was not reas- suring. ‘So it’s yerself, is it, ye spalpeen?” she harsh- ly demanded, griping the poker as if ready to use it on the boy’s back. ‘* Faix, and it’s a nate time to be showin’ y’ur purty face, arter I’ve been worritin’ my soul-case out about ye the blessed night long. An’ it ain’t much’d be stop- pin’ me from layin’ the poker on your dirty skull.” ‘* Bless you, granny, ther’ ain’t no use in yer worryin’ ’bout me,” answered Mickey, easily. ‘¢ Ain’t I often told ye that we merchants some- times have all-night business?” ** Hold your: sy" you omadhoun, or it’s me- self will be givin’ you bigness for all day, too, Isn’t if as much as I can do to keep my ten fin- gers off your ugly hide, and you a-standin there as if you jist want to aggravate me, And b ’ your low company wid you, too, in a dacent woman’s house!” Joe was ready to fiy in affright béfore this termagant assault. But Mickey winked to bim to keep still. ‘Sure, granny, the City of Galway came in last night, with news from Londonderry. And they got out extrees, which we kept sellin’ till we couldn’t stand on our two feet. And we jist dropped down and went to sleep any- where.” ‘‘News from Londonderry!” cried the old woman, with sparkling eyes. ‘ own old home, bless it! hat is it, Mickey boy? Tell it till the old woman, you little rogue.” ‘Not a word ’ll 1 tell to nobody, till I’ve had some breakfast,” declares the unblushing boy. “Im half starved, granny; and so is Joe. Ain’t you got a sly bite, stuck away in a corner of the oven for us?” ** Tell me first about Londonderry.” ‘* Not a word till we’ve had our grub.” The debate ended in a victory for Mickey. He had shrewdly guessed at the fact. The woman had not forgotten her errant grandson, and soon a smoking platter was placed before the boys, that was much more appetizing in smell than in looks, - “Dive in, Joe!” warned Mickey, ‘‘ and make time; for I’m hungry enough to make a dinner on dry bones.” The meal over he took the opportunity to scree the old lady of his intentions in regard to oe. ‘“*He’s a poor orphan, granny; and his uncle’s. arter him, as has mints of money. So Joe's got to hide his mug till the s’arch is over,” _ “Sure an’ he needn’t be hidin’ if bis uncle's so rich. Maybe ye’ll be after tellin’ me what he’d want to be hidin’ for.” ‘Now don’t ax so many questions, or you'll have me lyin’next. Look at the boy’s innocent face, granny; and his sweet blue eyes. What more do ye want?” The old woman looked in Joe’s face, and her See y heart was at once taken by his pleading ook. : ‘‘Vll_ pay his board, granny,” announced Mickey. erm going to run both lines of biz- ness, if I bu’sts a Blood. veanel, I ain’t never goin’ back on Joe,” Mickey set his hat well aslant upon bis auburn hair, gave a hoist upward to his Caney Pant: loons, and prepared to set off on day’s labors, after a parting injunction to Joe to keep shady, and make himself at bome, “Sure you’re not goin’ widout tellin’ me the news from Londonderry?” cried the old woman. in alarm. d arter I’ve kept sich a break- CAPA WAtEo FOR ye.” "laughed nae ‘It’s old news, granny, u less boy. ‘The English has took the town, and King Jamie’s sojers is off full tilt for the Boyne water. Maybe ye've heered it afore.” ; ‘“‘T’ve heered you before, you dirty s ", roared the old Jady, as she Son furious for the poker. “And Pll tache ye how to poke fun at yer old y, who's a-worki nails off for ye, and no thanks for it.” ent, But Mickey knew that trick too well. He was off out the door like a flash, w a tri- umphant laugh did not aid in softening the old lady’s outbreak of temper. ‘*‘The omadboun!” she cried, ‘And you're a-helpin’ him in it!” She turned angrily upon Joe, who had shrunk into a corner of the room, in dread of the threatening weapon, But the lad’s soft eyes, which had in them the appealing look of a cornered rabbit, ed the angry dame, whose stormy outside con- cealed a tender heart. She flung the poker away, and caught him in her arms, ‘Poor little orphan!” sbe cried, ‘‘ as is flung out on the cold world. Sure and ye’ll never want a bit or a sup while Biddy one’s got a crust left in the cupboard.” e cannot follow all Mickey’s movements for the day or two PRCCOOEE He certainly did his duty in the line of business, act alternately as newsvender and bootdlack, an with a very good run of luck. ‘J told you, granny, I’d pay both our boards,” he remarked, as he passed over the proceeds of his labors. ‘‘ I'm a young boss when I git start- ed, But I’m afeard I’d guy out if I kept up that pace for many days at a stretch.” ‘You ain’t been tracked, Mickey?” whispered oe, ‘‘Nary time. And I’m keepin’ a s open fur sprouts. Can’t jist hit on caboose; but I’m a-workin’ up to it.” Late the next afternoon just as he was nearly at the end of his bundle of extras, he was eye erry’s v4 .OOKS. COM