Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 423 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

1’ * ~ _ « al > *) Sones _ 7) ae) ty ¥ iL . | a 4 . st ty 4 * a we — - —s= fey iF - > 2» Fa: x. »y on De y ne ‘ ~ *} 7) scene of startling confusion. Drawers were pulled open, papers scattered, valuable docu- ments lay idly tossed on the floor. The three or four men who were present look- ed at the s ene with staring eyes. They stood as if petrified, gazing at the frightful disorder. Then the foremost of the party broke out in a sharp «exclamation: R ; Lord preserve us! the bank has been rob- ** [ts been gone through in the night,” cried a second. *‘ Aud by all.that’s good, they’ve made clean work! It looks like a clean sweep.” ** \Vhat’s to be done?” asked a third. ‘* This is a frightful business. _ There'll be the very Old Nick to pay.” **Let us examine. How did tho burglars get What have they taken? That is what.we want to know.” ** Don’t touch a thing, on your life!” exclaim- ed a more cautious one. ‘‘ Leave everthing as you see it till Mr. Ditson comes. He must be sent for immediately. The building had better be locked up again till a detective can be brought. We don’t want to get into trouble.” “That is a good idea. abe you run up and report the robbery to Mr. Ditson. We wiil see that nothing is disturbed.” Without a word the former speaker turned and left the room. The others closed and locked the door behind him, and took seats near it. Their faces were full of excitement. They con- versed in a low tone, with nervous voices. They had been terribly shaken up by the discovery. It was impossible to conjecture how much damage had-been done. Nearly a half-hour of this quiet waiting passed. Then the door was tried from without, and vio- lent!y shaken. ‘* How comes this door locked? Is nobody in- sido?’ demanded a stern voice. The men inside started. ‘fc is Mr. Foster,” one of them said. him in.” The door was instantly unlocked and opened, and the gentleman outside stepped in. He was a call, strongly-built, handsome young man, with a noble expression of face. .. ‘* What does this mean?’ he asked, sharply, in a tone of anger. ‘‘ The door locked at this hour, arf you men sitting—” He paused, and gave a sudden start, as his ey ’s fell on the scene before hitn, ‘‘Ha! What is this? What in the world—” ‘‘The bank has been robbed, Mr. Foster,” broke in the man with the key. ‘‘ We found it as you see it. We have sent for Mr. Ditson, and took care not to disturb anything until he cam2.” |, . ™ Robbed !” *, This was the only word that came from the new-comer’s li He stood lookin in? ** Lot marble. ; Then he suddenly started forward. ‘‘ This is terrible!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ You did i ei but atte ee be pooled. Sth oe nhs Clark, you b ‘down © police station, an have a Jotectives p hore immediately. Here, Thompson and Smith, it is best we should learn the worst. Let us see what has been taken.” ‘- Shall we pick up these scattered papers?” “Yes, Lay them in order on the counter. No need to leave them on the floor. Let me ex- amine these drawers.” He hurried behind the counter and examined the various drawers, all of which stood wide ope n. . “Empty,” he cried, in an excited tone. ‘Every one of them. And the papers back here have all been opened and examined. any money left'in these drawers?” hy, yes, Mr. Foster,” replied Smith. ‘‘ The safe was locked early, you remember. You had to leave before the closed. About two thousand dollars were received afterward, and left locked in the receiving-teller’s drawer.” Mr. Foster’s face fell. He looked dismayed for the moment, as if he felt that he was in some way responsible. ‘“This drawer has been wrenched open,” he declared. ‘‘The villains have done their work thoroughly. Have you examined the safe” ‘* We have examined nothing.” ‘‘Then let us see the extent of the disaster at ence. It is well to be cautious, but we had better know what harm hasbeen done. I don’t believe the oldest burglar in New York could open that Was there e,' He led the way tae at a quick, nervous pare followed closely by the two excited clerks. They were all in a quiver of dismay, their hands trem- bling, their eyes staring. ey dreaded some mew and more terrible revelation. | ps. at the wreck, as motionless as if he had been turned to ~ Ny) Ld es : ise. « * y ~ : , v1 The Lost Finger. Across the rear portion of the banking-room ran a high screen reaching half-way to the ccil- ing. This closed off the cashier’s room, into the rear wall of which was sunk the large iron safe, that held the valuables of the bank. Into this inclosure the three men entered, and then stopped, with a general exclamation. ‘*They have been. here in earnest,” declared Thompson. ** And have worked like Trojans,” chimed in Smith. ‘* But have not succeeded,” added Mr. Foster with a look of satisfaction. ‘‘ I knew thatchill iron would defy their tools.” That the burglars had been hard at.work was very evident. There were signs toshow that they had worked long and vainly on the lock. They had then inserted their powerful wrenches and jimmies along the upper edge of the thick door, and had succeeded in forcing it open more than an inch. The firm, thick iron of the door had been bent outward like a plate of tin by the force cf their oowerful tools. A gaping opening revealed itself etween the iron frame and the door. ‘¢*They must have used wrenches like forty- horse steam-engines,” declared Smith, with a look of admiration. ‘*‘ Why didn’t they try at the bottom instead of the top? If they’d had a crack like that at the bottom they could have drawn out a neat stock of money. ** Couldn’t work it,” answered Thompson. ** There was no room for purchase at the bottcm. These fellows don’t work forfun. Might they not have had some wire tool, which could be pushed into the top of the safe through thet open crack, and draw up money packages in that way?’ Mr. Foster stood looking with serious eyes at the safe. The tall of his companions passed into his ears, but he gave no sign that he heard it. Thoughts of more importance seemed passing through the depths of his mind. Suddenly he gave a violent start, and an ex- clamation of horror broke from his lips, while his face flushed with intense feeling. _ ** What can that mean?” he asked, in a deep whisper, his quivering finger poing to a spot on the edge of the safe door, about two feet above the lock. His excitement was instantly shared by his companions. Several red spots, as of blood, marked the cold iron. And just visible through the nearly closed crack between the edge of the door and the frame was a piece of torn and bleeding human flesh! They shuddered involuntarily. A portion of the body of some human being had been caught in that iron trap. The door ‘had apparently sprung to and torn the ciate and bleedin limb or fragment from the body. It seeme yet to 00ze blood. Mr. Foster turned ares with a sickening feeling. Not so his colder-blooded companions. “Pll swear if one of the rascals hasn’t got !” eried Smith, with a chuckle of de- ‘Serves him right!” ht in his own trap!” responded ‘That's a neat bit of tit for tat, I nipped light. ‘Got ca ompson. Mr. Foster turned to them rather angrily. ‘¢ That will do,” he said, pee hE We will leave everything as it stands until Mr. Ditson or the detective arrives, That bit of crimson flesh has made me half sick,” . He led the way to the front, followed by his less sensitive companions. They were not there long before the door again opened, and Mr. Ditson entered, in com- pany with the man who had gone for him.- e was a large, full-faced man, and looked like a good liver. His brows were contracted as he stood and gazed around the room. His under lip Seenty hung, asiif with ns i hagmpe = ‘* You here, Foster!” he cried, in a shrill tone. ‘‘This is bad—bad! Ithas given mea regular start. Out with it at once. Let me know the worst. What have they taken?’ . ‘They have emptied the drawers,” answered Foster. ‘‘ They tried hard to get into the safe, but it was too much for them. Mr. Smith says there was about two thousand in the receiving- That is gone.” teller’s drawer. Mr. Ditson, sinking into a chair, faint with the revulsion of feeling, ‘‘If ey had emptied that safe I would have Rca ruined; and it would not have been very comfortable for you, Foster.” ‘Why, no,” was the reply. ‘‘I have some slight interest in the contents of the safe.” ‘** But how came such an amount of money as that in the receiving teller’s drawer? Why was it not locked up?” The tone was sharp with suspicion, ’ 4 id ‘“‘Thank Heaven, it is no worse!” exclaimed | Mr. Foster changed color. mt ‘“*T left here yestcrday shortly after three,” be explained, ‘‘ All the cash received up to that time was put in the safe. There were two or three gentlemen yet in the bank, but I judged they would only leave a small amount.” ‘*One of them was Jenkins, the drover,” explained Mr. Smith. ‘‘ He madea considerable deposit.” ‘That was wrong, Foster, very wrong. Busi- ness is business, and I don't like to see my busi- ness neglected. You had no right to lock the safe and leave till all the money wasinit, I can’t afford to pay to the tune of two thousand dotlars, for your burry.” Mr. Foster’s face grew veryred. Lebegan to explain, in a hesitating tone. Dut to his appar- cnt ome two other persons entered at that mo- ment. | One of them was Clark, who had been sent for a detective. The other, who came forward with a quick, brisk step, was a full-faced, pow- erfully built man, His eyes were gray and keen, and moved about the room with a start- ling quickness. By the time ke had reached the group he seemed to have taken in every Ccetail of the situation. ‘‘T am told there has been a robbery here,” he said briskly. ‘‘ Mr. Ditson, I believe.” ‘Yes, sir,” the broker bowed. ‘* Have you made any investigation?” ‘*Mr. Foster here can tell you.” The detective turned and fixed his eyes on For» ter with an inquiring gaze. He had alreacy taken in every face in the room. ‘“We have disturbed nothing,” exclaimed Foster. ‘‘Those papers were picked up from the floor and laid on the counter. ‘That is all,”’, ‘*But you have looked around. What have you learned?” A few words sufficed to explain the situation of affairs. When the ccndition of the safe was described, and the speaker went on to tell the story of the gory trophy held by the iron clasp, Mr. Ditson grew slightly pale, while a look cf satisfaction came into the detective’s face. ‘‘Ha! That is something interesting!” he exclaimed. ‘* You have the key? Did youopcen the safe?” ‘*No. I preferred to disturb nothing.” ‘* Very d. Wait a minute till Itakea gen- eral look around.” He passed quickly through the room, exam- ining every: point with his sharp cyes, end vecially studying the decors and windows, Le qhook his head doubt: ul'y. ‘* They must have hed a key to your door, Mr. Ditson. There is nosign cf a piet:-lock or j'm- my. Nota scratch on docr or window. Now let me see the safe.” He was led back to the rear office. For full five minutes he stood looking at the safe, exam- ining every point with attentive eyes. ‘Those are old hancs,” was all hegsaid. ‘I never saw traces of more powerful tools, Will you try the lock, Mr. Fostcr?”’ Foster i d the key without.a word. ‘They have had their labor in vain, at any rate,” declared Mr. Ditson, with an air of sat:s- faction. ‘‘ They have got nothing.” ‘‘T am not so sure of that,” answered the de- tective. _ The door proved very difficult to open. The severe wrenching and twistint it eae mated had jammed the bolt , so thet the lock worked very stiffly. It took all the strength of Foster’s two hands to turn the ae - Finally it yielded, with a ringing clash. _The bolt of the Jock shot back. The door started slichtly open. , And at the same moment the mysterious piece of human flesh fell to the floor with a feint iinge. that gave all present an involuntary shud- er A single glance told the story. It was a hv- man finger, which had been partly clipped and partly torn off, just below the knuckle-joint. The detective stooped and picked it up. AI crowded round him with ungovernable curi- osity. And then a sensation of horror and as- tonishment ran through the group, as the officer excitedly exclaimed: : ‘By the Lord Harry, it’s a woman’s finger! And a high-toned one too, I should mndge. That’s no bur«lar’s Moll. Look at it. Long, slender, delicate! It is the finger of a lady. And look at that ring. AnopalasI live! By Jove! I fancy we have a clew here!” He was right; it was a woman’s finger, and wore a golden ring set with a valuable opal. All started bac But Foster seemed most affected of all. turned deathly pale, and staggered back into | vJOO c “com “shy at this strange discovery.