Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 423 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

6 ~ ct O ct ae ae Vee —_ ————— ——— Ee $$$ aS ee = . — _ — _ —_ “ — The Lost Finger. “y 2 (=}*}#}°= °==— fea. I am sure that Will is an honest man. ‘¢ Will, I am very sorry to see you here,” said | ‘‘ What do you mean?” he demanded. We can’t throw every man in prison who is so | Harry feelingly, as he caught the prisoner’s | ‘I scarce dare say! That woman! That unlucky as to carry a key. Has Sharp learned | hand ina strong grasp. siren! That fiend! Has she lured me to my anything else suspicious about him?” | The cell door was closed behind him. Davis | ruin’ Stay, I will tell you all.” “%T believe he has. But I don’t know just | threw himself despairingly on the bed. | These words sent a host of rapid thoughts “T wish I had not seen you last night!” he | through Harry’s brain. That woman! What what. He is a very close-mouthed man.” | | ‘At any rate the affair is thickening,” re- | passionately declared. ‘“T wish I had flung | woman? Had the woman who bad lost her fin- joined Harry. “I confess that I am staggered | myself into the river! Then I would have es- | ger somehow lured the key from this weakling? by that business of the marked notes. Yet any caped this disgrace! I thought you were saving | He waited in anxious curiosity for the promised man would be a fool to put such dangerous | me, Mr. Foster. Instead of that you were ruin- | explanation. But at this moment the door of the cell open d stuff among his own money. If it was any of | ing me.” our clerks it was some other than Davis. He|} ‘‘ What do you mean?” demanded Harry | and the keeper appeared. has left the money in Will’s desk to divert sus- | sternly. Then in a quieter voice he continued: | ‘* The time is up, sir.” | * I don’t understand this, Will, but it can’t be ‘‘Tet me have five minutesmore. Weare not vicion from himself.” ‘That may be,” said Mr, Ditson thoughtfully. | so bad. You have only,to deny that you put | quite through with our busine ss. ‘‘T did not think of that, but it looks reasonable. | that money in your drawer, and declare that ‘Tam sorry, but it cannot be done. The vis- 1 will offer that suggestion to Sharp the next | some one else must have. put it there to lay | iting hours are over. You must call again if suspicion on you. I don’t believe you did it. I | you have more to saj * time I see him.” ; | ‘‘ Have you examined the letters this morn- | have every trust in yuu. honesty, my poor fel- ‘Very well, if it must be, Gcood-by, Will. ing?” asked Harry, pointing to a pile of un- | low.” | Keep up a stout heart, old fellow. [t is not so opened letters. | Davis listened to these words with an expres- | black as it locks. All w ill conie out right, de- ‘‘Not yet. I have been too busy. You open | sion of angry amazemer “ He rose as Harry | pend on it. I will come to-morrow.” them, Harry.” | concluded, and stood staring at him with the “ Good-by,” answered Will, in a faltering tone. He bustled into the bank, leaving Harry in wild look of a madman. He was plainly in a deeply depressed condition. the private office to examine the morning cor-{| ~ (Good Heavens!” he exclaimed, ‘* do you ask An avenue of hope opened before Harry's mind res ondence. | me to do that? You?” as he walked away. le began to see a clear So an hour or two passed. The business of | ‘Yes, Why not 1?” vista before him. This woman that Davis had Let him once get on her track, and the bapk went on as usual, After getting | ‘But you know I did put the money there spoken of. through the rush of the day’s business Harry | myself. You know it well, for you gave it to | he felt sure of unearthing the dark mystery of left the bank and proceeded toward the police- | me. It was the money you gave me last night, | the severed finger. station. He was not yet at rest concerning his | to replace the cash I had lost in speculation unpleasant experience of the night before. He| Harry, who had been sitting in an easy atti- felt that he had a right to see that anonymous tude, with a look of friendly sympathy, started letter, and it was his purpose to demand a sight | as if he had been stung by a eoncealed scorpion. TIVE. of it from the authorities. > | A look of horror came over his countenance. | Wer must pass over & period of more than a One of the first persons he met, on entering ‘The money [gave you? The marked money | month from the date of our last chapter. Dur- the office, was the principal agent in the search , among that? You lie! You are insane! It is | ing that period little of interest to our story had of the previous night. ; impossible!” oceurred. Davis was still in prison, under ccm- ‘¢ You wish to see that letter?’ remarked this | He made a step forward, as if he would have | mitment for trial. But he had lLecome sullen personage in answer to Harry’s demand. ‘* Cer- | taken his accuser by the throat. |and gloomy, and utt rly refused to give the tainly. You have aright todoso, If you can | “Tt is true, for all that,” answered Davis, in | promised information to Harry i‘oster, He say who wrote it, you will help us in our work. | a firm tone. ‘I asked you to save me. You | seemed to have become suspicious of Harry, and Come this way, sir.” have destroyed me.” acted as if he believed that the marked money He led Harry into an inner office, Examin- ‘6 Great God!” cried Harry, asa flood of recol- | had been put upon him purposely. Yet he was ing a pile of letters he selected one, which he | lections came upon his brain. ‘ Have I been | shrewd enough to keep silence, under the as- placed in his hands. standing on the brink of a precipice?” | surance that there was not enough evidence to ‘‘'That is the document. I take it that was All the events of the preceding night stood | convict him. written by somebody connected with the bur- | like a picture before his eyes. The anonymous | _ As for Detective Sharp, he was yet very much glary. Do you know the handwriting of Davis, | information; the men waiting to search him; | in the dark. All his investigations had led to the man who was arrested this morning?” the mere. chance of his charitable loan to his | blind trails, and not a trace of the burglars had ‘‘ Yes, perfectly well. He never wrote this.” | fellow-clerk, which had saved him from the | yet been found. He had done his best to connect Harry cast his eyes on the document. ‘‘T don’t | ruinous consequences of some dark conspiracy. | Foster, whom he suspected, with the affair, but recognize the writing.” Then he asked himself where he had got this | 80 far without result. The only doubtful inci- ‘‘ We look on it as a disguised hand.” money. He remembered the gambling scene. | dents he could discover were Foster’s emotion on ‘‘That may be.” He ran his eyes curiously | But there he had only won back what he had | discovery of the severcd finger, his leaving the over the perilous document. previously lost. He was sure he had taken no | bank at an unusually early hour on the after- It was very short, and undoubtedly written ' money but his own from thatroom. Howcame | noon of the robbery and the fragment of the by a skilled penman: the marked money in his pocket, then? Had it | burned letter, which had been handed him. been slipped there by some enemy who wished CHAPTER VI. | POSTER HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DETEC- | In reference to the latter, Harry did not wait ¢* y © at ‘ ‘ . . . j ‘ bee en id uae anae ta warn the authorities that | 0 ruin him? All this passed in a whirl through | to besentfor by the detective, but frankly sought some of the marked money of the Ditson & Co, rob- his brain. He could come to no conclusion. | him in his office. Only one thing was clear to him. Estelle had | ‘ I wish to talk with you about that scrap of bery bas been seen in the hands of Harry Foster, ; junior member of the firm, He may get vid of it, warned him. not to enter the Red Hall in her | 8 letter which was found in my room,” he openl ' announced, ‘* The words on it must have struc and should be searched at once I write without absence.” signature, as I wish to keep out of the al while ‘‘ What is to be done?’ asked Davis, pitifully. | you 48 very significant, and it certainly needs ian they wal by the leviate attention tories te _“* You know you gave ittome. Are you going | some explanation.” ; + formation.” to den it, anddestroy me?” The detective looked up from bis writing, ith I know nothing of the kind,” said Harry, | 40 expression of face as if the call was something ‘Tt is an infamous business,” cried Harry, | with some show of composure. ‘It seems im- | of a surprise to him. ing the letter indignantly to the floor. | possible that I could have had such money about | ‘‘It is peculiar, to say the leas d ‘ t,” he dryly re- flin “Who among my enemies could have written | me. You must be mistaken.” _ marked. this?” | | ‘‘T am not mistaken. The marked money was | ‘“The fact is. Mr. Sharp,” resumed Harry, in ‘Perhaps the same one who wrote the letter | part of that you gave me.” / | a very frank tone, ‘tI do know something about | | that opalring. I have been undertaking a little of which I found sucha curious fragment on ‘T cannot understand it, then. And suppose our hearth,” said the officer, fixing his eyes on 1 should say I gave you money to replace what detective work on my own account, But as ' jong as you know s0 much, it is best that I arry’s face, ‘‘I judge you will be cal ed on | you had purloined for speculation—would that to explain that strange document.” | help you?” should have the advantage of your experience.” “Very well,” answered Harry haughtily. | “No, no!” cried Davis, his look of hope chang- | Mr. Sharp looked interested. ‘¢ Please hand it to Detective Sharp. I will ex- | ing to despair. ‘I forgot that. I am encircled ‘*T thought something of the sort.” he eeeny ' «7 have been waiting for you to lain it to him. Iam as anxious as he to un- with ruin. Turn where I wih I cannot escape | answered. old this robbery, and if Ican throw any light | fromit.” He flung himself on the bed despair- | show your hand.” on it whatever 1 am fully ready.” ingly. “T pecognized that ring at sight,” acknowl- ‘Mr. Sharp has it already,” said the officer “Tt isnot so bad as you imagine,” answered | edged Harry. ‘1 knew it for the property of a coldly.—* Do you wish me?” Harry. ‘‘DoasI have advised and vou will be | lady friend of mine.” This was said to a messenger who had appeared | safe. Declare that you know nothing about the ‘Ah! Then it was not the sight of blood that at the door. The officer walked over to him, | marked money, and cannot explain how it came ailed you?” and a short conversation followed. He then | on yourdesk. Say that it must have been placed ‘Tam not quite so weak as that ? turned again to Harry. | there by some other hands, in exchange for good “T thought so.” Mr, Sharp’s manner ex- ‘Tt seams that Davis, the prisoner, is anxious | money. In spite of all you have said it is possi- | yressed great interest in his visitor. for an interview with you, Mr. Foster. Doyou | ble you have been deceived. Ideny all know- | ‘The friend I speak of is in Boston, whereshe wish to see him?” ledge of the marked money.” | has been since before the date of this robbery. I “T don’t know what he can want with me. Harry was getting full of the spirit of fight. | wrote to her for information concerning her If a secret foe was planning his ruin he was not | ring. The scrap of a letter you possess is part “Please follow this man, then. He will take , likely to find an easy prey: 'of her answer, I burned it, as I do all private you to him.” ‘gen I don’t know.” exclaimed the weak-nerved | letters from lady friends. It is an old habit of Very soon afterward Harry found himself in | prisoner. ‘* The key is against me. Everything | mine.” a corridor of the Tombs. A cell door was open- ° is against me.” _ ‘Was she the lady who left New York on the “But what if you had the key? You did not | afternoon before the burglary, and whom you However, as I am on the ground—” ed by the attendant. ‘You will find him in there, Mr. Foster.” ' open the door for the burglars. The key did not | accompanied to the cars?” ‘Mr. Foster!” | Jeave your possession.” | Harry looked hastily up, while a deep color This came in an exclamation from the occu- | «Tf T could only be sure of that!” | came to his face. nt of the cell, who sprun forward, revealing ' Harry turned sharply on the nerveless pris- “Who told you that? You learned it from the face of Will Davis, already haggard and oner, who was wringing his hands in utter dis- | Mr. Ditson?” hopeless. may. | What does that matter” comicbooks.com