Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 428 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

Stel {«.t last sunk in moaning agony to the floor, }! ll in vain. — -—___ -____. — -— a ———— er ee oo As she spoke she snatched up the sleeping child from the cradle, and ran hastily to the door, With a scream like that of a lioness that has been deprived of her cub the mother followed her; but too late; the door was closed and locked. The poor prisoner screamed and implored, beat against the door until the blood ran from \her hands, prayed and begged for her child and ) But The child-stealer was a woman with- out a heart, CHAPTER XVI. BUYING A SIGNATURE WITH A BABY, ‘‘TucKxy I knew the folks that livedin that house,” said Fred to himself, as he walked glee- fully away from the locality. ‘‘Got them on the lookout. They’re the right stripe, they are. if any rascality turns = they'll post me. Now comes the next job. If I can only smuggle in a lawyer and get her to sign everything over to the baby unbeknown to her sharp husband, won’t there be fun. Sho can sign what she pleases for him afterward, but it won’t be worth a pinch of snuff. Lawsee! ain’t I got the Hon- orable Bob by the horns? And I know just the man for the job.” Fred made his way toward the office of a cer- tain legal acquaintance of his, whom he knew to be ready for any sharp trick, and who would delight in playing a countermarch on such a customer as Mr. Robert Brierly. His way took him past the Press office, in front of which stood the reporter whom he had so cleverly chased. Fred found himself uncere- moniously seized by the arm, while a face full of half-angry curiosity confronted his. ‘¢Tell me how you did it, you little fox, and (ll forgive you,” cried the reporter. ‘* If you don’t, hang me if I don’t owe you a pounding.” ‘*Tf you feel like paying your debts there’s a sood chance,” answered Fred, defiantly. ‘* I’m little but ’m lively. You can peg in as soon as you’ve a mind.” ‘‘No, no. You know, you rat, that there would be a policeman here in two minutes. Come, come, my lad, you’re a spry chap, and I cdmire your pAoets: Don’t think that I bear you any ill-will. But I want to know how in the thunder you got in ahead of us that morn- ing.” “Can’t tell the secrets of the office,” re- joined Fred, quietly. ‘‘ Pledged, you know. On my honor, Id like to tell you, but it’s dead against business rules,” ‘‘That’s all fudge. And you won’t have the chance for that trick again, so you might as well let it out. There was nothing in ahead of our train.” ‘‘ Wasn’t there, then?” asked Fred. ‘‘ There’s where you're off your eggs.” ‘* What was it? We chartered the only loco- motive at the station.” ‘‘ There was something ahead of that locomo- tive, for all that.” “What was it?” ‘*' The cow-catcher.” “Why, hang it all, you ain’t trying to say that you rode in on thé cow-catcher? But no. That is impossible. Nobody could have done it, on that night, and lived. Besides, when our train was stopped, there was nobody about the engine but the engineer and fireman,” “You didn’t look sharp enough,” answered Fred, ‘‘or you might have seen a boy of my size and weight striking out across the fields. And a bit afterward you might have caught me sleighing into the city among a load of milk- cans. hen the Star takes a job in hand, it puts it through, you can bet on that.” ‘*Ts that the truth, boy?” ‘‘Tf you can think of any better way, I’d like to hear it. Good-by. Next time there’s a hasty job on hand, [Pll show you some new trick. Can't discount the Star nohow,.” red was off with a laugh, in search of his legal friend. We must go forward to the day succeeding that in which the above-mentioned events oc- curred, and back to the prison of the unfortunate mother, whom we left extended in agony on the floor. She is now seated, with eyes still wet with tears, and a face that seems to have grown ten years older since the previousday. Ages of pain and anguish appear in the deep lines of that sorrowful face. Notorturecould be deeper than that she had suffered. ‘* T don’t want the brat,” exclaimed her brutal husband, who was standing before her, ‘‘ If you come to your senses, you can do what you please with it. Butif you're going to keep on playing the fool, you shall never set es on it again.” ‘Oh, give me may child! Give me my dar- ling!” she moaned. ‘* Hand over the cash, and you can have it, and can go to Old Nick with it if you want. I’ve had enough of your milk-faced babyness. You can have a separation square off, you and the baby both. Hang mo if I want anything more to do with such a woman.” ‘Where is my child? What have you done with my child?’ was all heranswer. ‘There was but the one thought in her distracted mind. ‘Are you crazy, woman?” he cried, rudely shaking her. ‘* Listentome. If you don’t sign that paper you'll never see the brat again. I'll take it West, and bring it up as a wild-cap, and marry her off to some blackleg. I ain’t to be played with any longer. Say the word.” ‘* ll doanything, anything! Take the money! Take all! But give me the child!” Her voice was raised almost to a scream with the intense anguish that filled her soul. ‘“That’s sensible,” he said, with a grin of satisfaction. ‘‘ Keep to that and it’s all square. But if you go back on it I’m done ‘with the job. I'll slide off West and you can whistle for the baby. Hold your level, now. Tl go for the lawyer.” He left her alone again. But her agony was enlivened with a ray of hope. He had promised to give her the child and set her free from his hated presence. What was money, what was anything, to this? She could work, she could beg, she could do anything, if she only had her child, An hour passed. At the end of that time footsteps again sounded in the house. They ap- yroached her door, which was thrown opcn. er busband entered, in company with a legal- looking personage, ‘* Now, my dear,” he remarked, in very soft accents, ‘‘we haveallinshape, This gentleman has the papers drawn up ready to sign. I hope you are feeling better?” ‘Yes, yes,” she feebly responded. ‘* But be I cannot endure My wife, as I told Let us finish quick. I pray you be quick. much more.” **'You hear, Mr. Mason. you, has had a nervous spasm. the job at once.” The lawyer opened his bag and took from it some folded papers, which he spread out on the table. Ashe did so the poor wife turned her eyes to the window, with a faint hope of seeing again the welcome face of Fred Flyer, bringing her new hope. She rebelledin her heart against being forced to sacrifice her property. But no face was there, and she turned again to her tor- mentors. ‘‘lam ready,” she said, feebly. ‘‘In a moment, madam,” answered the law- er. ‘* We will peed a witness to these papers, r. Brierly.” ** Will my sister answer?” ** Certainly.” ‘**T will call her then.” He went to the stairs and called loudly for ‘‘ Liza!” In a few moments she entered the room, as grim and stern as ever. ‘*We wish your signature as witness to these papers,” remarked the lawyer. ‘‘They are an assignment by Mrs. Brierly, of all right and title in certain properties named, to her hus- band, Robert Brierly.” ** In return for which I am to have full charge of my child?” she demanded. ‘‘Certainly, certainly. That is the under- standing,” ‘* Then bring the child! I will not trust you. Bring me my child! I will not sign those pa- ers unless I have my child safely in my arms. ring her! You have hid her away! You, woman!” Liza looked questioningly at her worthy bro- ther, who nodded assent, “Yes, Let her have the brat. It’sa square deal, and I’m a square rooster, right through. When I say a thing, that’s gospel. Fetch the baby and let her haveit. If she plays contrary we can take it away again.” Liza disappeared. Ina few minutes she re- turned with the stolen child, which she handed with a scornful smile to the mother. The poor, tortured woman clasped it eagerly to her pig as if she had regained a lost part of her- self, ‘** Now, see here,” announced her husband. ‘That little critter is only lent you. The laws of this State give it over to me, and I’m bound to carry out the law, square. Sign the paper and I'll give up my rights. Butif you’re going to keep kicking ag’in’ common-sense, I’m the chap that will freeze to that baby.” _-+---—.—-— — ‘Yes, yes, I will sign. But read me the pa- per first. It must be understood in it that the child is given to my charge.” The lawyer read, with a prolixity that was not very pleasing to his client, the deed of trans- fer. Mrs. Brierly listened intently. ‘That is not satisfactory,” she said, firmly. ‘There is nothing there giving me the custody of the child. I will not trust you. It must be down in writing. You are deceiving me,” ** What the blazes do I want with the baby, or you cither, so [ get the cash?” cried her hus- mand, scornfully. ‘‘Here, [ll give you legal separation and full charge of the brat, over my signature. Maybe that will satisfy you.” He sat down and dashed off a paper, which he signed witi a flourish. ‘*There you are.” He handed it to his wife, ‘** That ought to satisfy you.” ‘* Ts that legal?” she asked the lawyer. ** Perfectly, madam.” ‘** Then witness it.” He did so, asking Liza to also affix her name as witness. ‘*Mr. Brierly can scarcely go back on that.” He handed her the paper, which she hastily and nervously concealed, ‘' Now, madam, your sig- nature here, if you please.” She took the pen, with trembling fingers, and seated herself to write, still clasping the child with her left arm. The pen was already on the Peper and the first letters of her name traced, when it dropped from her fingers to the floor, at a loud voice that came to her ears: ‘*Hold your hosses there! Don’t you never sign that paper for them bu’sted blacklegs!” It was the voice of Fred Flyer, whose curly head appeared at the window. CHAPTER XVII. HOW TO DEAL WITH A POLITICIAN, ‘¢ JIST suppose you drap that little game, It’s our innings now.” Tred jumped from the window into the room. He was followed by another person, a _ blaék- whiskered man, who climbed more deliberately through the window. ‘*What the blazes does this mean? cried Brierly, in a rage. ‘*‘Who are you and how dare you break into my house?’ He rushed to the window just in time to face a third individ- ual, from whom he slightly recoiled. It was Mr. Brace, the editor of the Morning Star. ‘*Found your front door locked,” explained Fred, ‘so I just borrowed a ladder and took a look in. Found there was some fun going on, and invited these gentlemen up. Hope we don’t intrude?” As hespoke Mr. Brace and another of the Star staff entered the room. ‘* Blast my eyes it I don’t have the law of you for this!” roared Brierly. ‘‘ It’s rank burglary! Get out now, before I fling ou out!” “Na time,” answered Fred. ‘Thought you might want to, so I brought enough along to give you a good handful. Don’t you never sign that document, Mrs. Brierly. It’s a swin- dle right through.” The tormented wife had sprung up with a gesture of joy on seeing this diversion. She now stood clasping the child tightly in her arms, and looking with eager eyes into Fred’s earnest face, **T'd like to know who’s to hinder?” yelled her husband, in a fury. ‘‘Sign your name, you | fool of a woman! Haven’t you the sense to know that these customers can’t help you? Sign it, or by Heaven I'll have the baby!” The black-whiskered man who had followed Fred into the room now stepped forward, with a resolute countenance, ‘* Stop just there,” he sternly remarked. ‘‘Is he trying to compel you, madam, by threats of taking the child?’ ‘*Yes, sir,” she answered, with a look of hope The laws of this ‘*He cannot do it, then. State give the child into the custody of the mother till it is seven be of age.” ‘‘That’s a lie!” yelled the furious husband. ‘¢ Tt’s a lie, straight out! Isn’t it?’ He appealed to his own lawyer. “No. T must admit that it is the truth.” ‘*See here,” cried Brierly, striking the docu- ment with his open hand; ‘‘ you’ve agreed to sign this, and ’'m bound to hold you to it. If ou can have the baby till it’s seven, I can take it afterward, and if I don’t give it a sweet education it’s queer. You’d best keep your word if you know when you’re well off.’ Poor Mrs. Brierly looked distractedly from one to another. She was like a cornered mouse. Her indecision was ended by Fred,