Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 434 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

—— _ — - — - ———s > oe 2 oe LO = a ~ b 2 : - = oa - —_ — —--«> a bd a ~ ey ¢ qpnece=t prised, as he ran over Spider’s report, which was complete, in every detail. **So! so!” he said rang ‘‘It appears by this that Guion is old Jake organ’s son?” ‘* Yes, chip 0’ the old stump!” ‘* And that, if Guion fails to score his point of marrying Hazel Hurst, he intends to rob her father, and also, most probably, his, Guion’s, grandfather?” ‘*So it would seem, by the light of the moon.” ‘* Well, [ll have to look after this matter. But first, and most important, we must look up Terrol Taylor.” The detective then explained how his adven- ture with young Carter had turned out, adding, in conclusion: ** So, you see, you got on to the wrong man, when you took Carter to be Terrol Taylor.” ‘*Mebbe I did,” Spider allowed, doubtfully, **but I wouldn’t like to bet an oyster supper on it. I never see’d but one feller down ‘round Ninth and Sansom that looked as Carter does, onless, if there is two of ’em, they took turns at loungin’ around there. Then, too, both of ’em has a habit of pickin’ their teeth with a goose- quill, nigh the side entrance to the Continental.” ‘* There is no doubt a mistake, nevertheless,” Beak said. ‘‘And I am going to try and ferret it out, at once, Vl not leave a stone unturned until I find the real Terrol, if he is in existence. You may remain here, and keep the office open. If any one calls, tell them I will be back in the course of a couple of hours.” Beak then went away. He took a car, and rode north to Oxford street. He still had some distance to walk, but finally, reached the house where Hazel Hurst had said Taylor boarded. Ringing the Bell, Beak waited for an answer to the summons, and after a time, the door was opened by a sharp-visaged woman, who survey- the detective in a way calculated to indicate that she did not thank him for standing on her marble steps, which had recently been cleaned. ** What do you want?” she demanded, shortly. ‘**T called to see if a young gentleman named Terrol Taylor, was living here?” Beak said. ‘* No, there ain’t!” ‘Ah! But, such a party did live here, madam?” ‘Yes. He had a room here.” ‘* How long ago did he leave?” ‘‘ Yesterday. He couldn't pay for his room and so had to get.” jie Indeed! Could you tell me where he went 9 ‘‘No. His trunk is here, yet, an’ won’t go *way, until he pays me what he owes me,” ‘* How much is that?” * Ten dollars.” **Could you tell me what kind of a looking man this Mr. Taylor is, and how he was dressed? I will pay you for what time of yours I take up, in asking all these questions.” ‘‘Then walk in, sir. Time is money to me, and I am willing to tell you whatI can. Walk right in, sir.” eak followed, and was conducted into a poorly-furnished parlor, where he was bidden to a seat. ‘You see, sir, I have a photograph of Mr. Taylor, that he gave me a couple of years ago,” the landlady said. ‘‘It is a good one of him, too.” She handed i to Beak, and he took it nearer to the light, and studied it attentively, while, in the mean time, the woman was giving him a de- scription of Taylor’s make-up, which tallied, in every detail, with that of Carrol Carter. The face, too, was a very counterpart of Car- ter’s, and, for the life of him, Beak could not see » point in Taylor’s face that Carter did not ‘*'Was Taylor a temperate man?” Beak finally asked. ‘* He was, sir.” ‘* What business did he follow?” ‘‘He was a house-painter once, that T know, but be didn’t work at his trade at all. He was always dressed up, and played the gentleman. He may have gambled, as sometimes he had quite a sum of money, and at other times he would be dead broke.” ‘‘Ah! Perhaps your surmise is correct. Did you ever hear him mention having participated in a mock marriage?” ‘* No, sir.” ‘‘Do you know that he kept cofmpany with any particular young lady?” ‘*IT do not. His evenings, sometimes until a late hour, were all spent away from here.” ‘* And so you have no idea where I would be like'v to find him, ma’am?” ** Indeed, I have not, or I would tell you, sir. ee uuu sss — He said, when he went away, that as soon as he could get hold of some funds, he would come and take his trunk away, and I presurhe he will.” There was evidently nothing more to be | you up and try and get learned in this direction, and so, handing his in- formant a dollar, Beak took his departure. Jim Beak and Pal, Private Detectives. | — ee ae ee +e ——— ee - —- C | ' i i | a goodly sum of money as soon as you were mar- ried to some estimable young lady. So, having lost track of you, he commissioned me to hunt ou married at once, paying me well for my labor. Although it was ' not my interest to do this, he finally prevailed He had found out a little, but not as much as | he had hoped, by any means; nor had he gained any clew by which to find or trace Taylor—un- less he were to reach bim by mailing a letter to the general post-office. This now seemed the only feasible plan, so he proceeded to the post-oftice, and indited the following, which he addressed to Taylor, and caused to be placed in the general delivery of the post-office: **'TERROL TAYLOR, ans ‘Formerly of No. — Oxford street:— ‘* Dear Srr:—On receipt of this, please send your address at once to James Beak, —— Spruce street or state where you can be seen, and you will hear o something important for you to know, ‘* Yours respectfully, JAMés BrAK.”’ ‘*And now, while I’ve an hour to spare, I think I will pay the fair Hazel another call,” the detective mused. ‘Somehow, I find it quite pleasant to linger in the light of her pretty eyes, and there’s no telling but what I may takea notion to fall in love with her myself. Stranger things have happened.” CHAPTER XIV. LUCIFER SINGS HIS SONG, CARROL CARTER, after leaving the hotel where Hazel Hurst was quartered, went direct to his new home, feeling immensely relieved, where, a short time before he had been wrung by anguish lest Myra should believe him false, in the face * the accusation that had been brought against im. On arrival home Myra questioned him closely as to what Beak had wanted of him, but he man- aged to allay her curiosity without really telling ie, ** You will know all in a few days, dearest,” he said, ‘‘ and let. that suffice. We are happy, and what is more priceless than happiness? So, ask me no further, but wait until I am fully pre- pared to spring a surprise on you.” So Myra did not question further, but trusted him implicitly, believing, of course, that it was some little business secret of his that would turn out well. But neither knew that a dark and threatening cloud was hovering near, until it suddenly burst upon them. It came in the shape of Gilbert Guion. It was afternoon when the landlady ushered the villain up to Carter’s rooms. Carrol received him, as Myra was busy in the adjoining room, which served them as kitchen. ‘* My name is Gilbert,” Guion said, in begin- ning. ‘‘ You, I believe, bear the name of Carter.” ‘** Carrol Carter, sir,” was the reply. ** But that is not your real name? ** Why do you ask that?” Carrol demanded, ey- ing his visitor suspiciously, and with not a little surprise. ‘** Because I am aware that Carter is but an assumed name of yours, and have proof of it. Less than four months ago, you bore the name of Terrol Taylor. Am I not right, or do you deny that?” Carter could scarce refrain from uttering a curse. What did all this mean? Was some conspiracy on foot to ruin him, when he had just entered into a state of happi- ness? And to make matters worse, Myra entered the room just then, and recognized Guion, who im- mediately arose and extended his hand. ‘‘ Why, my dear young lady, can it be pos- sible?” he said. ‘‘ Alas! then, I am too late?” ‘* Too late?” echoed Myra. ‘Too late?’ cried Carter, both puzzled and angered. hice ‘Yes, too late! Sit down, lady—sit down. And, sir, as for you, I am surprised,” and he looked hard at Carrol. ‘Probably you are no more surprised than I am!” was the reply. *‘Whatin the name of common sense do you mean, anyhow?” ‘‘T mean that you are a deceiving and cop- temptible villain, sir! But, hold on! Let me tell you my story so all will be plain. Your real name is not Carrol Carter, as you claim, but is Mark Morgan” Carrol Carter turned pale at this. “Well?” he said grimly—“ go on!” ‘¢- You havea grandparent, very wealthy, who, until now, has had it in view to settle upon you upon me, and I took the job. ‘**T found you, and that you were keeping com- any with the lady who is now your wife. ithout your knowledge I[ saw her, and offered her one thousand dollars to marry you at once, It seems she succeeded.” ** Yes, we are married,” Carrol said, casting a reproachful glance at Myra, who had turned nearly as pale as himself. ‘* M a, did you be- come a party to such a plot as this?” ‘** No, 1 did not /” Myra hastened to say. ‘‘I listened to this man’s proposition, and told him he should have his answer this morning. As you know, pal ah ak proposed to me on your own account, and all I did was to urge a speedy marriage, Am I not right?” ‘“Yes, you are,” Carrol said, slowly—‘“ yes, you are right. But go on, sir!” And he flashed a glance at Guion that boded him no good, ‘*'Well,” the villain proceeded, ‘‘I had no doubt but what, with a woman’s tact, Miss Mor- ton could succeed in hastening the marriage, and so I took leave of her. It occurred to me, however, you being a young and attractive- looking fellow, that it might be well to look up your past, and see if you were free to marry one so young and innocent as Miss Morton. It struck me, too, that I remembered you in con- nection with another affair, and when I came to sift the matter to a certainty, I found that ou already had another wife living. I did not earn this, however, until this morning, or I should have made an effort to prevent this un- fortunate affair.” ‘* Married? My husband married to another woman?” Myra exclaimed, growing white. ‘‘ Oh, Carrol, is this true—is this true? Have you so deceived me?” ‘‘It is not true! It is an accursed lie, and some devilish power is working against me to accomplish my ruin. And, do you know, I be- lieve that you are that devil!” And Carrol fired a look at Guion that would have made an ordinary man feel slightly un- easy. Guion only smiled, however. ‘*T don’t believe you are right,” he said, gently. ‘*‘ All the hand I have had in this un- fortunate matter has been as I have told you. I have worked simply in the interest of your grandparent. I first found you, and then made the sad discovery that you were already mar- ried. This will, of course, ruin all your chances with your grandfather, as you are a bigamist. It is a very, very unfortunate affair.” ‘Who is he married to?’ Myra demanded be- tween sobs, ‘*To one Hazel Hurst, the daughter of a re- tired speculator. The marriage was not an or- dinary one by any means, but is, nevertheless, valid. Miss Hurst and this man who was known to her as Terrol Taylor, contracted a mock marriage at a social gathering one night, having no idea, I presume, that they were domg an act that legally made them man and wife. ‘*Taylor disappeared, however, after that night and had not been found until I was for- tunate enough.to run him down, or rather un- fortunate enough, I should say.” ‘You are a liar, sir, from the word go!” Car- rol cried, rising and pacing the floor in a pas- sion, ‘‘and I will hear no more of this, I was never married in my life until I wedded this lady, and I defy you to prove it. There has been a singular mistake made. Another man visited me to-day and made the same charge that you bave made—you remember the gentile- man who called, Myra? He was a detective, and was laboring under the same mistake that you are. I took him before the lady whom he alleged was my wife, and told her to pronounce whether I was the man she had married or not. She said I was not. So you see your charge is utterly false.” ‘** Nothing of the sort,” Guion returned, with a confident smile. ‘‘I hold in my possession the certificate of your marriage to Hazel Hurst. You were married by one Timothy Binks, at No. — Montgomery avenue. Immediately after the marriage yoo were summoned away by a tele- gram, and have not been seen by your wife since. It is useless for you to deny this, for I have traced matters down to a certainty, and have the power to have you arrested for bigamy.” ‘‘ By Heaven! I’ve a mind to murder you, you lying scoundrel!” Carrol cried, in very despera- tion. “Ts it not sufficient that Hazel Hurst ,