Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 453 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

who, from all accounts, rust have been one of nature’s noblemen, and very dear to them. Where he was to begin at, in order to ferret out the author of the crime, was a poser to the detective, for there was apparently not the slightest clew to wor's on. sually, after tae commission of a crime, some person, be he even the most insignificant, has some theory or suspicion to advance that a shrewd detective can grasp at, and work out to either afsuccessful or unsuccessful climax; but these people of You Bet were apparently as deeply in the dark, and non-theoretical, as was Sunflower Sr.m himself. Just before noon, a small boy approached him as he stood in front of the hotel, and after star- ing wondevingly at him fora moment, tendered him a crumpled slip of paper. Sam took it, and saw it contained writing in a scrawling hand, which he finally made out to read ag follows: ‘* Mr. BunFLOWER SAM:— “T would respectfully request that you grant me an interview at my residence at your earlie# con- ven¥ince, Nearly any one can direct you to where I}'‘s, Respectfully, * AUGUSTIN ANDRE.”’ CHAPTER IV. A MOTHER’S FEARS. As may be supposed, the Flower from Shasta felt no little surprise at the message, comin as it did from a person he had never seen, an had heard of but once. ‘‘Tt must be I am getting suddenly popular,” he mused, as he put the note in his ket, and looked for the boy, who had already skurried away. ‘I enppose I shall have to accommo- date this Mr. Augustin Andre with a call, or he will feel slighted.” So after a few minutes he inquired his way to the Andre residence, which was very much like that occupied by the Moras, and was admitted and shown into the parlor by a servant. Here were seated two persons—Augustin Andre, tall, portly and rather haughty looking, well dressed, and with his hair and beard care- fully brushed out; and a young woman of two- or-three-and-twenty. . She was creamy-complexioned, of good figure, with a pleasant mouth, sparkling blue eyes and a wealth of sunny hair, and her personal beauty combined with her elaborate toilet, made her an object most charming to gaze upon. Andre immediately arose upon the entrance of Bannower Sam, and advanced with extended ‘‘ You are Sunflower Sam, the detective, I be- lieve,” he said; cordially, ‘“‘I am Augustin Andre, and this is my sister, Queenie. Pray be seated, sir.” Sam acknowledged the introduction, grace- fully, and then accepted the proffered seat, near to which Andre drew his own chair. ‘Yes, Iam glad you came,” Andre repeated, “for I wanted to see you about this shocking murder affair, and Giahine a little twinge of the gout this morning, I did not feel like getting away from the house. Distressing affair, isn’t it?” ‘‘T suppose it is, although I never had it!” Sam replied, composedly. : ‘“No,no! I donot mean the gout—I mean this mysterious murder,” “Oh! Yes, it is a very sad affair.” ‘‘ Have you formed any opinion as to who may have committed the murder?” ‘Not as yet. I have had no time, in particu- lar, to devote to investigation.” ‘* You propose to give the case your earnest attention, I suppose?” _ “Very likely, if T get any clew.to work on.” ‘‘T am glad to hear it, and sincerely hope you will succeed in running down the dastardly wretch, If you do, I’ll add another thousand dollars to the offer of Max Mera. Jve Mora was a dear friend of mine, and my grief at bis assassination is little less than that of those who are related to him.” ‘“TIndeed? Well, I shall do what. I can to un- ravel the mystery certainly, I suppose you have no idea as to the identity of the criminal?” ‘Tt would not want to say just now until I ‘watch matters a little, for you see it would be to set any mere suspicion afloat, figure at the case awhile, before I vent my theory, as I may be entirely off the track. _ There’s one thiffg, however: the death of Joseph Mora is going to create a sensation that will startle and astound everybody—not just, yet, _ maybe, but as soon as his last will is produced | \. | in what way?” sepsis 5 ; Re ee | > gt * fs -~ o <i ee Po... nd De ciao Set gt el re) AP ents |. en Nd once > re , a ’ re + ~) > 4? - “ or we ae Dien e 0 Gla wet Sie just now, but you will “‘T cannot tell you, t’s a profound secret, find out, in due time, and when the exposure is made, You Bet will be shaken to its center, and disgrace will fall upon one whose name should never have borne s+ 99 ‘* Do you refer to Bly Barron?” ‘*] mention no names, work and do the best you can, and, rest as- sured, I will lend you any assistance in my | power, pecuniary, or otherwise.” ‘‘Thanks. I presume I shall catch on to some clew, before long. Do you think Mr. Mora left a will behind him?” ‘Without a doubt, He was too shrewd a business man, not to provide for such things as accidents and the uncertainties of life. In- deed, it was only about a month since that he as good as intimated to me that he had made provision for the future.” ‘‘The will, then, would most naturally be in his safe?” sé Yes.” “Did any one have access to the safe but himself?” ‘‘T am not prepared to say for a certainty, but presume not,” ‘‘Has he no blood relatives here, except his wife and nephew?” ‘‘ None living, but them, I understand.” ‘“‘Then his wealth will probably be divided up between Mrs, Mora, Bly and Max?” ‘* Possibly. As I observed before, the chances are large that the reading of. the will will create a sensation full greater than the murder, However, the matter of the tragedy and that of the will are two different things, and have no connection. It is the murderer we want to find first, and the will can attend to itself.” After a further short conversation, Sunflower Sam took his departure, Before leaving, he was invited to call again and as often as convenient, both by Andre, and his charming sister, @)ueenie, He went back to the hotel, and spent an hour or two in reflection; then, ordered bis horse, and took a gallop up the gulch, attracting no little attention, as he dashed through the camp, Max Mora and Bly Barron stood by a front window, looking out upon the street, as he dashed by, and he raised his hat, gallantly, and inclined his head. ‘Who was that fellow, Max?’ Bly asked, raising her tear-reddened eyes to the face or her cousin-by-adoption. ‘‘ Whata singplar and yet handsome looking young man. hy does he so oddly decorate himself with sunflowers?” ‘¢ Because he’s a crank—to the best of my no- tion—and calls himself Sunflower Sam, from Shasta. He evidently came here to make a splurge, and arriving shortly after poor uncle’s eath, offered me his services as a detective. 1 gave him no encouragement, and I trust you will vot, should he seek to make himself known | to you. There’s no telling who or what he is, and it’s best to be on the safe side, and give him a wide berth.” ‘‘ He. did not look like a bad person, Max, but those sunflowers gave him such an odd appear- ance. It might be well to try hin. There is no telling but what he might find out who killed r papa,’ ‘‘ Nonsense!” Max said, impatiently. ‘‘ He is some adventurer who intends to fish for the re- ward I offered, and would be just as apt to charge some reputable citizen with the crime as the real party. So take care to have nothing to | say to him, as you know I would not want to, see you compromise yourself, my little Bly.” And he attempted to put his arm about her waist—an act she prevented by drawing away. ‘Don’t, Max. You know you ought not, Ex- cuse me, now. I must go and see if mamma wants anything. She takes poor papa’s death | very hard,” And. she out of the window and bite his lip with vexation. Sunflower Sam, of Shasta. a You go on with your | very much, and you will, too, for he was always She was not weeping, but appeared to shutout some unwelcome thought or association, ‘*Don’t grieve so, mamma,” bly said, pently . 1e as she went and knelt before her, and pulled t hands from her face. ‘We have all gct to die, some time, and we know papa was such a good. man that death to him had no terrors.” ‘True, my child, true, but I shall miss him even kinder to you than I, But, though 1 deeply mourn his loss, it is not altogether that—that troubles me.” ‘*Why, what do you mean, mamma? What else is there that troubles you?” “Tl don’t know! I can’t tell you, but it is something—something. I am impressed with a foreboding that something dreadful is going to happen to us, or to me at least, I cannot tell in what way, shape or form it will come, but I am deeply impressed with the idea that we are ap- sea ten op crisis in our lives, when, mayhap, we shall be separated, or even worse, turned out of house and home!” ‘Why, mamma, how strangely you do talk! I am sure I cannot understand you!” ‘* Nor can I scarcely understand myself, more- than that I cannot shake off this terrible fore- boding of coming trouble. We do not evem know what disposition Joseph has made of his. propertiise wenaeher he Jeft a will or not, If he did. eave a will, I am afraid he willed his all to Max, for he never considered 1t a woman’s place tor meddle in business matters, and—and—’ ‘* But, mamma, surely Max would not turn us Out of doors, were he the sole heir!” ‘*There’s no telling, my dear. He ain’t like Joseph—no, he ain’t like Joseph. Mebbe he wouldn’t exactly turn us out of doors, after alk we have done for him, but if he didn’t, he would most likely make terms by which we could not stay.” iP Why, how do youmean? Max surely would not den with us as he would with utter stran- ers! ‘“Trat’s where you don’t know him, my dear —that’s where you are yet childisb, and unac- customed to the world and its worldliness Max may be a]l right now, but, were he to come into Joseph’s fortune, I fear there would bea change, and we would be the ones to suffer by it—you, most especially.” ‘ Bly turned pale, as a thought flashed across her mind, ‘*Mamma—mamma, you do not mean that—” ‘*'Yes, I mean that were Max Mora to come into power, you would have to marry him, or we would be turned out upon the world, the same as beggars!” ‘* No, no, no, mamma! never will it come te that, for you know Joe—Mr. Colby—is youn | and strong, and has some money laid aside, an he would never see us,come to want!” Bly ' cried, her eyes radiant with hope and the joy of love. ‘Joe will not go back on us, even though all the world turns against us.” | CHAPTER. V. DICK BAGS A LIVE YANKRE. ‘Say, hello, there! Hold up!” ‘‘ Hello, yourself! Who aire ye, where aire ye, an’ what in darnation do yer want?” The query was uttered by a lone pedestrian, who had been trudging along the gulch-bottom in the direction of You Bet, but was yet several miles from that flourishing camp, He paused at the invitation to hold up, and gazed around bim inquiringly. At first he could see no signs of his accoster, but be finally felt a tap in the small of the back, and wheeling with a startled exclamation, be- held a masked man at his side. The pedestrian was a tall, lank and lean indi- vidual, with a lantern-jawed, cadaverous coun- tenance, and looked as if he had not had enough flitted away, leaving Max to stare | to eat for several months. His eyes were light and almost expressionless, ‘‘Confound it,” he muttered; ‘it seems as if I | his mouth large and puckered in at the corners, never can make any headway with her, and it’s | his cheeks hollow, all on account of that Joe Colby, too. If he were out of the way the coast would be clear to me, for Bly despises Gus Andre, despite his suave ways and reputed riches, ‘* And, on the other hatid, there’s the queenly ueenie, who would cut off h I will | thought it would please me. But, somehow, she and his hair long, frowsy,, and of a tow color, while a few straggling hairs: grew at the top of his chin, He was rigged out in stogy boots, a pair of, pants, both short-waisted and short-legged, a vest that had once been white, but was now er little finger if she | stained and unsightly, and a swallow-tailed broadcloth that no doubt had done service for is not to my taste, She’s affected, andI fancya | his grandfather. His neck was bare down to | little deceitful, and we wouldn’t agree for any | the vest, and it appeared as if he was not Bly is the one I want, and Bly | possessor of that essential commodity, a shirt. length of time. is the one I'll have!” ° In the meantime, Bly bad gone up-stairs to the room of Mrs, Mora, where she found that lady seated in an easy-chair, with her face buried in J ‘ V Be as ae, a ‘ v ¢ ‘ f - 43 4 ; ‘ i of) ” ; y oa" ; ; ’ , = il ed The as fi i 1. f P ; ii . ' a 4 a 4 , as * ~ ‘ we ‘ m’ ‘= - “? . 4 : * fi, 4 % > a nu a a Ff id a ae ry ” + “a “ ‘ . . oe s ’ § io * i . — = o* BP. ute a ol A Sets PON Sends Pee OV Oe SALA roe SUS, Vas eae ae wey a te eee ae en Ce SP OTTMEN Tb! on AN pee ge se SA ‘ oA. A f on * - pS ~, 7" vot * a 474 i Ry ye bs : ars gi! 2 ay : ie af Ke 4 J. : we ; , = ™ F re f f Fe - 3 ‘fhe shee = Pi eae. Ae ii lcm Mins op Siig I OS eer eaialacteebtl Ty CLS iy hie laa seb AD, i: Sahl ACR CD ea Cae Be > Pw > fee BS 4 i “eT od ; “04 - 5 Z A ‘ Fj tw bat ss es. A < . a" A a D hl a - - rs <4 , j are ‘ % | PTFE. ait =O the Surmounting his tow-colored locks, was a bat~ tered-up plug hat, two sizes too small for him. If ever there was a *‘ Reuben,” this chap was _ ' the original, or else an electro The masked man whom he confronted was & \ , 4 " A tt. « . ~ on ane KS. 1 _ [ hs ne ‘ "™ ee = 4 we Mm Al