Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 470 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

L2 ee ee -_— +--+ =~ rr eer —— - - - -- — eS “All right, captain, I’m your huckleberry when there’s a job on hand,” the boy answered, after a second’s hesitation, Marxe led the way up-stairs, and the boy at his heeis did not see his eyes flash—but the boot- black’s orbs flashed, too. The broker unlocked the office door, and the bia eae in; the door closed behind them with a CICK, ‘T’'ve got him now,” muttered Marxe, be- tween his teeth, as he walked toward his desk. ‘*Soméhow or other, Larry failed; but, by the eternal heavens! I will not.” The next moment his hand touched and drew a revolver, and the weapon clicked as he wheel- ed upon the boy. “You can’t fool me, I’clix Fox,” he hissed, and his face flusbed madly. ‘* You have reach- ed the end of the game as played by you. You have outwitted the man who caught you hang- ing to my door, playing the spy; but you can’t beat the man who faces you now.” The bootblack went back a pace and then planted himself firmly before the Broad street broker. He did not change color. ‘What are you going to do?” he asked, look- ing into Marxe’s face for a moment, and then glancing at the revolver in his hand, ** You admit that you are Felix Fox?” ‘“T am Felix Fox,” was the answer, ‘‘and I am anxious to see you. Sit down and listen to me, Rogers Marxe. No? Stand, then. I am going to have my say. The man who last left this office was Larry Lolan, .He will never come back here to report. We have found the trail of the missing Nabob. We've got all the threads in our hands. If I am not ata certain ‘place by four o’clock you will be in the hands of the law!” Marxe appeared to gasp. ‘* How much do you want?’ he asked. ‘*A million dollars more than you’ve got,” Jaughed Felix, and then he quickly continued: **T wouldn’t touch a cent of your money for all Gotham, and I’m free to say that the leeches you have attached to yourself have bled you freely. This game of yours is more for gold than love, isn’t it, Mr. Marxe? You have an engagement with Estelle to-night. It must be kept. You must not be a minute behind time. Remember! if you fail to show up, the whole bottom of this big gameof yours will fall out with a noise. I have got fairly to work. You need not go to Papa Picklock’s after Larry—he isn’t there. You need not drop into ‘ Jacob’s’ on the look for Harris Hodge; you wouldn’t find him if you did. You will go to Estelle’s as if nothing had happened. You fail at your peril, Remember, Roger Marxe!” The astounded broker did not recover till the door had opened and closed. Felix Fox was gone! CHAPTER XIV. ALMOST FOUND. THE boy spotter smiled to himself when he swung the bootblack’s kit over his shoulder and ‘went down-stairs. ** Undoubtedly Rogers Marxe wishes me in China or elsewhere!” he ejaculated. ‘* The mo- ment he saw me before the cigar-store he knew me despite my get up, and when he invited me into the office he thought he was getting me into atrap. Ha, ha! Rogers; if there were no worse traps than yours in New York we'd be well off. You will go to the Nabob’s residence according to your engagement with Estelle, or you will land somewhere else about that hour.” a a sss tsetse stents = 7 | you offer but three. Mine fr’ent, do you vant to ' send der whole family to der boorhouse an’ der ' | | the connection between them, the gleam of Larry and Shrewd Simpson had already dis- | appeared and Felix did not attempt to find | either. ‘I’ve got to work fast if I succeed,” he con- | tinued, ‘‘] will now invade the classic precincts of Baxter street for the trail leads in that direc- | tion.” | start, Night had succeeded the evening shades when | a boy who looked as though he had lately arrived from the country appeared suddenly to Isaac | **Moses Meek, Il am here on important busi- the old Jew’sson as the young Hebrew was | watching spider-like for a customer in front of the shop. The boy was Felix, and his general make-up, including the old-fashioned though not very fat carpet-sack that he earried, proclaimed him an easy Victiin to’ the clerk. **’W hat’s them breeches worth, hey?” said Fe- | lix, turning to Isaac w'o came forward with the alertness of a leopard. **Dose? Elefen tollar. my young fr’ent.” “Who made ’em?”’ ‘‘ A man vat makesder pest bants in N’y York. a7? Vat ish your name? . Felix Fox and—” Dey vas made for you | | for!” interrupted Moses, i The Boy Shadow. —_—s am now under your roof. Moses, lam here to give you your choice of two things—continued existence here or life in Sing Sing!” The Jew seemed about to leap from his couch Felix darted down and ‘Hezekiah Hamilton. I’ve just got in from Peapod Ridge, Jersey, and mother told me to buy a pair of breeches as soon as I got to York.” ‘*Dot vasa goot mother. I vish ve all had ’em, my fr’ent. Now Meester Hamilton of Bea- | at the announcement, bod Ridge, dose bants was actually made for | clutched his wrist. you. Der dailor says ven he prings ’em down | -‘* Remember; liberty or Sing Sing!” he cried. here ‘Ef any o’ does Hamiltons come along let | Old Moses fell back with a groan, | ‘em haf dose bants at gost.’” ‘** Quick! take your choice,” continued Felix. ‘** That’s almighty clever,” said Felix. ‘‘ Didhe | ‘‘ The game is near its end, and there is no time mean only this pair? I doan’t like the color ex- | to lose. Shall it be Baxter street or Sing Sing?” actly.” There was no reply, The Jew lay motionless ‘**Dat offer includes all der goods we carry. | on the rags of the cot beneath the boy spotter. Der same dailor makes ’em all to our order, an’ | ‘‘ Heavens! the man is dead!” cried the boy. as you vas one o’ dem Hamiltons you shall hef He put a finger to the old shopkeeper’s wrist your choice at gost.” and found only the faintest semblance to a pulse. With the last sentence Felix was pounced upon ‘‘ Dead or not, I can’t stophere,” Felix said, by the young Jew and hustled into the shop, | moving back. ‘‘I must solve the mystery of baggage and all. Isaachad become an apt pupil | the Nabob now or never. Ina moment I may of his father, and long before the commencement | be discovered—” of our story, had graduated in the art of selling He stopped suddenly for the door at the fur- ready-made clothing. thest a of the room opened and a child came The young Jow found the supposed Jerseyan | in. rather hard to please, although evidently deter- Felix sprung toward her. mined to purchase. More than twenty pairs of ‘¢ Show me to the man you have up-stairs or pants were shown and rejected. Isaac came | somewhere, Quick!” down dollar after dollar until the garments The child, a girl of eight, glanced from Felix seemed about to be given away. toward the cot where her father lay. Felix more than once glanced down the lon ‘** Are you Daddy Moses’s friend?” she asked. room towar.l the little apartment where severa ‘* Yes.” exciting scenes of our story have taken place. ‘*Then I will show you. Did he know what was beyond and above the | please.” door that led to it? Was heaware that the long- The boy detective followed the child from the missing Nabob was on the third floor of that | room to the stairway that led to the third floor building in a room where the loudest cry was no | and without accident reached the door tha more than a whisper? stood between him and Mark Morey. Certain it was that the boy detective had not ‘¢ He is in there,” said the child. visited the Jew shop for nothing. ‘¢ Where is the key?” At last Felix found a pair of pantaloons that ‘‘Oh, Mamma Moses keeps that, was the an- seemed to suit him, but he offered Isaac a price | swer. that seemed to take his breath. ‘** Where is she?” ‘* Veepin’ Rachel! we must lif!” exclaimed the ** She went over to Mrs. Levi’s after supper. young Jew. ‘‘ Dose bants cost us sefen tollar an’ | I willgo and tell her.” Felix tried to restrain the girl, but she was gone in a flash, as it were, and be was alone. ‘‘Here is a pickle,’ muttered the boy. “I don't want to encounter the tigress of this es- tablishment before she knows anything about the choice I gave her husband. Can it really be that only a door separates me from the Na- bob of Broad street? Have i actually found him at last?” The Loy detective turned upon the door and struck it with his cline] ed hand. ‘* Td give my right Land for a key now!” he said. ‘* My blow did not seem to sound in the room beyond the door. Heavens! There is some one moving below. Some one is coming up-stairs!” Felix drew a revolver and sprung toward the head of the steps. He was not certain who was coming up, but he knew that it was some dan- gerous person, All at once there burst into the room the figure of a ponderous woman who was a Colossus to the boy. , ‘* The tigress!” cried Felix, recoiling a step, and then he threw up the hand that held the six- shooter. | ‘‘T have found the lost Nabob, and I want the door opened that leads to him,” he said to the woman whose aspect was simply ferocious, ‘I make you the proposition I made your husband From the shock produced by suddenly seeing | awhile ago. Jf you liberate Mark Morey, you Shrewd Simpson when he was supposed to be , shall not be molested, for you have been the dead, the old Jew had not recovered; but when { tools of the worst gang in the city; if you refuse he saw the boy and the pantaloons, and caught | I will see that you go straight to Sing Sing! The door yonder leads to two places: the Na- bob’s prison and the State dungeon! We've got all the threads of the crime in our hands, Mrs, Meek. The men you betray shall never lift a finger against you.” ‘Can you promise that?” cried the .Jewess, slipping forward. ‘“T can and Ido. Now open the door.” The wife of the old clothier thrust one hand into her bosom and drew forth a peculiar key, The following moment she was at the door, ‘‘Some man is down there!” she suddenly exe claimed, wheeling upon Felix and glancing toe ward the stair, and then she seemed ready to sink to the floor. ‘What did you say about protecting me from the people we have served?’ she went on. ‘‘My God! the man below is Harris Hodge!” Already there was a man on the steps. | Twill protect you!” said Felix firmly, ‘‘ The ‘‘ Don’t cry out nor let slip a falsehood. I am: man down there never gets into this room F alive.” And he went toward the stair with a “ Veepin’ Rachel! ter poy I vas ter watch | flash of fierceness in his eyes. CHAPTER XV. HOW LARRY “‘ FOOLED” SHREWD SIMPSON, Mrantrmg, Larry Lolan was playing whaé Come this way, pauper’s grave? Gif me six tollar an’ dose bants shall grace yer form.” Felix was immovable. ‘Three or nothing.” ‘J vill haf tosee my sick father,” said Isaac. ‘* Stay here, mine fr’ent, till I come pack,” and the clerk marched off with the clothes, “‘Hold on! I don’t like tostay here,” cried the boy spotter. ‘‘If some thief ’d drop in and steal while you were gone, I might be blamed with the job.” Isaac stopped and looked at Felix who had come forward. It would not do to leave the shop entirely un- watched, not even fur a few moments. There were hundreds of adroit sneak-thieves who work Baxter street, «nd the Meeks had suffered by their depredations. The young clerk cut the problem by opening the door of the treasure-room and sounding a singular call, In a moment it was answered by a young, sharp-featured girl of seventeen, and the shop was left in her care. Felix went up-stairs close behind Isaac, and the young Jew led him to the cot occupied by his pe ek whose grip on life seemed very frail in- eed, EE avarice came back to his almost lusterless eyes, ‘¢ Three toller for dose bants?” said old Moses slowly. ‘‘Isaac, my son, git my shroud out, an’ let me depart in beace. Dose bants vas made to sell. Who bese you, poy?” Felix leaned over and caught the old, man’s eves. In an instant he thought he saw him ee eee ee ee ‘‘T want to see your father,” he said to Isaac. ness,” The sudden change in the boy’s looks and tones made the young clerk recoil. ‘“Go down, Isaac,” said the old Jew and the next moment Felix and Moses were the only oc- cupants of the big room whose only light was a gas flame which did not begin to dissipate the shadows, ‘‘f am here for the Mabob.” said Felix. **T don’t doubt that. I was to be drawn into vour trap by a trumped-up story by Harris | odge, but the scheme didn’t work, though I