Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 470 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

at —s . _ man certainly was Estelle’s absent a —— — ee — ——— = ——— ee he called ‘‘a capital hand” against Shrewd Simpson, the independent detective. The reader will recollect that he left Rogers Marxe’s office for the purpose of taking Simpson from his post on the opposite side of the street, but he did not see Felix who, in the guise of a bootblack, saw his movements, but did not fol- low him. Shrewd Simpson appeared very willing to be led from duty by the city rough, and Larry could hardly conceal his joy when he glanced over his shoulder and saw the detective at his heels, ‘‘ He sha’n’t escape me as he escaped the Jewess,” he muttered. ‘‘ Just keep at my heels awhile, Shrewd Simpson, and Vll show you a little game that catches the oldest birds.” If Larry could have known the detective’s feelings at that moment, he would not have been so eres in his gratulations. f Shrewd Simpson sometimes did some things which cooler-headed men of his class would not sanction, he was Larry’s match in acumen, He was, moreover, as brave as a lion and had been known to make arrests from which the bravest officers shrunk, He never lost sight of Larry Lolan, and the rough had not gone far before he found Simp- son on his side of the street, and only a few steps behind him. “T told Marxe that Id get this watch-hound away and I have done that. I’m not going to stop there, though. I failed to play Nezzur- Adden to my satisfaction to-day, and_I believe I owe a part of that failure to you, Mr. Simp- son. You told Estelle that I was Larry Lolan, and nobody else. Who else could have told her? Larry threatened to lead Shrewd Simpson a long chase, but the detective did not seem to care, He seemed to have plenty of time on his hands, All at once Larry was stopped in an unexpect- ed manner. As he turned a corner he was brought face to face with a crowd of sie who blocked the sidewalk. It was impossible to penetrate the mass, arid the New York rough with an oath inquired what was the matter, He was told that a well-dressed man and a stranger had fal- len in an apoplectic fit, and was then dying on the sidnratic ; ’ There was nothing in this announcement to attract the crook. It was only one of the every- day incidents of city existence. ‘“‘ There’s no apoplexy there,” said a man, who appeared from the inside of the crowd as Larry was about to turn away. ‘ He was trying to cross the street before a horse-car and failed; ot hit and tumbled onto the stones, — a Soren suw it. They’re coming with him now, Stand back there, please.” The next moment several men appeared carry- ing the unconscious body of the victim of the accident. A big policeman broke away through the crowd, : instinctively leaned forward, and in a second he was looking into the man’s face, “Hades and horns!” cried the tough, as his ze became riveted upon the bloodless but ndsome face on the stretcher. ‘* That is Clyde Caldwell, the girl’s lover who was in Europe, When did he get back?” The men and their burden had passed on, and the crowd was closing in behind again. Larry forgot Shrewd Simpson. , ‘We don’t want that man in the game now,” he said to himself. ‘‘ From what I’ve heard of him he is capable of giving usa good deal of trouble. Estelle cannot know of his return. She was not looking for him. Did somebody cable him to come back?” The unconscious man had been taken away, and the crowd was rapidly dissolving. “Ts he badly burt?” asked a man who had witnessed the accident, “Qh, no, knocked unconscious and bruised a little. nothing more,” was the reply. ‘Who é sod Reet ey found papers In bis pocket that show him to be a Mr. Caldwell, of Thirty-first street.” knew he had made no mistake; the suitor, and sé Marxe’s rival. ‘Are they going to take him home?” ask the crook, yee 2 ‘*'When he comes to,” waa the reply. Larry moved on. sare, got to be done,” he said between | his teeth. his man must not be allowed to come into the game now. sball not see her! I know where he lives. A - man knocked down by a street car and badly a =" ro 4 at, 5 “; >" we Estelle must not know that he has come back. By heavens! he — em meee ae ———E ; | Revolver in hand, he ran in and out among the | out a murmur.’ nt «a Prwvatesy~* Etat hoe - fale’ 7 3 tite , J +, Mey rs a's ¢ bruised isn’t going to callon his woman before he is himself again.” The man stopped suddenly at the end of his sentence and looked after the stretcher and its occupant, but both had disappeared. All at once he thought of Shrewd Simpson, ‘‘By Jericho! this unexpected accident took | | ' | ' ————S SL le Suddenly he sprung down an alleyway. The following second Shrewd Simpson was at its mouth. The glare of a light for a moment showed him the bs man; he halted, threw up his band, and bed? With the flash and the ringing shot a buman Ae ee clear out of my head!” he exclaimed, | figure halted in flight, and a wild cry rung from “Where is the watch-dog now?” Larry tried to answer his own question by throwing shrewd glances around, and for sever- al minutes his eyes searched fox-like for the man who had lately been on his track. 3ut not a glimpse of the detective could he catch. ‘“Well, he wen’t go back to Broad stre:t, any- how, or, if he does, he won’t find Marxe in the office. I’ve thrown him off the scent, but I was going to do more than that. I intended to fix Shrewd Simpson forever! There was to be ne well business this time.” The crook did not quit the scene of the acci- dent until he was satisfied that the hotspur de- tective was not there, then he turned abruptly and darted down a narrow street at a sudden turning of which he plunged into a hallway. The house entered by Larry was a notorious resort of criminals of all descriptions, and was not far from the spot where the crook had lost sight of Shrewd Simp-on. ‘Larry shut the easy swinging door behind him and opened another at the side of the hailway. The next moment he stocd in a small room fur- nished with a counter and shelves on which were a number of liquor bottles and colored goblets. This place, known to the fraternity as ‘‘ Para- dice Lost,” was not strange to Larry. He had entered it a thousand times before, and his cred- it was good enough to let him run up an occa- sional account with the proprietor, As a usual thing from three to ten crooks were always to be found in the drinking room of the ‘‘ Paradise Lost,” but this time Larry was not confronted by any, consequently he need treat nobody but bimself. He walked straight to the bar, which was pre- sided over by a little man who was almost hide- ously pock-marked and had but one eye. He grinned when he saw Larry, whom he seemed to recognize, and took down a certain bottle, as if he knew his customer's exact wants. Larry poured the thick glass full and threw back his head, to down the red-hot contents at a single swallow; but the next instant he lowered his hand, sprung back, and turned half-way round. Over the shelves Ty mirror, and the crook had seen in it the reflection of a face he was not looking for in “* Paradise Lost.” “Hold on! I have you, Larry!” said a voice as the crook wheeied, and a revolver lea at his face aS & man stepped forward, ‘I knew you would come here, and so I came and waited.” ‘.. % There was triumph in every word, and Larry Lolan bit his lips, for he was looking into the evn. an Simpson! pile Sak ess the game is pretty well ou contistued the detectives ‘ “ae ‘What game?” : ‘‘ The missing Nabob one,” was the answer. “What are you going to do with me?” snap- ped Larry. ‘‘Take you to number three hundred Mul- berry.” The crook recoiled, That was the general office of the city detective force, and was not far away. ‘You will go, eh, Larry?’ continued Simp- son, ‘*Confound it, I have to, I guess! But when vou charge me with being mixed up in the Na- ob business, you’re off your base.” Shrewd Simpson made no reply, but stepped forward before Larry could prepare for a sur- prise, and the click of a steel bracelet told the crook that he was surely caught. A minute later the two men were on the street. Larry glanced up at his captor, and then went to work at the handcuffs, It was not the first time he had felt them at his wrists, but they had never beld him long. ‘Now, Simpson, I'll show you a trick,” tered Larry, a little further on. The next second he threw up his struck the detective a terrible blow in the face with the irons, Shrewd Simpson reeled; the handcuffs rung on the pavement; Larry was running away! The detective was after him in a moment, mut- le like a fox; it was an exciting chase, and Larry found that he had a runner at his heels. * ¢ ae ae ) = “s © - arae a * WET oye ai Pe nt deal a | | a man’s lips, The next moment a man fell for- ward on his face, “They don’t often get away,” said Shrewd Simpson as he moved toward his victim. Midway in the alley he bent over the crook and heard a groan from bis lips, “You're right, Sinipson; the game’s about played out,” said Larry. Then the crook’s head fell back; he was dead. veel CHAPTER XVI. FELIX WINS A VICTORY. WE go back to Felix in the third story of the old Jew’s establishment, and waiting at the head of the stairs for the man supposed to be Harris Hodge, the cool city desperaco and Rogers Marxe’s most dangerous tool. The boy detective did not shrink from the combat which he knew was inevitable, but stood on the landing revolver in band and waited for the man who had not seen him. Mrs. Meek stood pale and shuddering near the door that kept the missing Nabob from liberty. With the walls of Sing Sing before her eyes, she ree Wished that Felix would get the best of the fight although under other circumstances: she would have dashed at his throat. ‘Halt! where you are!” suddenly cried Felix as the figure of Harris Hodge rose above the level of the top step. The crook halted and his hand moved quickly toward a hip pocket, ‘* Draw and drop,” said Felix, ‘I have the odge, and you don’t want to best hand, Mr. show any agility here. Come up. Don’t be ; this is a place you’ve visited. be- backw fore.” ; The boy svepped back, but kept the villain covered with his revolver, and Hodge came ov. doggedly, His countenance was an admixture of fury and chagrin, ‘You did it,” he flashed when he caught sight of the Jewish Amazon. ‘‘ You have given the yack game away, and you sball pay for it, ¥ Silence!” said Felix over the pistol. ‘‘ Opem the door, Mrs, Meek,” * ou dare!” grated Hodge, and. he would have thrown himself forward if the menace of eye and revolver had not deterred him. f agi by his look and voice the Jewess esitated, Unlock the door!” commanded the boy spot- ter, ‘‘If that man attempts tointerfere he will He turned over to the coroner and not to the po- ce, Mrs, Meek took a key from her pocket and in- serted it into the lock, turned it quickly to the right, and then threw the door open. _Aman in his shirt-sleeves was reading at a little table under a gas-jet. As the door o he threw down the book, sprung up and then came forw: Astonishment. lit oP his eyes when he crossed the threshold of what had been his prison; he did not know what to make of a big man held at bay by the revolver of a boy, ‘You are Mark Morey?” asked Felix. ‘That is my name,” was the rep'y ‘The missing Nabcb some people call you. I am Felix Fox, but you don’t know me, which makes no difference, That man yonder is Har- ris Hotspur, sometimes called e. He is one of the two men who have helped a certain Broad. street smart Aleck in a shrewd little gaine. Do you recognize him?” Mark Morey leaned forward and looked Hodge over from head to foot. | : ‘“He is the exact size of one of the men by whom I was brought here xeve>-? week> ago,* he said, ‘* He is oneof the men. There were two were there not?” n ce “The other is called Larry Lolan. Shrewd hands and | Simpson is taking care of him just now. You ~ will exchange places with Mr. Hodge now.” _ Felix stepped aside as he finished and pointed toward the open door with his left hand. ‘Walk in, Mr. Hodge,” he said to the crook. ‘* The Nabop gives up his quarters to you with- A dark scowl passed over the villain’s face, | but he did yot move. “= 1s > . . r ea) *;