Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 470 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 The Boy Shadow. —\ ‘* Not going, eh?” cried Felix, ‘‘ You do not want to disobey at this stage of the game, Harris Hudge. Forward, sir!’ ‘*T won't! by heavens!—” “Very well, then,” interrupted Felix, his eye slancing anew, as the entrapped rascal saw, over the barrel of the six shooter. ‘I suall be com- pelled to leave you where you are.” ‘* I’1l go, curse you, city rat!” growled Hodge. “+ This game isn’t as near outas you think!” Felix’s reply was a smile which discredited tone crook’s mad assertion. Harris Hodge moved forward and Mrs, Meek recoiled as he came near. He crossed the threshold of the little room and Felix made a sign for the Jewess to shut the door, an act which was accompiished in the space of a flash, and the spider was caught in his own trap! ‘*Can that door be unlocked from the inside?” asked the young spotter, Mrs, Meek sbook her head. * What is the condition of the front win- dows?” he continued turning to the Nabob. ‘‘They are secure, I canvassed every chance for liberty,” was the reply. ‘“‘I am convinced that that room was prepared for me before I came, Isn’t this true, woman?” ‘‘ Meester Hodge and Lolan worked atita whole week,” was the reply. ‘‘T knew it! But how is Estelle?” ‘*Oh, the girl’s all serene,” smiled Felix. ‘‘Tnank Heaven for that,” ejaculated the banker. ‘* The plot is against her.” ‘* And acool plot it is for beauty and big money. Bnt we've got the twist on the yang now, and there'll be a sensation for the morning papers.” “- Roger Marxe! course?” ‘¢ He is free and has an engagement with Es- telle to-night.” Mark Morey started toward the stairs with an eager cry. ‘Show me to this villain of villains!” he ex- claimed, as he turned upon Felix with flashing eyes. ‘Stand me face to face with this traitor partner of mine and I will give you half I’m worth.” ‘‘ Don’t be rushed,” said the boy spotter. ‘¢ There’s plenty of time. I have given this wc- man a pledge that she shall not be molested, She and her husband have been the gang’s tools, Harris Hodge and his pal have held a sword over their heads. Will you respect the pledge?” Mark Morey looked at Mrs. Meek and then at the door that shut Hodge in, , ‘‘T’m going to let the law take its course,” he said. ‘** There are some things I cannot forget. This woman could have informed tke policelat any time. Why didn’t she do it? “ You wanted money more than you hated crime,” continued the Nabob, addressing the Jewess, ‘¢ More than once you threatened to fly at my throat. If you promise to leave the city within twenty-four hours I will do nothing. If at the end of that time I find you bere I willopen the doors of the Tombs for you. Whatdoyou say?” Mrs. Meek was speechless, ‘7 will answer for her,” said Felix. ‘‘ She will go.” Then the boy stretched out bis hand for the key to Hodge’s prison, and thrust it into a pocket when it bad been obtained. A minute later the three went down stairs and Felix glanced toward tbe cot where he had left Moses unconscious, if not dead, as the reader remembers, He saw the outlines of the old Jew’s figure; they were fixed like the outlines of a corpse. Mrs. Meek went toward the cot. ‘¢ Wait,” whispered Felix tothe Nabob, “T want to hear how Moses is,” The two men saw the Amazon bend over the cot, but fora moment only. She sprung up as if a serpent had crept from beneath the scanty cover. ‘‘ Daddy Moses is dead,” she said, coming to- ward the spectators. ‘‘And he never got his deserts, Ill bet my life!” said Mark Morey. Felix and the Nabob turfed away and retired to the store-room below, At the boy’s request Morey pulled his hat over his eyes, and the two hurried down- stairs. Nobody recognized the missing millionaire in the man who walked beside Felix until the pair were about to enter a cab which the boy had _—— t that moment Felix felt a hand on his arm, and he turned to look into a pair of eyes that fairly glistened. He has been arrested, of ' ceca CL SS SS “You got him, I see!” said the owner of the eyes ina whisper. ‘‘I got the pal, but [ had a tussle for him,” ** Where is Larry?’ asked Felix, ‘*Onu his way to the morgue. Confound it! I had to doit. He gave me the bracelets full in the face, and struck out.” ‘*Go back to the vest and keep aneye on Hodge’s prison,” the boy said. ‘* The Nabob and | have an engagement with Marxe at Es- telle’s home.” Sbrewd Simpson’s eyes showed his astonish: ment. ‘You trust bim further than I do,” Felix laughed, and sprung into the cab, which was driven off rapidly. At the end of ten minutes it drew up in front of the Nabob’s residence, and its occupants sprung cut, As he alighted, Felix looked at a small watch which he took from his pocket. ‘* Ho will be here in eight minutes,” he said. CHAPTER XVII. THE HUNT ENDS. Iris not our intention to describe the meet- ing of Estelle and the Broad street banker, her guardian and friend. Felix looked on with a smile of pleasure at the corners of his mouth, and with a gleam of solid satisfaction in his eyes, “This is your work, I want to thank you!” exclaimed the beautiful girl, coming toward the boy spotter. ‘‘I bave not forgotten the promise you gave me when I first sent for you.” ‘“I guess I got there, didn’t I?’ laughed Felix. ‘* When I discovered that Rogers Marxe was at the bottom of the conspiracy, I knew I would win.” ‘* Rogers Marxe!” exclaimed the WNabob. ‘You have told me that he was to come bere to-night,” ‘*That is just what he is to do, and the time is up, too, ou will go into yon room and come out only when Estelle touches one of the keys of the piano,” Mark Morey would have spoken again, when the tones of the bell startled all, Morey sprung back into a room that adjoined the parlor, and he and the boy detective Legan to listen at the door. Estelle stood composed ia the center of the parlor, ready to confront the man who had playedso villainously for ber hand, In a little while the servant who had answer- ed the ring entered the parlor with a letter for Estelle. She opened the message and turned pale. ** Heavens!” he will never come!” she cried. The boy spotter snatched the paper from her band, and read one startling line: ‘« EsTELLE:—I am at the office—dead! ‘* RoGerRs MARXE.”’ ‘‘ He dared not come!” said Mark Morey, fiercely. ‘‘ He must have suspected my presence here, Come, we will go to him, Felix Fox.” [t was not long before a cab bore the couple toward Broad street, and Felix was at the Nabob’s side when he sprung up the steps lead- ing to the office. ‘The door is unlocked,” said Felix, grasping the knob, and the next moment he was on the inside, The first thing the boy saw was an open safe, with some papers scattered about the floor, Then he noticed a man seated at the desk, his body bent forward as if he had fallen asJeep in his chair. Morey and the Boy Shadower reached his side at the same moment, and the hand of the broker millionaire fell heavily upon the man’s shoulder. ‘* Marxe, look up here!” said Morey, sternly. There was no reply, the man Cid not move. ‘‘The message said he was dead, and dead he is!” said Felix. Ina moment the pair had raised the man’s head, and something dropped from one of his hands to the floor. ‘*See here!” cried Felix, picking up a vial labeled ‘* poison,” and holding it up to Morey’s gaze, ‘* This is the last hand he played.” The broker turned away and looked into the partner’s face. Death had set his seal on the villain’s countenance. ‘** He took his choice between death and a visit to Estelle, and death won,” Felix said. ‘‘ Now, Mr. Morey, if you will examine the contents of our safe to see what this man has done since he gan his game, I will go and look after Shrewd Simpson and Harris Hodge.” The Nabob went to work at once, and Felix left the room. He made his way as rapidly as possible to Baxter street, and halted before the notorious sbop of Moses the Jew. he hour was still early, but the establishment was closed, and silence bad sealed its doors. ‘‘ What has happened?” ejaculated the boy spotter. “A good deal,” said a voice at his elbow. ‘The nan who makes a cage, knows how to get out if it entraps bim,” ‘What do you mean, Simpson?” ‘‘ Harris Hodge has escaped!” Tbe boy’s first reply was a blank stare, then he caught Shrewd Simpson’s arm and cried: ‘‘T can’t believe this! Did the woman let him out?” ‘‘No. He forced the window above us, and actually dropped from sill to sill at the risk of his life. Halt a dozen people saw the daring feat, but did not know who he was, He was gone when I got bere, and I have been trying to strike his trail, [entered the house by means of the underground passage from Jacob’s saloon, Its only occupant just now is the dead, Old Moses is up-stairs where you left bim. His wife and bis children have made off asif Satan and his legions were trooping behind them.” Felix Fox stood spellbound by this startling and unexpected revelation. His hunt would not be complete without Har- ris Hodge. ‘‘Tf he does not know that Marxe is dead, he may visit the Broad street office,” suddenly ex- claimed Felix. ‘‘ Come, Simpson, we must go back there.” The vicinity of the Jew’s trap was soon desert- ed by the two detectives, and they were hasten- ing toward the building in whicb Felix had left the Nabob. There are several squares between Moses’s place and the broker’s up-stairs office, and the journey was not made in a little while. ‘‘ Hark! something is going on up there,” cried the boy spotter, as he reached the broad stair. ‘‘ There is a struggle of some kind,” said Simp- son. Felix sprung up the steps, two at a time, and ran like a deer to the office. Sbrewd Simpson was not able to keep up with the boy. Felix did not hesitate to spring into the room when he had opened the door, The gas-light showed him two men writhing like grappled tigers on the fluor close to a person who sat mo- tionless in a desk chair. ‘‘Tt is Harris Hodge!” cried the boy detective, and the next moment he threw bimself upon the uppermost man. go. Sbrewd Simpson was not long adding himself to the affray, and Harris Hodge was jerked from the man he clutched. and confronted with a re- volver that menaced his life. | The Nabob recovered slowly, for he was ex- hausted, which showed that Felix and Simpson bad arrived in the nick of time. Need we say that the morning papers present- ed the people witb the solution of the mystery of the Nabob? The account made very interesting reading and the New Yorkers, especially the wealthier ones, rejoiced over the destruction of the men who had planned and carried out the most start- ling abduction of modern times, Everybody learned that the cab which took Mark Morey from his office on the day of the crime was driven by Larry Lolan and that the broker millionaire found Harris Hodge inside when he entered. He was instantly seized and choked insensible, and at a certain hour con- veyed tothe old Jew’s where a cage had been prepared for him, All this villainy bad been prepared by Rogers Marxe who intended by it to force Estelle to be- come his wife. Felix Fox camein for a large share of the glory attached to tbe solving of the mystery, and he was not only paid the rewara offered for Mark Morey but received other substantial re- cognition besides. Harris Hodge was tried for the crime and re- ceived a lengthy sentence to Sing Sing where he now is, while Larry, his pal, and Marxe his em- ployer met the speedier fate of the evil-doer. Glyde Caldwell, Estelle’s lover, who was struck by a car, the same cey of bis arrival from urope, had a speedy recovery, and in a short time made the beautiful girl bis wife. If Larry had not been molested there is no telling what might have befallen Caldwell, for the crook already had his eyes upon bim, Shrewd Simpson was not unwilling to put on new feathers over his sbare of the glory, and we wil] not deprive him of one. A brother Jew stepped into on of old Moses’ shop after bis death; but the Amazon and her family never came back, ; THE END. ; ; ; ‘S.com