Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 470 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

_. The Boy Shadow. ee ae a EEE 4 4 ee ee om ~ <9 * ~ ae 4 el ba es a ¥ ‘Tt can’t be that the Nabob has turned up qualities as a detective; he was but a stout boy safely, and now wants me to run down the fel- lows who had to do with his disappearance,” re- flected the boy detective when he had mastered the note. ‘‘ No, that can not be it, for thisisa woman’s writing, and the Nabob’s fist never spread a word on this paper. I'll go and see what’s in it, but I allow I don’t want to be put to work on a case on which the best foxes have been at work for weeks,” At the hour mentioned in the invitation, Felix Fox rung the bell at the broker’s house and was admitted to the sumptuously-furnished parlor with an alacrity which indicated that his arrival had been looked for. ‘‘ T cuess the Nabob is stilla missing quantity,” murmured the shrewd boy while he waited to be confronted by the sender of the message. “Tt can’t bs that I’ve tumbled into a trap of any kind. I won't believe that.” e had hardly ceased when there was was a rustle of feminine garments, and Felix saw a beautiful young woman enter the room. ‘‘The Nabob’s daughter!” he mentally ex- claimed as he bowed to the new-comer whom he thought the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. ‘‘ You are Felix Fox, the boy detective?” she said, coming forward and looking closely into the boy’s face as he stood in the light of the wonderful chandelier. ‘¢T guess that’s who I am,” responded Felix. ‘** They seem to know me pretty well in the city.” ‘‘T have heard often of you,” was the reply. ‘You're the boy who took that young Jersey- man, Omri Otway, from the,clutches of those two rascals, Silas Sharp and Darius Dodge.” ‘That was more than a year ago, miss,” ‘“‘ Yet I have not forgotten it,” said the young lady. ‘* But I did not invite you here to say this.” ‘¢T suppose not.” ‘‘ Mr. Morey has not been found,” continued Felix’s fair interviewer, ‘‘and I want you to take the trail.” While more than half suspecting something of this kind, the boy was startled by the speaker’s bluntness, He had already familiarized himself to some extent with the strange disappearance of Mark Morey, the rich broker, commonly called “the Nabob,” by his acquaintances, and the newspa- per reporters. Three weeke had elapsed since the Nabob was last seen by any of his friends. He left his pri- vate office at the close of business hours, one af- ternoon, and entered a cab, as was his wont when he desired to be driven home leisurely. Since the ciosing of the carriage door upon the broker, no person of his acquaintance had seen him. © It was known that he had taken with him cer- tain moneys amounting to several thousand dol- lars, but not sufficient to tempt the thugs and secret villains who play for high stakes in the great city. : This disappearance was enough to afford food for gossip. Ina certain sense he was one of the best known men in New York. Everybody knew the Nabob; he was handsome, forty-five, a widower, was always dressed well, and was lav- ish with his money. If the mayor had mysteriousl ng snare as had Mark Morey, there would not have been more comment. The papers had all discussed the strange events connected with the broker’s disappearance, day after day they told the interested thousands that no clew bad been found. Everything pertaining to the case was read with avidity; it sold thous- ands of papers which otherwise would have con- tinued to burden the news counters. Mark Morey’s partner—the broker firm was “Morey & Marxe”—and Estelle—the girl who had invited Felix Fox to the elegant residence up-town—had put the best detectives to be had upon the case, and the reward was offered of five thousand dollars for the discovery of the Nabob’s whereabouts, and the arrest of his ab- ductors, if the theory of abduction should turn out to be correct. It is safe to say that when Felix went to the Nabob’s house every policeman and detective in New York was on the lookout for the clew which thus far nobody could grasp. Had the Nabob been murdered? — There were hundreds who had already an- swered this question in the affirmative, and several prominent ea eh did the same. The morgue hast been watched by thousands; the waters of the docks were scoured nightly by lynx-eyed people in boats, but the mystery of —— rance remained as deep as ever. elix ox had no exaggerated opinion of his. of seventeen with a good figure, quick as a cat, and a keen eye. e had grown up almost among the detectives of the metropolis; and he knew the dark streets and alleys of the city as el messenger boy knows the great thorough- ares, As we have said, he was surprised when the young lady told him that she had sent for him to take a hand in this mysterious case that had startled the whole city. ‘Don’t you overrate my ability, miss?” asked Felix. ‘‘T am sure I do not,” was the quick reply. **T want you to do what you can to find him.” ‘‘Then you don’t believe—” The boy checked himself, ‘* No,” said the young woman, ‘‘I do not be- lieve he has been murdered; still,” in a lower tone, ‘‘ one does not know what the bad men of New York will not do. I do not believe the wild stories afloat to the effect that he was lured off by a beautiful woman who lives out of the city. These stories are cruelties; they deeply hurt me who know him so well. There isa di a- bolical plot of some kind; he has fallen into the clutches of some people who are playing a deep ame. I havethe utmost confidence in you. ou will not say ‘no.’ You will undertake this case—you will find him!” and the girl-woman, with outstretched hands stood pleadingly before the Boy Shadow. ‘*T will, or leave the business!” exclaimed Felix, his dark eyes becoming animated. * At this moment I haven’t the slightest idea where the Nabob is, but I will find a clew, or join the wharf rat brigade at half pay!” The young lady seemed about to seize the boy for joy, and might have done so if a man had not entered the parlor unannounced, Felix saw him first and the quick eyes of the boy thonght he detected a lurking flash of hate when their gaze met. ‘* You are just in time, Rogers,” said Estelle facing the visitor, who was a young man of thirty, of rather dark complexion, with a smooth face and piercing eyes, almost black. ‘‘ This is Mr. Fox, the youn detective who has won so much fame in his calling.” ‘*Welix, miss—just Felix Fox; no mister in his!” said the boy, oem ry slightly, at. which Estelle smiled and continued; ‘*T sent for him to give him a chance to solve this terrible mystery. Felix, as you object to the prefix ‘Mr,’ this gentleman is Mr. Rogers Marxe, Mr. Morey’s business partner.” Felix, who had been looking at the visitor ever since his entrance, executed the usual in- troductory bow, and said under his breath: ‘*Rogers Marxe, eh? This is the fellow who wants to be Mark Morey’s son-in-law, as well as his partner! Well, that’s pint No. 1, or lma saw dust operator!’ ‘* Do you think you can strike the trail?” ask- ed Marxe, still eying Felix with much intensity. ‘He says he will!” exclaimed Estelle, before the young spotter could reply. ‘‘T will say that you have the biggest con- tract ahead you ever undertook,” continued Marxe. ‘At the end of a successful trail lies five thousand dollars, young man. You begin where the best detective: of the country leave off. I shall compliment you highly if you should solve this unpleasart affair.” — ‘*T am sure he will!” cried Estelle, springing to the re side, and seizing his hand. ‘* Re- member! fail.” ** And fail I will not!” echoed Felix firmly, and as he spoke he looked into the young broker’s face and caught the sneer that was al- ready half-formed on his lips. ‘‘No, you don’t like me, Rogers Marxe,” de- cided the boy spotter. ‘“‘I can see that with half an eye, and I am ready to tell you that there’s nota grain of love lost—not if I know gold from pewter.” , Then he turned to Estelle, and told her that he must be off. ‘*T will let you out,” said the young lady, and the next moment the pair were in the hallway and at the front door. ‘You must not let Mr. Marxe discourage you,” said Estelle, as she threw n quick glance ever her shoulder toward the parlor. ‘Nothing shall do that,” was the quick re- sponse, “I may report within two days, or not for two weeks. ‘* Only find him,” urged the youn lady ‘‘Find him? You can bet the Nabob’s for- tune that Felix Fox will solve this mystery! Good-night!” He was on the street again and a moment | later was hurrying away. have your word that you will not’ “ve got no easy case on my hands this — time,” muttered the Boy Shadow. ‘ The lad back there has given me a puzzle that has baf- fled the best—Shrewd Simpson among them, But my word is out that I will not fail, and I must not. By Jupiter! I believe I would have romised that girl anything. SoIam after the abob at last! In less than forty-eight hours I will have somebody after me.” In less than forty-eight hours? Not far behind the boy walked a man whose step was springy and almost noiseless. There were a number of pedestrians on the sidewalk, but this particular one kept a certain distance between Felix and himself, and his eyes watched him like the eyes of a lynx. The Boy Shadow had a foe at his heels al- ready. CHAPTER II. AN ADROIT RASCAL, WHEN Felix reached bis lod gin s, which were on the second floor of a plain-looking house on the Bowery near Bayard street, he was sur- prised to find a man waiting for him. There was nothing about this person that at first attracted the young shadower’s attention. He was about the medium bight, had light brown eyes and a full beard, and appeared to be about forty years of age. ‘*T have been waiting for you,” he said to Felix. ‘“My name is Harris Hodge. I don’t live in the city, but in New Jersey near Morris- town, if you know where that is.” Felix nodded; he well knew the place men- tioned. . ‘‘T am here for the purpose of finding some stolen property,” continued the man. bss Base you consulted with the police?” asked e boy. ‘¢T have not, and I don’t intend to,” was the reply. ‘* I don’t want to make a hue and cry over a few things that have but little intrinsic value, I believe that a still hunt by one shrewd person like yourself will accomplish more than a chase by half a dozen policemen. Shall I state my case? ‘Tf you want to,” responded Felix, ‘‘but I cannot promise beforehand to take it up.” ‘* Got your hands full, eh?” ‘““Yes. Just now I have an important case.” ‘‘T can make mine very important to you,” the Jerseyman assured, vege” 3 ‘All the money in the country is not on Manhattan Isl- and. We bave our share of the chink in Jersey, and some of us are pretty well fixed, too,” and the man twisted his lips into a smile and winked at Felix. “Go on; I will hear ‘your story,” and the young shadower spoke decisively. “TY live with my mother, a widcw ledy near Morristown,” began Mr. Hedge, ‘Our only pa has been a young man named Ben- a loss, who attended to the horses and ooked after the fires and so forth. Qn the night of the tenth, which is just two wecks ago, a trunk was broken open in my mother’s rcom, and some yery valuable articles taken cut. was not at home that night, being in Trenton, whither I was decoyed by a letter, which I am sorry I forgot to bring with me to the city. My mother was drugged by the thief, who en- tered at a window, and the robbery was com- mitted. Our authorities failed to find any clew, but I have been a little more successful. ‘‘Two days ‘after the robbery our hand, Ben- jamin Bloss, disappeared suddenly, and I after- ward learned that he went 1o Morristown. and bought a ticket for New York. I expect you will say that it is not much use to hunt for one man among nearly two millions of people. I admit that it lcoks like foolishness, but that man must ke found. I discovered in bis room some pieces of paper which, when I had put them together, turned out to be a letter which he had lately received from a certain pore here. I have not the letter with me, but I can repeat it word for word. Do you want it?” ‘** Go on,” said Felix. ‘*Tt ran thus,’ continued Harris Hodge: ‘‘New York, June 7th, —. * Why don’t you hurry uD the job? The mark is ened. now, and the goods will command a fine pre. The Broad street ‘find’ promises to return ig results in a few days. The city is getting over the excitement. The cops and the detectives are off the scent. Now hurry up your job, and bring along the goods. Nosreay.” Felix Fox gave @ slight start when the man finished, but Mr. Hodge did not appear to notice it. ‘‘That is the exact reading of the letter which Benjamin Bloss got several days before the rob- _ i + Ni bery at our house,” he said. ‘There was a le . * @) ry = oe “d > “ ;‘ - gol i ‘ . é —, co @ 2. ~ " A s ad - ’ i-~* « a e o - ny * “46 as Ot a .% — : | _ 7a pe ) \ \g A _| | *2 ad MWS s7 i = - ae —_—" ne » F "Sa “~ ony fy 4 A . P