Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 470 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 The Boy Shadow. threading the subterranean corridor which ex- tended from ‘‘ Jacob’s” to the Jew’s shop, and in a little while he was sampling the heavy beer usually sold at the saloon. The hands of the clock now denoted a quarter after twelve, and Hodge was about to leave the saloon when a man came in whom he instantly recognized, ‘*'Where have you been all night?” asked the new-comer as he joined Hodge, and the two passed to the sidewalk together, “‘In several places. [I’ve just come from the Bastile. Everything is right there now, but we've had a narrow escape.” ‘** How?” asked Hodge’s companion. ‘“‘Shrewd Simpson got on the trail somehow or other; he went to the Bastile and faced Moses,” ‘*T wish I had known that ten minutes ago.” sé Why?” “| saw Shrewd Simpson, then.” ‘‘T guess not,” said Harris Hodge, with a laugh. ‘‘I’d bet my head, Larry, that you saw somebody else.” ‘* What’s my eyes for?” cried Hodge’s compan- ion, with a show of resentment. ‘‘ Don’t I know Shrewd Simpson when I see him? He can’t hood- wink me with any of his thousand-and-one dis- guises, I saw him awhile ago and I know it.” ‘‘Tf we were at the Bastile I would convince you to the contrary,” was Hodge’s answer. ‘I had the pleasure of looking int» that man-bhunt- er’s grave.” ‘* Who fixed him?” ‘* The Jew’s wife.” **She told you so?” ‘Yes, and I have every reason to believe it.” ‘Larry looked puzzled for a moment. ‘Where did you see this man whom you took for Shrewd Simpson?” asked Harris, ‘On Mulberry; he has been living there of late, you know.” ‘‘T know the number, but you have been deceived, Larry. The Amazon fixed him be- yond doubt.” Larry shook his head; he was not willing to admit that he had been mistaken. - ‘‘T’m going to convince myself before morn- ing,” he said. ‘By examining the well?” ‘“No. I shall not invade the Bastile any more to-night. This man, Shrewd Simpson, is not as shrewd as he pretends to be. e stumbles on more clews than he ferrets out, and then he tries to carry every thing with a high hand. He is a dangerous man, though.” ‘* And Felix Fox’s friend,” said Hodge. At mention of the boy spotter’s name Larry laughed and caugbt his pal’s arm. ‘*Talk about narrow escapes, Harris,” he said. ‘‘ By the green fields of Eden, we had one to-night.” ham ' e?? ‘‘ The boss and I,” Larry went on. ‘* Marxe?” asked Hodge lowering his voice, ‘*T should remark. Think of catching the most dangerous boy in New Ycrk hanging to the door frame of the office and looking at the boss at work o’ some kind.” ‘¢TDid you do that, Larry?” cried Harris. ‘‘PDidn’t 1, though?” grinned the city tough. “Didn't I doff my boots and sneak upon him when he thought | was miles away? idn’t I pounce upon the night weasel and land him be- fore the boss before he knew what was up?” ‘¢ Where is he now?” asked Hodge, **'D’ye think he’s loose?’ laughed Larry with a devilish chuckle while his eyes assumed an ex- pression of ferocious triumph. ‘‘?’d sooner un- chain a half-starved dog and walk off with a jece of meat in my pocket. You know that, rris.” ‘¢ Of course I do, Larry; but I’m anxious to know what you did with the young ferret. You and the boss had him in your power after ou captured him, and of course you didn’t let im gor “Bet your life we didn’t, Harris. The dis- covery made the boss turn white, but when I told him that it wouldn’t do to let the boy go he ot alittle of his color back and said that he had to die.” ‘** And he died, of course,” said Hodge, look- ing at Larry. here was noreply, but Larry took a cigar from his pocket, and proceeded to light it, ‘*T want this game played out as soon as pos- sible,” he said throwing the match awav. ‘‘Something is going to happen almighty soon if the girl holds out muchlonger. I believe [ll visit her.” “‘ You?” cried Hodge, stepping back and look- ing in amazement at his pal. _ The individual who addresses you,” was the reply. ‘‘ I'll call on her to-morrow at her house. I can get myself up in a style that’d deceive the Prince of Tophet, and I reckon I’ve played some shrewd side games in my time.” ‘* But what will you do when you goto see the girl Estelle?” ‘*Tll convince her that the best thing she can do is to marry Rogers Marxe right away. I will pretend that ’m a tortie taller or some- thing of the sort, and before I leave she will be- lieve that when she is the wife of Marxe, the Nabob will turn up safe and sound.” ‘* You can’t cram any such stuff into her head, That girl is educated and refined, and takes no stock in the black art.” ‘There is right where youre wrong!” ex- claimed Larry. ‘‘She has consulted three as- trologists since the Nabob’s disappearance,” ‘¢ And they told her—what?” **T don’t know all, but I know just what to tell her. I’m on the inside you see, Harris, and I will play a hand to-morrow that'll end this little game of ours within a week.” ‘You can try it, but I wouldn’t,” said Hodge, with a shake of the head. ‘* At what hour will you play the hand?” ‘* About ten to-morrow forenoon. Just loaf about the Nabob’s residence and see the renown- ed Persian astrologer Nezzur-Adden make his appearance,” ** You don’t know Persian?” cried Hodge, with a laugh. ‘‘T don’t have to, to her. You see lam an Englishman who has been astrologer to his Majesty, the Shah at Teheran. lve played this role before, Harris, and always with suc- cess.’ , ‘* Does the boss know of this?” ‘‘No. It’s a play entirely my own. You know that if the girl ‘becomes Mrs. Marxe, we get the whole amount; if she does not, we get a smaller sum.” ‘* And quarters in, Sing Sing, eh, Larry ‘* Roomsin Hades, first!” grated Hodge’s pard. ‘*'We have him in our clutches, and we can work a new game and an almighty big one, if he gets smart on our hands. * This is the crisis of the play, Harris, When such fellows like Shrewd Simpson and Felix Fox get on the trail of the missing Nabob, it is time for us to make a ten strike.” ‘‘That is true. boss?” ‘* At the office.” The two men walked from the spot where they had conversed in low tones and a square away they separated for the night. ‘“‘Tll be around when the Persian makes his appearance to-morrow,” said Hodge. ‘* You ean play that trick, if you want to, but I wouldn’t.” ‘** No, you can’t, old fellow!” was the answer, and the two villains parted. Harris Hodge turned away with some inco- herent sentences on his lips and hurried down- town. ‘*?m going to draw on my banker,” he said to himself. a little further on. ‘‘It is pretty late, I know, but I’ve got to have the chink.” It was past one o’clock when he reached the building that contained the office of Morey & Marxe, ‘‘Tam not too late,” he exclaimed, seeing a light in two windows on the second floor. ‘¢ Something important keeps the boss oe Harris Hodge mounted the steps and knocked lightly on the office door; the next instant he heard a step approach it. When the door opened he saw the face of the Nabob’s partner, who started on seeing him, Hodge glided into the elegantly-furnished room without an invitation: he saw at a glance that Marxe was about to quit the office when he ap- eared, ‘* Well, sir, what is it?’ said the partner in no ood humor, ‘¢T want a thousand,” said Hodge coolly. Rogers Marxe started and his jaws met, “ T’ve got to have it,” continued the city des- perado, ‘You know the agreement—” began Marxe, ‘“Can’t help the agreement,” was the inter- ruption, and then the villain leaned forward and continued: ‘‘ Il want a thousand right away, and you know better than to refuse me!” Rogers Marxe bit his lips, but got up and went to tho safe. 9” Where did you leave the CHAPTER VII. HODGE GETS THE THOUSAND. THE gleaming eyes of Harris Hodge followed the broker eagerly. They saw him stoop end work the combina- tion, and when the heavy door was pulled open, he noticed that the safe was almost large enough to hold a man. Perhaps it was the reputed wealth of the house of Morey & Marxe that lent an additional light to the city desperado’s eyes; he leaned forward in his eagerness. ‘* There isn't an available thousand here,” said Rogers Marxe after he had pulled out several small iron draws. **T want it all the same,” said Hodge. ‘I’m not going away from here till 1 have it, or—” He stopped suddenly, for Marxe was looking over his shoulder at him. ‘* How were you going to finish that sentence?” said the broker with a show of resistance which was only superficial. ‘‘Do you really want to know, Mr. Marxe? I’m not going away from here without that money. There!” ‘* But there isn’t a thousand in the safe.” ‘* Let me look,” said Hodge leaving the chair. Rogers Marxe moved toward the money-chest ra laid his hand on the door as if to swing it shut. ‘* Let that door be!” thundered Hodge, sud- denly displaying a revolver. “If you shut it, by heavens! Tl spatter it with your brains! Now! I want a thousand. I must have it.” ‘¢ After a few days you'll want more,” ‘“‘Tf I do I know where to get it,” grinned the thug. ‘* Let me inform you, Rogers Marxe, that you are Inmy power now, and you will have to pony up whenever I get flat. It mayn’t bea pleasant reflection for you, but it is terribly true nevertheless.” bag oe | true” it was, and the broker never realized before what it was to be wholly in the clutches of a man like Harris Hodge. ‘*Play fair, be square, and you will find me no hard fellow to get along with,” Hodge went on. ‘lve got to have this money now, I will not say that I may not need more before long. I make no promises. You will have plenty at gour command ina few days. When the girl vecomes your wife you will have more money than you need, /Hat’s a thousand to you now?” The speaker’s eyes moved to the safe when he ceased. They told Marxe that he would talk no more, and that nothing would satisfy him but the amount already named. . ‘The game may fail,” said the broker, ‘‘The money first, talk afterward,” was the answer. Rogers Marxe turned to the safe and counted out one thousand dollars in bills which he handed to Hodge, who examined them rapidly and transferred the whole to his pocket. ‘The game cannot fail,” said the blackmailer. ‘‘T understand that the Nabob shows signs of weakening. Estelle must become your wife in- side of a week. She willdosoif she understands that the Nabob’s safety, nay his life. depends om it. Are you discouraged, Marxe?” ‘¢ Nothing discourages me, but I don’t like the situation. Already a boy has struck the trail. There is no telling to how many people he con- fided his discovery.” ‘He tells nobody,” said Hodge confidently. ** Felix Fox keeps his own secrets, but I under stand that he will never look through another transom,” The Nabob’s partner started. ‘‘Tt was a good thing that Larry caught him in the act,” the rough went on. ‘I'd give a tem to know how that boy struck the trail. Did he whine, Marxe?” ‘* Not once,” said the broker, ‘‘Hé faced us with the mien of a lion. For a boy of his age he is remarkable.” “Larry didn’t give him much rope, I sup- ose?” ‘*T don’t know.” ‘*'What! didn’t he fix him on the spur of the moment?” exclaimed Hodge. “No. He took the boy off with him. not seen the pair since,” ‘* But you feel assured that he will trouble us no more?” ‘‘ Larry told me that he would not.” ‘““That settles it, but I would have thought that he would have fixed him here.” Rogers Marxe glanced down at the rich carpet that covered the floor of the office. ‘¢T see; blood on the carpet tells a story,” said Hodge, witha smile. ‘* Larry did the best thing after all, I guess. He knows kow to play many shrewd games, He is going to play one to-mor- row. ‘‘What is that?” asked Marxe, mechanically. ‘* Why, don’t you know? He is going to play the Persian astrologer, and the gir! is to be told by the stars that if she don’t become Mrs, Marxe I have Cc comicboo cae ‘s.com