Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 470 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

a -y eee - 2 —- C- - = ee a o~ " _ _ that the Nabob will come home ready for the fine mausoleum he had erected in Greenwood.” Rogers Marxe paled suddenly and started for- ward with a wild exclamation. “Ts he going to face Estelle?” he cried. a3 cannot impersonate a Persian astrolo- ger. My God! does he want to spoil the whole game?” “Not by a long dive,” laughed Hodge. ‘Larry has too big an interest in the game it- self to do anything like that.” “He must not try it,” said Marxe, like a scared man, ‘* You will see him before to-mor- row?” **T don’t think I will.” ‘‘He must be seen! What put this foolish idea into his head? The girl—Hstelle—will sus- picion something the moment he tells her the pretended message of the stars, She will accuse me of being in collusion with the astrologer, He shall not play that hand.” ‘*'You'll have to see him and reason him out of the play, then.” ‘* Where will I find him?” ** That’s hard to tell.” ‘‘ What places does he frequent?” ‘* Oh, he has a dozen favorite loafing places,” Rogers Marxe took out his watch and gave it ag ance. ‘* Where does Larry board?” ho asked Hodge, ‘¢ When he wants a bed he goes to Papa Pick- lock’s.” ‘Where is that?” ‘‘ Mulberry, near Grand. Several of the boys have rooms there. A little red light hangs over the door.” Marxe got up with a countenance which showed that he had determined to seek the place mentioned by Harris Hodge. ‘* You may find Larry there and you may not,” said Hodge looking at him. ‘“T will try. He must not try this game of his. ltisdangerous. A shrewd man would see it.” ‘‘-You and Larry for it,” was the retort, wouldn’t be afraid to trust him.” There was no answer for Marxe was anxious to quit the office. Three minutes later two men emerged from the building and walked off together. The street was almost entirely deserted, and the two men walked a square before they met ty one, and then it was a night watchman who did not notice them. Already Rogers Marxe had again donned the false beard and green goggles and no longer looked like himself. The addition of these articles had so altered his personal appearance that the most lynx-eyed man-hunter would have been puzzled. 7 ite Harris Hodge went with him a number of squares and then bade him adieu for the present. arxe made the thug promise before parting that if he saw Larry he would send him to the Broad street office early after daylight: but when Hodge walked away he looked back and chuckled after the vanishing figure of the broker. “In the net for as long as we wish to hold you, and by George! that: will be while you’ve got a dollar, Rogers Marxe!” he exclaimed. ‘** The sooner you marry the girl the sooner we’!] have a new bank todraw from. I’m willing for Larry to play his game to-morrow, for I am convinced that he will not blunder. He’s never blundered yet. As for the Nabob, we can work a new lay there. Whoopee! Larry and I will be able te go on Wall street if we keepon a while longer. I could go there with a thousand to-morrow. They talk about pinching times. can’t see how they can be that when a thousand is to be bad for the asking, There’s nothing backward about me when I want to replenish my pocket.” And the city tough Walken down the street laughing over the game he had played successfully. As for Rogers Marxe, secure in his disguise as he thought, he struck Mulberry street as soon as possible, and hurried up the west side eager to reach and on the lookout for the place called Papa Picklock’s. . he name with no additional explanation by Harris Hodge, was enough to tell the broker that it was no honest place, and he was well enough acquainted with that part of the city to know that its locality was decidedly against it. eT The long journey in the loneliness of the ante- daylight hour came to an end at last, and Marxe found himself in front of a rather rough looking three-story frame building over the hall door of which hung 2 Jamp with a red globe on which was visible the number of the place. This was Papa Picikiock’s, The Boy Shadow. Marxe saw nobody near, and as the hall door stood ajar he stepped forward and pushed it open, The steps were furnished with very worn mat- ting and the man thought he made an unusual noise as he ascended. On the floor above he found a small room which had an office-like appearance. It had a short counter at one end, three or four chairs and a broken settee, There was an odor of to- bacco-smoke in the room. ‘Two months ago I wouldn’t have come here for the world, but now I have to,” said Marxe to himself. He moved forward to the counter over which burned a gas jet dimly, and saw behind it a fat man with a florid face, asleep in a chair. This Penson must be Papa Picklock, thought the oroker. He had come there to find Larry, and he would have to awaken the sleeper. As he leaned forward to do this he heard a step behind him. Of course he turned. ‘Don’t disturb that man,” said the person whom he confronted. ‘‘I want to see you on private business, Rogers Marxe. That beard and those goggles become you well.” The Broad street broker recoiled with a cry; his senses seemed to swim, CHAPTER VIII. THE ENTRAPPED FOX. In the mean time, what had become of Felix Fox? The reader will recollect that we left the boy spotter in the private office of Morey & Marxe, and in the hands of the Nabob’s partner and the man who had caught him looking over the tran- som. We have heard Rogers Marxe tell Harris Hodge that this man had taken the boy away, and that he (Marxe) knew nothing about his fate, With Felix at large, the game being played by the conspirators could not succeed; the boy threatened to prove too shrewd for the whole gang. He exhibited no signs of fear when he sudden- ly fund himself confronted by Rogers Marxe and his confederate Larry, and he did not tremble when the broker’s lips pronounced his doom. **T guess you'd better make certain of me for personal safety,” Felix said, looking at Marxe. ‘‘This is a cool, shrewd game you fellows are playing; it has baffled the cops and the ferrets for nearly amonth, A mighty big game, I call it, Mr. Marxe. And the stakes are worth play- ing for, too.” The broker glared at the boy, who was fierce- ly eyed by Larry, whose fingers touched the butt of a revolver. ‘“Mebbe you'd like to know when I got onto your scheme?” continued Felix. ‘It wasn’t very long ago, but I saw something when I was at Estelle’s house. Rogers Marxe, you know where the missing Nabob-is; his disappearance is your scheme, and the plot was carried out by your assistants. That man is one of them,” and he looked at Larry, ‘I know him. There are precious few of the New York thugs whom I don’t know, and Larry Lolan is an old acquaint- ance of mine.” The broker’s accomplice frowned and let slip an oath. ‘* What’s the use o’ prolonging this in- terview?” he said. ; ‘None at all,” replied Marxe. Larry’s hand closed on the boy’s shoulder. a . ° ,ent 2 + Whe . of Come,” he said almost lifting him from the chair in which be hed seated him. ‘* You need not think that you’re goin’ to get away. This is one o’ the traps from which there is no es- cape.” ‘Make it certain,” said Marxe’s eyes as plain- ly as if his lips had spoken. Larry understood the look and nodded. Felix Fox went from the office, and down the stairs, with Larry Lolan at his side. One hand of tho city desperado held his wrist as if it was in the grip of a vise, and his eyes watched the boy spotter with the intensity of the hawk. There was no jerking from that grip, and no- body knew it better than Felix himeell. ‘‘{ wonder where he is going to take me?” murmured Felix, as he wag led along the desert- ed sidewalk. ‘‘A man like Larry may have a dozen secret places besides Papa Picklock’s where he sometimes lodges, They caught me in a trap of my own making to-night. I wasn’t expecting Larry to appear on the scene when he did; Isaw only Rogers Marxe and the business he was transacting in the office. This is the tightest place I have ever been in, and it be- hooves me to play the best hand I ever played. a ~ I promised Estelle that I would solve the mys tery of the Nabob, but this doesn’t look lke flattering success,” Larry soon got out of Broad street with his prisoner, crossed Broadway into Greenwich, up which he walked to Cedar. All this territory was known to Felix; he had explored it a hundred times, ‘*T am going toward the river,” he said to himself, ‘* Larry has his mind on a place where he expects to end the career of Felix Fox, but we will see how he succeeds,” The actions of the man who had Felix told that he was confident of the outcome of the rame he was playing. Whenever he looked town at the boy his eyes grew full of triumph. He kept on toward the river until only a lit- tle distance intervened between him and the dock. All at once he turned into an alley, walked down it some distance, stopped and in- serted a key into a lock, ‘We have stopped at last,” muttered Felix, glancing up at the outlines of the building be- fore him, ‘‘I don’t know this place, but it is one of Larry’s retreats.” By this time the desperado had opened a door, closed and locked it again. All was dark about the boy spotter; he could not tell to what kind of a place he bad been brought. Larry, however, found a stairway despite the gloom and the two ascended, Felix mechani- cally counted the steps; there were sixteen, The stair ied them to another darkened room and to another flight of thirteen steps. The bo knew that he was on the third floor of a build- ing when he was stopped. Larry leaned away and struck a match on the wall. As the blaze flashed up Felix saw a small room with two chairs, a couch and one window, which was protected by a network of iron bars. ‘*'You know what the orders are,” said Larry, speaking for the first time since leaving Rogers Marxe, ‘I have been played ag’in’ before. but never by you, I think.” ‘That is true,” said Felix. ‘t There was a time when I had you foul for a crime that would have landed you in Sing Sing, but I let you go,” The villain st: rted and laughed somewhat de- risively as he leaned forward, ‘‘Lsee. You are playing your game now,” he said, looking into Felix’s face. ‘*T am not,” said the boy, fearlessly, tell you when, if you like.” “Well?” “It was for the O'Hagan diamond robbery. I had you for that, there was no mistake. The night before 1 was going to effect your arrest you crossed the Cortlandt street ferry. A young girl accidentally fell between the boat and the wharf. You happened to be standing near by and you saved her life at the risk of losing your own. It wasa brave act, Larry Lolan. I saw it all, but that didn’t clear you of tLe crime for which [ had run you down, but it did save you from Sing Sing.” ** How?” asked the city rough mechanicaliy. ‘* [ hadn’t the heart to deliver you over to the authorities after that,” said Felix, ** although, if I had done it, I wouldn’t be here now,” ‘* That's a pretty story an’ there may be some- thing in it,’ the crook laughed. ‘' You were very clever not to send me up after that. You don’t know what I did after I saved the girl.” NO.” ‘*T picked her pocket.” A flash of indignation lit up the boy’s eyes. ‘* How much had she?” ‘Only a few dollars,” “That beats all the mean tricks I ever heard of!” exclaimed Felix, ‘‘Tt was probably all the money the girl had in the world.” ‘¢] think it was,” said Larry heartlessly. ‘*] wish I had seen that act at the time!” the boy went on. ‘It would have riveted on you certain chains I had already forged. When the girl thauked you for saving her lite her pocket had been picked.” ‘*T ruess that’s about the size of it,” grinned Larry Lolan. ‘But that doesn’t break the force of our game ag’in’ you. You have tracked us in a new game, and we can’t afford to let you exe) ‘“Wou and Rogers Marxe, you mean?” said the boy. ‘‘N6 difference to whom I refer,” was the an- swer. ‘I have fetched you to one of the com- pletest man-traps in New York. The floor be- neath your feet is so shrewdly adjusted that at any moment you are liable to fall sixty feet—to certain death, of course! I have orders, you know, to put you out of the way. You are ‘*T can com 900