Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 512 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

. - = F - cee ae ee ee ee - Ld _ a : a ~~ oe — ee him with a good deal of curiosity. ‘** Just after dinner to-day,” was the reply. ‘* Then it has been delivered in good time.” *‘] have carried out the gentleman’s wishes, He wanted you to get the note as soon as you came home. Is it very important, Dickey?” ‘He calls itso, at any rate,” equivocally re- plied the boy. | ‘* You are going to see him?” *¢ Yes, I s’pose so,” carelessly. Mrs. Sturgeon took a step toward Dick and slightly lowered her voice. **What have you done with the—I mean the ring you found in the boat?” ** Maybe I’ve found the owner,” ventured the wharf spy. ‘*‘ What would you say if I told you that I had returned it toa rich lady in Madison Square, who had given me ten dollars for my honesty and luck?” Mother Sturgeon started. ‘I would say that I ought to have three dollars of it for the rent which is now past due,” she answered. “Well, here’s the three dollars,” and Dick produced three bright silver dollars which he extended toward his adopted mother. This unexpected promptness seemed to give Mother Sturgeon a back set. ‘**Do you really mean to say that the rich lady of Madison Square is no myth?’ she de- manded., ‘Why should she be? The ladies of Five Points don’t wear diamond rings, I guess.” “But you haven’t found the owner. You have the ring yet?” Dick made no reply. but kept the money be- fore the woman’s eyes until she took it, saying that it should go to liquidate a debt to the land- lord, ‘** Well, I’ll see Mr. Silas Seldon,” announced Dick. ** To-night?” ‘“‘The letter says at once, and that means im- mediately, don’t it?” laugbed the lad, and the next moment he bade Mrs. Sturgeon good-night and vanished. He had hardly reached the bottom of the stair when the woman sprung toward the wardrobe, up suddenly, to find Mother Sturgeon regarding 'man with a full black beard that covered his Dodger Dick. A mellow light beyond the half-o som told Dick that somebody awaited him, and n tran- Did be mean that he knew where the rin was? Did Jack o’ Diamonds know who when he rapped lightly he was admitted by a | found the diamond ring, and where it had been | face almost to his eyes, | invited to a chair, which he took, and looked at i LTT ssi amten-mmee but before she could reach the door it was open- | ed by some person on the inside, and a man Stood before her! He was a rather fine-looking person of five and forty, well dressed, and somewhat dandi- fied, as his heavy black mustache was waxed to needle-like points at the ends. “You heard what he Mother Sturgeon. ‘* Every word,” “Well?” ** He hasn’t found an owner for the rin any more than [ have! He’s got it yet. But I can’t remain here while is going down to the office. I’ve got. to be there when he comes,” ‘*‘ But you can’t head him off.” **T can, and will!” cried the man positively, **T guess [ know all the short cuts in this city, He was hoodwinking you when he talked about the Madison Square woman.” **T thought so.” “Well, he won’t hoodwink me!” The man moved toward the door. “I don’t wan’ you to hurt Dick,” cried Mother Sturgeon, springing forward and catch- ing his arm as he reached the door. ‘*Pshaw! who said I intended to?” he exclaim- ed, looking down into ber half-trightened face. ‘‘ { know how to deal with all kinds of people. Dick may think himself shrewd, and he may be around the docks, but he can’t gentleman. Have no fears, Mother Sturgeon.” The man gave the woman no chance to reply; he was gone before she could speak more, **T don’t like to see a fellow pile it on like he’s done,” murmured Dick Sly, as he was covering the distance between Mrs. Sturgeon’s and the house on Beekmanstreet. ‘‘ 1 haven't the slight- est idea who Silas Seldon is, but his invitation coming at this time sets me to thinking. I found a valuable ring in an abandoned boat ak before day—a lady’s ring at that. That oat was found bottom up in the harbor by Old Fix, of the water patrol. I saw the boat go out and come back, Nothing of value came back in it but the lady’s diamond ring. Donald has agreed to keep the mystery out of the papers, and I may be able to give him something new about ‘the ring puzzle,’ as he calls it, to-mor- row. Dick did not walk very fast, and considerable time had elapsed when he found the number designated in the singular letter. Going boldly into the open hallway, the wharf y ran up the steps and easily found the first vf to the right on the second floor, said?” exclaimed lay against a | 'had come from Mrs. Sturgeon’s house to the | dred dollars. Vanderbilt out of you!” The door was shut behind him, and Dick was the man sharply. ‘- Where have I seen those eyes before?” men- tally asked Dick. ‘‘If this is Silas Seldon, Jr., I have walked into the net of a sharper.” Then he waited for the man to speak. ‘‘] presume you are Richard Sly?” he sud- denly asked. ‘* Dick Sly, or Dodger Dick, as you prefer,” responded the boy, he man did not take any notice of the em- pbasis. ‘““Then you got my letter. .Your presence here tells me this,” de ee it,” quietly. ‘Well, Richard, | understand that a good deal of your time on the piers.” ‘*T am there, sometimes.” ‘** Yes. I have learned enough to know that you see much that occurs along the rivers, par- ticularly after night.” The dock spy made no reply. ‘I want you to help me in a little matter which I do not want to put into the hands of the police just yet for certain reasons. A few nights ago a relation of mine was very mysteri- ously robbed of a number of pieces of jewelry. I will give you the particulars a little further on. I have reasons for believing that the plun- derers left one of the pieces in a boat, and, as you frequent them so much, I have called your shrewdness to my assistance. A very heavy reward will be paid for a certain piece of the stolen jewelry, a keepsake in the shape of a a ring, plain gold, with a solitaire diamond se . . ou spend ocks and Dick started slightly as the man paused; be could not help it. ‘‘ Aha! I see the scheme!” he said to himself. ‘* And the man’s smile has betrayed him, It is Jack o’ Diamonds!” CHAPTER III. GETTING OUT OF THE SNARE, THE boy did not let on that he had recog- nized the man who had inveigled him into the snare. It would have been dangerous for him to have done so, The man’s smile had betrayed him, and now Dodger Dick knew him as Jack o’ Diamonds, a person to be feared and watched. ““I must get out of this trap,” decided the boy. ‘‘I must do it, too, if possible without ex- citing Jack’s suspicions. Can I accomplish it?” and then he went to work, ‘*I] don’t know as I can help you any, Mr. Seldon,” he said, to the man. ‘‘ But I am at our service. ‘* You saya valuable ring has n lost?” ‘* Valuable mainly as a keepsake, an’ heir- loom,” replied the man, quickly. ‘TI am acting for the lady who lost the jewelry. She is averse to putting the case into the hands of the regular police or of any detective agency, but prefers to work quietly. You understand these things, Richard?” Dick nodded, at which Silas Seldon, Jr., look- ed disappointed. He expected to see the bo produce the ring at mention of the reward of- fered for it but the lad made no efforts in that direction. The man knew he had found the ring for he Beckman street office, beating Dick to the latter place by fast walking. .Mother Sturgeon, never famous for holding her tongue, had given him some very important information, and the shrewdest ‘“‘crook” in Gotham was acting upon it, playing against a boy, who, fortunately for the boy, in acumen was nearl bis match, Suddenly the man moved his chair toward _ Dick and the next moment had laid his hand on his arm. - “Tam authorized to pay two hundred dollars for the ring,” he announced, looking into the boy’s face. “Think of it, Richard; two bun- Why, that sum would make a ‘* A Vanderbilt on a very smal] scale, Mr. Sel- don!” laughed Dick, drawing gently back. “You will admit that I have no clew to work on. You don’t expect me to pick up the ring on the docks, do you?” ‘‘Not that, but I am confident that it is in your power to delight the lady, my employer.” Dick looked at the mau. found? ‘*T will try,” answered Dick. ‘A plain gold ring, with a solitary diamond, you say? hen was it lost?” Instead of replying, the man leaned back in his chair and gazed at the Dodger. ““There’s no use in playing about the bush,” he suddenly said, his whole manner changing in an instant and his eyes getting a flash. ‘‘ We happen to know that a ring answering the de- scription has been picked up. We know, too, that it was found by a boy who lives witha widow lady on Greenwich street. What do you say, Richard?” The eyes of the disguised crook were fastened on the boy, and he looked ready to dart for- ward and seize him at the first movement on his art. me The crisis has come!” decided Dick. ‘ But Jack o’ Diamonds can’t get anything out of me, Pll play a right bower to his left, or my name isn’t Richard Sly. “Tf you know all this, why have you sent for me?” asked the young wharf spy. ‘*‘ Why don’t you lay your hands on the Greenwich street boy if he has the lost ring?” “Tl do it now!” was the instant retort, and before Dick could stir, the man sprung forward and fastened his arm ina grip of steel. ‘* You know the Greenwich street boy as well as 1 do; you are he! Now, Richard, where is the ring?” Dick’s first response was a spring upward, de- spite the grasping hand. His movement was so sudden, and was exe- cuted with such force, that he succeeded in leaving the chair, and broke ent.rely from the crook’s grip. ‘No foolishness, my wharf ferret!” grated Jack o’ Diamonds, planting himself between Dick and the door. ‘* You don’t get out o’ here until vou give up the ring which fell into your hands last night. It is known that you picked it up. Come; let me have it!” Dick Sly faced the man and saw plainer than ever the features of the New York crook. ‘What if 1 don’t happen to have the ring?” he asked. — . But you have! you carry it on your per- son!’ ‘You are very positive, Mr. Seldon,” said Dick, still keeping tne rascal to the belief that = dock detective did not know his true charac- er. “T have a right to be positive. I know what I know! We don’t want to parley here all night. Give me the ring!” e advanced toward Dick as he uttered the last demand, but the boy did not recoil. ‘Here; search me!” he exclaimed, holding up his hands. “If you find a ring about me it is yours. Goahead now. As I told you awhile ago, lam at your service.” Jack o’ Diamonds did not know what to say. The apparent willingness of the boy to be sobre ed had taken him by surprise. What did it mean? ‘* Aren’t you going to search me?” the Dodger asked. ‘‘I don’t want to leave here, Mr. Sel- don, making you believe that I have deceived ou. The next moment Dick was clutched by the disguised crook and thrust intoachair, Then his pockets were submitted to a close inspection, and the eager hands of the man subjected him to slight indignities. Dick endured it all with a quiet twinkle in his expressive eyes. He did not murmur once dur- ing the search, which was thorough enough, and occupied some minutes, ‘** What do you say now?” asked Dick, lookin triumphantly into the man’s face as he conclud- ed the search. ‘‘I told you beforehand that you would not find the ring. If I found it maybe Dve made myself a young Vanderbilt by selling it.” ‘‘No, you have not done that!” was the quick retort, and then the crook’s eyes seemed to soften. ‘*You will excuse the rudeness to which I have subjected you. My employer wants the ring soon. Her daughter is to be married, and the ring must grace her hand during the cere- ony.” m fo! that is the reason for all this haste, is **'Yes; I bappen to know, to a certainty, that you found the ring. I am acting under orders that don’t permit any ceremony. Don’t you know that you can’t sell the ring without exciting suspicion and causing your arrest? What would a lapidary or a pawnbroker say to olele) Comic S