Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 514 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

. . hy - * | Broadway Billy’s Boodle, per Why—oh! why—was she treated thus? Whose re + ! ‘*Then why did yez ax me?” claimed. ‘‘I was just ruminatin’. Ye see, uncle, house was she in? Whrn had she been brought “‘T wanted to see if you know.” I'm here on mighty p’tic’lar business, an’ I don't | _ there? For what purpose? ‘An’ | told ye av coorse I do.” want ter make .o false moves. I b'lieve ye said th’ These were questions she could not answer, not **l am Miss Maud Elmore.”’ boss was out.”’ One of them. ~ It was all a mystery to her, Had she been ill? What day was this? Was she noc in her own room aft rall? Hadnot the changes across the way actually taken place? She could not tell. eg she was struck with an idea, and hasten- ed to test it. — On the inside of the wardrobe door she and a schoolma’ée, who had sp-nt one summer vacation with her, had written their names, | She would see if they were there. **Oh! good heavens! an’ phat next will it be? * Yes, Mistah St. John Elmore am out.” Yesterday ye was de Princess o* Wales, an'I s'pose ** Well, mebbe Mrs. Elmore is ter home.” ter-morrer ye'll be de Empress 0’ Bag-dad, or some ‘No; she went out, too.” other furrin blood.” | _* Don’t seem ter git ahead worth a cent, do I. “Then please tell me whoIam. I will not trouble | Wonder if dyuamite would have any effect on shad- you again.” _ders—specially black shadders! I dyna(but I)mite “Sure an’ I'll not ]’ave yez trouble me ag’in, fer | be tempted ter try it, if I bad a can of th’ stuff dis.is de last time I'll tell yez, now mind ye. Yer | handy. One thing is sure, I've dyn-a-mi-te poor name is Polly Osmond, jest no more an’ no Jess, an’ | stroke o’ work this time, an’ if Inspector Br— el- e kin rest assured, me darlint, that all th’ ‘noble’ | lo! don’t faint, uncle; I've got another poser fer blood there is in yer hull body wouldn't fill a tay- | ye.” spoon, An’ now I! ax yer ag’in—will yez have yer **See heah, boy! am you tryin. ter make fun at a ee SS et sete BY is es eT I Quickly she crossed again to the wardrobe, threw | breakfast?” me? Ef you am—”’ open the doors, and looked where she knew the | The game that was being played Is easily under- “ Really, now, I didn’t think of ye.” said the boy, names to be, stood. : } instantly, with a dejected air. ‘I badn't the least They were not there. This, then, was proof oats that she was not at home. Where was she Once more she tried the doors, but they were as unyielding as were the windows. returned to the window and once more looked out. Then she endeavored to guess the number of the house she was in. Taking the house which she knew was opposite her own home as the starting point, she went over the numbers as she knew they ran, and soon decided the question. Then, she asked herself, who resided at this num- ber? She knew not. Back into the room she turned, fear, dread, despair almost overpowering her. It was the intention of the strange woman who : idea, uncle, that you’d turn on me like that, Make was at the bottom of the evil plot to make Maud be- lieve that she was insane, or at least to disturb her mind so greatly that she would drive her mad. It was a heinous scheme. But she bad in Maud Elmore a girl who -would prove hard to manage, Already Maud was trying to form some plan of escape, but none as yet appeared. She thonght of attempting to bribe the Irish- ‘* Bully! she’s th’ galferme! I want ter see Miss woman, but a moment's reflection caused her to de- | Elmore! I want ter see her bad, too. Lordy! you've | fun of ye? never! By th’ great Stars an’ Stripes, | | . . . cide against it. She would try every other means | got me so excited an’ worked up that I'd be willin’ never [” ‘Den what you wants, anyhow?” “Well, ('m tryin’ ter find outif there’s anybody ter home here, Th’ fambly cat will do, I's’pose, if ye can’t scare up anybody else. Say, though, is Miss Elmore in." a > gl 5 Seh ae ‘* Yes, she am at home.” 7 ~- = firs’. ter see my great granddad.”’ “Is it really true—what you tell me?” she asked. ‘“*But Miss Elmore am sick,” ** Av coorse it is! An’ now let’s have no more av ‘**] know it, uncle, I know it jest as$well as you do. it. D’yez want yer breakfast?” I want ter see her, though, jest th’ same.”’ * Yes,"’ Maud answered, sinking down upon a ‘Have yo’a card?’’ with a great drawl on the ** a chair as though spirit-broken, ‘you may bring my ' i it was someth ng she could not understan |. breakfast.”’ “Sweet per-taters! no! Have I a ‘kyaaard?’ _ Only last night, it seemed, she had retired to bed ‘**An’ yez belave all I’ve told yez?”’ Great ginger blue! I’m no dude, uncle, I’m simply } in her own room, weil and happy. Her rings had ‘Yes. yes, it must be so.” Broadway Billy, th’— Hello! now I’ve done it, a then been on her flugers and her earrings in her ears, ‘* Indade it is so, an’ ye’d better take it as aisy as | sure. I wish ye wouldn't crowd me so. uncle, ye ta Now she wore a small ring which she had never seen | ye kin. You an’ me allus gits along good when |! make my tongue go faster’n my thinkin’-machine.” t before, and a pair of earrings of a very cheap kind, ou're disposed ter be r’asonable, an’ T hope ye’il Truth was, Billy was at loss for an excuse for ask- 4 comparatively. How had the change be n effected | behave yersel’. I'll be back in a minnit now wid yer | ing to see Miss Elmore, and he almost wished the ; without her waking? And who had made the | grub,” old darky would shut the door in bis face. chan ze? So saying, the woman went out and locked the | That, however, was not likely to happen until bis The more she tried to solve the mystery the more | door after her. - errand was made known. of a mystery it became, “Oh! what can this mean?’ the poor girl ques- Suddenly an idea struck him, and he Jaid hold of Could it be that she was alone in the house? She _/ had not heard a sound from any other room, She would call for help. “Help! help!” she cried, as loudly as she could, and then listened. Soon steps were heard ascending the stairs, and then the key turned in the lock and the door tioned. ‘‘ Whose house is this? and why have I | it at once. been brought here? When was | brought here? Oh! The old darky was smiling, he could not help it; this uncertainty is terrible. And that brutal woman | and after a momentary pause, he asked: says I am mad, and that I have been here four ** What shall I tell de missy, den?” ears— Oh! ‘tis false, ‘tis false! I am not a child, ‘There!"’ Billy exclaimed, “now you're gettin’ i be made to believe anything. But, I must escape, | down ter biz. \ hy didn’t ye straighten me out this or I shall become mad. How, though, am I to do it? | way ter bezin with? I told ye at th’ start-off that I opened, ; I must plan some means, and that before this day-| wanted ye ter h-lp me out, Now we're gittin’ down . A most ill-favored and brutal-looking Irish woman | passes. * ter biz. “In th’ first place, is Miss E!more’s loveyer appeared ‘‘And the name she gave me— ‘Polly,’ have | bere? I mean that dude of a Melvin.” ‘* Phat d’yez want?’’ she demanded harshly. ’ heard it— Oh! I remember now; it was what that This tickled the old darky so that he laughed out- Gitte - “IT want to know where I am,’ Maud replied | rude boy called me yesterday on Broadway. What | right. +E | hau tily. * a can be the mystery of all this?” Te did not like Maurice Melvin any too well, and ; ‘An phere d’yez think yez are, I'd loike ter know? In a short time the Irishwoman returned with a | it pleased him to hear this boy call bim a dude. | Afther bein’ here these four years an’ more, an’ then | breakfast for the fair prisoner. ‘“* He, he, ne!”’ he laughed. ** No, he am not heah,’’ Maud ate it, having resolved to keep up her | he said. strength and spirits as well as possible, and then she ‘Then is there a feller here that has a trick o’ set about planning her escape. swingin’ his eye-glasses? A sort o’ smart-Ellick— The hours dragged siowly. Dinner-time came, | thinks he knows it all, an’ some o’ th’ next boos, and her dinner was brought. Then the Irishwoman | too.” spent an hour or two with her. After that she was “No, no, he am not heah. I knows who you alone again, and spent the minutes in thinking— | means, but he am not heah. De missy am all alone, 4 ter ax where yezare, Go ‘long wid ye.” ‘I have been here four years!" Maud gasped, “ oh! i) what do you mean?” f **T m’ane jist pease I say.” “That I have been here four years ?"” “* Jist so.” “And where am I? Oh! tell me, or I shall go mad,” thinking. ‘cept ber maid, [ reckon.” “Ob! yez make me tired. Haven't Itould yezfor | At last she was rewarded. A plan of escape sug- o Well, now, uncle, you jest inform her that a boy : th thousand-like times where yez are? Ye’re in th’ gested itself, about my size an’ figger is here an’ wants ter see sylum, ‘ her. Tell her it’s ’tic‘lar, an’ | must see her alone.”’ | Tam inanasylum! Oh! my God! Isurely have CHAPTER XI. “Allrigat, Step inside an’ wait a minute,” not been mad. A SURPRISE FOR BILLY. Billy obeyed, and the old darky closed the door at Haven’t yez, then! Sorry a madder wan doJ “SWEET PER-TATERS! I’ve put my foot inter it | once. and then went up-stairs. ever want anything to do wid. Sure, but yo're loike | now, fer sure!” Going at once to Miss Elmore’s room, he knocked, a wicoat, 80 yez are, when ye git onto & rampage, Such was Broadway Billy’s mental exclamation | and the door was opened by the maid. yi wei t oennct believe it!" Maud cried. “Tell | the m ment he had rung the bell at the Elmore ‘D’ere am a boy down-stairs who says he wants me, o me if this is true! residence, ter see Missy Maud at once,” the old man explained. ah: ‘True! av coorse it’s true! There—there, now, ae: don't be goin’ on loike that, or yez’ll be goin’ off.” ‘Where is this house?” the girl next asked. ‘In what place is it? on what street?” ; = it’s No. —, —— street!” § was an untruth, to ress ly, as - Maud well knew. x Pooree: “You speak falsely!’ the girl cried. ‘This is ‘What in th’ merry old dickens be I goin’ ter say The maid repeated this to Polly, who was seated when this here portal is swung open? Oh! ifI only | near t-e window. had a little brain.! I wonder what és in my thick ‘*Oh! I do not want to see him!”’ Polly exclaimed. | head we bepatall Hang me if I don't begin ter think | “ He will want to know something I do not know | it must be mush an’ milk. It ain’t very strong, any- | anything about. and it will be very unpleasant.” how. Th’ idee o’ me comin’ here an’ pullin’ th’ jig. “ Yes, ves, you must see him,’ the maid whispered ger without knowin’ what I want or what I’m goin’ vigorously. ‘Remember what you promised Mr. ter say. Lordy! if I wasn't 'fraid they’d see me, | and Mrs. ore.” ce, No, —, str er It is not within a mile of the anyhow I believe ’'d run. Greatcats! if thisreaches “Yes, that is so, Well, let him come up, and— pun, Sereet you mento. th’ ears of [uspector Br— Hello! somebody’s com- | Say, though, ask what his name is.” | Sure, an’ bow did yez guess that?” in’, an’ now fer it!” “What is the boy’s name?” the maid questioned whee ‘Things that are so clearly evident do not have to he door swung open, and a colored man-servant | of the old darky. Nt Bea tat vo u're th’ crazy One, you ple “ oe at a Aninaationus Aut. and “ Bless , ‘on oieremiemn bes an’ he done iN be Sida ’ are! Sure ed-looking o arky, and Bj , too. is —Bi ‘ ’ _ isn’t a sane word ye have uttered these four years oP & Billy | me, to y y somethin’-or-other, bu foresaw storms in the near future. — ‘* What yo’ want?” the servant asked. **Ob! can it be Broadway Billy?’ cried Polly. who “Well, uncle.” Billy exclaimed, ‘i'll be hanged | heard the words. : if [know what I do want. Mebby you kin help me “Yes; yes, dat am it, missy, shua!” the old man _ gone! Would ye: loike ter have yer breakfast?” “TT want nothing, except to be released from this _» 00m and allowed to return home at once, What i oa you tell me, is false, 1am no more insane than you | out, if a ree a ver mn FER down to it. S‘pose | exclaimed. Se hy Th’ same old story is that, me darlint. It won't ‘4 e gi when th’ house is ter home?” y 0 lives Hands. gleetalty. Le Bh ae Fr Lot onl areal “i | go down wid me. 1 knows ye too well. Why, e oO". * time ye're as crazy as bedbug.”’ y, halt | od how can you say that, when you know it is ‘* Dis am de residence ob Mistah St. John Elmore,” | at once." with great dignity. ; “Poor missy! poor missy!” the old darky mut- “That's it! That's jestth’ gooseberry! Iknowed | tered as he descended the stairs, “she am gone in I could git a start if you helped me a little. Ye see | de mind fo’ shua.” I’m no hand at holdin pay arip onto high-toned | When he reached the hall where Billy was waiting, ome ”” ‘ **Do you ow whol am?’ pam ’ ; , oe es, Is th’ gentleman ter the boy inquired: PH peng " Mistah Elmore?” * Well uncle, what's th’ verdick?” | ! ‘Cert.”” ‘I’m ter fetch ye up to de missy’s room.’ oa ee are ye? Oh? but yez do weary me wid yer ‘*No; he am out.” a Sweet pertaters! ye don't say 0! I was in hopes _ questions, so ye do, an’ th’ same ones over an’ over “Hum! Seems ter me I don't progress like J gen- | she’d tell ye ter fire me out. Well, it seems I’m in s _ag’in every day. Phat’s de use me answerin’ ‘em? kon Ill have * face th’ Sure yer memory isn’t as long as a string. an’ ter- der in | fer it, soT rec ave ter brace up an’ fac erally do. There seems ter be a dark h music, Guess I kin stand it if she anyhow. *way. Wonder how I'm ter dis of said shad-. ewe ————— — ._ 0nn C—O CO Oe. enmmnnnnn nee n ne nnn =e, SS ct ihe as morrow ye'll be axin’ th’ same things over ag’in. der, an’ explore th’ regions be me if I | Lead on, uncle, an’ I'll foller thee.” a ae Maud did rage a this, and how could she? but | ain't phat stumped. Sweet pertaiaes! f this is “Bless me, but you do talk strange.” the old man aap At the sae dread Wierd, not control her fee ever told ter Inspector Br—" | muttered, as he turned and led the way up-stairs. a, a of aaa an ifit were true? Could it! * What am yo talkin’ ’bout?” the old darky inter- ae Strange | ‘ peed love ye, uncle, but ye’d orter see , ia ies I know well enough who I am,” she said. me Hello! you're there yet, ain't you!” Billy ex-| in moment they arrived at the door of Migs , view ey ot’ | oe . . a Nee) {oe on’ : , : en's } « o \ . - ' oe a.” . *? y ‘ “ ey y | oe ve ot 4 s+ |)» See ” ; a nf , uJ P “one : t. ¥, Ps . ® 4 . ny: * bg + . ; \ ad . ‘ LY . - ‘ - ' : 2 , AF. ‘ oa ° : . oo ~~ Tan : ‘ ‘ ’ 2 >. se ¢ t 7.4 o MS * tw oA. ‘ ‘ « - ~The ‘ ° ° be Pil) ay Tyee Doe pac’, Sipe bp >t < roe be ve Wi chor esas} 5. why 4 : re | ‘ ’ : : : . at _* , Yona ae 8 t : : : ! . ‘ * » “ ) ey oa : + ¢ . ‘ Peo * , ‘ vo 305 ee ar m2 PS St a, i (8 al Bate Ad ' deh ees ad a _— , A ;) i «, So f : ~~ , , - - » . ODT eRe eee ER a S38! “a, , eda A) A : le ‘ ek. a. - Hy ee Ps - e = om Cag) . “ . wage . iad * . 4 ¢ >, ~ a . chy 3 ‘* 7} Ve ° P ‘ 7 . « >: - +e .. ee 5 aS +93 >, , — -_ ** ia fe” 7 Bag 4 < 9 * } ee i