Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 516 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

sd Pe B. Tartar Tim. 15 ceeded to tie the man’s hands. This did not please him and he tried to fight again, but they had actu- ally tired him out, and he was seon bound. ust then brown appeared on the balcony. ** How goes it?” he asked. “De varmint is all ready fur yez,”’ Tim answered, ‘*Ves, sirree,”’ added Phil. **Trot out yer Sing Sing coop, arud we'll give ve a passenger.” ““One of you go through that alley and get a pa- trolman,”’ the detective directed. Tim Thistle obeyed this order and chanced to run gh two officers at once, one being a roundsman, They came to the rescue and the prisoners were Peer up. There were four in all, including Abe rig ”s, ‘You'll either hev ter excoose me or git a cab, gents,’ said that person. ‘“Fack is, my legs is drunk, When they’re that way they’re stubborn, my legs be; they'll wobble like sixty. Gents, which is the offender—me or my legs? Ef it’s my legs, take them an’ leave me.”’ It was decided to take the whcle of him, and in due time he and all the others were behind the bars. When Brown parted with Tim and Phil he thanked them warmly for thelr part in the late affray. ‘‘You have proved yourselves heroes,” he said, shaking them by the hand, ‘and you can count me our friend after this. I like nervy young fellows ike you, and if you stick to the path of honesty rou’ll be a credit to New York. By George, yes! tow, boys, I’m off, for the last scenes in my de- tective case are about to occur!” CHAPTER XVII. A SERIES OF SURPRISES, Harry SHeLby was sitting alone in the parlor of his uncle’s house when Brown was announced. The detective entered the room and pm td was at once impressed by the grave expression on his face. “ Brown, is anything wrong?”’ ‘¢ We will see,’’ was the evasive reply. Mr. Bainbridge?” “In bis room, but not iavisible to you. He said that he wished to be alone for a while, but ic you came I was to bring youinatonce. Wewill go, I trust there is no ill news in regard to Stella Fiel. ing.”’ ‘*Not a word, to my knowledge.”’ They were ascen ing the stairs, but Harry’s steps were slow. He was beset with a vague yet painful presentiment that something terrible was about to ** Where is occur. He would glad'y have stopped, but went on reluctantly. He knocked at Mr. Bainbridge’s door, but no answer was returned. He opened the door after repeated knocking; tne gas was burning, but his uncle was; not there. Upon the table lay an envelope directed to him- self. Hetore it open. Within was a second sealed envelope and a scrap of paper on which was written this line: ‘Open this when Brown comes; “not before!” Shelby glanced at the detective. ‘**Do ron know what is in this envelope?” he ask- ed, huskily. ‘**T suspect,’’ Brown gravely replied. ‘*Go on!” Harry besitated, and then tore it open. A sheet of paner, covered with writing in his uncle’s hand, was before him. He read eagerly, yet with a sinkin heart. and the pain grew sharper with each line tha he read. The letter was as follows: ‘My Dear Harry:—When you have seen this you will probably know that Iam Leonidas Pal- grave, alias ‘Captain Tiger.’ If youdo not know all then, let me say that, for years, while you were regarding me as an honest man, I have been a cap- tain of burglars. I have no excuse to offer, for I can give no legitimate one. Let me briefly tell my melancholy stury. ‘*Many years ago, when I was a young man, I fell in love with a girl named Dorothea Sykes. She was an innocent, noble girl, unlearned in the ways of the world, but a true woman, At that time, aid is she was engaged to one Allan Fielding. Withou going into details, let me say that I successfully schemed to part them; then won Dorothea’s love; but ones ; ihe bear of my triumph, A Beas en- aged in @ drunken broil and disgraced myselt. vas disearded by her, er y ‘*Do not ask me to trace my downward career. I believe that, with me, crime was a mania. To-day people talk of Kleptomaniacs. ’ I think I have been thus afflicted, but let me not try to excuse myself. T deserve no pity. ‘‘What of the others I have mentioned? Miss Sykes has never married. I broke her heart, but abs rallied, and is living a peaceful life. Allan Fielding, her former lover, long remained single, but finally married Agatha Templeton, a niece of Miss Sykes, and Stella Fielding is the daughter of that marriage, Perhaps you wonder at my interest in her. Allthis was the result of an awakened con- science—if I may say 80. She was the daughter of the man I had wronged. I have done what I could by paying off the mortgage on Fielding’s farm. Let him not hesitate tu avail himself of my act—the sis Py in the case was /onest Money, not the roceeds of burglary. ‘ y ‘‘ Before you om this I think I shall be on my way to Europe. I know that Brown, the detective, iss owly unmasking me; I must flee. Stella Field. ing’s jewels have ruined me. My men stole them— Brow ao Will tell you how—and I sold them to a * fence,’ He removed the settings of the few diamonds in the jot, and sold them to the bogus ‘importer. Brown will explain fully, ‘* When you first s oke of the ‘importer’ I did not hear the steps of emesis; I had never known, or heard of the importer, Curiously enough, when I hired Brown, I hired a man to hunt me down. His own words, bis pointed questions and remarks— ave me the clew. He did this knowingly; he asked if he should stop or go on. Isaid, ‘Go on,’ though well nware that it meant ruin to me, ‘*Unless I am arrested, I shall soon be onthe ocean. You will never see me again; never again bearfromme, If you can, think kindly of my better qualities; there was some good inme. If you can, pity me for my weaknesses; I have suffered more from them than any one else. The brown-stone house I lately showed you? have made legally yours. Take it—honest money bought it, The same assertion will apply to the good-sized deposit in the Bank, in your name. Only this house remains of the fruits of my crime; I take the rest with me in my flight. I advise you not totry and hold this house. ‘If you can find the courage to do it, think with some forbearance of the misguided man who here, for the last time, writes his real name. ‘* HLBERT BAINBRIDGE,”’ ‘I'd like to know why that boy don’t come!” de- clared Miss Frazer, Callioarenitiy, “It is ve strange, indeed, but it is all because he is a boy. e is a youg viper, and, by and by, he will be an old viper, He will grow on and be like all his sex, a ersecutor of sweet Woman. Oh! the monster, Man: has many sins to answer for!” And the disciple of Woman’s Rights moved her cane fiercely, thrusting out, with it as though she say impaling the monster, Man, on the glittering spike. ‘‘But,”’ said Miss Sykes, gently, ‘you have not yet seen the ring; it may not be yours.” “It ds mine; an amethyst ring, with the mark ‘A to A,’ inside the gold hoop. Of course it’s mine, but shall I ever see it? Nobody can tell; that Loy has it, and not one of the male sex can be depended upon, except when they seek to grind poor Woman into the dust.”’ And Miss Frazer impaled a few more imaginary male monsters on her terrible spiked cane. She and Mr. Maudston were in Miss Sykes’s room, The harpies had again met by chance, and, as each was after a check, they were glaring at each other belligerently. As Miss Frazer ceased speaking Five Points Phil walked in with a jaunty air. ‘*Ah! there he is!” cried the woman, ‘There is the future viper! Boy, where is my ring?” ‘Hello, Miss Blazer, that you? Great ginger, mum, I’m right glad ter see ye. I’m filled with exstatic joy, b’gosh!”’ ‘*Boy, I ask you—where is my ring?’’ and her voice grew to be something terribly inexorable. ‘*Oh! jest so. Nigh forgot it. Fax is fax, and they’re stubborn things. Is ‘his your ring, Miss Blazer?”’ ** Don’t dare call me ‘ Blazer!’ My name is Cynthia Ann Frazer, boy. Yes, that’s myring; of courseit’s my ring,.”’ **Make dead sure afore ye claim it.” ‘* Ha! do you tell Mm what todo? Infant monster that you ave, I will not bearit. You want to grind me in the dust under your foot, but you can’t. Yes, it is my ring; I can swear to that,” “* Then, madam, you're my prisoner [”’ The words fell upon her ears with startling force. She sprung to her feet. Before her stood a large, official-looking man with a stern countenance. It was Brown. ‘“*T am a detective, Miss Frazer,’’ he coolly said, ‘‘and I arrest you in the name of law. You ought to have been arrested long ago, for you have aided your brother, the notorious receiver of stolen goods, to pass off his ill-gotten articles. You have had a pretty fair run as a criminal, madam, as criminals go, but you are now at the end of your rope.” Miss Frazer sunk into her chair again, speechless for the first time in fifty-five years. ‘**T expected this,’’ said Seth Maudston, ina solemn whine. **MissSykes, have Inot always gently in- timated to you that that creature was an evil char- acter? The shadowy cause she served never deserv- ed all the money you have put out.”’ ‘A marn may smile, and be a villain still,’ declar- ed Five Points Phil, shaking his finger at Maudston. ‘* Brown, hadn’t ye better call in the rest? The me- nagerie is hot arnd still a-heatin’, arnd we warnt all the fun we kin. I'll bring in Lunkhead, the Orew- slayer arnd Jawer in the Dark.”’ e did so, while the detective opened the hall door and admitted Stella Fielding and.Tim Thistle. At sight of his niece Mr. Maudston first looked surpris- 4 and then glanced at Brown in alarm, “T see that you catch on, Maudston,” said the de- tective. ‘‘ You are arrested for stealing Miss Field- ing’s jewels!” a 1?” gasped the high official of the A. P. C. OC, 6s Yes.” “ But I never touched them—” “The proof is complete—overwhelming. You stole them; they were put in Miss Sykes’s safe; burglars directed by one Captain Tiger stole them from the safe; Captain Tiger sold them to a receiver of stolen goods; the latter sold three of the dia- monds to a bogus ‘importer;’ the importer sold them to Harry Shelby; and Harry gave them to Stella, That’s what became of the three diamonds. Here in my hand is another of the jewels; an ame- thyst ring The receiver of stolen goods before men- tioned gave it to his sister, Miss Frazer, for her to work off. You have not profited much by the rob- bery, Maudston, I must say.” Perspiration was pouring off Maudston’s face. * {am innocent!" he cried. ‘T swear—”’ I wouldn't, if I were you,” Brown dryly replied. To satisfy your craving mind, I'll tell you just how you did the job. It was at your suggestion—alm command—that Stella brought the jewels to New i rE LL Ee York ina basket. This article you sent her, giving her minute directions not. to cover it over with paper. At the time you bought the basket, you also bought a second one, . “When you mether at the Grand Central. and helped her into the cab, she gave you the basket for amoment. You deftly changed it for the other, and gave her the empty one. What next? You had Derriby, your private detective, clcse at hand. dis- guised so that he looked savictly like you. It was he, not you, who mounted the box beside the driver, ‘* You took another cab, drove rapidly down-town to Miss Sykes’s house, and asked permission to put a package in her safe for a few days. She gave the vermission, little suspecting the truth. Then you astened back to the grocery store, and when Der- riby sent the driver in, you exchanged piaces with him again, ** Your absence had not been discovered, and you then accompanied Miss Fielding to your house, where the basket was opened—the se ond basket— and found to be vacant. By the way, the large pic- ture you hadin the cab that night, was only a de- vice so that your confederate could ride outside the vehicle, ‘Your plot, Maudston, elaborate as it was. was clumsy, and you owe it to luck that it succeeded as well as it did. The course of affairs, I must say, was peculiar. You dared not keep the stolen jewels in your possession, and you thought no one would look in Miss Sykes’s safe. You Xvew she was honest. But burglars took them, and some wandered back within seventeen days to their proper owner. The rest | have recovered. ‘*Maudston, your wife is half-sister of Stella's father. Knowing their financial straits as you did, I must say that you are an infernal scoundrel to steal the poor child’s phd pp Miss Frazer seemed suddenly galvanized into life. She sprung to her feet anc waved her cane until the spike glittered balefully and marvelously, “Sol am ‘an evil creature,’ am I?” she cried, shrilly, menacing Maudston. ‘*‘Oh! you mendacious viper! vou are arrested vo’, ain’t you? I’m glad of it—glad of it! Oh! you cried goodness, didn’t you? and then robbed your niece.”’ * You can’t say much; you robbed Miss Sykes,” surlily replied Maudston. ** Did you?’’ ** What if I did?”’ “What if vou did? Oh! you monster, I'd like to get at you and tcar your hair!’ shouted Miss Frazer, ‘Don’t try it. I don’t want to hurt an cld woman who is so near Methuselah’s age as you are,”’ This was the last feather on the camel’s back. Miss Frazer flung her spiked cane at Maudston, and would have followed it to wreck that monster, Man, but Mr. Brown quietly slipped irons upon her and made her sit down. *“You’d oughter let ’em havea few rounds, Mr. Detective,’ said Phil. ‘I believe I owe my downfall to that villainous boy!’ said Maudston, savagely. ‘**He has done a bit that way, but here is another boy of the same kind—Tim Thistle, the Tartar. Maudston, the night that you stole the jewels, and Derriby took your place, the cab had a collision with another vehicle. Tim was just passing, and he saw something queer. He saw one of the men nearlv lose off a wig, and under that wig—worn by Derriby to look like you—showed thick, red hair, which was Derriby’s own. ‘Tim Thistle saw that, and ultimately told me of it, and it helped me a good deal to run you down. Tim has done a pile inthis case. He it was who, masquerading as a hand-organ player, was able to track Captain Tiger home and learn just who be was. I had the clew, but young Tim hastened my work. He's a brick!” ‘I niver knew afore what made me hair rid,” said the Tartar, dryly. ‘“We can’t all be pooty like Mudstone arnd Miss Blazer, yer know.”’ said Five Points Phil, “ arnd me arnd you must put up with our infarmities, Timothy T. See Lunkhead, the Crew-slayer, a-smilin’ at yer! He don’t keer fur pooty faces. Mr. Brown, sir, thar’s acat that can’t be ekulled in Gotham—kind, gentle, well broke ter harness, warranted not ter kick or balk, and a pestiferous critter ter fight when he gits his back up. But he’s honist, Lu chead is, arnd ef all was like bim that way we needn't hev no asylums fur his race, nur no printed ballots framed, The long arnd short on’t is, ef folkses will be vil- lains, they'll git inter some pestiferous scrape. They will, by ginger! The curtain falls; the drama is past. What ofthe actors? Maudston, Higgins, Briggs, the rest of the bur- glars, and Derriby, tbe private detective, are in prison, serving appropriate terms, So is Miss Frazer, Jed Jackley escaped with a light sentence, He who was once “ Captain Tiger ” is never heard from. He escaped the grasp of Jaw, and is probably a wanderer in foreign lands, Miss Sykes is living her old, placid life, surrounded by Tancred, the Crusader, and her other pets She has made a will, giving all her property to Stella, but does not care to change her mode of living, Stella, by the way, is now Mrs. Harry Shelby, and they con- sider themselves the happiest of married couples. Detective Brown thought of taking Tim Thistle and Five Points Phil as pupils in his business, but both declined. Tim is learning the trade of an en- gineer, and expects some day to run a stationary eneine in the city of New York. Phil is now back at school, but retains his aversion to ‘* pestiferous critters,” and lets no chance pass to interfere with the schemes of dishonest persons. THE END, (ECON MICE OOK)