Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 516 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

: | | - hearty laugh. —_———— eee ~~ ‘tthe boy who had listened, both broke into a ** Fond o’ cats!” repeated the reader. ‘‘ Wal, now, Vd like ter know what that’s got to do with runnin’ errants,” **Wal, I think de facts are like dis: Boys ‘who don’t like cats might stop by de way to oe dem, an’ so nct git around quick. How’s dat?’ \ “Tartar Tim, you’re a philosopher, ef yer name is Tim Thistle; that’s what you be; but yer explanation don’t seem ter fill a long-felt warnt, It don’t strike me ez likely.” ‘** Then what is de facts?” ‘*Fax is fax, arnd they’re stubborn things; that’s all I kin say o’ this pecooliar affair, Hol on! See the name signed ter it. ‘Apply ter Dorothea Sykes.’ This may shed a loominous light on the case. Ef she ain’tin disguise, Doro- thea is a woman o’ the gentler sex. Now, women like cats; thar’s an affinity atween them, bein’ as how they are much alike, the two be. Both is soft, arnd gentle, arnd pooty, when calm arnd satisfied; but great ginger! how they will scratch, arnd make the fur fly, when they git their mad up!” The speaker wagged his head knowingly, while Tim Thistle remarked: ‘¢ Guess you’re wal posted,” ** I’m an authority on women arnd cats, I be, my b'loved contemporary, Great ginger, yes! Go down ter Paradise Park arnd ax ‘em how *tis. Yis, ax ’em jest how Five Points Phil stands in that respex?” The two boys were seated in a room of a house con Macdougal street. It wasa plain room, and they were plain boys. In outward appearance they were somewhat alike, being small, compact and hardy, but there were some marked points of dissimilarity. Tim Thistle, the street Tartar, was the posses- sor of hair which certainly must be called red, and his garments were getting ragged. Five Points Phil was brown-haired, and his clothes, though never expensive, were whole, Another point of difference was noticeable in their faces. Tim looked bright, keen and honest, but his face was a practical one. To the qualities first named Phil added a romantic turn of mind, foniness for humorous fancies, and disposition to occasionally soar in mid-air, so to speak, though always practical when necessary. In accomplishing an object both would be shrewd, cacbiod sensible, as well as persistent, but Phil would see possibilities which would es- cape Tim’s notice, and better adapt himself to circumstances and people of different character, Both were evidently boys of limited means and humble life, but their honesty was beyond question, ‘Wal, what’s de next ad.?” asked the Tartar. **Never mind the next. This ’ere one sticks in my crop, like a toad in a snake’s stummick,. Tartar Timothy, l’ve a good mind ter arnswer this ad,” | Your” ** Assooredly.” ‘You don’t need ter work. Solomon Rich- more gives you all de money you. want.” ‘‘Sartain, arnd sends me ter school, but school’s out now, arnd why shouldn’t I git a job arnd sweat. my brow fur my daily bread?” ** Mebbe ye couldn’t get de job.” “*Mebbe I could. hy not? I arnswer all the tarms o’ the ad. I’m agreeable ez a, pooty gal; perlite ez a dancin’-master; arnd gentle ez a perliceman with a big dinher in tow.’ ‘But do ye like cats?” “Like cats? My b’loved contemporary, ef thar is.any one thing I jest adore, it’s. cats. won't go ter operays, arnd pay fibulous prices, while [kin hang onter the winder arnd hear a hull band o’ cats in a serenade,” ‘*You throwed an ink-bottle at dem, last night.” ; ‘ Assooredly, But why? Tim Thistle, I am a evolutionary, I am, arnd one ov my pet schemes is ter arn cats ter write. I throwed an ink-bottle at them last might; this evenin’ I'll heave a stub pen at’em, ef I hev ter buy a bran new one,” ‘* A few cobble-stones would be a h’ape better,” replied Tim practically. ‘‘I don’t see ye goin’ ter visit de leddy—phat’s her name?—Dorothea Sykes?” ‘‘ Dorothea Sykes is her name, my b’loved con- temporary—D, Sykes—I mean, Sykes—with no esquire onter it.” hil had risen and deliberately put on his hat. ‘* Phere are ye goin’?” Tim oe ‘¢ Goin’ ter see D. Sykes!” ** Be ye, really?” ‘ Bf you don’t b’lieve. me, foller arnd see. I s’pect she’s a millionaire, arnd ef she is, *tain’t Tartar Tim. —_—_——— - 0: SS ee right ter keep her hankerin’ fur a boy that’s fond o’ cats. Timothy, farewell! We'll meet ag’in in afew hours, but I must know what that ad, means.” Out went Five Points Phil, while the street Tartar looked after him in undisguised wonder. ‘* Never seen a boy loike him afore, He’s got a hi’d on him loike a champagne bottle, but ef thar’s anybody wid a better heart, I’ve niver met him. Wonder what sort ave a time he’ll hev? He’ll talk me deef whin he gits back.” An amused smile lighted up Tartar Tim’s facw. He and Phil were good friends, and though he wondered at his companion’s queer ways, he liked him well, and often helped in many enter- prises projected by him, ‘** Hallo!” suddenly added Tim; ‘‘I ain’t told Phil about what I saw last evenin’, whin the two carriages ran into aich ither on Third aveny. Mustn’t forgit that—it’ll interest Phil a good bit. And the speaker fell into deep thought on, the subject, At the. time of the foregoing interview, two men were holding an important conversation in the house next to that where Phil and Tim made their quarters. These men were named Leonidas Palgrave and Jed Jackley. Palgrave, the tenant of the room, was a tall, well-dressed man of about sixty years, and as he was certainly intelligent, he would have passed for a gentleman and good citizen to the casual view, had he not possessed peculiar, furtive eyes. With a close student of human nature, those eyes would have hurt Palfrey. Jed Jackley could never have passed as a gen- tleman. He was coarse and ignorant, and, though he tried to dress well, he chose such flashy garments that all good effect was lost. Mr, Jackley, no doubt, had his friends, but others would not want to be careless with their watches when he was around, ‘‘T’'ve called you here on business, Jed,’’ said Palgrave, opening the interview. _ *S posed youdid. Come right down ter hard- pan. Got another job?” Oo ea © ‘* Dangerous?” ** Quite the contrary, I think.” ** Much money in it?” ‘* A good bit, I think.” Bank?” ° “No; private house,”’ ‘*That’s my sert.” Jackley had poured in his questions rapidly, and had not seemed very nae pleased until he heard Palgrave’s last statement. tled back with a contented smile. ‘* ve my eye on a house whereof the only in- mates are two old women, one of whom is a servant, The mistress of the house is rich, and has about as mageh worldly wisdom as a child of six years, She has lived in the city all her life, but is as ignorant as a country woman; in fact, she’s as green as grass, and just the kind of a hairpin to keep lots of money about the house.” ‘**Cap, you fill me with joy!” ‘** Glad of it.” ‘** Who is this darling dame?” ‘Her name is Dorothea Sykes, and she lives on, Nineteeth street, near Third avenue,” ‘* Dear Dorothea! I long to get ter see her!” quoth Jed, iri his tenderest voice. — “You may get taken.” | ‘* What odds, if it, be by Dorothea?” ‘IT appreciate your humor, but let us come. to business, I want this game to succeed, as_ it partly done to satisfy an old grudge, ‘* How can you have a grudge ag’in’ sech an innercent chap as the old woman?” Palgrave frowned. ‘Don’t get too inquisitive, Jed. I knew Miss Sykes in the old days—before she was a fossil; before Ll was—” . ‘Captain Tiger.” ‘*Exactly; or, in other words, before she w so unsophisticated, and before I became such a hopeless villain.” Palgrave leaned back, and for a few moments his face was grave, almost melancholy. ‘‘ Whoever likened life to a game of chess knew what he was talking about. Did you ever watch two master chess-players handle the pieces on the board? Finally one of those play- ers makes a false move. He may discover it at once, or only until the game ends, Suppose he sees it early, and tries to retrieve his position. He fights desperately—perhaps for hours—but fights in vain. That wrong move ruined his chances. “Life is like ‘chess, and a single false me often ruins one’s po shen 4 ‘ad’ harebl € speaker paused, started, lau barshly. ‘What! is this Captain Tiger, ‘moralizing?” Then he set- é : ‘ be “prengy s iy = ‘Gate, d at ig - —. — “> . » VaR ‘ medic! - ~ ; = > yim » — ! 4 a , » 7h cab ihre GRR ae a o Cn : _ . nae zs o— ™ » 3 he sarcastically added. ‘‘ Wonders will never cease, and the man who has been a king of thieves and swindlers for years, may yet turn parson,” Jed Jackley’s gaze had never wandered from Palgrave’s face. ‘'Yow’re a queer bloke, Cap!” he observed. ‘*Thanks, my dear Jedediah. Now to busi- ness, and let me tell you how to enter Dorothea Sykes’s house. This enterprise must not fail, fcr | am sure there is boodle in it. The old woman is rich—and we want to be,” Conversation was resumed and continued | until Palgrave had fully explained the scheme. Just when the burglary was to take place was uncertain, but it would not be many nights later. | They were old hands at the business, and many a New Yorker had had occasion to regret Captain Tiger’s. existence. That gentleman, however, had never graced the inside of a cell. While common rogues were caught and pun- ished, he went on quietly, planning crime after crime, as much unmolested by law as though he was the most honest. man in the American me- tropolis. ed Jackley had known him several years, but, on this OCeasien, thoughts were in Jed’s mind which had never been there before. Pal- grave’s bit of moralizing had set his companion’s sluggish wits at work, also, and the curiosity he had always felt in regard to his superior became keener. He believed that ‘‘ Palgrave” was as much as- sumed name as was ‘*‘Captain Tiger.” While the leader’s fertile brain planned crime after crime, he had always kept himself apart from hismen, They went tohim when he summoned them, always going to his room—and his quar- ters were often moved—and there he told them What to do and how to do it. That was all they knew about him, but Jed Jackley was anxious to know more, He believed that Palgrave led a double life, and aspired to learn bis secret and make use of it. ‘*Remember,” said the captain, at parting, ** you are to use unusal care in this case.” ** Pl do it,” ‘* And don’t harm Miss Sykes.” ** Not a bit on’t.” ** That’s all, Now you can go,” Jed went slowly out of the house, ‘That's all, is it?? he muttered, ‘Wal, I ain’t so sure of that. I feel a hankerin’ to know jest who, Captain Tiger is, Bel ter obey him in the dark, year after year, an’ be content? He runs no risk; I put my head in jeopardy ev’ry time, This thing has Hoar eel stale, Cap'n Tiger, an’ now I perpose ter diskiver jest who you be. Ef Ican Varn that, I reckon you an’ me will make a new bargain, an’ you won't be my master an’ lord any longer!” —— CN hn ‘ CHAPTER ITI. TARTAR TIM’S ADVENTURE. WueEn Jed Jackley reached the street. he saw a small boy leaning against the lamp-post not faraway. Jed saw that he was somewhat rag- ged and evidently poor; also, that he had a ear Ran 44 Strnad with a sudden idea, ® went up to.the young stranger. ** Hullo, boy!” a said, ‘** Hullo!” was the matter-of-fact reply. ** What's yer name?” ‘Tim Thistle, or Tartar Tim fer short,” ‘** Ain’t that a.ruther peculiar name?” ‘Very common ’round hyar,” answered Tim; ‘Folks says I growed up in de street loike & thistle, so de name fits, don’t it?” “T believe it does, by George! You look sharp, an’ I reckon you’d be ez safe ter handle ez a thistle, ef you got yer dander up above par. Reg’lar Tartar, too, I should say.” ‘Now you've hit it. Dve n called Tim Thistle, the Tartar, ever since I was de size ave that,” and the boy illustrated by holding one band on a level with his hip. ** Boy,” said Jed, suddenly, ‘‘do you want ter make some money ?” ‘* Who don’t?” was the practical reply, ‘Ef I hire ye ter doan honest job, will ye do it wal, keep mum, Varn all ye kin, an’ then re- port ter met” ‘Ef ye hire me—yes.” ‘Wal, in that house thar is a man I want ter know more about, an’ ef you'll foller him, see whar he lives—nothin’ more—I’ll pa well. But he may expect ter be folle you'll need ter be sly ez a weasel.” ) I’m er man!” Tim promptly announced. Jed then gave an elaborate description of Pal- an ye an’ | ' _ CoOomicn - . » . oa Ye — ee . twee ; pa ¥ . i cu ? bey * P 4 =. \ ‘= FS i A eh / | “ | ~ | NN b, - :