Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 521 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

sats As kA cies mae ee = It was some time before the daughter recov- ered sufficiently to speak. She could oaly say that she found her father | | documents. The servant who admitted Thalia remarked | that she heard Merle Mallot moving about in | the house after the woman’s departure, so it was | dead in the chair. She knew nothing else, not murder. There were no evidences of suicide, the family physician said, and intimated that a sudden at- er of heart disease had broken the cord of e, While the household was talking of the sud- den death in whispers a man well dressed mounted the ~~ and was admitted. In the parlor he suddenly found himself face to face with the physician, a lot of friends ard the young daughter. The scene astonished him, He stopped short, and then fell back. ** Merciful God! that is the man!’ screamed Merle Mallot’s child, springing up and confront- ing the visitor with quivering finger. ‘He is the one, I say.” In an instant all was excitement. The men left their seats, and the doctor ap- red ready to throw himself upon the person in the doorway. ‘* Excuse me, gentlemen,” said the stranger. “‘T have made a queer mistake, I am inthe wrong house.” The next moment he was gone, and the shutting of the front door broke the silence that followed his departure. ‘‘Something has happened to Merle Mallot,” he muttered. ‘‘The girl claimed to recognize me. When did she ever see me in that house?” “Was it heart disease, sir?” asked an excited young man who at that moment almost ran against the stranger on the lowest step, ** 'W bo is dead?” ** Merle Mallot.” A strange, half muffled ejaculation burst f-om the caller’s throat, and he sprung away like a startled deer, **Do you know what has happened?” he ex- claimed, bursting in upon two women in a handsome parlor some distance from the mer- chant’s house, **No!” they cried in the same breath, ‘In heaven’s name out with it!” ‘** Well, Merle Mallot has gone to his account, and we've got to fight the girl now!” Thalia’s look became an ashen stare, gasped for breath, **T will never be rich!” the young girl cried. ** ‘You shall!” exclaimed theman. ‘‘ The battle will be easily won now. Merle Mallot’s child coe, be beggared, and we will place you where she is. ‘* Do yousay so, Captain Despard?” and Ione’s face lit up with sudden joy. ‘*‘Make me a queen of gold. I don’t care how you effect it. “It shall be done. was the reply. Ione Give me a little time,” CHAPTER XVII. FOUND AT LAST. DopGeR Dick had fallen into a trap when he nea not think himself near anything of the ind. Despard reasoned, and adroitly, too, that with the valuable documents in his possession, he would soon throw himself at the Mallot mansion, and he thought that the prize would be found on the boy’s person, When Dick found himself in the closed cab with the sack drawn tightly over his head, and ~ the grip of Despard on his ari, he nearly gave up the game, But it was for a moment only. The vehicle made, to the boy, a long journey, and when it came to a halt he was lifted out and carried ep two flights of steps. Blindfolded by the bag, and continually gasp- ing for breath he had no knowledge as to where he was, and when he was released, and the covering jerked from his head, a bright light for a moment dazed him, “Tl take ’em, my young rat,” explained Despard, advancing upon the young detective with a gleam of victory in his evil eyes. ‘* You don’t often catch me asleep, and I don’t -think you have to-night.” “You'll take what?’ asked Dick, though he very well knew what the city tiger meant. ““The papers you robbed. from me awhile ago.” Oni" ‘“Hand them over! Can’t you see that the our last?” dger did not reply. . ‘*“Do you want to be searched?” roared Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge. Es ee -— + pare, clinching his teeth. You got out of the | leecker street house, heaven knows how: but there is no escape trom this one. [ want the They are on your person. Hand them over.” ‘** What a fellow does not have he can’t deliver up,” said Dick with a provoking smile, Despard seemed to turn pale. ‘‘ Do you mean to say you haven’t them?” he cried. és I do,” The next moment the Dodger was seized by the New York sport, and forced into a chair. ‘** You can’t bluff Despard with a lie!” he went on, ‘‘ The papers are in this room, and they shall become minej” With no gentle hands the wharf spy was sub- jected to a search which, to Despard’s great chagrin, revealed nothing, The man looked amazed. ‘** What did I tell you?” said Dick, with the semblance of a smile at his lips, ‘** You took them!” grated the sport. ** Prove it.” This was something which Despard could not positively do. His landlady on the Bowery had admitted a boy to his rooms, and her description tallied ex- actly with the Dodger’s appearance, but the evidence was circumstantial. Nobody had wit- nessed the act. ‘*You’ve put them away!” suddenly flashed Despard, drawing back a pace and looking fiercely at Dick. ‘‘If you don’t give them up, by Jericho! you may never see the docks again.” ‘** Proceed,” smiled the Dodger. ‘‘ If you think I’m the only person to overcome, Dan Despard, you’re liable to find yourself mistaken. You want the papers, eh? Merle Mallot’s documents, I believe.’ ‘** The ones you stole from my room!” was the response. ‘‘ Do I understand you to mean that you won’t reveal their hiding-place?” ** Suit yourself as to that,” answered the boy. ‘**Confound you! L ought to pitch you through the window,” **T don’t think you will do it, though, do you, Captain Despard.” The Dodger knew he was too important a risoner to be treated in this manner, and when e saw Despard walk toward the only door the room contained, he felt that the scene at the Bleecker street house was not to be re-enacted. Despard unlocked the door, and turned madly on his little prisoner, ‘*When I come again, you want to be docile,” he exclaimed. ‘‘ We are not going to be beaten by cunning and silence. I give you a little time for reflection, Make the most of it, Dodger Dick, for more than one life is at stake in this game,” The boy detective made no answer, but saw the door shut bebind the figure of the city sharp. A es grated in the lock, and Despard’s foot- steps receded until they had died away. odger Dick sprung from his chair, and went to one of the two windows of the room, A single look told him that he was a prisoner in a third story, for below he could see the lighted street and the buildings that lined it. ‘* Despard’s cage is a lofty one this time,” ex- claimed Dick, while he looked, ‘‘I wonder where I am, and who my jailer is? The spider was Waiting forme. Hethought I would take the papers straight to Merle Mallot, but he was never more mistaken in his life. The strangest thing about this whole game is that I have been unable to obtain a definite clew to Newspaper Nell. Thegirl fellinto Despard’s hands—there is no doubt of that; but what has he done with her? Brandon will wonder what has _ befaJlen me if I don’t join him soon. I must get out of here!” Like a tiger ina cage the Dodger began to search diligently for a loop-hole of escape. He inspected the transom over the door, but it was very narrow, end moreover could not be moved. ‘* Mebbe a fellow can pick the lock!” flashed across his brain, but he had no tools. Already Despard had descended to the street. “The rat won't get away this time!” he ex- claimed. ‘‘ He'll be willing to give up the papers when I draw the cords on him, Dodger Dick loves life like everybody else, and he will cling to it to the last. I guess I hold the best hand, Now, all [have to dois to keep it.” The young wharf spy had discovered that the one chairin the room had at some time been broken, but that it had been mended with a piece of heavy but pliable wire. Here was a chance, Bending all his energies to the task, he took off the wire and fashioned a part of it into a pe- / * . a e “~ . -~ 2. —— =. _ E won tt meth Pint, Sar ts 0. lth en otek — a oe ash 2 * Tw, : ~ » 2 7 Pe The, ry _— - ‘ + Tt. ¥s e% « Se s - ‘es a * > z - oe ‘7 - 7 hg > be Sie = ) pet fy orn ey a a i, s ek, “tg, Ye Pee . . ~~. - ? 4 ! 14 a + 1 culiar looking instrument with which he ap- proached the door. | For the next five minutes he was engaged on the lock. Again and again he changed the shape of the wire, and did not lose hope fora moment, “{ can afford to wear my key out on this lock,” mentaily exclaimed the boy. “If I can only get beyond this door, ll make Despard and the gold gang wish they had never em- barked in this play for a fortune,” Thirty minutes passed, and then Dodger Dick apenas the door and looked into a darkened all! The task had been accomplished, and the rat of the docks had gnawed out of the hy The Dodger did net immediately leave the room. He shut the door carefully and stepped baek to collect his thoughts. The house was strange to him. He would have to find his way through unknown corri- dors, and perhaps guarded ones, to the street, When he moved forward it was with every sense on the alert, for he was yet in a bad box. The boy closed the door behind him ard locked it with the wire that had accomplished his hb- eration. He stole on tip-toe down the corridor, but halted suddenly a few feet from his late prison. A door had opened a few feet away, anda woman stood revealed to Dick. ‘‘Now for it,” murmured the boy, hugging the wall while he watched the woman likea hawk. ‘*Good-night!” said the person still at the door. ‘‘I won’t mistreat, youif I can’t help you. I don’t care what he says.” ‘* Good-night,” was the response, in a voice that thrilled the Dodger, and the door was shut and locked. Fortunately for Dick, the woman did not in- spect the corridor minutely as she came for- ward, and when he let slip a breath of relief she vanished. ‘Tf Pm not mistaken, Captain Despard brought me to the right place!” he cried, wait- ing for the house to become quiet. ‘* Il would know the voice that replied to the woman if I heard it among a thousand. Nellis inthere. I will bet my head on it, anyhow.” The following moment he was at the door he had just seen shut, and the improvised iock- picker was soon at work. . ‘What is that?’ cried a young girl, turning toward the door from a stand in the center of the room beyond. ‘' Fanny has not come back, Her key opens the door without difficulty.” She crossed the room and halted near the door where she listened almost breathless to the wire being manipulated in the lock. All at once the noise ceased, and then the door opened in her face revealing the face of the Dodger. ‘‘ Not a word!” cried the boy leaping into the room, and clutching the girl’s arm before she could frame an exclamation of astonishment. ‘*We will outwit the Gotham gang, and win the game for others, Nelly. By Jupiter! I thought I'd strike the trail some time; but I never thought Despard himself would give me the clew.” How the eyes of Newspaper Nell scintillated in the light while the delighted Dodger spoke! ‘‘Do you know the way down?” asked the boy, No, I was brought here blindfolded. I was caught and thrustinto a carriage by Des- pard, who played his part of the game well.” ‘* We'll get down,” assured the wharf spy, firmly. ‘lve played against city sharps before this, and if Dan Despard or ’Roy Surface trip i any more, Vil throw up the sponge. Come, ell,’ The young couple left the room ard found their way to a dark back stair which promised to afford them an avenue tofreedom. _ Not a word was spoken, and the flight was conducted with all the silence possible. 5 aiepmg seemed anxious tofavor Dick and ell. ' The second floor was reached in safety, and then the first. “ ‘* We must get to the street through the cigar store,” whispered Dick. ‘‘Ah! there is .some commotion out there. A building is-on fire oe the way. Jupiter! this is pot-luck, elly !” The friends stood in the room in rear of the cigar shon, and waited a few moments. Already the pavement outside was crowded with people, and the proprietor of the shop, sr tool, had left his station to see the < 900 GOmic - —_——- Fr