Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 521 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

ae Rees 2 oe | e oe 6 SS ee ae a ee **Come!” cried the Dodger, catching the girl’s ‘* We'll make the dash for freedom now.” The next minute the pair stole through the room, sprung rimbly across the step and were lost in the crowd on the pavement. CHAPTER XVIII. THE DODGER’S TWO BIRDS, THE reporters of the morning papers had written up their account of Merle Mallot’s sud- den death, aud all had voiced the popular opin- 10n that the ex-merchant had succumbed to an attack of heart-disease, Nobody sougat to find any clew to his death in the asnes of paper which lay at the foot of his chair, and no one knew the woman who was his last visitor. The next day, and while the body of Merle Mallot lay in the darkened library, a nimble boy sprung up the steps and rung the bell. The Dodger knew nothing of the sudden death, but when he saw the piece of crape flut- tering from the knob, a strange thrill went to his heart. ‘* What has happened here?” asked the boy of the cea who auswered his ring. ** Mr. Mallot is dead.” Dodger Dick started. ** Dead?” he echoed. ** Dead,” said the servant, solemnly, ** When—when did it happen?” rT oN Last night,” = violence?” *“* Heart disease.” At this juncture a f-otstep was heard in the hall, and a man came forward. ‘* Are you the boy who has been helping Mr. Mallot in a certain matter?’ asked the man. **T am Dick Sly.” ‘* Then Miss Floss wants to see you.” Floss was the name of the merchant’s only child, and the Dodger was led into her pres- ence, ‘They hounded him to the end,” cried the young girl, coming toward Dick, with a white face, showing traces of recent tears, ‘* Ah! if you had but come a little sooner!” ‘*l was here last night,” and then the Dodger thought of his capture by Despard. ‘* I mean ey I thought of coming,” he corrected him- self, The girl laid her hand tenderly: on his arm. ‘*A woman went away just before he died. She must have excited him terribly,” Floss went on. ‘* Father has been troubled much of late, I have heard him at midnight talking in his sleep, and only since he was robbed of his precious papers. He talked sometimes about one Florette, who cannot be the woman who came here last night. I don’t like to take re- venge, but somebody ought to suffer for the crime which bas left me fatherless. The man who took the papers and the woman who was with him last are deep in some diabolical scheme,” ‘*They are,” cried Dick, unable to control himself. ‘Tbe man is Despard, the woman Thalia. There is a third party, and a stool- pigeon for the three. You need not ask me to outwit them. I intend to doit. But, when all is settled and everybody have obtained their rights, you will not be as rich as your father’s will has left you.” ‘*T care not for that!” exclaimed the girl. ‘‘I never want to own that which is not mine. Those papers niust be damaging things, for the ang’ wanted one hundred thousand for them.” ‘*‘ They don’t get a cent for the lot!” answered Dick. ‘‘ They will try to compromise with you. Remember, not a dollar for all they know or hold, Miss Floss!” eS 6 you say so, not a dollar!” replied the girl, firmly. ‘* You saw the man who was here the night the papers went.’ Fag, ET lifted his mask in the hall. Iwas at the top of the stairs. I have not dared to mention this till now. Last night he came back and I denounced bim. He said he had entered the wrong house, and was gone before anybody could detain him, Stand me before this man and I will accuse him of the crime.” ‘** Tt shall be done!” exclaimed Dick, ** And the papers?—what of them?” ‘** Let them speak for themselves after awhile,” If Dod er’ Dick had used his eyes, as perbaps he should have done when he left the mansion, he might have seen a man on the watch. When the spy saw the. Dodger, a cry of as- _ tonishment escaped him “By Jovet ir cannot be, yet there he goes!” he cried. ‘‘Is this Fanny’s work? She told me a short ‘time ago that she was tired of playing beemrh but I did not think she would serve me trick. The fox is out again.” - EERE ———————— _ Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge. - A few minutes later the man, who was our old acquaintance Despard, appeared suddenly to a woman in a hallway above a certain cigar store near the Bowery. ‘* Traitress!” he hissed, ready to spring at her. ** You've let the rat out of the trap!’ ‘**Whaet rat?’ asked the woman, in the most innocent manner possible. Despard was amazea. ‘* Thunder and guns! the one I brought in last night. Why do you try to play innocence, Fanny?’ ‘* By my soul, I know nothing!” Despard said nothing more, but sprung away and left the woman alone, He rattled at the door of Nell’s old cage; it was locked! Fanny, coming up behind him, took her key and opened it. The room was empty! Then he went to Dodger Dick’s prison, and, as a matter of course, found it in the same condi- tion. Fanny, the jailer, was a statue of astonish- ment . ‘* We'll have the police here next,” she began. ** The cops be hanged!” roared Despard, ‘' Vl have the birds back here or somewhere else be- fore to-morrow night!” ‘**Not here!” spoke the woman, firmly. ‘I won’t be that girl’s jailer any more. [ve had enough of it, Captain Despard,” The city crook drew back and looked at her with a fierce mien, ‘*You’d better turn saint!” he cmed. ‘ Vil send you a pair of wings!” And turning madly on his heel, out he went, leaving the woman to wish herself rid of him forever. CHAPTER XIX. FINISHED. ‘* ARE you ready, Brandon?” “Ready and eager! This is my night of victory.” ‘‘ It is if we succeed,” and the Dodger smiled at his friend who had just walked with him from the house occupied by Mother Sturgeon. Newspaper Nell bad found a temporary home under the same roof, for it was not thought safe for her to go back to Mrs. Hollystone’s where she could be found by Despard and his compan- ions in the gold game. The two, man and boy, proceeded to Police Headquarters on Mulberry street where Dodger Dick was attentively listened to by several offi- cers, and when the boy had finished three men were detailed to make any arrests he thought proper. The whole party took a cab for up-town; an- other vehicle of the same kind followed a short distance in the rear, Arrived near the well-known house on Tenth street, the cabs stopped, the passengers got out. Thala’s house was cautiously approached, and the bell rung. When the coor opened the police filed in with Dodger Dick at their head. ‘The wharf detective led them straight to the conspirator’s room whose location he had cor- rectly guessed from observations made on the street. ‘** Merciful heavens! the police!” rung out the voice ofa youus girl who fell back from the door she had just opened. ‘** Nonsense, Ione,” cried another voice. ‘‘ We don’t let the cops in here—” ‘*No- you don't, Thalia!” vociferated the Dodger, showing himself on the threshold. ‘* That woman yonder is Thalia, the queen of black-mailers. r. Brandon bere fully identi- fiesher. Thatis lone, the girl who was to play a prominent part in the swoop upon Merle Mallot’s riches. The «thers are not here.” Thaha and her beautiful young protegee stood spell-bound, In the hands of the police! ‘*T always thought the scheme would fail!” suddenly exclaimed Ione. ‘‘ This is the end of the whole business, and, instead of the carriage and the money I was to have, I shall go to yrison.” ‘* Hush! Wait till you hear the iron doors shut on you. Don’t be a child!” And Thalia’s eyes flashed as she looked ready to fly at her dupe and rend her to pieces. ‘* These men can’t hold us long.” But [one was not reassured. She walked toward Dodger Dick and stopped within a few feet of bim while she looked him in the eye. ‘IT thought Captain Despard was going to fix you!” she cried, ‘* His traps would not hold the rat!” laughed the boy. SSS rrr ee lone walked back with a smile for Thalia, ‘* You see!” she said. ‘**The vermin of the docks is the winner of the game.” The two prisoners were taken to the station where a charge of black-mail and conspiracy was placed against them. T'wo of the police and the Dodger waited in the room for Despard. Fram hour passed away, then another, and an- other, Had the city tiger scented danger? At last a footstep approached the door; it opened and in walked Despard! The next instant he was covered by two re- volvers, and found himself in the grip of the enemy. ‘*So you did it?’ he cried, when he saw the smiling and triumphant face of Dodger Dick, ‘* By Jove! I guess I deserveitall. 1 had two chances to wring your neck, and let ’em both slip. But, never mind. Another day, ny dock Norway!” The day mentioned never came for Don Des- pard. "Roy was picked up by the police bef°re Ay ye and the whole league was salely caged, t the trial that followed, Despard was con- victed of burglary, on Floss Mallot’s testimony, and got the full extent of the law. Thalia was helped to prison by Brandon, whom she had repeatedly black-mailed, and "Roy and Ione—the courts spared none—went up for having a hand in the big scheme, Then it was that Merle Mallot’s papers came home through the Dodger’s hands, and the young girl saw that the Florette mentioned in them was Newspaper Nell, whom Mallot had defrauded out of her rights, Floss was ready to make ample restitution, even to the house she inhabited, but Nell took only a modest share, and left ber newspaper- stand to become the wife of Angus Brandon, Dodger Dick’s luck and pluck had followed bim through the whole game, and when he was offered a handsome sum for his services, he took enough to make Mother Sturgeon comfortable, and remarked that he would go back to the wharf and wait for ‘‘ another job.” ‘‘Tt’s bound to come!” be cried, ‘“*I know it!—bound to come!” THE END. Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. BY MAJOR HENRY B. STODDARD, Ex-Seeut. 806 Neck-Tle Ned3 or, The Dog-Out Pards, 846 Rapler Raphael or, The Swordamen of Zacatecas. BY1 Kid-Glove Kit, the Dandy of the Rockies, 898 Kid-Glove K‘t and Pardy or, The Gold King. 406 The Mad Man-Hunter; or, The Mystery ef @olden ulch, BY HARRY ST. GEORGE. 80 Roaring Ralph Rockwood, the Ranger. 44 Rattling Rube; or, The Nighthawks of Kentucky. 69 Old Hickory ; or, Pandy El!is’s Scalp. 108 Daring Davy}; or, The Trail of the Border Wolf, 166 Hickory Harry ¢ or, The Trapper-Brigade’s Spy. 172 Thunderbolt Tomy; or, the Wolf-Herder, BY JAMES L. BOWEN 107 One-Eyed Sim; or, The Abandoned Forest Home. 110 The Black Steed of the Pratirics, A Story ef Texas. BY C. DUNNING CLARK, 185 Captain Paul; or, The Boy Spy of the Mountains. 280 The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereof, BY GEORGE C, JENKS. 485 Git Thar Owney, the Unknown. 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. BY FRANK DUMONT. 120 The Branded Hand; or, The Man of Mystery, 127 Wild-Fire, the Boss of the Road. 140 Blue Blazes; or, The Break o’ Day Boys of Resky Ba 171 Ebony Dany o1, The Rival Leagues. 185 Evil Eye; or, The Vultures of the Rio Grande. BY CAPT. ALFRED B. TAYLOR, U. 8. A. 191 Buffalo Billy, the Boy Bullwhacker; or, The Doomed Thirteen. 194 Buffalo BIU's Bets or, The Gambler Guide. A New Issue Every Tuesday. The Half-Dime Library is for sale by at! newsdealers, ivy eents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six conta each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, — | 9OO cS (E » 98 William Sircet, Now York 4 & rs é oa be 5 eom