Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 521 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

—- ee ee eee — -— were wrecked, He had cause to hate that man, and Klroy Surface who had assisted in his ruin. He wanted to tell N ll how he had been driven from pillar to post by the black-mailers, but per- | haps the girl would not sympathize with him. She might be prouuer than ver station indicated, and Braadou resolved to keep silent for the time, When Nell came back wit his order she had nothing to do tor the moment, ee es + eee ee —_— Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge, es good and fitted him nicely, and he carried a small cane like a gentleman on promenade. A soft hat with ample brim was pulled over _ his forehead and concealed a part of his face. ‘*} want a look at him,” muttered Brandon, quickening bis gait, He took good care not to excite the suspicions _of the person so stealthily following the girl, | and in a moment he had seen a face which drew _acry to his lips, ** [t is the other rascal!” burst from the young ** Dick and you are friends?” began Brandon, | looking up in her face, “ Indeed we are!” smiled Nell, “I have known Dodger some time, and he isone of my patrons.” ‘*‘ Where is your stand or * beat?” ‘Near the corner of Wall and Broadway.” ‘*] have noticed you there,” observed Bran- don, and then be thought of Dodger Dick and his quarry. ‘*'The man whom I called Despard has been watching you?’ ‘* Yes. Sometimes he is not alone.” ‘* What sort of companion has he?” ‘*A young man about your age.” ; ‘* And my size, too?’ asked Brandon eagerly. -** | think so.” “Tt must be Elroy Surface, another person who can never claim my friendship.” **T do not like to be watched. Itis annoying,” said Nell. ‘* All [ ask is to make a living undis- turbed. Those men have never offered any in- dignity, but their spy on me is very obtrusive. I wish I were rid of it. Dick has promised to sift the matter to the bottom.” **Did you know until to-night that he had been watching Dan Despard—tor ten days, he said?” ‘“*I knew he was working up a case, as he calls it, but I had no idea that he suspected the man who has been annoying me.” ‘What kind of a case was it?” The question. was most natural, and News- paper Nell met it with a smile, ‘*He never told me much about it,” she re- plied. ‘I think, though, that the house of a rich man up-town was burglarized, and a lot of important papers and some money taken. [ cannot tell you how Dodger Dick got drawn into the affair, but he is into it, and is doing all he can to find the papers and the thief.” ‘*] thought he lived on the wharves,” ** So he does when he is not with Mother Stur- geon, as he calls the woman who raised him. ou will hawe to excuse me now. It is my time to finish up my duties here. We will meet again, perhaps. Good-night, sir!” .And Angus Brandon was lett alone, betorehe could detain Nell another moment. ‘*She is pretty and clever,” he exclaimed to himself. ‘'Sho is fitted to occupy a higher sta- tion than the one she fills. Butif Dan Despard and his young partner, Elroy Surface, have got their eyes on her she is gone.” A minute later the — man completed his second supper, and left the house. instinctively he turned his face toward the Battery, where be was to meet the Dodger at the end of two hours. He had nowhere else to go, for he did not wish to run any chances of meeting either of the men who had brought about his downfall. As he turned the nearest corner two wagons came together with a crash. One was com- letely overturned and badly wrecked, and the iver was thrown under the wheels, It was a common city occurrence, and not the first of the kind Brandon had witnessed. The young man was the first person on the scene, but by the time he had dragged the un- fortunate driver from the ruins of his vehicle, a considerable crowd had collected Brandon lent his assistance until it was no longer needed; then he resumed bis walk. As he stepped upon the pavement, he caught sight of a face that attracted him, and when its nt moved away, he recognized Newspaper ell. : ln an instant Brandon resolved to follow the girlat a safe distance for the purpose of pro- tecting her should she need protection, and also with a view of obtaining a little information about her home. The girl kept on at a good pace, as if eager to reach her destination in a short time, and Bran- dor saw her look back several times, as though she feared she was being followed. ‘* Nell’s suspicions are well grounded!” sud- denly exclaimed Brandon, ‘‘I see now that she has some one on her track.” Not far bebind the girl walked aman who timed his. movements to her, and who was watching her closely. ee EOE EEE SSS sss man. ‘It is Dan Despard’s partner in villainy, Klroy Surface!” Brandon could hardly restrain himself at sight of the man he had discovered. He seemed to gasp for breath. show him that Lam here by pitching him into the street!” he cried. ‘‘The two devils are working together yet, as when they plotted against me. Ten chances to one that the woman whom Despard joined in the cab was the one who has black-mailed me, Give me an oppor- tunity, Roy Surface. Ah! what are you going to do?—stop, Nell?” At this moment the girl’s tracker was within reach of her. He had covered the distance be- tween them by two quick bounds, and Brandon guessed his intention. The next instant the young man darted for- ward, and landed behind ’Roy Surface as he raised his hand to detuin the girl. ** None of that, Mr, Surtace!” burst from Brandon’s throat as he caught the young ras- cal’s shoulder, and whirled bim about without ceremony. ‘Can't a lady walk the streets of New York by gaslight without being contamu- nated by your vile touch?” A light ery came from Newspaper Nell as she turned and took in the scene at a glance, ** Whoare you?’ demanded Surface, coloring, as his eyes flashed. ‘You ought to know me!” was the prompt response, ‘*I have adebt to pay, "Roy Surface. ; want to settle with you for a ruined charac- er— ‘Angus Brandon, the safe-robber!” inter- rupted Surface, ‘ You had better go and settle with your uncle!” These words drew a mad exclamation from Brandon as he clinched his hands, He sprung straight at’Roy Surface and forced the young man to throw up his hand in self-de- fense, : But Brandon’s assault was simply resistless. A sight of his secret enemy, coupled with the insult just offered, goaded him to madness, and he landed a blow between the eyes which sent Surface headlong toward the gutter. ‘That for the past!” cried Brandon as he waited for Surface to rise, Nell stood spellbound on the scene. A little crowd was already on hand, and Brandon felt a grip at his arm, “That is the man, sir! I was brutally struck without provocation!” cried Surface, ‘‘ I'll ap- pear against him, and give him all he wants.” ‘*Come with me,” said the policeman, and Brandon was marched off, “Tought to CHAPTER III. THE DODGER ON THE TRAIL, ‘“UNLESS something unexpected operates in my favor, [ will not get to meet the Dodger in Batter ark,” thought Brandon while he walked from the scene of the encounter with Elroy Surtace. ‘‘I know something about the o of New York, and this one is not likely to take my protestations against the charge of a well-dressed fellow like the rascal I first pun- ished. DPve got to grin and bear it. As for "Roy Surface appeariug against me—I am not afraid of that. @ doesn’t play an open game with an enemy.” Not long after the fight and the arrest, Bran- don was behind the bars of a station-house cell with the charge of assault opposite his name on the blotter. The young man’s anger bad not cooled, and if ’Roy Surface had called to urge prosecution, he would have had to keep clear of his victim. _ Meantime, Dodger Dick was far away, totally iguprent of the hostile meeting on the side- walk, We have seen the hoy spy spring after the cab which carried Dan Despard from the vicinity of the boarding-house, and, with Bran- don shut up for the night ina place where he had never been before, we are at liberty to fol- low him, ) : The Dodger was not near enough when the cab started off to bear the greeting Desparc. re- —_————— ceived from the woman who occupied i He was about Brandon’s size, his clothes were | it; cupled a part of, | ing _——_—— <a —+ enn ee eee ‘Ts she there?” asked this woman who was still young and beautiful. f: Yes, answered Despard, ‘*‘We know where to find her when she is wanted. ** Are they alike?” “* Strikingly so,” ‘*That is superb!” cried the woman, ‘I would like to have seen ber mysel?, but 1 am willing to take your word for it. W hat kind of place is it?” ‘*The supper isn’t as fine as we get at Del- monico’s, but it satisfies a nUngEY inan,” re- sponded Despard with a laugh. ‘* Nell is active, attentive Hy always good-humored, The woman acniene to shrug her shoulders over this compliment, ** You were not watched?” she went on, ‘Watched by whom?” ‘* By the boy who has become his ferret.” ‘“‘That old fear again, Thalia!” exclaimed Despard, ‘I have told you before vow that I don’t believe he has anything to do with the wharf rat. If I thought he had employed him, I'd turn aside just long enough to choke him off.” ** Roy thinks so,” ‘* Roy runs at a shadow sometimes!” Thalia settled back into her corner ard looked at her companion, whose face she saw Lor a@ano- ment when the cab rattled past a lamp. If she had looked out of the little window in the back of the vehicle, sie would bave caught a glimpse of something human in shape between the hind wheels. But, Despard had hooted at the suggestion that he may have been watched, and caution on Thalia’s part was not needed, The noise made by the cab and by the passing trains of the Elevated roads, drowned for Dcdger the conversation just given. If he had heard it, his eyes would have gota brighter. gleam, and Despard’s words might have called a laugh into existence, The cab kept on up-town until it turned into Tenth street. The Dodger kept his uncomfortable position with much pluck. When the horses drew suddenly to the side- walk, he pushed his lithe body still further un- der the cab, and waited for the next move, A moment afterward the door of the vehicle opened and Despard got out. Then he assisted the woman to the sidewalk, and the two turned to the house at hand. Dodger Dick moved his head just enough to enable him to note the building, and to see Despard and Thalia mount the steps, Then the driver touched the horses with the whip and the Dodger was whisked away, and out of sight. At the first crossing the wharf spy disengaged » himself from the uncomfortable perch, and dropped to the ground, ‘Thanks, most noble duke!” laughed Dick, waving his hand atthe driver who drove on, unconsvious of the extra passenger he had just lost. ‘* When I come into possession of my for- tune [ll settle the score; and I owe a lot of cab- bies for little accommodations like this, I did find Dan Despard’s retreat at last. Now, Ill go back and see if anything of importance can be discovered, Plenty of time yet to meet my new friend, Brandon, in the Park. Jehu! I think Newspaper Nell made an impression on him} He must be a poor snipe who can’t see that Nell is the boss girl of Gotham.” The Dodger walked back toward the house to which he had tracked the occupants of the cab... It was a well-to-do three story building, with a genteel outward appearance, and looked not ubvlike thousands of respectable boarding: houses of the city. It stood behind a couple of maple trees that fringed the sidewalk, and threw a heavy shade as high as the caps of the third-story windows, Dodger Dick sauntered slowly up to the house and read the name of ‘‘ Findlay” on the door- late. “ “By Jupiter! that recalls an aunt of mine Mother Sturgeon sometimes talks about!” mut- tered the Dodger. * Her name was Findlay after she married a man who came to New York, and surprised everybody by getting rich. But, that was. long ago, betore 1 concluded to board on this. planet. Findlay, eh? That’s the way her busband spelled the name; but of course this isn’t my worthy relative.” While Dick communed thus the door of the house opened and two young men came out. The boy darted behind. one of the trees and». stood like a statue there, : ‘Hang it all, Chawley, I say, that’s a chawm- al oung cweature on the floor under us!” drawled one of the couple. ‘CO | 0 OKe) ME *, . « - 4 . : : ‘ "* * i . | | \ “7 \ | - " = ) ~~