Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 524 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 The Engineer Detective. ‘*No, she did not do it, that is absolutely certain,” Ralph coincided. Frank was seated near a window, and while the matter was under consideration, he now and then glanced out, as some one passing would at‘ ract his eyes. Once when he looked, whom should he see but the very woman they were talking about—Mrs. Palmere, and her husband, Lace curtains were at the windows of that room, and the shutters were closed, except the slats, and he could see without being seen. ‘** Hello!” he ejaculated, ‘‘ there they go now— the very ones we are talking about!” gg others hurried forward to the window to ook. ‘* Yes, that is she,” Ralph and Mrs, Raymond at once ° ‘* Have you ever seen the man before?” asked Frank. ‘* No, not that I can recollect,” Ralph replied. ‘** Nor I,” said Jeanne. ‘** Have you, Ethel?” ‘* No,” the sorrowing girl replied, ‘‘ net to my knowledge.” All watched the pair until they had passed beyond range of vision. ‘¢ Where can they be going ?”’ questioned Ethel. ‘‘ They seem to walk very leisurely, as though merely out to view the town,” said Jeanne. ‘*T would follow them,” declared Frank, “ but the woman would know me, and if they are making a move of any importance, and should see me, I could learn nothing.” ‘* And she would know me, too,” said Ralph. ‘* We can follow them, though,” cried Jeanne, meaning herself and Ethel, ‘* and no suspicion will be aroused even if we are seen,” “ Will you do it?” asked Ralph. “To be sure we will,” was the decisive re- yse from his pretty wife. ‘{ am willing to a anything in my power to bring the murderer to justice.” ‘**And so am I, of course,” added Ethel. ‘“Come! or we shall be too late,” Hurrying from the room, each caught up a hat, wrap and vail, put them on quickly, and then went out, Mr. and Mrs, Palmere were in sight, but were by this time quite some distance away. ‘“*Shall we walk fast and overtake them?” questioned Ethel. “Oh, no!” exclaimed Jeanne, ‘‘ that would never do, for Mrs. Palmere would recognize me, then, and might suspect us. We can walk a lit- tle faster than they, however, and gain upon them some.” ‘‘ Well, let us do that.” They hurried along, at a moderately rapid pace, and ere long were as near to the suspected pair as they cared to draw. And so they followed on until they traced them to the home of ** Brace” Tyler. ‘‘ There!” exclaimed Jeanne, ‘‘ they are turn- ing in to that old house,” ‘‘Sure enough!” echoed Ethel. ‘‘ And, see, the man is looking carefully up and down the street and all around,” ‘So heis. Let us walk right on, without a look to show we have seen them,” So they did, and Mr. Palmere, when he ex- pressed his opinion that no one was watching did not for a moment suspect the two vailed women whom he saw. Mrs, Raymond and Ethel walked right on, and when they came opposite to the house, they were just in time to see Mr. ‘‘ Brace” Tyler in- vite his callers in, ‘‘ Well, there they are, anyhow,” observed Jeanne, as the door closed. ‘* Yes,” responded Ethel; ‘‘ and now let us get home and inform Mr, Raymond and Frank as soon as we can,” ‘‘- Yes, We will continue on to the next cor- ner, there t and then get back as quickly as we can. You lead the way.” ** All right.” When they finally got back, they lost no time in telling husband and lover the résult of their. ‘‘Good!” exclaimed Frank, ‘the suspicion grows yet stronger.” ‘* How so?” inquired Ralph. ‘‘T happen to know something about that old house.” ‘‘Ha! then their visiting there does them no credit, eh?” “Not a hit.” ‘Who is it lives there?” asked Ethel. ‘A rascal called ‘Brace’ Tyler, a. man who ought to be in jail, according to,.ali I have heard concerning him,” “Then the ey certainly does grow strong,” Redlight Ralpb agreed, ‘‘and we must make some decisive move in the matter.” ** What shall it be?” asked Frank. ‘*Have you no suggestion to make?’ Ralph inquired. ‘* You are the detective in the case, you know.” ** We must lose no time, to begin with,” Frank answered, . ‘* That is true.” “And I would say, get out warrants for the arrest of the couple at once.” ‘** That will turn the case back into the hands of the officers,” Ralph objected. ‘* Sure enough,” ‘You see, Frank, Iam with you in wanting to get the work all done before we cal] on them to make arrests. I want you to have all the credit, now that you have struck the trail, Without the “pee you are now able to gi ve them, they could do nothing, and yet if they are called into the case now they would want to claim all the honor of running the murderer down,” ** You are undoubtedly right. Besides, if the clew I have found proves to be a false one, they will have no chance to laugh at us.” ‘* Well, suggest something else.” ‘You have rooms engaged at the Grand Hotel, have you not?” ‘Yes; why?” ‘* Are they near to Parlor No. 4? ‘* They are right adjoining that suite.” ‘*Good. Is there a connecting door?’ ‘*Bad. Still, I think I can make my plan work, if I put my shoulder to it,” ‘* 'W hat is your plan?” ‘* To go to the hotel while the couple are out, and take a look at things in their room.” _ That will be going a step too far, without due authority.” ** You can he!p me over that point, if you will.” ““Tcan? How?’ “* Why, being general manager and superin- tendent of the railroad, a request from you to have me sworn in as a deputy sheriff of this county would readily be granted. You know plenty of the boys were sworn in as such a few months ago when the freight-thieves were giv- ing Aa such trouble.” * But even that will not authorize you to en- ter a locked room.” ‘No; but Ican procure a search-warrant, and then if I should happen to be caught I shall be all right.” ** Well, I will do it.” FS Besides, I can then make my own arrests, if it comes to that, and the police need not be troubled, unless I have to call them to my assistance,” “You are right. Come on, and we will go down to the office right away.” Accordingly they took leave of the ladies and set out. CHAPTER X. ON THE RIGHT TRAIL, FooTBOARD FRANK accompanied Mr. Ray- mond, or ‘‘ Redlight Ralph,” as we have fallen into calling him, to the latter’s office, : When they arrived there, Ralph quickly penned a request to the sheriff of the county, asking of him the f: vor of appointing Frank as a deputy, giving the explanation that he re- quired the services of an officer, but that he would furnish one of his own men if he, the sheriff, would kindly give him the required authority. “There,” he said, as ke folded the note and gave it to Frank, ‘I think that will procure you the authority and a badge.” ‘* No doubt about it, sir,” said Frank, ‘and I will lose no time in getting to work,” ‘‘T have been thinking, Frank,” Ralph added, ‘that you are likely to find your hands full, if your clew leads to certain. proof.” ‘Tam armed,” said Frank, as he displayed a handsome Smith and Wesson revolver of a large pattern, ‘‘and if my strength and this revolver prove equal to my determination, I think I shall pull out all right. One thing troubles me a lit- tle, however,’ ‘* And what is that?” ‘* That [ am not keeping sight of the suspected ir. ‘True enough. If they are guilty they may be missing when you want them.” ‘* What is to be done about it?” ‘“*T will tellyou. I shall put a reliable man— or at any rate one whom I can trust—on guard at that old house. He can keep outof sight, and if the pair should leave there he can watch where they go.” ‘* A good idea; only he must be careful not to let himself be seen.” “*T will caution him.” , ee ‘* Well, I will go at once, for time is precious,” ‘Yes, every moment is important.” A few more words were exchanged, and then Footboard Frank left the office. He had obtained permission from Ralph to ong 5 his rooms at the hotel, and had been given the key. When he was gone, Ralph sat in thoughtful silence for some minutes. Presently he roused re ‘*’'Yes,” he decided, *‘ I will do it.” Turning then to his desk, he examined a num- ber of letters and telegrams, answered the latter and some of the former, and then went down to the telegraph office and held a comversation with the train-dispatcher at Mansfield, directing him in regard to some business. ‘‘ You may not be able to find me this even- ing,” he concluded, ‘“ If anything unusual! turns up, use f nea own judgment.” This done, he returned to the office. ‘“ Now,” he said, half aloud, ‘‘ I am going into this case with Frank. The man who will watch the old house where the suspected pair are, shal} be I.” Writing a note to his wife, he sent it by a messenger, and then prepared for the work in hand, Opening a closet he took outa suit of rather shabby clothes, a pair of heavy boots and a slouch hat. ‘¢ These,” he remarked to bimself, ‘‘ once serv- ed as a disguise for Morgan, when he was super- intendent and there was trouble with the men, and I guess I can make them serve me now.” He put the suit on, over his own clothes, and then put on the boots and hat. He looked like another man entirely. ‘*It seems to me, though,” he mused, “‘ that he used a false beard. Wonder where that is?” ' He felt in the pockets of the coat and: present- ly found it. It was not a very good one, but he put it on and adjusted it the best he could, and as it was drawing toward night he felt that he could make it answer. When he was finally ready he left the office by way of a rear door and made his way to the street behind the station. He met several persons, but no one gave him more than a casual glance. In a short while, then, he was in the neighbor hood of the old house. . He was just in time to see ‘‘ Brace” Tyler go- ing away. ‘That must be the fellow Frank called Tyler,” he thought. Looking in toward the house, as any other passer-by might bave done, he sought for a glimpse of the suspected man and woman. He was rewarded. At a window near the end of the porch, the only one that was open, he saw them both. They were evidently looking after Tyler, ~_— took no more than that one glance, and pa right on. ** And,” bis thoughts ran on, “it looks to me as though the man and woman intend to remain there for the present at least. There is certain- ly something wrong, and if they do not know anything abcut the murder, they are guilty of some other crime.” ; Ralph was soon out of sight from the old house, which stood back from the street, as de- scribed, and when he came to an unoccupied store a few steps further on he sat down on its stoop. From there he could keep watch of the gate leading to the old house, and was not likely to be suspected if seen. When it came dark he could draw nearer. In the mean time Frank Forrester had gone to the office of the sheriff. In addition to the let- ter he carried, he knew the sheriff personally, ° He fortunately found himin. Frank soon made known bis business, and ten minutes later he was a duly sworn deputy-sheriff of the county. ; Pocketing his paper he pinned his badge cn the inner side of his coat, and then set out fcr: the hotel. He had no intention of making any effort to obtain a search-warrant, and. thus show his band to the police. He would investigate alone and upon his own responsibility, and abide by the consequences. Arriving at the hotel he went at once up to Parlor No, 2, and let bimself in. This was Ralph Raymond’s room. Closing. the door, he looked around and began to consider means of getting into. the adjoining rooms. There was no connecting door, as Ralph had said, so he thought of the windows, 900 — a >