Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 524 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

The Engineer Detective. ew ee - a — —— aie with which the preceding chapter closes, there came a knock at the broken door of the car. ‘* Who is there?” demanded Luke Warren. ‘* It is me, Gilsom,” was the response, with the customary grammatical slip that a similar question tails to bring out, Gilsom was the railroad agent at Oakvale, ** What do you want?” asked Ralph. ‘* There is a po''ter here from the hotel, sir, in- quirmg for two trunks for a lady who came in ou the train.” ‘* Well, they must be in the baggage-car.” ‘““The baggage is all out of my car, sir,” the baggage-master spoke. ** No,” persis the agent, “‘they were sent by Express.” ‘Well, in that case you will have to wait a few minutes. The porter was right behind the agent, and exclaimed: ‘* But, sir, the lady is anxious to have ’em as soon as possible, sir, and—” ‘* They will be delivered soon,” said Ralph; and then to the agent he added: ‘You, Gilsom, come in here by the end door and look the way-bills over.” ‘+ Yes, sir,” the agent assented, and hastened to obey. In a few minutes more the coroner appeared on.the scene. The case was laid before him just as it was understood, ** When will you hold your inquest, sir?” the superintendent inquired, ** To-morrow, sir,” that officer decided. ‘*Then you will want these men as witnesses?” **' Yes. I will take their names now,” **Do so, and I will arrange to relieve them from duty. May we now remove the body?” ‘* Yes, it may now be removed,” A wide board was brought, and the body of the poor messenger was carried into the station. An undertaker was sent for, and later the body was removed to his place of business. In the mean while, as soon as the body had been taken from the car the agent began to deliver the Express. The two trunks which the porter from the hotel was so anxiously waiting for, were of the largest kind. They were solidly made, and had every appearance of having seen a great deal of travel, ‘* You say these belong to a lady?” the agent remarked, as he delivertd them, “Yes, sir,” ‘‘She must have come to stay, then, I should imagine,” the agent commented, ‘**She’s an actress, I b’lieve,” the porter ex plained. ‘**Oh! that accounts for big trunks, then.” And so the trunks were given to the porter, and he, with the help of his assistant, put them into the hotel cart and bore them away, ln the mean while, to use the phrase again, Ralph Raymond and Luke Warren were in con- versation, standing apart from the others, ‘¢Tt will be a terrible blow to her,” Luke was saying, ‘‘and I am not auxious to be the one to break the news.” ‘**On second thought,” said Ralph, ‘‘I believe I will go back to the hotel and get Mrs. Ray- mond to accompany me, and go and tell the poor girl myself.” ‘Tt is a good idea, sir; andif you will allow me to express My opinion, I think she could break the news more gently than either of us.” ‘You are right, and go it shall be done. Now, you put away your train as soon as the xpress is unloaded, and switch Daddy’s car down onto the lower side-track and let it stand there. To-morrow it shall be draped in mourn- ing. Tell the driller to put another car in its place in the train.” “ Allright. And then you mean to relieve me for a day?’ ‘Yes; you and your men, I will arrange at once.” And stepping into the tele h office, Ralph entered into conversation with the train- dispatcher, Whose office was at the other end of the road. The girl mentioned in the remarks quoted, was Ethel Gray, Daddy’s daughter, and only child, She was now twenty years of age, and had been her father’s idol. Her mother was dead, apd she and Daddy had been a] in all to each other. Daddy owned a little house in Oakvale, and Ethel had been his housekeeper ever since her twelfth year. As soon as Ralph concluded his business with the dispatcher, he returned at once to the hotel and ordered a carriage. “You will pardon me,” the clerk said, ‘‘ but rr OS ee CO. Se d | —_—_—_—_--—__ —_ Mrs, Raymond ordered a carriage shortly after you went out, as you may not know.” ‘* Ah! then I do not want one. Did she leave any word for me?” **She said tell you, if you came here before she saw you, tbat she had gone to see Ethel.” *‘ All right,” and Ralph turned to go out, ‘I was so quick with my order that | gave you no chance to speak, I understand the mes sage,” ie turned his steps in the direction of the dead messenger’s home. ‘*Brave, noble Jeanne!” he exclaimed in thought, as he walked along, “her first thought was for the poor girl, and she hastened to her side at once,” When he arrived at the house, he found the carriage there, and when he knocked, it was his wife who opened the door, Ethel was seated in a low rocker, on the oppo- site side of the room, her face buried in her hands, Ralph’s first glance at his wife was a ques- tioning one. ** Does she know?” his eyes asked. And the unspoken answer was, ‘‘ Yes,” Late as the hour was, Ethel had a light su rready for her father, and had been watch- ing for him to come. And the room was so bright and cheery, and the pleasing odor of the tea in the urn was so homelike, that Ralph felt a lump rise in his throat as he thought of the honest old man whose step would nevermore be heard within those walls. Murdered—if murder it was; and what a hor- rible thing murder is! ‘* Oh! Mr. Raymond!” the poor girl exclaimed, after a moment, ‘‘ tell me it is not true. Isit really so? Is he—” She could say no more. ‘**T only wish [ could tell you it was not so,” Ralph answered in a trembling voice. rs. Raymond went to the girl and did all in her power to console her, as did Ralph. After a time, when the first burst of grief was LS waves by a comparative calm, Ethel in- quired: ‘* Where is he? Where is th—the body?’ Ralph informed her, adding: 7 Give yourself no uneasiness concerning the arrangements, Everything shall be attended to, and the whole care taken off your bands. And anything you desire done, you have but to men- tion it.” ‘‘But you know I am poor, Mr, Raymond, and the—” ‘** Do not think of that at all. shall be borne by the company.” Ethel could not iy voice to her thanks, After a time Ralph asked: **Do you know of any one, Miss Gray, who could possibly have had any object in taking your father’s life?” ** No, sir, I do not.” “Had he any enemies?” ** No, sir, not one, so far as I know.” “Have you ever heard him say anything about the danger of his business? Did he ever speak about robbers?” ** No—yes, he did once.” ** When was that?” ‘* A vear or two ago, I think.” ‘‘ What did he say then?” **T fear I cannot repeat bis exact words. He had been reading an account of a daring rob- bery out West, and as he laid down the paper, he said; ‘Well, all I have to say is—if any robber ever enters my car, he must be prepared to shoot almighty quick! And as he said it he drew his pistol from his pocket and aimed at an ay Cc robber,” : “Ab! that gives me an idea,” Ralph exclaim- ed, “and I won.er why I did not think of it be- ‘* What is that?” asked his wife. “Why, Mr. Gray had his revolver in his right band, and one of the chambers had been fired. There were no marks of blood except where he lay, and so we must suppose he did not hit bis murderer, if he fired at him. T wish I could know whether his revolver had been full or not.” “Tt was full!” Ethel quickly exclaimed. ‘‘ He put in new cartridges only this morning. ““Good! Then if he fired one to-night, before or at the time he was hit, the bullet must be somewhere inside the car, And, if it is there it shall be found, for that will at once disprove the suspicion that—” Ralph stopped short, but the mischief was one “The suspicion that— What?” Ethel quickly demanded. Every expense ‘Tl was thinking of something else,” Ralph re- sponded, evasively. **Do not try to blind me, Mr. Raymond, but tell me all,” the girl insisted. ‘' You started to say that if you could find the bullet from father’s pistol, it would at once disprove some suspicion. Go on and finish what you were going to say. What is suspected?” Ralph thought for a moment before he made reply. Should he tell ber that the detective believed her father had killed himself? If he did not, the uncertainty in her mind would be more trying than the truth, and on the morrow she would lear the truth anyhow. Yes, he would tell her. ‘‘] see I have gone too far not to tell you all,” he said. ‘The truth is—there is a suspicion that your fatber killed himself.” ‘* Good heavens! But, surely you do not be- lieve that, do you?” ** No, I do not, emphatically.” ** And how can any one else?” “No one who knew your father as I did, could entertain such a suspicion,” Ralph responded, ‘* T believe that he was murdered,” ‘‘ Who is it who thinks he killed bimseM?” the girl asked, ‘‘It is the detective who has undertaken to clear the mystery up.” ‘‘And why does he think so? What gronnd has he for such a suspicion?” Seeing that Ethel was determined to know all, Ralph laid the case before her exactly as 1% stood. The girl and Mrs. Raymond listened atten- tively, and when they had heard all, the former exclaimed: ‘‘ Heavens! do they believe that my r father robbed the safe, and then committed suicide? Ob! how can they think so? It is not so, Mr. Raymond, and the mystery must be cleared away!” ‘‘+And I have firmly resolved that it shall be cleared away,” Ralph declared. ‘No pains shall be spared, and. I will move all heaven and earth, as the saying is, to bring the guilty wretch to account.” At Mrs. Raymond’s suggestion, Ralph and she decided to stay with Ethel all night, for the poor giri was now entirely alone, Ralph went back to the hotel in the carriage his wife had ordered, dismissed it then and told the clerk to still retain his room for him, and then went back to rd Daddy Gray’s house— the home that would know him no more for- ever. And the night hours rolled on. CHAPTER III. ‘“sy HIS OWN HAND.” Tux general offices of the M. C. & O. Railroad were all at Mansfield, the eastern terminus of the road, The superintendent and manager, however, had @ temporary office at Oakvale, where he transacted business when in that city, Ralph Raymond was seated in that office, on the following morning, attending to some im- portant business concerning the road, He bad about finished the work when the door of the office opened and a young engineer of the road entered. He wasa man about twenty-five, well-built, and noble-looking, and was clad in his overalls and jumper. This young men was Frank Forrester, or ‘‘ Footboard” Frank, as he was generally called. He was one of the youngest engineers on the read, and was running ona Night t be- tween Mansfield and Oakvale. His home was at the latter place. He bad just come in off the road, as the ap- arance of bis hands and face indicated, and ad come at once to the superintendent’s office fter putting away his engine. oi Gio mernin’ wvanky? Redlight Balch get in?” ; -morning, Frank, “ar at least only a ted bim; ‘did you just * Yes,” Frank answ few minutes ago.” ‘* And vou want to see me?” “Yes, sir, I wamt you to put amaninmy place for a week.” ‘Put a man in your place?” “What for? You are not sick, are yout” ‘No, sir, but I have business to attend to, if mean to hunt down the man who killed Daddy Gray!” na What! you mean to turn detective?” **T do.” “ Why are you so interested in the case? Was Daddy a relative of ap ‘‘ No, he was not; but Ethel Gray is my prom- ised wife, and—” | co cpoo