Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 524 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

“Yes; two trunks by Express. And, by the ‘way, I want you to send to the station for them at once. Can you do sof” ** Yes, ma’m.” ‘Very well, do so. Here, accept this for yourself,” drawing a crisp bill from a weli-filled pocketbook and offering it to the man; ‘‘ and please attend to it directly.” ‘Yes, ma’m. Thank you.” ‘* And when they come, have them carried up to my room without delay. All my costumes and dresses are in them, and I must get them unpacked and hung up at once,” ‘* Yes, ma’m,” the clerk—or assistant—prom- ised, now all attention and anxious to please; ‘*and, ma’m, what kind of room will you have?” ‘*On! to besure. I want two or three rooms, en suite, and positively on the second floor.” ** Yes, ma’m.” ** And, if possible, I want them over the ve- randa. Iam so afraid of fire,” ‘Yes, ma’m, I will bring the keys and light you up at once, ma’m.” ‘* You have such rooms as I desire, then?” ‘*‘ Yes, I believe we have, ma’m.” The assistant clerk hastened away to the office again, was gone a few minutes, and then came back and conducted the woman up to the rooms, ‘t You will not forget the trunks?” she said, as he was going down, **T have already sent for them, ma’m,” he an- ‘swered, with a servile bow. The woman closed the door after him, but opened it again at once to call: “Tf Mr. Palmere should come to-night, as he may, tell him to come to these rooms,” ay Yes, ma’m,” with another bow, and the assistant passed on and the woman reclosed the door. The moment she did so, an was entirely alone her face took ona new expression—an expres~ sion of fear and dread, as near as it may be de- scribed. Clasping her hands together, she strode to the center of the room with the air of a tragedy ‘queen, and there paused. ‘* My God!” she muttered, half aloud, ‘‘ what was it I heard said about murder ? The voices reached me from the office when the clerk was seeing about my room. Can it be that at last— But, no! I will not believe that it can be true!” Dropping her hands to her sides then, she be- gan to pace to and fro acrvss the floor in an agi- ‘tated manner. ‘* Somehow,” she went on, ‘‘ I have had a feel- ing of uneasiness all the evening, I have felt that some great danger was at hand. And now the presentiment is stronger than ever. What ‘can it mean? I shall know no peace until I see Burke, Why do the trunks not come? I for- ‘get, though, that the man has not had time to get them,” So this strange woman continued, pacing to a Rogie to and fro, and talking to herself the while. ' She only paused once, and that was to lay aside her hat and wrap. Then she resumed her walking. At last, after some little delay, for the reason ‘shown, the trunks arrived, and promptly taken up to Mrs. Palmere’s rooms. The assistant clerk, having been generously ee tipped was more than anxious to please. . Palmere directed the porters where to place the trunks, and then as soon as they were gone from the room she locked the door, arfd a so ope later turned the light in her room very ow, Twenty minutes later a man entered the hotel office, approached the clerk, and asked: ‘*Is a Mrs, Palmere registered here?” ‘* Yes, sir,” the clerk promptly responded, + sa She inquire for me—for Mr. Palmere?” ‘* When did she arrive?” ‘*She came py the Night Express, and came here something over half an hour ago, Yes, nearly an bour ago, in fact.” ‘Had she baggace?” 64 Yes.” * Well, lam Mr. Palmere, the lady’s husband, Will you show me to her rooms?” ‘Yes. In fact the lady left orders that you ‘were to be conducted up if you called.” ** Of course.” ‘Here, Jake,” the clerk called to his aasist- ‘ant, who was half dozing in a chair, ‘‘ you show this gentleman up to Parlor No, 4,” At mention of that room, the assistant was on on in a apron nt me tr | “Yes, sir; ce y, Sir; wa ease, sir,” he said rapidly; and he led the ee Vhen they arrived at the door of Mrs. Palmere’s room, the assistant knocked, The Engineer Detective, EE ‘Who is there?” wag asked. ‘** I—your husband,” Mr. Palmere instantly responded, he door was opened at once. Mr. Palmere went in, the door closed again, and the assistant clerk went back to his chair, Had any one been there to witness it, it was a strange meeting between husband and wife who had not seen each other recertly. They did not even shake hands, Mr. Palmere dropped upon a chair, and as Mrs, Palmere had secured the door, she too sat down, Neither spoke. The two big trunks were there where they had been placed, but they were no longer locked, Both of them stood open. One, *he larger of the two, was entirely empty, and the other seemed to contain clothing, etc, The eyes of Mr, Palmere rested upon the empty one, Mrs. Palmere was the first to speak. ‘*Tt is borrble!” she exclaimed, ** You’re a fool!” the man retorted bluntly, in low tones, | ‘Why am I a fool?” the woman demanded, with a show of spirit. ‘* Because you are always croaking about the ‘horrible’ and the ‘dangerous.’ It is not half as horrible as it might be.” ‘** How could it be worse?” ‘*Wauld it not be worse if it had worked the other way?” ‘* For you, no doubt.” ‘* Ay, and for you, too,” “a How 9” ‘*T think it would have been made quite interesting for ‘ Madame Sibylla,’ my dear, The woman turned pale, and her very soul seemed to quake, ‘* But, as it is,” she said, faintly, ‘‘ how could it be worse?” ‘* How cuuld it, eh? Well, let me illustrate, if Ican. Suppose suspicion were to fall this way, and some clew had been left, would—” ‘* Heavens!” the woman gasped, springing to her feet,” are you sure no clew was left?” ‘* Ha, ha, ha!” the man laughed half aloud, ‘*T see you faintly realize how it might be worse,” ‘** But, tell me,” the woman persisted, ‘are ou sure there is no way in which suspicion can ead to you?” ‘To us, you mean, Yes, [amsure. Iam no fool, and I took every precaution to guard against it. We have nothing to fear,” he woman resumed her seat with a sigh of relief, noe some minutes neither of them spoke again, When the silence was broken it was the woman who spoke first, as before. ‘* What are we to do?” she asked. ‘* We will stay right here, for a few days at least, and then we will try our luck once more,” ‘* What! you surel further pow, do you?” ‘SW by not?” ‘** Think of the danger.” ** There you are again, croaking as usual, [| declare Fay are enough to make me tired. Of course I shall try itagain. Why not?” *‘ Lsbould think this night’s experience would satisfy you.” ‘So it does, in that line. I- want no more of ®. But, iv “A what I have expected, and I was prepared, may never happen again,” ‘No; but something else mac? 4 ** We must risk that.” Again followed silence. t could be the meaning of so strange a conversation? Et was clear in one respect, but it was far from clear in another. Who were those two? And what was the subject of their conversation? Had it aught to do with the murder—or suicide—of the Express- messenger? Mrs, Palmere, as she called herself, had come in on the same train, and ber husband, if he was her husband, had come to the hotel an hour later, almost. She had inquired for him, and he for her, when they arrived, aud yet when they met, it was with an air as though they had but recently parted company. esently Mrs. Palmere rose and crossed to where the trunks stood. Closing the lid of the empty one, she turned to the other and began to take her dresses from it. There were several of them, and some that were uifdoubtedly intended for stage wear. do not mean to carry it — EO LL LL LE nest, 5 + ee ee ee ‘‘T have announced that I am Madame Si. bylla, an actress,” she remarked presently. ‘** That is all right,” the man returned. ‘* You are here for a little rest, and so forth.” ‘* Ave there any play-houses in this town?” ‘**] suppose so; it is quite a city.” ‘* Then perhaps I can catch on to do a little specialty work, or to give a matinee in behalf of charity, as I have done before,” ‘** Yes, perhaps you can, That charity racket is a good one, I will see what can be done,” ‘* There will be a great excitement to-morrow, no doubt.” ‘*Tf you mean over the case, there is a great excitement now. It has nothing to do with us, however. Itis the talk of the town, I fancy, from scraps of conversation I caught. I think, though, it will have to be set down as suicide, But come, let’s to bed, for 1 am fagged out.” Ha! ‘‘ suicide,” eh? Surely their conversation was conce ning poor Daddy Gray. Next morning, Mme. Sibylla and her husband layed the parts of loving man and wife to per- ection. CHAPTER V. ONE FACT PROVEN, When Redlight Ralpb and Footboard Frank left the undertaker’s room, after the inquest was over, Detective Spottem followed them out, ‘* Well,” he inquired, addressing Ralph, ‘* what is your opinion now, Mr, Raymond?’ ‘‘Tt is the same as before, sir,” Ralph prompt- ly answered, The det ctive smiled. **Then you will not be convinced that it was suicide, eh?” he queried. ‘** No, sir, I will not! Had the safe rot been robbed, 1 should be inclined to think that the shooting was an accident; but, as it is, I still be- lieve that it was murder,” ‘* But how can it be? How did the murderer et out of the car? And where is the bullet rom the dead man’s weapon?” ‘* We are not sure that he fired at all at that time. That cartridge may have been shot out previously.” ‘*That is true; but the fact thet one chamber was found empty, and a bullet of the right kind and size was found in the body, and the car being securely locked on the inside, we must call it suicide,” ‘I admit,” Ralph owned, ‘“ that everything goes to favor that theory, and that I have not a single point or clew to BaP por my argument, but I still insist that Daddy Gray did not die by hisown hand, You look upon the robbery of the safe as a motive for the act, while I look upon it as proof of murder,” ‘But, we do aot_insist that Mr. Gray robbed the safe himself, Mr. Raymond; in fact, the coroner stated quite the contrary.” ‘* That does not alter my opinion in the least. I know that Mr, Gray never robbed the safe himself; and to discover that it had been mys- teriously robbed while in his charge, would never have made him take his own life.” ‘We do not know that. He may bave had a fear that he would be suspected of the crime, and under the impulse of the moment, fired the bullet into his heart.” ‘* Never!” exclaimed Footboard Frank, ‘' Hig reputation was too firmly established, and his integrity too well known.” ‘You are right, Frank,” supplemented Ralph. ‘‘ Besides, he would have thought twice before doing so rash an act, and would he not have con- sidered that to teke his hfe under such circum. stances would be to bave the finger.of suspicion pointed at him? Furthermore, would he not have left some word of writing?, And would he not have left at least one door of the car unfast- ened? I tbink so.” Mr. Spottem was for a moment silent. Here were some points he had not thought of, or at least not in the same light. Mr. Spottem was not a great detective by any means, and it was scarcely likely that he would ever become a sbining light in his pro- fession, “T must admit that your argument is good, Mr. Raymond,” be confessed, presently, ‘ unless it was the man’s desire to leave the dnpression that be had been robbed and murdered. ‘‘In that case,” added Footboard Frank, quickly, ‘* he would have been certain to leave a door unlocked,” ‘Of course,” agreed Ralph, less to debate the question, You have your theory, and we have ours, The coroner his jury support you in your opinion, and we are eft without a leg to stand on, apparently. Still, we insist in our belief, and shall endeavor to clear the mystery up,” ‘‘But it is use- aot ) | |