Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 524 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

The Engineer Detective, 9 . «en Pavel ce Fm a: eel ST Eee > , i ‘That is what I said when you first camein,” | *“ All right.” In what way had the murderer escaped from . a the woman reminded. to Burke sauntered around the office idly for a | the car, after doing the deed, leaving all the ee ‘So a ‘* Yes, I know you did, and there is no time to | moment, and then appearing just to have thought | doors locked on the inside. 2 iy ; be lost. It may be too lateevennow. Wemust | of it, he stepped up to the clerk’s desk and That was the mystery. | / PI go out for a walk and never return,” said: And what knew Mrs, Palmer, or ‘‘ Mme, xd, ** Where will we go?” ‘‘ By the way, I suppose you will not object to | Sibylla,” about the affair?’ Why her unaccount- aby ‘‘ Why, we will go to Brace Tyler’s house for | taking a look at the color of our money, will | able and wonderfully great agitation? the present, and then get away from there when | you?” It must all be explaimed, “a we can.” ‘‘A thing 1 never refuse to do,” the clerk When he reached tbe office Ralph was not a ‘‘ But the trunks—what about them?” responed, smiling. ‘‘ No immediate rush about | there. iw ‘« We shall have to leave them,” it, though,” he added, Frank was by this time decidedly tired. ¢ *¢ And lose them?” ‘* As well now as any other time,” Burke re- It will be remembered that he had been out on ‘*T see no other way.” joined, as he produced a roll of bills, ‘ { will | the road all the previous night, and had taken ‘Can we not venture to take them?” settle for a eek in advance.” hold of the case immediately after his arrival at ‘** No, we can’t. If we are watched they would It was no trifling expense, to pay for one of | Oakvale. be seized at once. There is no way open to us | the best suites of rooms in a first-class hotel for His only moments of rest, if such they could except the one. I named; to go out as though | a week, but Burke seemed to have plenty of the | be called, were when he was, *‘ washing up,” merely for a walk, and never come back.” popular ‘‘ needful.” changing his clothes and eating his breakfast. \ ms ‘** And if we.are watched will we not be fol- Having paid and taken a receipt, he walked Dinner, altbough the afternoon was far ad- we, lowed?” around idly again for some minutes, and then | vanced, he had not yet tasted. be ‘By Harry! you are right. We may be in a | returned up-stairs, The inquest had lasted untilnearly one o'clock, wea confounded tight place. Hang the luck! if | The woman had been making haste, and was | and since then he had been continually on the A had been here l— ButI wasn’t, and we must be | nearly ready. go, re moving.” Ina short time all was done, and they went Dropping into the station restaurant, he or- 66 dresses, thougb; I cannot leave them.” | out, locking the door after them, and left the | dered and ate a substantial meal, while he wait- ‘You will have to, There is no other way | house. ed for Ralph to return, out of the trap, so far as I cansee. Come, now, They had packed and secured the trunks, but When he bad finished his repast, however, and om look alive and get ready for a walk.” still had taken the precaution to leave many | Ralph had not by that time come back, he i ‘*]T have an idea,” articles of clothing, etc., lying around for effect, | turned his steps toward the home of his promis- ** Ha! this is something like. You are a prize | to indicate that tueir absence had not been pre- | ed wife, in the hour of danger, and I’m glad to see you | meditated. He found Ralph there. pth have got over your croaking for a time.” They walked slowly and unconcernedly away ‘Well, Frank,” Ralph presently inquired, ‘It is uncertainty that unnerves me. When | up the main street, and continued on and on un- | after greetings had been exchanged, and Frank i?) the danger can be seen and felt, [can meet it— | til they were almost in the suburbs. was seated, ‘‘ what have you discovered?” * for your sake,” Then they turned and started back, ‘**T have found this,” was the reply, and as he | ‘* Well, what is your idea?” ‘‘Tam almest certain we have not been fol- | spoke, the Engineer-Detective took from his vest- ‘* We are not sure that we are watched.” lowed,” Burke remarked. j pocket the bullet he had eut from the trunk, ‘** No; but suspicion is as bad.” ‘It is impossible to be certain, though,” the ‘Ha! another bullet?” Ralph exclaimed. ‘“‘if we are, and go out, we shall be shad- | woman contended. “Yess? 43 Owed,” + “That is so, for a genuine dstective, if he | ‘‘And where did you find it” hee . ** Certainly.” , knows his business well, is practically invisible.” Frank explained, 7 ‘i i’ ‘Tf not watched, and we go out, we can get In truth, though, they had not !een followed. ‘*T found also this,” he added, as from his Y ig . . away.” Leaving the main street, presently, they en- | pocketbook he brought forth the bit of cloth he ra) ‘** Yes, no doubt.” tered a smaller one, and made their way to an- had found under the nail on the box, as has been ‘Then why not go to the clerk, pay our bill, | other quarter of the town, shown. tell him we are invited to the house of a friend, | Presently they stopped before an old-fashioned | ‘* And where did you find this?” and have an Expressman take the trunks imme- | house that stood back a little distance from the Again Frank explained, diately?’ street. ‘‘ You have done well,” Redlight Ralph cried. oa ey Where would he take them to?” ** Here is the place,” said Burke, as he swung | ‘‘T had strong faith in you when you t came aibed ‘“‘ Why, to your friend Tyler’s, where you pro- | open the gate. | into the office this morning, and now my faith pose going.” ‘* It is a dismal-looking hole, to say the least.” | is even stronger still. I believe you can clear 1 ee ‘ And if we are shadowed.” ‘Tt means safety to us, though. I am well | the mystery up. You certainly have made ex- “ NM It will be no worse to be tracked there with | satisfied now that we have not been shadowed, | cellent progress. LP ce’, the trunks than without them.” . and no one can find us hereif we use proper ‘‘Why, what have you learned?’ inquired v4, re Perhaps you are right there.” caution.” Mrs. Raymond, as she and Ethel Gray came ae Be | i think I am.” They entered the yard and advanced to the | into the roora, having been in another part of aye ge Gs : Even if not shadowed, though, the express- | house, and Burke plied the knocker, there | the house when Fran arrived. Foe ie man will be questioned, and we can easily be | being no bell; and the ponderous affair awoke | The amateur detective pepentes what be had _ followed later, I—” an echo that seemed to fly from room to room. | just been explaining to Ralph. <4 ate al MAAS **T can block that game.” A man soon came to the door, ‘Oh! I knewit was not suicide,” cried the oe we rue Bt ** You van!’ It was “ Brace” Tyler himself. messenger’s daughter, ‘‘and I am glad > ob Bee ‘Yes; you can engage the hotel porter to ‘** Hello!” he exclaimed, as his a fell par proof has been found.’ ) la a _ sss take the trunks, and you can ride with him to | the pair, ‘‘back again, Burke? How d’e do?” ‘¢Of course it was not!’ exclaimed Mrs. Ray- Thay + show him where to go. After you are some dis- | with a half-bow to the woman. mond; ‘‘and now | hope Mr, Forrester will . peek _ -—-: tance away you can send him back on some er- ‘Yes, back again, Brace,” Burke responded, | able to bring the murderer to account,” | oe ‘Tote . rand, and “then go on without him and hire a | “and we've come to stay.” “As I shall certainly strive to do,” Frank 4) Rat. ve tee boy to lead the horse back again.” ‘**Come to stay! What d’'ye mean? What is | earnestly avowed. . _ Oe Des, ‘No, no, your plans won’t do. That would | up? Nothin’ bu’sted, 1 hope.” Going over the whole ground, then, Frank Ve aT Toe fasten a cake pgm te upon us that would} ‘‘ That’s just what is the matter, Brace; some-| narrated all that had taken place since be had a a n be hard *o explain. I think I can suggest a| thing has ‘bu’sted,’ as you call it, and we. set weapon his mission, / =. plan.” have come here to get out of sight for the| Redlight Ralph and the ladies listened with ie Well, what is yours? Only be quick.” present.” rep attention, ie oxiaie ‘You pat on two or three of your best| ‘* Well, well, but that’s amazin’ strange. Come hen he concluded, all were silent for some dresses, Or aS Many as you can, and then pack | in, hough, an’ welcome, an’ make yourselves | moments, the trunks. I will go down to the office aud | Tight te home. ‘* Well,” Frank inquired, what do you think?” . Re pay our board fora week in advance. That en cndens ‘You say the woman was perfectly calm and ‘yam will kill all suspicion of any intention on our CHAPTER IX. | self-possesed when she opened the door to you?” ee part of skipping out. I will mention that we SUSPICIONS INCREASE, Ralph queried. 4 2a are going out to call ona friend in town, and| FooTBoarp FRANK changed his mind and did es: but the moment I said ‘railroad,’ I : aa ve, possibly may not return—” not goto the expert in the line of fire-arms, as | fancied she vie a Slight start, and turned a Ae | ee “No, I would leave that unsaid: I see your | he had at first intended doing, ) trifle pale, After that she was not calm at all, ‘Ge ’ « a ’ idea, and it is a good one.” | Instead, he went directly to Redlight Ralph’s | except a forced calmness,” ox Well, I will say nothing, then. We will go | office. - is Arid she has a husband, you say?” out fora walk, and will not come back, At| To go to the expert, he reasoned, to have the| ‘ Yes.” & Teast not right away.” bullet examined, would let out the secret that | ‘‘Iam sure she was traveling alone last night; | wh . , **Wecan send word to the clerk, to-morrow, | another bullet had been found. did you not think so, Jeanne?” to his wife, Sot ‘that we are stopping with a friend.” That would put the murderer on his guard, as} ‘ Yes,” Mrs. Raymond. agreed,” she was Se ‘ ~~ * Yes; and Brace and I can keep our eyes | soon as it reached him, and would awaken the | certainly alone all the way.” | Wes te 4 -_ and ears open to learn what is going on, and our | police detectives to the error of their waysin| ‘And when we reached here,” added Ralph, Be ext move Can be made according to what we | the case. ‘she asked us to direct her to a good hotel.” f | pe learn.” ; Frank was satisfied toletthem remain in total | ‘‘ That is singular,” Frank observed, oe 3 Ne ¢ - good plan; and having paid for our | ignorance that any discovery had been made. ** Why so?” ee Si 3 _-- rooms, the hotel will be responsible for our] “Jt would be more satisfaction to clear the case ‘Because, when she went to the hotel, so I ; el. trenks.” . ' | up and solve the mystery of the murder before | have learned, sbe inquired at once if her husband 4 ‘ Burke, to call him by that name, went at] they became aware of any new clews, if it were | was there.” Ee Y. je 3 -- ,onee to the office, entering in a leisurely man- | possible. y ** Sne did!” ye | WW] ner, Besides, he felt competent enough to judge for | “ Yes,” > Phot At oe oe _——s * Have you been up-stairs?” fre clerk asked, as | himself concerning the bullet. ‘That, then, is still further proof against her re ss goon as he saw him. It was, he decided, one similar in size and | Ralph declared. ‘I believe with you, k, oe “Yes,” Burke answered, — | Nid shape to the one that had been found in Daddy | she es some knowledge of the crime.” ny “All right, then. Word was left here that Cray body. . “Tt is in, though,” declared Mrs. Ray- Mrs, Palmere wanted to see you as soon as you ere was proof sufficient to satisfy his own | mond, “ that she did not do the deed. She was Sigh » eamein.” i 6 | mind that the old messenger had been murdered, | not out of her seat in the parlor-car onceduring = ee ob all right; I have seen her.” | But how? the trip.” Serie | 2 ~~ wt * ae t vai . \} \ - > ite ‘ . ; , | 3 ; De ee Me ieticsae wl RIAN A a ag bn Pie: theo Leas Reo eo ee a aa LIES Nidea 4 —_— Pa —— t. ‘ s.! = 4 ij / y uN > \ ) ‘ _~ 4 fe = 7 mA: = » =