Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 526 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

Nat knew just about where the boat in which Graggs and Parsons went away had been beach- ed, and seeing a small lad seated on another boat, he went to his side. ‘*Why ain’t you out sailin’, my frien’?” he asked. ** Ain’t got no boat,” the small boy replied. ** You seem ter like tle water.” ** L do# * ]cin you swim?” ** You bet!” ** You orter hey a boat.” The unknown lad turned his gaze upon Nat. ‘The latter was several years bis senior, and he felt pleased at such notice, and the mention of his earnest desire, “I wish I[ did have ono,” he agreed. . “*Spend a good ’calo’ yer time down hyar by the river, don’t yer?” sé Yes. ” ** now who all these boats b’long ter, I dar’ say.” ( 'By'ry one,” | “Any strangers—from Jarscy, f'rinstance— ever tie up their water vehicles hyar?”’ ‘‘Oh! yes; there was one here last night from Jersey. | know who it belonged to, too—his name is Parsons, and he lives in Hoboken. The boat was beached right there!” The lad pointed, and if Nat had before doubt- ed that he had knowledge of what he told, that esture would have settled all. The boat had ee just where he said. ‘‘T know a Parsons over in Hoboken,” con- tinned Nat, blandly. ‘* Wonder ef it’s the same one? Whar does this Parsons live, anyhow— what street?” ‘*[ don’t know, but his first name is Simon. If you want to know about him, Alf Perriby who lives on Kighty-first street, can tell you.” ‘* Never mind,” replied Nat, hastily, for he had no desire to meet the redoubtable Alf again. ‘* You didn’t see Parsons arnd his boat hyar Ifonday night, did ye?” ‘* No,” answered the boy, after brief medita- tion. ‘*‘He wasn’t here in the evening, or, at least, I didn’t seo him, but he was here just be- fore dark, I saw hi:a and a man named Greggs, who goes with him. They were talking with a man with long hair and wild clothes—he looked like a Western cowboy.” ** You did see them, eh?” ** Yes,” ‘ “‘ Hear w’ot they said?” ‘Not a word,” Nat had learned all the small boy knew about the matter, He asked several more questions, but they only served to bring out minor points relating to what had already been told. Nat, however, had gained information of importance. Doctor Chippewa bad been in carnest con- versation with Greggs and Parsons a short time before the supposed assault on Foretop Tom took place; and after they were through, the men from Jersey had re-entered their boat and rowed away down the river, “Tl bet my hat Foretop Tom was decoyed ter the pier by some plausible lic, ana then Gregory arnd Sime Parsons was thar ter fall on him like devourin’ wolves,” thought the young detective, as he walked away. “So Parsons lives in Hoboken, eh? Wal, 1 reckon my busi- ness will take me ter Jarsey right away, quick. { want ter locate that pestiterous chap, Ef Foretop Tom is alivo he may even now be shut up in Simon’s Bastile. Assoorecly!” With Nat to resolve was to act promptly when possible, and he entered a train on the Elevated Road and rode down to Christopher street. From there he took the ferry to Ho. boken. When the beat touched the drop he assed out of the ferry-houss, and there paused or a moment. Which way was he to go? The majority of his late fellow-passengers were hurrying toward the low, unpretentious railroad depot at the left, but he did not want to ' gooutof town. He finally decided to walk on awhile and see what the vicinity looked like. He had never been in Hoboken but once before, nd his knowledge of the place was limited, He strolled away until he reached Washineton street, when he turned to the right, but at Fourth went through to Bloomfield. This was more to bis liking, and he sauntered on with bis handsin bis pockets, surveying the passers-by ashedidso. Thusfarhe bad made no effort to find out where Parsons lived, and he was in no haste to do so, He was studying Hoboken, with an eye to jusiness, Suddenly he saw something which arrested all bis attention, This had been casually drawn at. first by a mastiff which was stalking majes- Ll LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL North River Nat. tically along; led by a man, but as Nat looked at the man he forgot the dog, ‘‘ Great ginger!” he muttered, ‘ef thart fel- ler’s back ain’t like Sime Parsons’s I’m gittin’ blind. Don’t seem posserble that I kin be in séch luck, but it does look amuazin‘ly like Simon, hisself!” Just then the man partially turned bis head. ‘It’s him, by ginger!” Nat affirmed, | The young detective at once became all atten- tion. Luck had favored him singularly, and far more than he would have dared hope. Chance had brouvit him within sight of one of the suspected criminals, and be determined to keep bim in view, Apparently Parsons was unconscious of the 5 glenn though it was not likely that he would recognize him, anyhow, and the mastiff would prevent him from doing any fine work to avoid being followed. ; [t seemed a very simple matter to run him Own, Nat began the work, but it did not prove a brief one, Parsons was evidently out to give his dignified canine companion an airing, and this he proceeded to do, traveling in a roundabout way and turning many corners, He did not throw the pursuer off the track, Where he went, Nat followed, taking great care not to be discovered. He kept well back, and was ready to assume a careless air and position whenever the man should turn. Tlalf an hour was passed in this way, and then Parsons paused in front of a low, old- fashioned wooden house which stood in a i 1 yard. He opened the gate and passed in- sicle, ‘‘THived, at last, by ginger!” commented Nat. Parsons passed along one side of the house, and as the boy sauntered past be saw what seemed to be a dog-kennel at the rear of the yard. Hedid not venture to stop, but went on at an easy pace, thinking as he went. What was he todo next? It was one thing to learn where Parsons lived, and another to dis- cover whether thero was any sign of Foretop Tom about the p'ace. ‘*l’ve got ter git a look inside that palatial shauty, but how shall 1 do it?’ he muttered. ** Tbhart is the question which agitates my yooth- ful mind, by ginger!” It was not often that Nat was at loss for an idea when one was wanting, and the fact that he bad seen a girl in a white apron—evidently a servant—standing on the steps by the rear door gave him an idea very soon. ** But will it work?’ he thought. ‘Thar are ins arnd outs to it, arnd nobody kin say what kind o’ a pestiferous scrapé I may run my head inter, May run right ag’in’ Sime Parsons, hisself, first slap. Wal, what ef I do? He never has had a good look at me, arnd L don’t blieve he’d hev any idee [ was the same chap that jumped out o’ Alf’s winder. It’s a go!” He went to a confectionery store and pur- chased a pound of candy, which was put up in a paper box. Then he proceeded to a hardware store and had two sheets of thick wrapping- pap ar put around it and securely tied. le then had a good-sized package, the nature of which no one could surmise by its appear- ance. Next he removed his necktie and collar, and partially battered in the crown of his derby hat. All this was to change his appearance, and when he had put a few more touches to his toilet he really looked like a different person. His preparations completed, he marched boldly back to the house he wished to enter, walked through the yard and rapped at the rear door, The same white-aproned servant-girl ap- peared, “ May I arsk yer name, miss?” said Nat, hold- ing the package prominently forward. “My name! Why, of course. It is Lena Tryon.” ‘**Assoredly. Sech was my idee. Is thara gent hyar who is waitin’ fur this package?” ** Not that I know of.” ** You'd know it ef he was, age is fur you.” “Why, [thought you said it was for a gent.” ‘‘ Not ‘zactly, wiss, It’s rayther a comple- cated a’fair, Ye see a gent met me on the street arnd axed me would 1 carry this package ter Miss Lena Tryon, at this house. O course I sez I would. ‘ Wal, do it,’ sez he, givin’ me a quar- ter, ‘arnd Ill meet ye thar.’ Mebbe T'll git that fu’st; anyhow, wouwt be long behind ye. Now mind,’ sez he, awful solemn-like, ‘this package ain’t ter go out o’ your hands ontil you give it ter me. It’s fur Miss Tryon, but I am the gent ter pass it over ter her, arnd nobody This hyar pack- a else. Ketch on? sez he, I told him I did ketch on, arnd hyar I be,” The trim young servant seemed to think she knew from whom the present came. She blushed a little, her eyes brightened, and she replied: ‘* No gentleman has come yet.” “Then T’ll hev ter set down arnd wait fur him. Nat made a motion to sit on the step, but she stopped him. ‘* Not there,” into the kitchen ” ‘* Be you alone?” ‘* Yes, in this part of the house, The folks are up-stairs; they won’t come here. Walk right in!” She spoke cordially, and Nat obeyed prompt- ly. He little suspected how warmly he was destined to be entertained in that house, CHAPTER IX. NOT THE GENTLEMAN NAT WISHED TO SEE. THE young detective was inside the house, and preparer to carry out the plan he had formed. ‘he rather- pretty servant looked covetously at the package, but he hung to it grimly and sat down, ‘‘ Shouldn’t be a talls’prised ef thar was a few pounds o’ diamonds in hyar,” he observed. ‘* Mebbe it is the royal Croker-noah jewel.” “Is it heavy?’ asked Lena, plainly a good deal interested. . ‘*Not so very. Diamonds ain’t heavy, onless you git a bigger c’lection than most folks bev.” ** Nobody would send me diamonds.” ‘‘They’d look wal on ye, by ginger!”’declared Nat, diplomatically. ‘* You’ve got a boss com- plexion, arnd it would set ’em off fine.” ‘*T see you know how to: flatter, if you are young.” ‘*P’ve got eyes in my head, arnd I know a pretty girl when I see her. Assooredly! I say, tis floor is so white arnd clean I’m ’most afeerd ter tech my shoes to it. Do you like ter work?’ ‘¢ No, but I have to,” Lena frankly replied. ‘* Many in the fam’ly?”’ ‘* Only three.” ** Don’t see any children’s playthings round,” ‘*' There ain’t any children.” ‘¢ Lemme see—what’s the name o’ yer boss?” ‘6 Carl Veazey.” ‘‘T spose the fam/’ly cornsists 0’ him arnd his wife arnd—who else 1s thar?” ‘¢ Their son, Percy.” North River Nat was disappointed. He had expected to hear that the owner of the house was named Parsons. It occurred to him, how- ever, that Parsons might be a man of many names—or Gregg’s’s real name, might be Veazey. ‘‘ Any comp’ny at present?” be continued. ‘SNo;” ‘‘ Didn’t I see a sailor chap hyar tother day?” ‘*T haven't seen any.” Lena’s manner was not only unsuspicious, but the personification of honesty. ‘What sort o’ a lookin’ chap is Carl Veazey?’ pursued Nat, patiently. ‘He isan old man now, with hair white as snow. He don’t go out of the house.” ‘‘Arnd Perey. _ Wo’t 0’ him?” ‘Oh! he is young—not over twenty-one.” _ Neither of these men could be Parsons, aud Nat began to be discouraged and disgusted, “ Did I, or Cidn’t I, see a mastiff out hyar 1 the yard?” he continued, in a less good-natured way. ‘*Oh! yes; that is Mr. Percy’s dog.” ‘f Who was leadin’ the critter an hour or so ago? ‘“‘T don’t know his name; it was some friend of Mr. Perey.” ‘** Do ye know whar he lives?” she said; ‘* come ‘*No. [never saw him tut once or twice be- fore,” , ‘“Arnd you ain’t seen no sailor chap around ‘6 No ” It was the last question Nat had to ask. He had come to the conclusion that he was on the wrong scent, as far as that particular house Was concerned, and the sooner he beat a graceful re- treat from it, the better it would be. What he wanted now was to get outside, watch for Par- sons to reappear, and rerume the work of dog- ging him to his lair. He had decided to leave the bogus package) and let Lena get her reward for answering his questions by eating the candy, when the door which led to the other part of th ly opened and two men appeared. The foremost was Simon Parsons! The big rough’s forehead was knit intoa most ferocious scowl, and his gaze became at once = he ‘ : Ps ‘ -“ ; ~~» * a yt % * - At a IJ e e nouse sudden- ; ¢ a ” p « ™ % a < : ‘ yo% _— — o hi 9 le