Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 583 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

| —— the house had not retired, they were soon in his presence. He was a man well advanced in rears, and his face was a firm, resulute one, but 3 thought there was ne other boy like Five Points Phil, so the latter was very cordially ted, “Hallo! what have we here?” he asked. ‘* Have you brought an orpan asylum?” We have heard Rex tell Phil in a previous chapter that, after the education he had re- ceived there was ne good reason why the ex- Five Points boy should use such peculiar lan- guage Solomon Richmore had paid for this schooling, and Phil took care to use good lan- guage in his presence. ' “This girl, sir,” he replied, ‘‘is an orphan, and she is in trouble.” ‘*TIndeed! I am sorry. dear!” His kind manner won Ella’s confidence, and she went to him obediently. He set her upon his knee, and passed his hand over her brown Come here, my hair, ‘* What is her trouble?” he asked. ‘* She Las just lost her mother, Mr. Richmore, and now her enemies are persecuting her.” ‘** Wor what reason?” ‘*That I don’t know, It is a mystery.” ‘What! have you another detective case?” ‘Ses, Sir.” ‘You are a strange boy!” ‘¢‘T hope you are not dissatisfied, sir.” ‘To find you helping anorphan child? Never, my dear boy—never! But tel! me all about it.” ‘Hadn’t we better give her in charge of Mrs. PROKEY, first?’ asked Phil, with a significant ook, ‘* A very good idea, It shall be done,” _ Mrs. George was the colored housekeeper. She was called; Ella was sent to a comfortable room with her; and then Phil told the whole story to his protector. Mr. Richmore listened carefully. He was older and less imaginative than the boys, but though he was not so ready to assert that there was a fortune belonging tothe girl, he could not but admit that there was a mystery in the case that ought to be known. He volunteered to employ a detective to in- vestizate Short and Haskins, but, at Phil’s re- quest, he promised to defer action until the lad had made one more effort himself. He was, however, sympathetic and kind, and when the boys left the house they were in good spirits. Pu In the mornin’,”’ said Phil, ‘* Pll go ter see Pratt, the carpenter. Then look out fur develop- ments, my frien’!” CHAPTER XVI. THE STRANGER, ‘‘T aw not in the habit of talkin’ about fam’ly affairs, but I can’t see as Ill do any harm by obligin’ you, ‘You're sure it can’t be called gos- sipin’, ain’t you?” ‘TL should say not, Mr. Pratt.” “Then I'll tell ye—but you see I hev a horror 0 gossip. ’Tain’s dignified fur a man ter gossip; that’s woman’s business,” The speaker was Pratt, the carpenter. Five Points Phil had called upon him and, mention- ing that he had taken an interest in the old, proud family of whom he lad heard Pratt speak on a former occasion, had led the simple old man on to speak of them. ‘¢] was a servant there but I wa’n’t in the least ashamed on it,” began the carpenter, re- veling in recollections, “ Old Master Grim, as the more light-headed of the servants called him was an honest man if he was harsh, an’ he trust- ed me. It wa’n’t a lucky family, Everybody said so, an’ there was stories 0’ tragedies ’wa back. My master’s only son was drowned. Well, when I went there, there was only the old entleman, his wife an’ their six year old girl, stelle. She was born after her brother died’ being a child of her parents’ old age, but they loved her well. So di owns body. © ‘My boy, it was my fortune ter see that gir] grow up, an’I must say she was the sweetest child I ever seen. We all loved her—even her stern old father adored the ground she walked upon, an’ he shuwed good sense, too, by doin’ it, “The bad luck o’ the fam’ly followed the girl, though, an’ when she growed up she fell in love with the wrong man. eShe was eir to a heap 0’ money; her lover was poor, You ca guess that her father didn’t epprove o’ that. ag | er on it? ell, I should say not, Miss Estelle’s mother was dead, so he bad full sway. He ordered her to drop the young man at once an’ forever. I really believe Miss Estelle tried to, but she loved him too well. She couldn't drop him, an’ she didn’t, J say she was Ay . 5 % pm. .” oF - ee a Wrestling Rex. right, for a finer young man than Edgar Tres- cott 1 never saw. ‘But there was some awfulrows. When the old gentleman saw that his orders was not obeyed he flew wild. He stormed like a pirate, an’ abused Miss Estelle awful. What was the result? She run away with Trescott, an’ they’ve never been seen nor heerd from sence,” The old carpenter paused and sighed deeply. Unknown to him or Phil, there was an unseen listener to this story. A stranger had entered the shop and stood listening, concealed by the boxes which had concealed Phil when he listened to Pratt and Haskins on a former occasion. ‘What did the old gentleman do when they left him in the lurch?” asked Phil. a where the dark part comes in. He died ! ‘* Yes.” ‘* How do you mean?” ‘* He was found dead the mornin’ after Miss Estelle eloped. There ain’t no doubt in my mind that he died in a fit, but there was marks on his throat of buman hands; an’ somehow, the report got started—an awful rumor—that he had been strangled by his daughter an’ her husband, ‘The doctor said he had ondoubtedly made the marks on his throat witb his own hands, tearin’ at it fur want o’ breath, but the rumor had got in the papers, an’ I take it, twas that which made Miss Estelle stay away—or she may hev felt sure o’ her father’s unforgivin’ ways, an’ never heerd he was dead, ‘* Anyhow, she never come back. She was next o’ kin, an’ they looked fur her, but never come. It was very odd, Nobody thought her ruilty, and she would hev been a great heiress, out she never come, Whethershe’s alive I don’t know,” The old family servant sighed deeply as he ended. ‘Somebody got the property,” said Phil, quietly. ‘* Who was it?” ‘*‘ Her father’s cousin, Thomas Landerson. ‘* Landerson!” sé Yes. ” Phil winked twice in rapid succession. He had never heard the name but once before. ‘* T s’pose he’s enjoyin’ it now?” ‘** No, he’s dead, an’ his son has the prcperty. A wild, dissipated fellow is Willis Landerson.” Phil’s eyes brightened, He had not forgotten the dissolute young man whom Wrestling Rex had saved from the roughs of Baxter street, “Did you mention a man named Short?” slowly inquired the boy, who knew that Pratt had not mentioned that person, ‘Short is business agent of the Landerson estate. His father an’ gran’father had the place afore him. The present Short I don’t hke, He and Miss Estelle bad a quarrel. I[ thank he wanted to marry her—an’ [ guess Ke’d lost his hold on the Landerson estate if Miss Estelle or her father had stayed there; but he an’ Thomas were frien’s, an’ when the latter got to the front Short was again safe in his position,” ‘**So Wills Landerson has the hull boodle now?’ vxesm ut he ain’t the right owner, is he?” “Not ef Miss Estelle is alive,” ‘* Or her hens.” ‘Ef she is dead, but left children, they own what Willis Landerson now holds, I declare, I don’t know what will become of the property. Willis is drinkin’ himself inter his grave, an’ he’s the last of the Landersons. When he dies itll puzzle the lawyers ter tell who is next o’ kin. ‘“ Why don’t they find Estelle?” Phil some what sharply inquired. ‘* I s’pose they can’t.” ‘* Nonsense!” “‘ { tell you, my lad,” said the carpenter, shak- ing his head, ‘‘ this is a big world, an’ it’s not easy ter find a lost pera ‘*1l] bet J could find Estelle!” declared Phil. The stranger wbo was listening behind the boxes sta perceptibly, but Pratt only smiled. ‘“T wish you could.” ‘* She’s the real heir, you say?” “Tf alive, she is.” “Ef not, ber children be?” Was 1 ® You say thart Willis arnd Short are chum- mies?’ ‘*’Yes.” ‘‘Arnd it’s ter Short’s int’rest ter hev Willis ay po the property?” ** Of course,” ‘* Assooredly !” Phil muttered the last word absemtly, and fell 13 into thought while the carpenter drew his plane along a board. Suddenly the boy arose. ** Wal, I’m off, Mr. Pratt!” ‘*So quick? Well, come ag’in, lad; come ag’in.” hil promised and left the shop, whereupon the man who had been hidden behind the boxes suddenly came forth into Pratt’s view, ‘What! is it you, Mr, Drayton?” cried the carpenter. ‘*Pratt, who was that boy?’ abruptly de- manded the stranger. ‘*T believe his nameis Phil. He chanced in one aay, an’ to-day he come ag’in.” ‘‘ Why was he so cnrious about the Lander- sons?” ‘*T don’t know; curiosity, I suppose, and—” The carpenter said no more. Without wait- ing for him to finish the sentcice, Mr, Drayton had hurried out out of the room in a way which left Pratt staring with wide-open eyes. ‘*Good land!” exclaimed the old man, ‘‘ bas he gone crazy?” Mr. Drayton had not ‘‘ gone crazy,” but he had hastened down to the street and started in yursuit of Phil. He did not try to overtake the boy: he kept well back, and did his best to avoid discovery, but he followed persistently where the ex-Five Points youth went. In this way he dogged him to the Baxter street tenement-house, unseen and secretive. When Phil arrived there he found Rex out, but Umbrella Eph and his wife at once assured the young detective that they were glad it was so, ‘¢ We want to speak ter you on an important subjeck,” said Toffling. ‘‘ It’s about Rex, an’ it’s serious, We only mention it ter you secretly, an’ you must promise ter say nothin’ ter him. We are awfully stirred up about Rex,” CHAPTER XVII. WRESTLING REX’S LAST MATCH, THE following day a coarse-faced, illy-dressed, brutal fellow was leaning against the side of an aHey. He had an ill-smelling cigar in his mouth the end being elevated in the airat an angle, an his whole appearance was that of a very ‘* hard citizen,” The alley was the same that Five Points Phil and Haskins had been hustled into when they were captured, and thisman was one of the kidnappers, bt agi He had a purpose in being in the alley just then, and that purpose was to see that no policeman, or other dangerous character, en- tered. One man only passed while he stood there. This was a ragged, down-at-the-heel-looking rson, and the Poe took no notice of him. He did not look dangerous, Three minutes later, however, another party appeared at the entrance to the alley and came tramping forward. The picket was startled at the first, and when he re- cognized Five Points Phil among them he quick- ly wheeled and started back. As he did so the supposed-to-be harmless old fellow in rags suddenly barred his way, and when the rough would have flung him aside—or tried to do so—he coolly produced a revolver and thrust it forward, ‘* Stand!” he ordered, decisively. policeman—be careful how you act.” The rough turned pale with fear. ‘Sail low, my man!” said he in rags. ‘T don’t know that you are wanted, but we will see. Is Haskins in there?” “Who?” ‘* Haskins.” ‘*« Don’t know im.” ‘Don't Jie, man. ‘You see this boy, here; you ot him at the same time you did Haskins. © Boy knows you, s0 don’t get yourself into trouble by lying. here is Haskins?” The sage Reve Phila soue op aie z ‘* Spe uick, or your chance is gone, as He's in thar!” ‘ “i The rough spoke in a surly voice, and pointed toward the house at the rear. “Why have you got bim prisoner?” The rough hesitated, and then, suddenly im- pressed with the idea that his best way was to speak out, did so with rapid utterance, ‘‘He was inter a job with another feller, an’ stole his share o’ the plunder. We believed in share alike, an’ honesty, an’ as Haskins was crooked, we decided to tie him up ontil he told where the boodle was.” ‘“‘Clear as mud. Well. we'll relieve you of Haskins. Come on, men!” They went. They surrounded the little, old house, and for awhile there was good prospect of a lively time. The law-breakers inside were nearly as ready to fight as disturbed hornets, “Tama | 4. comicboo