Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 583 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4. Wrestling Rex. ee ee ee Ce SC C—O > 1 think of it, [ heard some one open the scuttle at about ten o'clock last night. tex and Phil exchanged glances; it was at that hour, soon after Mrs. Austin’s death, that the unknown man appeared and began to fum- ble in her trunk ‘** And in the morning Pfeffer was gone,” con- cluded Connor. ‘‘ What is more likely than that he was then running away? I think that he went out that way.” Evidence was wheeling into line, but’ more was forthcoming. Just then the front-room lodger, Schiebeck, came in, and when he was told * nag Pfeffer had run away, he had a story to tell, ‘‘IT saw Pfeffer last evening about half-past nine, and he was very much excited; I asked what was the trouble, and he said that a woman had just died in the next house. I asked him how he knew, and he said you told him, Mrs. Sparks,” ‘*I never told him any such thing!” the land- lady declared, sharply. ** He lied, of course.” ** But be ye sure he said thart a woman had eat died next door, mister?’ asked Five Points hil. ‘Certainly, | am.” Phil looked at. Rex and nodded again. A few minutes after Mrs. Austin died, Pfeffer knew of it, and was greatly excited. This proved that h3 had listened, and that he was interested in toe case, and the fact that Connor soon heard some one at the scuttle seemed to indicate that Pfet¥2r had at once bastened over the house- tops to the next building and made that illegal soareh of tue trunk, representing himself as a policeman, Just then Mrs. Sparks’s one servant ap- prared, ‘* A letter fur Misther Pfeffer,” she said, ‘** For Pfeffer!” cried the ener belligerent- ly. ‘* Well, now, that’s gocd. VU read the let- er, and if I can trace that mean scamp Ill have (he law of him!” Rex unclosed his lips to tell her that the law would not uphold her in opening Pfeffer’s letter, however badly he had used her, but the letter was already open. it was short; she read it almost ata glance, and then it fluttered from her grasp, ‘Oh! the murdering villain!” she cried; ‘it’s a wonder I’m alive!” Five Points Phil sprung forward, picked up the letter, and read it without permission from anybody. It affected him different from Mrs. Sparks. She was looking very much frighten- ed, but Phil’s eyes brightened, and he turned to Rex with another nod. ‘** Read that,” he directed. ‘ Ef we ain’t hit the bull’s-eye plum’ center, ['m a pestiferous Hottentot!’ peer it & CHAPTER IV, PHIL TAKES THE TRAIL, Rex took the letter and read as follows: ‘* Hurry up on your business, or the game will be lost. Too much activity in the other quarter. Doa’t hesitate to take any risk, for the end will justify the means. The documents must be had, if you are compelled to ¢ lence the woman to get them.”’ There was neither address nor signature. ‘¢ He meant to rob and*smurder me,” exclaim- ed Mrs, Sparks, in horror, Rex and Phil exchanged glances; they did not believe that the woman referred to in the letter was Mrs, Sparks. They had a clearer idea of what the letter meant than had the landlady. ‘*Le’s we git away,” whispered Philj to his young friend; ‘‘I warnt ter talk this marter over with yer. Tharis a pestiferous mystery afoot, arnd | knowit. Mrs, Sparks, marm, it occurs to me that when the writer o’ this hyar letter finds thart Pfeffer ain’t goin’ ter git it, he may call hyar ter git it back, D’ye know ye'll be a a fix then?” “* How so?” **Tt’s a State Prison offense, or suthin’ pes- tiferous bad, ter open other folks’s letters.” ‘*Great land! I never thought of that!” she ‘‘ Thar’s only one way ter do now,” ‘+ What’s that?” ‘*Vow you never got no letter as aforesaid. It ain’t my way ter advise anybody ter do crooked work, fur the wicked get awfully laid out in the eend, but you see Pfeffer was a ras- cal, arnd it’s only fair ter fight firs with fire.” ‘** I believe you're right.” ‘*T be, sure as you're settin’ thar in that chair, Arsk Wrestlin x. They call him the Pride o’ the Sixth Ward, ’cause he kin throw any boy, Man or other individooal o his heft; his word is ter be took.” ee , L —————————— — ——————————————— ‘Yes, Mrs. Sparks, I think it our duty to work against Pfeffer, as he bas worked against us,” Rex quietly added. Just then the servant-girl appeared. ‘‘There’s a man down-stairs dat wants ter see ye’s, Mrs. Sparks,” she announced. The landlady arose, ‘*Come to hire a room, probably,” she re- marked. ‘‘No he hain’t,” the girl replied: “he has come ter git de letter fur Misther Pfeffer!” Mrs. Sparks dropped back into her chair, ‘‘Did you tell him such a letter had been re- ceived here, Lizzie?’ she hoarsely gasped. ‘ Did you tell him this, girl?” “T did not!” Lizzie promptly replied. ‘‘ Be- orra, I’ve lived long enough indis world to oind out dat the less annybudy knows, de bet- ter she ll git along, begorra.” . Five Points Phil caught the girl’s hand and shook it with dangerous vigor. ‘¢ You're a trump card, you be!” he declared. ‘‘Thart fellow down below ain’t got a bit o’ in- fermation yit, hez he? -I mean erbout the let- ter.” ‘* Not a bit, begorra.” Phil turned to Mrs. Sparks, His face was flushed with excitement, and the ‘ detective fever” burned in bis veins with full force. ‘‘ Hark ter mea minute!” he said, quickly. ‘‘Thar is more in this matter than shows its head above ground, arnd ef we warnt ter foil some mean scamps we'll jest play ’em sharp ‘int for sharp pint, arnd never git weary. ’ye know what orter be did?” sé No.” ‘‘' Wal, you jest go down as bold as a Noomi- dean lion, arnd face thart unknown corntem- porary 0’ ours who warnts the letter, arnd vow wer no letter hez come fur Pfeffer atall. See?” es,” ‘Use him ez perlite ez though he was an alderman, arnd say ter him ter come ag’in—” ‘*T don’t want him to come again,” ‘‘Great ginger! no; none on us don’t; but we must fool him—pull the wool over his eyes, so ter exclaim, Ef you’re ha’sh with him, he’ll suspect arnd the fat will be in the fire, Fax is fax, arnd they’re stubborn things.” ‘‘ But why deceive him? I’d rather have him thrown out of my house,” ‘‘T ll tell ye jest why,” responded Phil, be- ginning to desoair of making her understand anything. ‘‘We want revenge on Pfeffer fur the great wrong he’s done you by skippin’ his board bill—we.do, by ginger! Well, while you arnd he are talkin’ [ll slip out o’ ther house, arnd when he goes away l’ll foller him. Mrs. Sparks, mum, Il] see thart you hev yer rent. Assooredly !” Eager as Phil was he did not forget to humor the landlady’s hobby, and his eyes had a very humorous gleam as he looked at her. She, however, barely resisted the impulse to take the young detective to her bosom. ‘*'You’re a jewel!” she declared, *‘ and I'll do all as ‘yousay. IJll talk sosweet to that man that I’ll almost melt him,” So saying, she went down-stairs, and Phil and Rex followed her. They left the house, but as they did so, the former managed to get a look at the man without being seen bimself, Once on the street corner he turned quickly upon his young friend. ‘*My b’loved corntemporary, we’re on the track so quick; the sails is all up, arnd the ship is spankin’ erlong like a Jarsey muskeeter arter gore, so ter speak, Now see hyar: Pfeffer is the marn thart stole Mrs, Austin’s papers, arnd it was the outcome o’ a car’ful scheme, He hired thart particlar room in Sparksy’s house ter work the game. Fax is fax, arnd they’re stubborn things—pestiferous stubborn.” **T believe roar right, Phil.” ‘¢ Agsooredly! Wal, what next?” ‘* Next, looks to meas though we must hunt these schemers down,” ** Jes’ so—sartain! Now let me tell ye what’s what. When that feller goes away I shall fol- ler him, arnd try ter find out whar he puts up but I want you ter stay right around byar arnd keep yer eyes open.” ‘Allright; you are a better detective than I, and J’ll do just as you say. But see here, Phil, haven't we fallen afoul of a big case?” ‘* Why d’ye think so?” ‘*Tt looks to me as though Mrs, Austin was a far more important person than | ever sus- cted. To get certain papers of hers, Pfeffer ired that room and tried for them hard, but very qty Now, the anxiety to stop that let- ter shows that somebody is afraid.” ‘Right you be, Rex. I b’lieve we hev struck a trail which leads ter something big. It ' ; ~ com s. al . “era wouldn’t s’prise me ter know that thar was a pile o’ money inter all this.” ‘‘To which Ella is now heiress?” ** Like ez not.” ‘Then she must have her rights,” *¢ Assooredly }” ‘“‘She has but few friends, and it rests with you and me to see her righted.” ‘¢ Jes’ so! Arnd we goin’ ter do it, my b loved corntemporary. We're jumpin’ at conclusions when we say thar is boodle in the case, but a good guess is sometimes an amazin’ lever o* power. Hol’ on!—hol’ on! Thar comes Mrs, Sparks’s visitor; you'll see me gittin’ away on his trail like a skipper arter cheese!” The man came out of the house, and then yaused on the sidewalk and looked all around fina. Unless Phil made an error of judgment, his manner was that of a man who has some- thing to conceal, and is afraid that he and bis transactions will become noticed by other men. This particular person saw nothing suspicious. Several men, women and children were pass- ing; and others were lounging around, but none seemed to be interested in him. He started off up the street. , When he moved Five Points Phil also moved but the lad showed the training which he had received in previous detective cases. Nothing could be more matter-of-fact and innocent than his manner. Several times the man looked around, as thou Bp he feared pursuit, but there was no sign that he was followed, : In this way they went on until, passing through Cros street, age neared Houston. They were getting near to Phil’s own quarters, and he began to fee) at home, when the mar suddenly disappeared, Of course there ‘was nothing supernatura)} about this; he had simply dodged into a door- way with great quickness, and a plain desire to avoid being seen. Phil Aoreny assed; the man was not to be.seen. LKither the door had not been locked, or some one had been ready to ad- mit him, Phil went as far as the corner and took posi- tion in a doorway. He wnited five minutes, but no one came out of the house, But in that time he had formed a resolution, ; He crossed to a variety store, in which papers were also sold, where he had so often made pur- chases that he was well known to the man who kept it. He believed that it world be safe to question this man. He did so. First of all he asked who lived in the house next to the one which the unknown had entered. He. received full particulars; the party in question was an old resident, and the newsdealer could tell a good deal about him. Then Phil asked about the next house. The occupant was named Short; the speaker delivered papers to him; but he could tell no more. He had lived there a year; occasionally entered the store, but was a very reserved man. Seemed to be fifty years of age; business un- known. Might be a fine person, but the news- dealer would say in confidence that he did not like him, That was all that Phillearned. He left the store, but had barely gained the street when the man whom he had lately followed came out of Short’s. Looking around, he saw Phil and advanced toward him, ‘* Boy, do you five near here?” he asked. ‘T do that,” Phil promptly replied. ‘Do you want a job?” ‘© Agsooredly !” ‘Thea come in here!” and he pointed to the house of mystery. CHAPTER V. SOMETHING ABOUT THE PAST, Frveé Pornrs Puiu did not change expression in the least as he heard these words, Here was a chance offered to enter the house and learn more about its inmates, and if it was what it seemed, it was a most fortunate circumstance, Phil, however, was not sure that it was. As cautious as he had been it was among the pO bilities that he had been discovered, aud that a trap lurked back of all this, ‘““T dunno as I ‘zactly onderstand,” he re- plied “T tell you that you can have a job by going in there,” the stranger impatiently éxplained. ‘‘ Hard work?” questioned Phil. ‘‘ Lazy as most boys, ain’t you? Well, this is not h work; it is only to a letter.” ‘¢T*1] do it, assooredly; but let me c’reck yeon one pint. Boys ain’t ay’ not by a long sbot. Ef a boy thinks prudent he kin slaughter work the wu’st may, arnd ef he don’t do it, it’s "cause he don’t want ter misuse it, It’s on the same \ ze P< —_— oO em iat tL LE ™ - —