Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 583 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

: a Any 4 ~ ai ‘La principle as a big boy hammsrin’ a small—’tain’t right,’ This argument seemed to be conclusive, and the guide let it goat that. They had reached the door of the house, and now entered. What was before Phil he did not know, but his whole life had been one of adventure, and he | was not disposed to lose a chance to get infor- mation. Where the guide went he would fol- low. It was nota long journey. Once in the house they passed through the first door which opened from the hall and entered a parlor, or sitting-room—whichever it might be called. One man was there, and he and Phil looked at each other attentively. Phil saw a gray-haired, rather severe-faced man of fifty years, whom he at once set down as the Mr, Short mentioned by the newsdealer. The master of the house saw a boy who looked to be fifteen, but might be a year or two older: a rather small but very compact, hardy-looking youth, with a bold, frank, and somewhat humor- ous face. Plainly dressed, he was evidently one of the lower rank in life, but that he was smart and intelligent could be seen at a glance. ‘* Here’s a boy, sir,” said the guide, ‘*So I see. ell, young fellow, do you know what I want of you?” ‘* Assooredly not,” Phil coolly replied. ‘*T want a letter carried.” ‘* Ts it heavy?” ** Don’t talk nonsense, boy. The question is, if I give you the job, will you do it faithfully?” ‘* Great ginger! yes. Ezarool I don’t take hefty jobs but when I do grapple with ’em, I do my dooty. Nomarn can say I don't. Ef ye warnt me ter carry a letter, I’ll do it in the best ©’ shape.” ‘‘[ want it delivered without delay.” This unusual caution made Phil eager to have the job; if the letter was not important, Short would not be so anxious about it. ‘*Thar ain’t a boy in Gotham can outrun me,” he Spendentey asserted. ‘*'You shall have the job.” The speaker turned to the table, folded a sheet of paper upon which he had just finished writing, put it in an envelope, sealed the latter and gave it to Phil, together with a dollar. ‘* Now be off!” he added, ‘*l’m gone!” Phil replied, and he did go with alacrity. One reason of this was that the letter bad been sealed before his eyes, and as it could not yet be ary, he hoped to be able to unseal it and read the n te. He burried around the nearest corner and made the attempt. The envelope was a poor one anyway, and he was very successful in his at- tempt; the resistance was very slight, and he soon had it open. The note was as follows: ‘The attempt to recover the lettem has thus far been unsuccessful; the landlady said that it had not arrived; and though another effort may be more successful, I have some fears that harm may come cf it, On the whole, [think you had better leave N-w York for awhile. Go West—to St. Louis, say— or if you we'd like a sea-voyage, we will accommo- date you with money Shorark to keep you two ronths in London. As well as you did your work, suspicion may rest upon vou; t want you to keep out of sight for awhile, Visit me, or write. “A. E, Suort.”’ Five Points Phil gave his head a sharp nod. ‘Tm onter the track, assooredly!” he thought, ‘arnd o’ all my acquaintances o/ the pestiferous sort, { think Mr, A, E. Short is the most ter be admired. This ’ere epistle is ard@’ressed ter ‘D. Haskins,’ but it’s clear thart Haskins is Pfeffer. Wal, Short bosses him, arnd_ he bosses the ’hull roost, itseems. Short isa tall figger in this case: he’s the big toad o’ the puddle. Wal, it’s Short that I want ter investigate. Fax is fax arnd they’re stubborn things.” hile speaking Phil had been carefully re- sealing the letter, and it was so well one that he was delighted, * “*ly), Haskins’ will never know it’s b’en tampered with,” he thought, as he went along once more. Heintended to deliver the letter faithfully— the address was a house on Rivington street— and, if possible, learn something at the other end of the line, ‘He had great curiosity to know who bad posses- sion of the papers stolen from Mrs. Austin, but if Pfeffer was acting as Short’s agent, merely, it was likely that the latter had them. ** Shorty is my game!” Phil muttered. ‘‘ The small villains don’t amount ter nothin’, but the big ’un must be investigated. Thar’s a myst’ry erbout Mrs. Austin, arnd Shorty worked ter beat her out o’ lawful things she should hev. I warnt ter know why, arnd I[ will know.” He walked along in a grim mood until Riv- Wrestling Rex. Pry --- ington street was reached. The house.to which the given number directed him was not the most pleasant he had seen. It was old, and had a certain grim, cold, forbidding appearance which seemed to say: ‘‘Let me alone. I am not sociable, and I don't want to be spoken to. Keep off!” Phil, however, defied the unspoken warning. He sung the bell, anda bony old woman ap- peared, ‘* Ef you please, I’d like ter see Mr, Haskins,” ‘*Ts he here?” ‘** Wal, I s’pose so; I was ter d’liver this lotter ter him here, in person.” ‘* Most likely he’s in the shop. You can see.” ‘* Where’s the shep?” ‘“Goright through this passage, and go up the steps in the entry beyond.” So saying the woman went into a room at one side, seeming wholly indifferent. “Good chance fur a burglar hyar,” thought Phd, as he obeyed her rather vague direction, He had no trouble in finding his way, and when he had reached the top of the stairs, he opened ancther door beyond, He saw a carpen- ter’s shop, or, at least, a room very much like one, though it seemed to have its peculiarities, It was in great confusion, being filled with va- rious articles, littered on the floor with waste and covered all over with dust—the windows being literally coated, Phil heard the sound of voices, and advanced. A few paces brought him into sight of two men. It needed but one glarce to convince bim that one was Pfeffer; he fitted the description of that person perfectly. Phil was still moving for- ward, intene upon delivering the letter at once, when be was brought to a halt by something said by the second man. ‘¢Short would make it hot fur me if he knowed I had let on,” he observed. ‘Well, ’m not going to tell,” declared Pfet- fer. ‘Dc think it kind of vou to let mejnto the case more. I suppose you know all,” ‘‘T know as much as Short, ef he is higher up in the world than I be. I was servant in the fam’ly a good twenty year.” ‘‘A very ancient, honorable family, I be- lieve,” ‘‘ As old as any in New York.” “ But unlucky.” ‘‘ Wal, they were that; ill luck seemed ter fol- ler them, man an’ woman, all the time,” The speaker had not seen Five Points Phil, and he, anxious to know of whom they were talking, had stepped back and was concealed by a x. ‘All their money couldn’t stave off the ill luck, eh?” pursued Pfeffer. ‘‘No; an’ the last tragedy broke the fam’ly up, ye see; sol left an’ come here an’ opened this shop—” ‘‘ Just so. Well, what is your theory about the tragedy, anyhow?” ‘‘Lord bless you! I never had one; I didn’t dare.” ‘¢ What did Short think?” ‘That I don’t know.” ‘‘ He was active in it, wasn’t he?” ‘*Oh! yes; he’s always been mixed up with the family; be an’ his afore him, I often won- der ef my young lady is alive. It was a ter- rible. thing for her—I hope she’s gettin’ along wal. ‘* You forget why she run away, old man.” ‘“T don’t forgit anything,” Pratt stoutly re- plied, ‘It is one thing to be accused, an’ an- otber to be guilty. I’m afeerd you've b’en let- tin’ Short p’ison yer mind, man. Does Short know where my young lady is now?” The speaker broke off suddenly, as though he had had a new idea, and looked sharply at Pfeffer. Five Points .Phil leaned forward eagerly, scarcely venturing to breathe. The idea was strong in his mind that be was hearing the late Mrs. Austin spoken of, and he was absorbed in what was being said, Suddenly, however, Pfeffer sprung to his feet, dashed forward too quickly to be avoided, and seized Phil by the collar. | ‘* You miserable sneak!” he hissed, *‘ how dare you spy upon us? Tl have your life to pay for this!” : CHAPTER VI, TWO HONEST SPORTING MEN. Ir was evening, and Wrestling Rex was seat- ed at the window of his room, looking out into the street. It was not the most delightful of views; few city streets can be called that, and rigucg street cannot by any stretch of the ancy, Rex did not think of this as he sat there: he was looking down and watching for one par- ticular person, Five Points Phil bad not re- turned, and his friend was beginning to worry about bim. He knew that, as a rule, Phil was abundantly able to take care of himself, but he had followed a man away who might be one of the worst of de-peradoes, It did not escape Rex’s mind that Phil was only a boy—perhaps he had followed the stran- ger into a nest of enemies and come to grief, This fear, vague at first, grew stronger as the hours passed on, until Rex began to be serious- ly worried, Something finally oceurred to divert his at- tention, this being the arrival of two men to see him. One was Matthew Solace, a very fat, self-satistied gentleman with a clean-shaven face, which looked as though it had been oiled; a tall, white bat, which he wore over one eye, to the neglect of the back part of his head, thereby cetting a mastiff-like look; a big, flashy watch- chain, and other like characteristics. Mr. Solace was a great man in the Sixth Ward. He dabbled in politics, and was well known in court, because of the frequency with which he appeared there to beg clemency for his constituents when they got into trouble with the law for some such offense as robbery, as- sault, or a drunken broil. But it wes as a sporting character that Mr. Solace flourished, and horse-racing, pugilism, dog-fighting and the like found in him a great admirer. Very popular was he in the Sixth Ward, Had there not Leen otber great men to rival him, he would hav: been considered the greatest man alive. Such trifles as presidents and governors could not compare with Mr, Solace. He was the financial backer of Rex Peters in his capacity as a wrestler. The great man had heard of Rex and his proficiency, and had ‘‘brought him out.” The lad had since then engaged in two matches in a smell way, as be- fitted one of his years, and Mr. Solace was very proud of him. What Rex thonght of Sclace will be seen later. The man who had now come to see the boy with Solace was a tall, lank young man with a mustacbe which, not being large, was turned up at the ends very flercely—a bantam mus- tache, one might say. The gentleman bada tall, white hat; a very “loud” suit of clothes of ‘a checkered pattern; a huge, imitation diamond pin; anda cane large enough for the statue of the Goddess of Liberty to wield. it seemed, ‘* Rex,” quoth Mr. Solace, * this is Gerald St, Percy, asporting gent of renown. He’s come ter see yer,” Rex said that he was glad to see the second visitor, but the statement was a polite fiction, He did not like the looks of Mr. St. Perey; in fact, he had yet to see one of Matthew Solace’s friends whom he did like. When he made his first match at wrestling he did it with the idea that it would be ver much like having a friendly bout with one of his boy companions, but he was finding out his mistake. Sporting men, their ways and their influences were not to his liking. ‘‘Glad_ to see you, Wrestling Rex,” said Ger- ald St. Percy, jauntily. ‘‘I’ve heard of you, often; tried to get around to see you down the Houston street Spider, but couldn’t make the riffle. Some of us were out the day before, and we got a jag ow. That settled it.” ‘* You missed a good thing,” averred Matthew Solace, with an oily smile. ‘‘No doubt. By the way, I hear great things predicted for your young friend—they call you the Pride of the Sixth Ward, eh, Rex? Well, ina year or two you'll make even Lewis, the ‘Jap,’ and all the rest of ’em bustle.” ‘“T always bring out good ’uns,” said Mr, Solace. ‘That's a fact, Mat.” “] brougbt out Hit-hard Hank asa ‘pug.’ | He never had the gloves on in public until I took him up.” ‘‘He’s a good ’un, is Hank,” said St. Percy, with enthusiasm, ‘ Ned Scratley lost a century hetting against him when met the Hoboken Kid.’ ‘* No business to bet against Hank, By the | way, what is Scratley doing now?” “Giving ‘ tips’ on races.” Mr. Solace laughed softly. ‘“ Why, Scratley don’t know a horse from & hitchine-post, nor would any ‘ring’ let such a man in,” “ That don’t prevent bis giving tips.” a a cas oa ts ‘ He’s got his * ad,’ in several papers, an ) fools bite well. It’s surprising, Mat, how big a