Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 543 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

i ‘ a ~ i hea é _ my ee » 4 Pig ML GTI Ms 4 . 4 mre a brani suffic) 2nt for Dick’s purposes, although it showed him “ome of the furniture of the room, Although,as we have seen, Chubb Copeland rushed from the office after Foxcraft’s depart- ure, he was careful enough not to leave any- thing important lying around. Dick found a few papers on the table, but a glance showed him that they were worth noth- i’g to him, and he turned away for larger fame, **Can it be that I am to find nothing im- portant?” thought the boy. ‘*Mr. Copeland’s safe happens to be a com- bination affair, and as he has not been obligin enough to leave the combination behind, I will not have the pleasure of looking beyond its doors,” Just at this moment the young detective heard footsteps and then voices. They were in the hall, and not far from the lawyer's door! “The big fellow was insulting,” said one of the voices, and the tones thrilled the breathless boy. ‘ He tried finally to carry things with a high hand, but I reckon he found me firm enough for him. Let me see, What has be- come of m key, any way?” No wonder the Vodger stood spelibound, One of the men outside was Chubb Copeland himself. He could guess who was his com- panion, Not a moment was to be lost, Escape was - impossible, Dick had imprisoned bimself, and it seemed for afew seconds that he was about to be erin ina bad position by the very meu he wished to avoid at tbat time. _ Inone corner of the room stood an old lounge, which the old lawyer had either taken as pay from a client, or had purchased at a second-hand furniture sale, It did not offer much of an asylum to the hard-pressed boy, but it was that or discovery, so the Dodger sprung forward and quickly squeezed himself under the lotinge, where he was forced to occupy a position that threatened to cripple | him for life. He bad scarcely fixed bimse]f as best he could, | down upon the lounge, an ere a key clicked in the lock and the opening door admitted two men, ' Copeland locked the door behind them, then Jowered the curtains of the windows and turned ou the gas. Dick heard chairs moved up to the oval table ‘that stood in the middle of the room, and when he dared to catch a glimpse of the scene he dis- covered two men, Cnubb Copeland, the lawyer, and Norris Gibbs, the broker. ‘* Now for some villainy,” murmured the alert Dodger, while he watched the pair, ‘‘If the bond between you two fellows isn’t stronger than that which usually exists between lawyer and client, I miss my guess,” Then he drew his head back lest his eyes should attract attention by their brightness, and listened. . ‘*Tell me now,” said Norris Gibbs in eager voice, and he leaned across the table while he spoke, ‘‘ Do you think the man, Foxcraft, sus- pects?” ‘*No: he was merely playing a bluff game,” was the prompt reply. ‘“‘ But he knew something about the papers?” “He only pretencaed to. Didn’t he say that the robbery was the coolest one he ever heard of, and right on top o’ that intimate that it would alwaysremain a mystery to everybod in New York, the sleuths included? I’m glad didn’t have to go to your house to-night in search of you, for I might have been watched,” *“ By whom?” ** By that boy who called twice on you the day after the affair.” ** Is he going to be troublesome?” ** Not Jong if I lay hands on him, and I think I will in a short time.” “In whose employ 1s the young street weasel?” “‘Not in our friend’s, you may depend on that,” and the Dodger heard the lawyer laugh. "i But what does the girl say now, Gibbs?” ‘* She seems to be of the same mind,” “Ho! Don’t you think she is encouraged?” ‘* By the young man whom she used to meet | him in the park,” ** By that rascal!” cried the broker, ‘If [ thought so, Copeland, I’d read her a lesson in discipline she would never forget. But you don’t want to get discouraged. Girls are girls, vou know, and I know how to discipline one like Lucy. You carry out your part of the bar- gain and Ill stand by mine,” _ “Agreed! The detectives are still looking after that five thousand—the fools!” ‘* Let them look,” laughed the ex-broker, and “Me lawyer joined him in his merriment. - be ” « A : FORE emacs Uh ke SP Mew teen, * _— Saige a _ a 3 — ce . - e - ~- = | retire,’ Dodger Dick’s Double. Then Copeland went toa secret sideboard in the walland took out a bottle and a pair of glasses, Dick watched the proceedings that followed | cried. with a good deal of impatience. The two men grew hilarious before they sep- arated, and then, to his dismay, he discovered that the lawyer was going to pass the night in the office! ' “Tm in a nice trap sure enough,” murmured the young sleuth. ‘I got a good deal of valua- ble information by coming. here, but if I don’t soon get out of this terrible place, Pll never be able to put it touse. This is the most trying situation of my life.” ‘ CHAPTER IV. GETTING OUT. IT was some time before Chubb Copeland con- cluded to go to bed. He took some papers from the safe and went over them at the table. Now and then he would break out into chuck- lings of triumph and delight which came clear! to the Dodger’s ears, but the boy of course could not tell the nature of the documents. “If he would only forget to lock the safe what.a service he’d be doing me!” thought the boy sleuth. ‘*Butof course a shrewd rascal like Copeland will do nothing of the kind.” nd he did not, for, when he got through with the papers, he shut up the safe with more than ordinary care, and began to make prepara- tions for bed. ‘¢ When they catch a fox they'll know it!” ex- claimed the lawyer. ‘*I haven’t lived my thirty odd years with my eyes shut, nor with my ears stop The man Foxcraft didn’t make anything off o’ me; I | guess he has a higher opinion of Chubb Cope- nd’s cunning than he entertained before the interview. o, ho, Mr. Foxcraft; when you pump me dry you'll know it. By Jove! you will.” All at once the Union ater lawyer plumped Dodger Dick thought for a second that he was going to be crushed. He was tightly wedged between the boards of the lounge and the floor, and if the lawyer had | been a’ large man like Foxcraft, there would have been a catastrophe serious in its results to the caring spy, Dick had now to endure the torture until Copeland should fall asleep, he minutes seemed hours while he waited. The lawyer was not very drowsy. He lay awake more than an hour mumbling over various plans for the future, and Dick all the while wishing that sleep would take speedy pos- session of him. At last sundry snores not at all musical told the young sleuth that the lawyer had suc- cumbed., He held back as long as he could, and at last, when he began to wriggle out of the uncomfort- able position, it was with a great many misgiv- ings, The boy detective felt sore in every limb. If he had been tortured in a huge letter-press he would not bave had more acbes and pains, There was nothing in the place for him at that time. He was still in danger, for, should the lawyer awake and discover him, a disastrous struggle might ensue. Dick’s aim was to get out of the office as quick- ly as possible, The transom was at his service, but be was loth to try it now for fear that it might fail him, The door was the better exit, and as he knew that Copeland had left the key in the lock after vantage of that avenue to freedom. He bade the lawyer a mental good-night as he glided across the room and softly turned the ey, Portunately there was no ominous click, and, the catch performing its service in the same noiseless way, he was soon in the hall, better luck than he expected. The Dodger shut the door carefully behind and stole down to the street, “ey thought they don’t get ahead of the fox, Mr. Copeland,” he laughed, looking up at the windows of the lawyer’s office, ‘* My advice to you is ‘always look under the bed before you So Norris Gibbs is going to carry out his part of the agreement, if you stand by yours? We will see what that agreement is and then—well, time enough after that to me whether it is kept by both parties.” Meantime the lawyer slept on, unconscious of the mae that had occurred since his retire- | ment, | | | | | | y | fixing the inside catch, he resolved to take ad- | All at once he opened his eyes like a persom roused by a sound, ‘* Where am I? Qh, yes, in the office,” he ‘*Gibbs was here to-night and went away. Where does that draught of air come from? By Jupiter! the door is open!” It did not take the lawyer a second to spring from his couch and reach the door. Sure enough, it was open several inches, and when he leaned out and listened with his heart in his throat he thought he caught the sound of flying footsteps. ‘‘T certainly locked that door when I turned in,” he muttered, locking it for certain, this time, ere he turned away. | oTt can’t be that somebody has been here, No; I’m too light a sleeper for that.” He was not satisfied until he had turned om the gas and inspected thse room. A glance at his watch told him that it was well past midnight, Beyond the window the great Square was silent and deserted, and the whole city seemed asleep—the whole city but himself. Chubb Copeland resolved not to go back to bed aguin. In a short time it would be morn- ing, and, for reasons best known to himself, he wanted a whole day before him, While he looked down into the park from the window he saw a figure leave one of the benches and come to the curb. ‘*That’s a spy!” cried Copeland, as the man stopped and looked up at the building that con- tained his quarters. ‘‘ He is looking straight u at my windows now, and he means mischief. He hasn’t been lying on that bench for nothing, and then this is the hour when people are sup- posed to sleep soundest, and when the burglar gets in his work. Well, Pve got something worth taking, and the rascal down there pro- bably knows it.” Alarmed by the presence of the figure at the edge of the sidewalk, the lawyer was about to step back to arm himself when he saw the man joired by a boy, and both went back under the trees, ‘‘That’s the young ferret I want to catch,” thought’ Copeland. ‘* He is the inquisitive chap who called on Mr, Gibbs twice the day after the mystery, and I promised Norris last night that I would nab him ina short time, So he and a man are companions? Ha! [ am getting on a thing or two without exerting myself very much. The fellow down there hardly looks large enough for Foxcraft, but I am above him, and that is deceiving.” He did not doubt that the man and the boy had withdrawn to one of the numerous benches in the park for consultation although he could not see them, and he watched eagerly for their reappearance. “Maybe they’ve given it up,” remarked the lawyer, at last, ‘I am not to be molested—not now, at any rate. Well, I know that I’ve got to play fast. Won't I throw a startling card before the day is over?” He did not quit the window till a new day broke over New York, and the streets began to throb with the pulsations of traffic, Secretly Chubb Copeland was very glad that the figures in the park had come no nearer than the curb. He did not court a meeting with any man, especially uot with one who might be Fer- dinand Foxcraft, the City Hercules, By and by be went out and took a turn through the square, This was of course a reconoissance, and it was one, too, which pleased the lawyer and prepared him for a hearty breakfast, | No traces of man nor bore were discovered, though he looked well for such. ‘‘7)] now get ready for the catch ’m going te make to-day. I’m one of those people who clear the way as they go, It stands me in hand to do this, and [ intend to make no mistake,” The lawyer spoke thus in audible tones as he stooped in front of his safe after his return to his little office from breakfast. He began at once to manipulate the combina- tion, but all at once every Vestige of color left his face, and he fell back with a cry of horror, ‘ Merciful fortune! it can’t be that some one has been here!” he gasped. ‘The combination doesn’t produce the usual results. ve—J—~ been—robhed?” Chubb Copeland looked the very picture of despair while he gasped for breath in front of his treasury- Great drops of perspiration came out on bis forehead and settled there. After awhile he again attacked the safe with mingled energy and persistence. It was not possible that he had been robbed! In the midst of his work he was conscious ~~ , : ‘y wa ‘ > w Me