Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 569 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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Brooklyn Ben. a window and spring the catch after him, nor can he lock a door after him without a key or some other implement. What does all this indi- cate?” ‘* Mystery,” responded Ned. Mr. Brodby made a gesture of disgust. “It shows one of two things,” be resumed. ‘‘ Hither the assailant was some one in this house, or he bad a confederate inside,” So saying, the officer closed his jaws in a stub- born way, and looked at Ned inquiringly. He was of the opinion that the young man was stupid, but he must be duly talked with, since he was Damon’s heir. He now surprised Mr. Brodby by a little reasoning. ‘“You speak of the two keys. I don’t think Mr. Damon’s was used,” ‘* Explain.” ‘‘ To my knowledge he always locked his door early in the evening—as soon as he had retired to his room, Itis not likely that he passed out the key to his assassin, and no one else could, Hence, it must have been the ether key which admitted the assailant to his room.” Mr. Brodby caressed his bristly mustache thoughtfully. Here was a view of the case which had not occurred to him, but he could not — the force of the argument, nor did he wish ‘‘ When Mr. Damon locked his door, did he leave the key in the lock?” ‘* That I don’t know,” ‘Tf he did, it would not have been easy to un- bock Rens door with the other key, either.’ ’ e. Brodby felt that he was in deeper water than he was able to struggle with, and he turned the conversation, ‘*Do you know that Mr. Damon had trouble with any one?” Percy Grayson turned squarely toward Ches- ter. His lip curled with a slight smile, and he watched his relative sharply. Ned did not even glance at him, ‘«[ know of none,” the sailor answered, calm- ly. “' No trouble with the servants?” ** Not to m ya geberas ‘‘Do you know anything about his business affairs?” ro : othing Be fingto 29 ** 1 expect ou to know more, since you are dis heir.” , : ‘* Excuse me, but I think particulars have not vet been given you. Iam hardly acquainted with him. I never saw him but twice until I was twenty yearsold, Since that time [ have had no home except my ship, and as I have been *xilinz out of New York once a year, I have been “ore 7“ ayear. This is my longest stay—one wionth, | ‘““Ab! L[understandnow. Well, Mr, Chester, *e will, of course, do our best to clear up the mystery. I will notdetain you longer,” Chester had borne the interview with quiet composure, and had shown an outward frank- ness very much in his favor, but if the face of Mr. Percy Grayson had been scanned closely it would have suggested a doubt. Mr. Brodby had determined tc wait for his superiors to take charge before going further, and he settled back in his chair. Grayson sat down by the window, but Chester walked out of the room, He encountered Kitty Miles in the hall. ‘* Where is Miss Rosalthe?” be asked, **In her room, sir.” ** Please take her this card.” He drew a bit of pastehoard from and hurriedly wrote one line. ‘*T would like to see you for a moment.” Kittie went away with it, When she returned she bore a sealed envelope, upon whicb was Ned’s name in Rosalthe’s writing. He tore it open and found hiscard inclosed. Upon if was au additional line of Rosalthe’s composition. It was as follows: | ‘“* Excuse me, but I cannot see you now.” _ A look of surprise passed over Ned’s face, and then he crushed the card in his hand. He could not understand it; the message was not like Rosalthe, She was too frank and friendly to offer such a threadbare apology on common , while the last ark ‘**T cannot see you now,” was very unsatisfactory, Why couldn’t she ‘see him? It sounded curt, and he felt Oe the aot? as ay ing more, sir? aake? Kittie. It was his turn to be curt, and Kittie tossed her head and marched indignntly away, | _ Ned meditated for a moment, and grew more his pocket - meant something unusual, and that, t90, not to | He was as impetuous as most young persons are, and he flung the card into a waste- paper basket which in the confusion of the day, had been left in the hall for awhile. Then he went to his own room. He had barely disappeared when Percy Gray- son moved along the hall and paused by the waste-basket. He picked up the card which Ned had thrown away, and thrust it into his pocket. Then he stirred up the contents of the basket slightly, so that if Ned returned the ab- sence of the card would not seem so suspicious ; then, like his relative, he retired to his private room, Once there he straightened the card and laid it on the table. He read the two messages, and a smile passed over his face as he reached that of Rosalthe, ‘*So she will not see him! Poor Rosalthe! She is in a mood far from happy, and I must say that her position and mine is a painful one, On the one hand there is Franklin Damon, the noblest of men, stricken down, suffering and un- conscious: and on the other, poor Ned! What are we to do? J don’t know, and it is not strange that she is at a loss, One moment she is all interested in Chester, and loyal to him; the next, she shrinks from him with horror! It is a terrible secret we hold!” He arose and began to pace the room slowly. ‘‘This is a time that tries one’s soul,” he mut- tered. ‘I ought to tell the police that Ned was here last night, but it would ruin the boy. My whole nature shrinks from it—I fear that I am not bard enough for practical life. Did [ speak roughly to Rosalthe this morning? I’m afraid I did, but I was so upset that 1 scarcely knew what I said. Well, well, she and I will hold Ned’s secret and see what comes of it.” CHAPTER IV. s THE SERVANT’S SECRET. BEN HAMLIN sat on the lower step of the base- ment stairs and meditated. He had just heard Kittie Miles tell a little story to Jules Lefranc, the cook. ‘‘Rosalthe is mad at Ned Chester,” affirmed Miss Miles. ‘‘She has gone to her room and won’t see him. He wrote her a very pathetic note, which I saw, pleading for the privilege of seeing her just a moment, but she wrote back that him and her was no longer friends, and she wouldn’t see him nohow. ere is some things I can’t understand.” Kittie’s exaggerated and ungrammatical re- port was due to what she considered her ill- treatment at Ned’s hands, The French cook gave her no encouragement to say more, His reply was brief and sarcastic, and Kittie was made doubly angry. ; Ben, however, paid more attention to what she said than Lefrane seemed to do. He had been using his own eyes and ears, and was very much of Kittie’s opinion when she said that there were some things which she could not under- stand. The boy was of an observing nature, and he could not help thinking that there was a drama under the surface at Franklin Damon’s house. He bad seen Rosalthe and Percy Grayson hold a secret conversation; he had overheard a part of the talk in the hall between Rosalthe and Ned; and there were minor pvints not easily described, but expressed by looks and actions, which struck him as being oft. | He could not banish the idea from his mind that some one at the house knew more about the assault upon Damon than had yet been told. Believing this, suspicion could gravitate, at that period of affairs, in one direction only. Despite the fact that he and all the other wit- nesses bad assured Brody that they knew of no trouble between Franklin Damon and apy other person, he did not know of such trouble, and every other witness had known of if. Ned Ches- ter had quarreled with Damon, The boy could not presume to say What motive had influenced other witnesses to remain silent, but he had done so because the example bad heen placed before bim by those older than be, and because he bad a vague idea that Ned ‘ Chester was above sus- picton, . ’ The cause of the quarrel he did not know, and none of theservants knew; he doubted if it could be explained by any one except Damon and Ned. Something had made the latter very angry; he had denounced his uncls loudly, and the quarrel had followed, When it was over, Damon ba shown a disposition to forgive all, and had acted very gently, but young Chester had been im- placable. vt: This bad occurred several days before, and his credit. three times afterward, but had passed only one, night there—that before the tragic mystery— and bad only remained then because Rosalthe had over-persuaded him. | ‘‘She over-persuaded him again in the hall, just now.” thought Ben seriously, ‘‘ She has & good deal of influence over him. He feels hard toward Damon, and would have gone up and made it known to Brodby if she hadn’t put a stop to it. Then what’s the matter with her? She never cared any great for Damon, and wil- lingly lets somebody else take care of him now, but she is all demoralized about something. What?” Just then Lois Beauvais, the smart chamber- maid, came down the stairs. Ben moved for her, and then went up t6the hall. Lois passed on toward the kitchen. When she entered it another female form whisked out of the shadows and approached the door, This person was Kittie Miles, and it was plain that she had been hiding for some reason, | She reached the kitchen door and placed one ear to the key-hole. She expected to hear voices, and she was not disappointed. The first was that of Jules Lefranc, the cook, K aye the officers gone ?” he asked, sé oO. ’ The reply was in Lois’s voice, short and sharp. ‘¢ Who's oa the rack now ?” ‘‘Nobody; they’re waiting for somebody higher in authority.” ‘“ Waita bit, Lois. Where are you going ?” ‘* Up-stairs. “Your business is not pressing; I want to speak with you.” ‘‘T have nothing to say.” ‘Eh, Lois? What's come over you? You're as short as pie-crust. Come, you are not going yet, I want to talk with you.’ Kittie had been on the point of fleeing back into the shadows, for she had heard Lois movin toward the door, but new movements show that Jules had intercepted her. Kittie re- mained. ‘‘ Let me go!” said Lois hurriedly. ‘Let you go! Come, my dear; this won’t do; Why are you so suddenly turned to vinegar Has this affair up-stairs upset you?” ‘* Yes, it has.” ‘‘T thought you had;better nerves. What? are you of French blood, and a coward?” | “T am not a coward!” sharply cried Lois. “Then you've got too much human feeling.” ‘““T know those who ain’t got too much!” re- torted the “pit. : **Ab! ut sounds pointed. What do you mean?” *‘ Never mind; let me go.” “* Not vet ~ “1 will go!—you villain i" “Eh? hat’s that? Devils alive! you are carrying with a high hand, my lady. Pretty wor s with which to address your future hus- band, * Fou never will be my busband! Let me ’ mt Ha! let you go with such words upon your . lips? Not much; stand where you are, made moiselle; I want an explanation. What do you mean by all this?” “T can’t tell.” ‘‘T insist. You don’t leave this room until I know.” “Then have it!” cried Lois, “if you_ will. Don’t you think that I am so ignorant as I seem of what happened here last night, J know all!” Lefranc staggered back against thedoor. His face lost color, and his grasp on her arm re- Steer as though all strength had gone from his ngers. “You know!” he gasped, ‘¢ T do—now let me go!” iets She pushed him aside as though be had been a cbild, and opened the door s0 suddenly that Kittie barely had time to secrete herself. Lois fled along the hall, while Jules, as Kittie could see yee the open door, stood in silent dis- may. But Lois went only tothe stairs; she turned back and hurried to the kitchen door. Her mood had changed; ber lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with fears. ; ‘¢ Jules,” she said, in an unsteady voice, *‘ there is nothing to fear from me. I will never tell a word while I live!” The Frenchman caught her hand and kissed it fervently. . ; ‘‘ Heaven bless you, dear girl!” be murmured. ** You are the true woman the secret, though the pole try to draw it from done; that iscertain, whether Damon lives or | dies. . thought you, Keep © ‘ never speak, The deed a t the secret die with him, if he dies. i, | _—_gwexed concerning the note, He felt sure that it Ned had at once left the house, He had called Bless you, Lois!” « * ‘ \ . . af : ire te. wr , , A. 1 a ANS ) . Pe be e * : . a ed Fahd a > ‘ 4 ¥.; “ye es eat! a . rit 3 My MA A Cs as p 7 “tH : Meaty Fs ge. Car sl Ce 2° a » on, see / ROT oe a Wee Fe TE ele SRR uaa pe a . r “aa Ti - “a4 . a : PY = J, _ = = aco se rs a . | a bn