Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 569 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

=f - “ 2 » - - Ss 6 > Ft -_ Once more he tried to raise her hand to his lips, but she snatched it away and again ran sian the hall, This time she went up the stairs. Just then the door-bell rung, and Brooklyn Ben admitted a tall, slender, serious-faced man _ who seemed very much like a clergyman. “~ . ~~ _ 3 = , 4 be Z , \ a ‘ ee ‘ f ow oy i ' wt , bile ms fy ¥) + etx Cabs a? i. rf ’ ; \ a r . =, PN a) ® Pweg : . : ' ¢ » , 4 " ¢ P 7 « / aN ah \ ; a. rae : ; nt tm ANT at. ah fs | “hei - , i “Le Ms _ = : a Ah a = . ¥ ‘ y > * ts Ae ca ~ a y i oy eee At ia * a “7 _ funeral was about to take place. : _ joyed the change of going out as young persons 4 ng fam Lee which he figure did not confirm. the man can’t have “TT want to see the master of the house,” he said, quietly. *Mr. Damon is—” Ben was interrupted. , “TIT know, Perhaps I should say that I want to see whoever is acting in his place.” ‘*That’s Mr, Chester. I shall tell him—” ‘* Conduct me to him. I am a detective.” The ministerial-looking gentleman spoke bold- ly, for he knew that his character would soon be known to all. There was no use of tem- ‘porizing. Ben was duly impressed, and he conducted the caller to the room where Brodby waited with his fellow officers, Ned Ghester and Grayson had not returned, Mr. Brodby greeted the new-comer with great respect. He knew him to be named Sloan—a man reputed as clear-headed as any detective on tbe Brooklyn force, Mr. Sloan merely nodded. _ “Sit down,” he added, after this curt greet- ah ““and tell me all that you have learned.” rodgy obeyed, He told all that he knevy, and then gave his theories. Feeling that he ought to have one idea more prominent than the others, he gave it to Mr. Sloan, in substance as follows: The deed had been done by some out- side party who had had the aid of a confederate in the house, and the latter had locked the door after the would-be assassin, ‘* Was anything stolen?” asked Sloan. ** Not a thing.” ** What, then, was the motive of -the deed?” ** Revenge, I think.” ** Whom had Damon injured?” ‘** That I don’t know, but somebody must have hated him.” ‘*T want to see the witnesses,” The detective saw them. One after another he interviewed all, from Ned Chester down to Brooklyn Ben. They found him a very mi!d- mannered man. Hedid not taJk so loudly, nor put his questions so sbarply as Mr. Brodbv had done, Except for one thing they would have felt quite at ease under the examination—while questioning them, however, the detective looked at them with singular intentness. His eyes were not particularly sharp, but they were steady, and his undeviating attention was un- pleasant to some of the witnesses, . He let the last one go without having said anything unpleasant. ** Well, sir, what do Sou think?” asked Brod- y. | ‘‘ The day is fine, sir.” ‘*Excuse me; I referred to the case,” “And I, sir, said nothmg about the case.” Brodby’s face reddened, aud he then held his peace. e had been shut out of the great man’s zonfidence, and there was only one thing to do— accept the inevitable, ir. Sloan took out a note-book and made a record. It was in cipher, and so intricate that a professional reader of cryptograms might have despaired of reading it. duced to plain English, the record was as follows: ‘Probably the guilty person was well known to Franklin Damon, and trusted by him. If an out- sider, probably Damon, himself, secretly admitted pee Soe eo jnectert eee oe him out? Mem; ook well to Ubester, ranc, Miss Damon, Kitt and Lois. Was it guilt or fright?” " d CHAPTER V. / MYSTERIOUS PROCEEDINGS, BROOKLYN Ben was returning from an er- rand, The day had worn on until noon had passed by two hours, All the officers had gone, and the Damon house was as quiet as though a Ben en- ,and was somewhat reluctantly returning. ow, Ben had a pair of keen, observing eyes, and as he went along he suddenly noticed a man who was preceding him on the sidewalk, He could not see this person’s face, but there was somet iliar about his way of walking oe one, but not the other, and he was perplex- 3 ak Af _“* Looks like Sloan’s gait,” he muttered, ‘‘ but morning, and. his beck hale cab, very well morning, an ac t very w ave turned red, : oo ~‘ ef j ' ’ e As - ~ r ‘» az SPE a i ‘ ' . oN". ays , x ve i e » Ben knew- Brooklyn Ben. what a precious dunce Tam! I’ve heard of de- tectives disguising themselves, and [ guess Sloan we too; if !m not uncommonly stupid, that is e! Ben grew excited.. He had a good deal of in- terest in the gentlemen of Sloan’s profession, but his actual knowledge of them amounted to noth- ing. Now here was a genuine detective, and bey too, in disguise. What was he going to o? LBL LLL LOLOL LS CL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LE What does it mean? Hello! | They had nearly reached Damon’s house. Sloan crossed the street, ascended the steps of another house and rung the bell. ‘*He’s got the wrong house,” thought Ben; and then came the self-inquiry if he was actual- ly right—if the man was really Sloan, Nine persons out of ten would have declared to the contrary, and perhaps Ben would have done so if he had been fifteen years older, Cer- tainly the stout man did not look like Sloan— Ben bad seen bis face as he ascended the steps —and the boy would never have suspected him through the medium of his appearance. He bad reached his conclusion merely by the way the man walked, before he had seen his face. The door of the house opened; a few words passed between the applicant and the servant; and then the former entered, ** Odd!” thought Ben. He looked critically at the house, though he bad previously known its appearance well. It was a house where ‘furntehad rooms were let to ‘* genteel parties,” as the landlady expressed it. She believed that she kept a very exclusive place, but Franklin Damon bad always resented its presence so near his own home, Brooklyn Ben lingered a short time, but as the stout man did not come out, he went on and entered the Damon house. Work awaited him there, and he forgot all about the supposed de- tective for awhile, An bour later he found himself in the second- floor hall. His gaze wandered across the way, and there, seated by an open window, the stout ntleman was composedly reading a paper. ben was puzzled, and his theory was for a time in danger of being deserted, but another idea came to support it, and it wavered no more. When Sloan bad visited Damon’s, Ben bad at once set him down as a sharp man; the contrast between him and Brodby could not well escape such a keen observer as Ben; and when be re- tired he had left the impression in the boy’s mind that he had atbeory. Ben had one now. The detective had hired a room from whe to keep watch over the Damon house, ‘This grows interesting,” thought the boy; ‘*but why should he watch here? Only one way to explain it, by gracious!—he suspects some- body in the houe, Well, now! ain't this get- ting interesting?” He looked at the man by the window admir- ingly. : % Wish I was a detective; I’d like just such work. I'd go over and see him, if I thought he’d take me into partnership—but he won’t, and that’s an end of it.” Ben was not a very usefal assistant during the rest of the day. He forgot his regular duties and performed his new ones poorly, and all be- cause his mind was not on his work. It was on the man at the window, Evening came. Being in the summer season the days were long, and when, after the six o’clock dinner was fully disposed of, Ben glided into the hall for another look at the silent watcher, it was only beginning to grow dark, The watcher was by the window still, newspaper in hand. ** Ho’s a good one!” thought Ben. ‘* Shouldn't wonder if he would starve there, sooner than give up his vigil.” Ned Chester came down the stairs and went to the lower hall. Then Ben heard the rustle of a dress, and had enough curiosity to look over the balusters. Rosalthe had accosted Ned. ‘Are you going out?” she asked, and the boy detected anxiety in her voice, ** Yes, Ned answered curtly; he had not forgotten her refusal to see him at his request. ‘‘ You are not going away?” ‘* Didn’t I say 1 was?” ‘““T mean, are you coming back?” ‘That's the only way I can get here,” ‘‘You evade the question. WhatI mean is, are you going to leave Brooklyn, and New York?” : Ned thrust bis hands deep into his pockets in bis sailor fashion. | ‘“* Why in the world--I-put it mildly because eer are a lady—should [ leave the places in-ques- “T didn’t know but—but—” meee ss aaa, en ennen cnn ee oe EE ES TAT Tn eT NN CL SEA gs EE a a eee oe SLES R ees ae a ee ann Rene ie i? . a Rosalthe faltered, and came toa full stop. i ‘‘Have I done anything to run away for? | brusquely demanded Ned, », You ought to know best.” | ‘*T haven't committed robbery, arson, mur—* ‘‘Hush! Ned, somebody might hear you,” | Rosalthe looked nervously around, ‘* W bat if they do?” Ned still remembered the curt answer to bis note, and his manner was so rude that Rosalthe grew indignant, Her anxious, frightened man- ner gave place to one of prcud contempt, ‘Simply this,”she replied, *‘ another , might not be so lenient with you as I am.’ | And then she turned abruptly and entered the Le parlor, locking the door after ber. Ned stared s in wonder, not at Rosulthe, for he could not see her, but at the blank door. \ ** Well, Pll be shot!” he muttered, with all the appearance of being a puzzled man. Then he waited a moment, shook his head, and addeds ‘* Crazy as a March hare!” And then he went calmly out of the house. Ben retreated to his former post, considerably rplexed, Chester was going down the street, a ut—the man across the street was no longer at F the window. Ben knit his brows intoa thought- ful frown. What didit mean? Had the detec- tive given up the search? Had he— The door of the other house opened; the sup- posed detective appeared, all ready for the street; and then he, too, set off down the street. Ben’s eyes flashed. He’s “Ts he— No, it can’t be, following Ned Chester!” The idea seemed astonishing, but Ben quickly remembered two queer interviews between Ned and Rosaltbe which he had overheard in part, All things were possible— He stopped to reason no furtber; he fad been seized with a strong de- '- sire to be along with Ned and _ his pursuer, and 4 So of this grew a resolution; he would go with | em. ' 5 He fled to the basement, put on his hat, and | went out without a word to any , Ned and the detective bad disappeared, but Ben was not discouraged. They bad gone to- ward Fulton street, and he went the same way at a rapid pace. When he reached the latter thoroughfare he looked toward the left. The supposed detective was just crossing Clark hee and Ned was only a few yards ahead of im, : ‘** Beats the dickens!” thought Ben. ‘‘ The idea » s of Ned Chester being dog by a detective! eS Wouldn’t have believed it two days ago, but I 4 never had an optical delusion, or whatever they © v call ’em, in my life.. It must be so. Anybow, it’s prime fun to dog the detective while he’s doggin Ned.” be boy’s faith in his theory that the portly gentleman was lean Mr. Sloan, in disguise, was now complete, as was his infatuation for the — work in hand. Though it cost bim his place, — = he was determined to see the matter through, y The shades of night were increasing as fast as . o lights from lamps of various kinds would ow. Chester walked down Fulton street to Sands street. and then made for the entrance to the, East River Bridge. He paid his toll, and the detective and Ben did the same. There were three cars on the train when it started, and no two of the trio went in the same car. Chester seemed to be unsuspicious, and if the detective knew that be was followed, be gave no sign, Reaching the New York side Chester descend- ) ed the steps briskly, passed beyond theentrance, | j turned to the right and went on ata quick pace. . Sloan and Ben followed. | The At Nex took them to the Bowery—that , rsom But it must. . i - Tih | street of New York which, in its way,is the © most remarkable of all metropolitan streets— {§ and Brooklyn Ben stopped short as he saw both © the men, sailor and detective, enter a saloon. _; For the first time the boy began to have doubts, — He had seen sometbing of life, but not in a — Fe Bowery saloon, and be had an idea that he bi would not like life there. He had heard te such . « places as the haunts of cut throats. Dared he goin? He used the word ‘‘ dare” in making the mental inquiry, and he determined to go, any- how; it spurred him on. _ He entered, What he saw did not increase his co There was a remarkably long room, with ta scattered at intervals from end to end, and chairs around the tables. Upon the latter were several packs of cards, now in active use, for men were playing for amusement or “ the drinks.” It was a Vile, dirty place, and the men were , brutal logking fellows asa rule; the few well-dressed ones havi eg ey pearance of men who lived by their ei a a . r / + rs ‘ 5 4 oat . x " torre _ 7 4 .- 1 SS | ‘an ) [a ; oa es" Al ey ~ a \