Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 598 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

eh > —": - — OIE SP) Tee > —— 4 _ et ee or —se em 10 “What? Surely not?” hesitated the girl. For answer the old woman threw back her flapping night-cap, and placing her back against the door, shut and locked it. “Yes, itis! Thank Heaven!” cried Blanche, as her eyes filled with tears.of joy. ** * Git Thar’ Owney!” —————_“—_-— CHAPTER IX. A TaeT FOR BLANCHE’S NERVE. As Blanche uttered his name ‘Git Thar” Owney looked cautiously around, and put his finger warningly to his lips. “Hush! Don’t mention my name again. The walls have ears here.” ‘* But you will help me?” ‘‘ That is what I am here for.” “ How did you know anything about my be- ing here, and how did you get here ourself?” “That is too long a story to tellnow. We have work to do,” ‘Git Thar” Owney replaced his white night- cap so that the flaps should cover his face even more than before, and stooping over, hobbled about the room after the manner of a very aged woman. None too soon! Thedoor shook violently and the voice of Roundel demanded that it should be ned. ‘Open the door, old woman. Do you bear?” ‘‘T’m deaf as a post,” whispered Owney, with a smile, ‘‘ but I’ll open the door before he makes any more trouble, He'll break the door down the first thing we know.” Indeed, Roundel was kicking and thumping with all his might, making the thick panels tremble and split under his assaults, ‘¢ Open the door!” Another tremendous kick, and Owney turned the key and pulled the door open suddenly. ‘‘Halloa! Do you want to come in?” croaked Owney. ‘6 Do I want to come in? Didn’t you hear me kicking, you old fool?” “é Eh q” ‘Git out of my way,” growled Roundel, as he gave the supposed old woman an impatient shove, and strode into the room. Owney stood near the door, with his face hid- den behind the flaps of bis nightcap, apparently waiting for Roundel to go out. ‘‘What are you waiting there for?’ howled tho latter, at the top of bis voice. es Eh o The old woman was particularly deaf this morning, and Roundel, with an uncertain air, as if he did not krow whether to throw her out or not, made up his mind not to trouble about her, as he muttered: ‘Makes no difference! thing 1 say.” Blanche was standing near the fire, looking contemptuously at her captor. ‘‘ At least you might allow me the poor com- fort of privacy while you are keeping me here against my will,” she said, icily. “i So I will when I have said what I have to f Speak quickly and leave me alone.” “T will. The fact of the matter is this—” He stopped. The old woman had drawn very close to him, and while standing with her face away, might have been eagerly listening to his words, judging from her intent attitude. ‘‘ You old beldam, get out!” As Roundel thus addressed the unconscious old woman, he seized her by the back of the neck and threw her violently toward the half- open doorway. She fell in a heap just inside the room, and set ap a series of croaks that would have been shrieks but for their feebleness. “Git Thar” Owney was a good actor, and he ae impersonate a decrepit old woman to the ife. She can’t hear any- “Ow! Ow! Sure Oi’m kilt intarely!” he squeaked. ‘‘Ow! You murtherin’ villain! Ow! Ow!” ‘ Curse the old fool! Shut up!” Roundel made a threatening movement as if he would have kicked the prostrate Owney, but Blanche, seizing him by the arm, exclaimed in indiguvant tones: ‘Are you a man at all, to think of kicking. a r creature old enough to be your grand- mother? Shame! Shame!” Roundel, tossing his head, turned away, and walked toward the fireplace. Could he have 2 SEY oe, ee eee Oe ee Flute, the Singer Detective. TERR aie ee eS eee em eO0O0.3>%8 Oe ‘‘Now, what do you want to say to me?” de- manded Blanche, looking straight into Roun- del’s face, ‘* Your real name is Lucy Argent.” The girl started. ‘How do you know?” she asked. “Never mind. Suffice it that I do know. You have had a quarrel] with your father, He has treated you with cruelty—” ‘Tt is a base falsehood,” interrupted the girl, with flashing eyes. ‘‘He has always been a kind, indulgent father, and—” ‘* And he loved you so much that he turned you out of the house, to pick upa living in the streets of New York, or to starve, for aught he cared,” sneered the other. The girl did not auswer, She was looking into the fire, and a tear glistened in her eye. Roun el saw it, and drew from it a favorable augury. ‘Now, listen,” he went on. ‘‘I have it on good authority that your father is about to marry again.” ‘* What?” The girl had turned upon him with a look of horrified dismay. He continued, coolly: ‘The old gentleman is completely infatuated with this lady that he intends to make Mrs. Argent, and she can make him do anything. I happen to know her. My life has been a varied one, and I have been brought into contact with all sorts of people.” ‘“ Well?” “bis woman who has gained such control of your father is simply an_adventuress, originally from San Francisco. She has somebow found her way into good society, and by means known only to herself has got Mr. Argent not only to propose to her, but to submit himself almost oer to her dictation in every action of his ife, ‘‘ What a splendid liar the man is,” muttered Git Thar Owney, who, it is needless to say, was listening intently to Roundel’s words. Roundel turned sharply. His hearing was wonderfully acute. But when he saw the old woman standing at the doorway, looking into the hall as if to see that no one stole up un- awares, he was satisfied that the muttering he had heard was nothing more than the querulous grumbling of age. “What do you want me to dof” asked Blanche, “Your father has promised this woman to take from the bank safe to-night a heavy sum of money—$30,000—which he will place in her hands, to enable her to invest it in a speculation that she promises shall yield him rich returns. As you know, he cannot raise as much money as that personally just now.” sé Well?” ‘‘ He has every confidence in this woman, who he believes to be the soul of honor, and whom he intends very shortly to marry. Of course, when she gets the money, she will disappear, and ret father will find out, when too late, that he as been a miserable dupe.” ‘* Well?” : ‘Certain friends of your father’s—true friends—are trying to frustrate this woman’s designs, and have persuaded your father to come here.” ‘* Persuaded him?” ‘Yes, for his own good.” ‘‘ And you mean to say that my father is here —in this house?” sé Yes.” ; ‘¢ A prisoner?” ‘‘ By no means. He is the guest of friends.” ‘‘Take me to bim.” ‘That is just what I came to pro Blanche moved toward the door, ee in front of her. “Stay. There is something I want you to do when you meet him. Will you promise me to do it? Roundel’s back was toward Owney, who was looking earnestly into the girl’s face. She was about to refuse Se eenty. to give her promise, but Owney motioned to her to say yes, and she calmly answered: ‘* What do you wish me to do™ ‘Simply this, Go to your father, in this house, now, tell him that you have just heard where he is. That the person in whom he puts the greatest trust, has found you and has sent you to him.” té Yes. ” ‘He will of course be glad to see you. e,”” ut Roundel Then he will think is that of the unscrupulous woman he is about to marry.” As Roundel spoke he took from his pocket an envelope apparently containing a letter. There was no superscription upon it, This envelope he placed in Blanche’s hands. ‘‘ What is the purpose of all this deception?” asked Blanche, with a mystified expression, “ Just this, When you get the combination of the safe you can open the vault and change the lock. Then he will be unable to open it to- night, and his honor will be saved,” ‘His honor?” ‘Yes, Because if the $30,000 is stolen he will be unable to replace it, and it will surely be dis- covered before long. Do you understand?” ‘*T understand.” “So do I,” muttered ‘Git Thar” Owney under his breath. ‘‘ What a precious scoundrel the fellow is.” “Take me to my father, and I will do what you say,” said Blanche, quietly. “That's right,” was the exultant response of Roundel. He was going to take her hand, but she shrunk back, with the cold remark: “There is no occasion for us to shake hands, Norman Rounde]l. You know that I don’t like you and I am not disposed to make any pretense now,’ Roundel turned away witb a toss of his head. ‘“* As you please. ell, just wait here a few moments while I prepare your father, He does not know that you are here.” Then, to cB ag & be shouted at the top of his voice, while he inted to Blanche, “Stay here till I come ack,” If he had not been so excited over Blanche’s acquiescence, he might have been suspicious of the old woman’s sudden recovery of her hear- ing, for she understood at once what be wanted, without troubling him to repeat his command. As it was, he simply made a threatening mo- tion in her face, asa hint of what he would do if she failed to take care of the prisoner, and strode away down the dark ball. Owney shut the door with a bang, and having taken the key from the outside of the doo, locked it, so that no one could get into the room without bis assistance. Throwing back his flapping night-cap, he turned toward Blanche, who ran forwar and took his hands ip a supplicating grasp. ‘‘Now, Miss Argent, be cool, and we will fool these people so badly. that they won't know whether they are in Jersey City or Jericho.” ‘* What shall I do?” “Listen. They will take you into a room be- low the level of the street—a kitchen. There you will find your father alone—apparently. But every word you say will be overheard. The yarn about the woman going to marry your father is a lie, made out of the whole cloth—not a vestige of truth in if.” ‘‘T know that, of course,” cried Blanche, with a curl of her beautiful lip. ‘Yes, The way they expect to deceive your father is to make him suppose that you are a messenger from me, The message you are to deliver to him and that letter are both so art- fully worded that, if he was not on his guard, he might give you the combination of the bank safe, thinking it was for me, and that I wanted to use it in scme way in the capture of the thieves, Your father has unlimited confidence in me.” ‘* And I am sure that ros deserve it.” “Thank you. But that has nothing to do with the matter. When Roundel comes back, follow bim, pretend to do what be asks you, and leave the rest to me, I shall be close enough to you, even if you don’t see me.” ‘*T will obe you in everything.” ‘Good ‘girl,’ returned Owney with an ap- peceie smile. ‘* But look out he’s coming ack, “Git Thar ” Owney pulled his nightcap over his face again, and unlocked the door, It was pushed open, knocking tha detective | 5 behind it, and Norman Roundel appeared. ‘* Step this way, Miss—Miss— Argent.” Without a word, Blanche obeyed, we behind her conductor along the dark hall, an down two flights of stairs, Following them, quietly as a shadow, was the old woman in ber white nightcap, behind which the resolute features of “ Git Thar” Owney in- dicated that a critical moment was not far away. fe ih | seen the grinning face hidden in the nightcap, it | tell him that this person wants the combination | _, CHAPTER X. ae is more than likely that he would have be towed | of the bank safe, That it is absolutely neces- ' A BLOCK GAME. ae the threatened kick with a hearty good will that | sary, or it would not be asked. Asa proof give Into the pitchy darkness marched Roundel. a would have left Mr. Owney sore for a week. him this letter, which is written in a hand hat | He had taken the girl’s reluctant hand and was , PR TATU Ge ea Me, Cae th ee Eh eal ee Oe! (Coa or ee SE le yh 4g AS hh ee Wek, Sp et Gs at 7 | | Nr 6“ @i aart sa | rR LINN ET LRP OT SA PR PHBE NSE OY OW ; eet erent 2 a “5 — OKS.CO mM rape