Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 598 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

~ ro ET See ae mss Se a ae . ——e 12 across the outside of the dirty window, and, om anything Owney could tell, were immov- able. He forced open the window, which swung on hinges toward him, and tried the bars. To his joy, they were not any more secure than the shutter bad been, He wrenched two of the bars out of place, and, losing no more time than was necessary, crawled through the opening. He had got half-way through, when the muz- zlies of two revolvers were pushed against his face, while the wheezy voice of Ezra Piper gave utterance to a sarcastic: ‘‘ Excuse me,” CHAPTER XI. THE PURSUER PURSUED. Ir was seven o’clock in the evening of the day on which the events narrated in the last chapter took place. The doors of the Euterpia Theater had just been opened, and a few straggling individuals, who were afraid of not being in time for the performance, were going in and taking their seats in the parquette, while in the gallery the usual crowd of boys that always rushes in early to secure front seats, was making the theater echo to the noise of heavy shoes jumping wildly over benches, as their owners went almost headlong to the front of the gallery, at the im- minent risk of pitching over into the body of the house, On the stage things presented that gloomy ap- pearance peculiar to the sacred regions behind the curtain an hour before it rises. Only a few of the performers had arrived, and Peter Graul, who was always the first to arrive, was fussing about, directing changes in the set- ting of the stage, warning the gas-man to be more particular about turning the lights up or down, as the exigencies of the opera might require, and making a nuisance of himself generally. ‘¢ Don’t see how it is!” he grumbled, ‘‘ but ever since the ‘*‘ Mikado” has been played at the Euterpia Theater, I have had trouble to get enough Japanese umbrellas andfans, The same with everything else I want. That new tenor was to have come this morning for rehearsal, and he never showed up. Don’t know whether he will sing to-night or not. Now Roundel ye me word that he is sick. What shall I doe’ He went to his dressing-room grumbling, and began removing his street clothing, preparatory to making up as the Mikado, but came out al- most directly without coat or vest, and with his suspenders dangling behind him. ‘*Great Cesar! What am I to do? I don’t care about Roundel. I have two or three men in the chorus thatcan play Pooh-Bah at a pinch, but the tenor is out of the question. I shall go crazysyet, over that part of Nanki-Poo, | know T shall!” Poor Graul went back to his dressing-roon in a most unenviable frame of mind. He was really nonplused. Suddenly he darted out with a wild look of surprised joy in his eye. ‘*Who is that? Where is he? Where is he? Show bim to me! Quick! Quick!” he yelled, as he tumbled over a man who was kneeling down to fasten a small tree to the stage. The stage-manager got up at once without swearing at the man who had inadvertently up- set him. He was too much excited over some- thing he had heard just before to notice a trifling personal mishap. ‘Who do you want, sir?” ‘Want? ho should I want? Where the deuce is he?” Graul danced about, looking behind scenery, into dark corners, and up at the “flies,” ina state of frenzy. He was too excited to know what he was doing. He bounced bebind a pile of austy-painted clouds, and with a ery of rapture, seized some one by the hand and shook it violently. ‘Darn me if I didn’t know I heard your voice. Hurry up and dress. Here it is getting on for eight o’clock, and I thought I should have no Nanki-Poo. Why didn’t you come before?” The exvited stage-manager delivered himself of these observations with such volubility, that the person whom he addressed had no chance to answer, but could only wave his hand in token of aquiescence when requested to dress for the character of Yum-Yum’s lover. ‘You should bave come earlier,” continued ‘Graul, who, now that be was relieved of his anxiety about the arrival of some one to sing the Conufound it! - wie 4 . hw fi fo Bg ho ; ines sy “A - » pee vere -< : ~~ =e —_— ee ed oo ~ ~~ ao ee eee —— ae Flute, the Singer Detective. _ tenor part, was inclined to be somewhat, dicta- torial. The tenor singer stepped from behind the | clouds, and the lights of the stage over his head, technically known as “border lights,” showed the face and figure of ‘‘ Git Thar” Owney. The young detective looked as cool and col- lected as usual, and no one would have supposed from his mauner and appearance that he bad passed through adventures of the most exciting character since he sung 1m the opera of ** The Mikado” on the night before. ‘‘T am sorry that I could not get here earlier, Mr. Graul,” he said, when at length the stage- manager’s breath failed him for an instant. ‘‘ But [ had some important private matters to attendto. Iam in plenty of time for the per- formance, however. It will not take me long to dress.” ‘‘Have you seen Roundel?” asked Graul, ig- os an agile remarks, ‘‘You have seen him then,” interrupted the other impatiently, ‘* Well, where is he?” ‘‘ He will not be here to-night, I am afraid.” ‘‘He won't? How do you know? Where is he? The skulking vagabond! Ill make him come. Il sue him for breach of contract! Tul break everv bone in his body. Vl have him sent to the Penitentiary! Ill play bis part my- self to-night! Pll publish bim in the newspapers! at make him go on and sing to-night! Pl— ’ ys But here Peter Graul’s voice again failed him and although he tried to continue speaking, he could only give utterance to incoherent sounds that floated among the cordage and lumber of the stage and finally lost itself in the dark space above. ‘Git Thar” Owney did not wait for the stage- manager to commence again, but retired to bis dressing-room to attire himself for his part in the opera. Graul looked after him, and then, having made up his mind that it was of no use to waste time in grumbling at the inevitable, went back to his own dressing-room, thankful that his tenor was all right, and that he bad a substitute for the erratic Roundel. In due time the curtain arose and the opera began. There was a goodly-sized audience, and the theater was bright and cheerful, The cue was given for Nanki-Poo, and Owney walked upon the scene, and sung his first song to applause that was even more vigorous than on the preceding night. As he sung his eyes roved over the auditorium and a balf-smile lurked on his lips as his glance rested for afew seconds upon two men who sat = the parquette circle half concealed by a gild- e st. orman Roundel and Ezra Piper! At the instant tbat he saw them, they recog- nized him thgpugh the paint and powder on his face and in spite of his ridiculous theatrical wig. a You see him?” growled Roundel, under, his breath, | ‘* Yes, curse him!” responded Piper. ‘‘Tt’s all very well to curse him, If you had had any pluck he would not have been here to- night. ‘‘ But what was I todo? He—” Roundel cast a contemptuous glance upon the flabby-faced little man, and replied: ‘‘ Of course! You couldn’t do anything. You never can, I don’t know why I ever work with you at all.” Piper could have told him that the reason was because he was useful to the larger and bolder villain, but he did not say so. e only shrug- ged his shoulders humbly, and Roundel went on: ‘‘ When we had him all safe at the crib, you had to let bim walk out as comfortably as if he owned us all. Now, he’ll put the stop on that job as sure as we are bere now.” ‘‘ Well, I couldn’t help it. I did all T could. But be took me all of a sudden, grabbed my pis- tols, and was gone just when I thougnt I had him all safe,” ‘* Well, the game’s up now.” ‘‘ Why? He hasn’t given us away yet. We've watched him, and we kor that he hasn’t had a chance to talk to the police, unless he did it in the few minutes we lost sight of him before he got into the theater.” Roundel was about to answer, but he saw that several people near him were looking in- dignantly at Ezra and himself for disturbing the audience by whispering, and be held bis tongue until the drop-curtain fell at the end of the act. ‘* Let us get out,” he whispered then. | | en een iietaeel eee Without a word, Piper got up and left the theater, followed by his companion, At the moment that the two men disappeared, an eye was watching them through a sma) hole in the curtain, The eye belonged to ‘* Git Thar” Owney. ‘Hallo, Fiute! Whatare you looking at out there? Have you made a mash?” The voice was that of Peter Graul. He was in high humor, The act had gone off very well, and the substitute for Roundel had played Poob- Bah #3 well as the regular baritone coul@ have done it. ‘‘ T haven’t made a mash yet, Mr. Graul. Not yet. But I hope to do so before I’m many hours older,” answered Owney, slowly, and with a significant smile. ‘‘ Ah, you rascal! That voice of yours is enough to captivate any girl. Stay in this com- pany, and you'll find yourself the busband of an heiress before the end of the season, I shouldn’t wonder.” With a dig in the detective’s ribs, he was walking away, chuckling to himsef, when Owney called him back: ‘“ Mr. Graul.” ‘* Well, Flute?” ‘¢ T should like a few words with you.” ‘‘ Go ahead, then. I shall have to call ‘ Sec- ond Act’ directly. Time is precious just now.” ‘‘ f— won’t waste much time,” Owney drew the stage-manager close to him, and whispered in bis car. ‘+ No?” exclaime’ Graul, starting back in as- tonishment. ‘t You can’t mean it,” ‘‘ButI do, Will you help me?” “ Help you? Why, what have you to do with it? Why not tell the police?” * ‘‘ Because ’m—” Again the young man whispered. ** Wha-a-a-t?” ‘Fact, I assure you. 9? ‘ Will I? Won't 1?” ‘Good! I came here to-night for these rea- sons. One was to save you trouble in the per- formance—” ‘‘ Very much obliged to you, I’m sure, Mr.—” Ov ney held up his finger warningly, “Graham,” continued Graul, with a smile. ‘¢ There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” ‘* Nothing.” ‘Oh, ’m pretty sharp,” chuckled the stage- manager. ‘* You can’t often catch Peter Graul asleep.” ‘¢ The other two reasons that brought me to the theater were to see whether my men came here, and further, if they did, to throw them off their guard,” Good!” ejaculated Graul, approvingly. é Now—” ‘Second act!” suddenly yelled the stage- manager, in a stentorian voice, Owney started... Then he saw the reason that Graul’ had so rudely interrupted the conversa- tion, and he felt a great dea] more respect than before for the stage-manager’s intelligence, One or two of the chorus men were hanging about very close to them, and with the curiosity of their kind, were trying to hear what was being said. The conference between Owney and Mr. Graul was broken up for the time, but they managed to exchange a few remarks during the performance, so that when the curtain fell at last a plan was perfected between them. The audience poured out of the theater, and a quarter of an hour after the performers began to leave the stage door. Opposite the door, in the deep shadow, two figures could have been discovered by any one with very sharp eyes, provided he was on the lookout for watchers. Actors are always in a burry to get away from the theater when their work is done. The chorus girls left in groups of three and four, or singly. Tbe latter were generally joined by lovers or brothers, who saw them safely home. . The two men opposite kept their eyes on the doors, but seemed uninterested in all who emerged, until a young man in the dfess that they both recognized as that of ‘‘ Git Thar” Owney stepped lightly out of the doorway and walked away at a swift gait, He pa under a lamp, and the two men saw the blonde curls of the young detective, with other personal characteristics that assured them that be was indeed the personage that they were after. ‘“Curse him! We'll have him now!” hissed Roundel, as, with Ezra Piper at his heels, he went on the track of ‘‘ Git Thar” Owney with the dogged determination of a sleuth-hound, Now, will you help gp. Mee