Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 598 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

————— ae —t—~_ _-—.-___ ~~... ee ae room that opened on the stage, where she could be attended by some of the chorus girls, and then looked around for Piper, just as the curtain rose again, and the opera went merrily on. And where was Piper? When he dropped through the trap, he clutched wildly at anything that might save him, but everything slipped away from him, - and be fell in a disgruntled heap upon Roundel, who had not haa time to get out out of the way, and who stood immediately below. The only light came from a gas-jet, turned very low, that blinked in a small wire cage sev- eral feet away. Roundel, expecting nothing less than to see Piper fall into the snare laid for the new tenor, and furious because he had himself been com- pelled to sustain the shock of the falling body, struck out with all his force at Piper, and knocked him over a heap of dirty armor—bhel- mets, breastplates, etc., stored in a corner. ‘‘ What in thunder are you doing, Mr. Roun- del? Don’t you know me?” ** Piper?” ‘Yes, Piper, and all broken up,” wheezed that person. “* W here is the other fellow?” ‘‘On the stage, I guess. He’s all right.” 5 Curse him! How did he manage to fool ms?” ‘* He couldn’t have done it himself, but that girl, Blanche Rogers, came along and gave me a shove just when I bad him where I want- him. The consequence was that—” . ‘‘ You fell down the hole,and Blanche and Flute, as he calls himself, are laughing at ou." e Piper clinched his fist. o took out, Let us get away from here. We don’t want anybody to know that I sprung this trap,” added Roundel, as he saw the stage-car- penter coming down the narrow stairs. The two men stepped aside, and as soon as the carpenter, with many expressions of wonder- ment as to how the trap had become unfastened, had propped it up securely again, they sneaked up the stairs and separated. Roundel, in his character of Poo-Bah, got ready to go on the scene, and Piper went to his dressing-room to wait for him. From the door of the dressing-room he could look across the stage, and note every triumph of the new tenor, who was playing his part so successfully. ‘* That isn’t the only thing you are doing on cue,” he muttered. “1 wonder.what you are here for, at all? I guess Roundel is right, and you are playing the spy act on us, ell, wait awhile, Ezra Piper, and if you find him out, it is easy enough to fix him.” There was a drawing back of the thin lips as he said this that made Mr. Piper look rather more unprepossessing than usual. ‘“‘ Halloa, Blanche!” he exclaimed, a few mo- ments later, as he saw the girl, with a white face, making her way across the stage, at the back of the scenes. ‘ You look sick.” The only answer was a look of unutterable disdain. ** Oh, now, Blanche, you needn’t be so stiff with me. I have more reason to be offended than you. You migbt have broken my neck when you pushed me down that trap.” ‘*T did not push you down the trap.” * You didn’t?” ae No. ” ‘‘ How do you explain that? You gave me a shove and made me step on it, and it let me down didn’t you?" 5 Very well then, That is what I say.” “* But, who fixed the trap so that tt would magi ‘© How should J know?” ‘Ezra Piper, you do know, and you want to murder that young man, Flute!” Piper laughed uneasily. ‘* What makes you think so?” ‘* I know it!” and her flushed face showed her anger. ‘* Well, never mind, Blanche; you will know better some wpb Let me take you home. You don’t want to hang about the theater all the evening when you are not singing, I suppose?” ‘Ezra Piper,” said the girl, slowly, ‘‘you have asked me several times whether I will not tolerate you. You seemed so much in earnest that I did not. like to be cruel, but to-night I will tell you that you must not to me Is that plain again. | hate and despise you. enough?” | The young girl’s blue eyes flashed and she _—-—- —_— —— ——___ raul had addressed as Blanche—to a scales | tossed her golden-crowned head as she said this | with an energy that left no doubt of her sin- | and the cousin will be a good fellow, and—and cerity. Ezra looked at her several moments with a lowering brow, and the thin lips parted and showed his teeth, as he snarled: ‘**Blanche Rogers, this is the last time I shall | right, Mr. Flute, now I know you. speak to you until—until—you will be only too lad to speak to me. Remember what I say! his new fellow has come here and has carried you away at the first glance. You have thrown me over for him, and | will get even with both of * he a e shut: the dressing-room door with a bang, and the young girl, witb a smile curling her pretty lip, walked carelessly away. She stood and watched the progress of the opera. Flute had already established himself as a strong favorite with the audience, and his triumph was complete. ‘*T wonder why Piper and Roundel wanted to burt bim,” she thought. ‘ Couldn’t be only professional jealousy on Piper’s part, He never took enough interest in his work for that, And Roundel? He isn’t jealous of the new tenor. No, ! there is some deeper reason, andIam going to find out what it is. I know those two men and I am going to warn Flute before he leaves the theater to-night.” The opera was drawing to a close, and the young girl, who was a member of the chorus, ut she had been excused from singing that Flute, the Singer Detective. | | ; A small disk of silver shone in the rays of an adjacent gas jet. It was not larger than a half dollar but it was enough for Roundel. ‘‘ Just what I thought,” he muttered, as he pulled off his wig and ran his fingers through bis white hair. ‘‘ Just what I thought. All think i can block your game. ‘Git Thar’ Owney is too well known to the boys to be able to hide his identity under Flute, or any other nickname.” In the mean time Flute (or ‘‘ Git Thar Owney,” for the tenor was indeed no otber than the famous young detective) was thinking—think- ing. Roundel was right. Flute bad a purpose in | accepting an engagement at the Euterpia | | Theater, entirely unconnected with the salary he received. He had suspected Rounde] to be some one whom he was particularly anxious to see inter- viewed by a judge and jury in the Court of Oyer and Terminer, New York. Now he had satisfied himself of bis identity, and the rest was only a question of waiting. “Tam afraid you know me, Tiger Jim,” he muttered. ‘But if you do, you also know that ‘Git Thar’ Owney basn’t earned his sobriquet for nothing. I'll ‘ git thar,’ just as sure as your name is not Norman Roundel. Pretty good scheme, you scoundrel, to join an opera ccm- pany asacloak to your real busivess, aad one more instance of the way you make use of every night at her special request, stood ready to | talent you possess, but—it won’t avail you this speak to the new tenor as soon as the curtain | time.” should fall. ‘** Flute, eh?” she muttered. “I like to call him by that name, It is only a nickname, but it fits him exactly. His voice is splendid.” The final chorus was being sung now, and as the catchy music crashed through the theater, the voice of Flute rose high above everything, sweet and clear, fairly thrilling the soul of the young girl. He saw her as soon as the curtain was down. ** How are you?” he asked kindly, taking her hand in his, “Very well; I was a little excited when I saw your danger, but I can assure you that I do not often faint away.” ‘*Tam glad to hear it,” he replied cheerfully. ** How wil you get home? Have yeu anybody to take you? ‘Well, no,” hesitatingly. generally escorted me, but I shall not avail my- self of his services any more.” **[ndeed? May I have the pleasure?” A grateful smile was the answer, and the young man hastened away to change his dress, ** Piper, how long will it take your throat to get well?’ asked the fussy stage-manager. Ezra had been standing with Roundel watch- ing the conversation between Flute and Blanche, and both men were evidently ill-pleased with the friendship that had sprung up between the new-comer and the girl. Piper started as Graul addressed him, and an- swered, absently,. ‘‘I don’t know. A week, suppose.” ‘All rape on right. Then I’ll get-—what’s rin! name— lute—to do your part in the mean e. Graul sailed off to his dressing-room, and Ezra and Roundel continued their conversation. “That job must be done to-morrow night, sure, Ezra. Everything is ready forit. There will be a fortune in it for us if we do it up right. I have the watchman fixed, His cousin that he ‘Mr. Piper has expects from Ireland, and whom he has never ay arrive at the house about midnight.” ‘ ! ** And the cousin will have a little real old poteen from Tipperary, that has never paid a cent of duty. Do you see? The cousin will send around to the bank for the watchman to come home and taste the poteen.” ¢ “ec Yes?” ** He won't seep the watchinan more than a few minutes, he’ll say. Well, the watchman will go home, and the poteen will be very good. I think the watchman will be away from the bank long enough for us to do the job.” Ezra nodded, and then both grinned. _The stage was almost dark now. As is cus- tomary in every theater, the lights had been turned out as soon as possible, to save the gas and only one or two jets relieved the gloom o the great stage. bak, As Roundel moved away to his dressing-room he came face to face with Flute. He looked at the young man for a second, and then, as be passed him, managed to turn back the lapel of the undercoat that was almost con- cealed under a heavy ulster, | He raised his hat to Blanche, and giving her his arm, left the theater. The Euterpia Theater is up town, and it did not take more than a few minutes to reach the quiet boarding-house on West Thirty-eighth street where Blanche lived. He parted from her at the door, saw her safe- ly inside, and then lighting a cigar, walked leisurely toward his own home in the bracing wintry air. He bad reached Broadway, and was wrapped in thought as he strolled along with his hands in the pockets of his ulster. He turned up a street in the vicinity of ~| Madison Square, and stopped at last in front of a handsome residence, with brown stone pillars supporting a massive balcony over the front door, and storm doors to protect the steps from snow and wind. As he stopped a police officer passed him. ‘** All right, Dobbs. Stand at tbe corner out of sight, but within bail. See that ’m not watched,” whispered ‘‘Git Thar” Owney. The slightest bend of the officer’s head show- ed that be understood the order, as be walked across the street and stood silently and ghost- like in a deep doorway. The detective looked up and down the street, and then pulling open one of the storm-doors, went inside like a flash, Scarcely had he disappeared when a white head under a soft cap bobbed up from the area adjoining, and the voice of Norman Roundel hissed : ‘Watch yourself, Owney. Tiger Jim’s teeth are sharp, and he’s after blood!” CHAPTER II. LOCKS, BOLTS AND BARS, ‘Grr THaR” OWNEY was evidently no stran- ger inthe house that he entered so boldly at midnight. Once screened from observation by the storm- doors, he tapped softly at the inner door, and began to leisurely take off his ulster. There was a click, as a small hole in the panel was opened, allowing a strcam of light to shine through, and the detective ‘put his face where the light would fall full upon it. ‘‘Mr. Graham, it’s you, is it? Just what I thought,” exclaimed a cheery female voice. Then the door opened and *‘ Git Thar ” Owney shook hands with the owner of the cheery voice, in the person of a buxom, good-looking woman of about fifty years of age, ‘‘ How do you, Mrs. Burton? Is Mr, Argent at home?” ‘‘ Yes, sir. He’s in the library, 1 think he expects you.” ‘I'll step right in, then.” ‘© Come in!” said a voice frem the li , in response to * Git Thar ” Owney’s knock, and the detective entered a luxuriously-furnisbed room, in the center of which, at a massive library table, sat Mr. eh gs the well-known banker, reading by the light of a shaded student’s lamp, ** Ah, Owney, that you?” “ Yea, sir,” ** Anything new?” 4 a ‘ ‘ . | ., ae ¥ Fe | > “ha ‘ +. ‘ ——— » we « ——~. ~. ¥. ™ : =~" «* é \ ¢ 5 au h, : i S fe , a