Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 598 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

—— ee Var ae . yt = * -—. — s 8 | : Care es Ps 5 Sealer ‘*T don’t know his name,” interrupted the eiderly gentleman, testily, ‘‘ but I want to see him, e expects me.” ‘* Show the gentleman into the library, Mary. Show him in,” interposed a wheezy voice from the library, and the stranger, pushing past the girl, entered the room and closed the door with a hang. He found himself face to face with an appa- rently decrepit old man, with long, flowing white beard, and wearing a black skull-cap on his white hair. He was iabited in a voluminous white flannel dressing-gown, and supported himself on a thick walking- cane. ‘*Mr. Argent!” wheezed the old man, motion- ing his visitor to the easy-chair, while he took another with his back to the light. ‘That is my name—yes,” was the impatient response. ‘‘ Now, what can you tell me about my daughter?’ CHAPTER VII. THE BANKER’S STRANGE ADVENTURE, Tu white-haired old man in the white flan- nel dressing-gown, whom it is quite unnecessary to introduce as Ezra Piper, sat for perhaps half a minute looking into the face of his visitor be- fore be answered, Then he slowly stroked his long, white beard, and coughed violently, all the while watching every movement in the countenance of the im- patient gentleman before him. ‘* What’s the matter with the man?” burst from Mr. Argent. ‘*‘ Why don’t you answer me? This is the address you sent me, (I sup- _ it was you that sent it.) You are the man am to see, and you told me you could give me information of my daughter—for a considera- tion.” gt te ‘* What do you know about her?” The question came s> sbarply that Piper fairly started. ‘* Before I answer that question 1 must request }. a fee,” ‘* Of course. Extortion! That is the way of the world,” said the banker, Piper did not answer, but his small eyes twin- kled watchfully under the bushy white eye- brows, ** How much do you want?” ** A hundred dollars.” ‘* A hundred devils!” burst out Mr. Argent, ‘* Why, you infernal old blackmailer, ’1l—” He sprung half-way from his chair in a threat- ening manner, but recovering himself at once, sunk back again, ‘* Well, why not?” he muttered. “TI can easily put the police on the job if he tries to cheat me.” Then aloud, ashe took out a well-filled pocketbook, and hanaed the old man five twenty dollar bills: ‘* Here is your money. Now, for your in- formation. You seem to know all about the circumstances surrounding my daughter’s dis- appearance.” ‘* T do,” was the quiet response of Piper as he eagerly clutched the money and hid it some- where in the folds of his dressing-gown. Perlaps if the banker could haveseen that the rigat hand of the venerable-looking old man held a long dirk-knife with a grasp so tight that his knuckles were white with the strain,be would have hesitated before addressing his companion in such forcible language as he had used, Piper waiked to the door’and fastened it, the banker following him with his eves, ‘¢ Now, sir, if you will follow me to this corner I will try and give you the information you seek,” wheezed Piper, pointing to a small table on which was something covered with a cloth. The banker, with a mystified expression, in which there was traceable a slight element of disdain obeyed the other’s directions, taking his stand in front of the table. Suddenly the room was in pitch darkness. The window had been obscured by a heavy shutter that excluded every ray of daylight, and had yet been moved almost noiselessly at one touch of the old man’s hand. ‘What does this mean?’ demanded the banker, sternly. ‘* Hush! Do not disturb the occult influences that are about to work,” replied Ezra, in an af- fected voice of deep solemnity. **Oceult fiddlesticks! Open that shutter, or I'll have you arrested before you are five min- utes older. Do you think you can humbug me?” returned Mr, Argent, angrily. He could not see whereabouts the old man was but that instinct which no one can explain told bim that his companion was very near to him. His supposition was confirmed when he heard a ———— 2 aoe <> Gyn TS OF EE — ~~ > 1a . is , ’ ae oe . = at be Flute, the Singer Detective. hollow voice just in front of him command him to look downward, He did as he was told and then started back in astonishment, while a chilly feeling of preter- natural horror ran down his back. His hands dropped and rested upon the edge of the table, while right between them he saw a disk of metal or liquid—be could not tell which —lighted up by a phosphorescent blaze that was yet quite clear and transparent, ‘* Look fixedly into the bowl and see what science bas to reveal,” broke forth the hollow tones of Ezra Piper. The banker, scarce knowing what he did, gazed at the disk until bis eyes seemed to burn. ‘* Heavens!” he ejaculated. The disk, which had been clear as crystal, had become cloudy, as if sediment bad been stirred up in a bowl of muddy water. The clouds moved hither and thither and assumed fantastic shapes that at last became. concentrated in the center. ‘*What do you see?’ asked the solemn voice of the white-haired old man. The banker strained his eyes as he intensified his gaze, : “Ft see,” he murmured, ‘‘ my Lucy—my daugh- ter—my Lucy!” : A noise that might have been a chuckle quick- ly turned into a cough issued from that part of the room in which stood Ezra Piper, but the banker did not notice it. He was completely absorbed in the vision that was being revealed to him in the phosphorescent bowl. The clouds in the center had at last come to a standstill and showed the face of a young girl, which the banker recognized at once as that of his daughter. For a moment he looked yearningly at it. Then, with a wild cry, he reached out to touch it with his hand, As he did so a cold grasp on his wrist held him like a steel vise, and a voice that he did not recognize hissed: ‘** Put your hand down!” At the same instant the clouds spread over the face, and after a few seconds’ agitation, disap- peared, leaving the disk clear and transparent as before, and still lighted up by the blue glare that came from he knew not whence. ** What jugglery is this?? demanded Mr. Ar- gent, as he vainly strove to release his wrist. ** You shall see directly.” It was the wheezy voice of Piper. No trace of the solemn aecents of the venerable old man could be detected in it. Then the cold hand released the banker’s’wrist and the mysterious bowl vanished. ‘Would you have further information?” asked Piper, in the hollow, grave-yard voice again, ‘** What can you show mes mote?” ‘1 can show you where your daughter is and how to reclaim her,” ** Do so, then.” ‘Three hundred dollars.” “Why, you—you—” spluttered the banker, as he tried in vain to penetrate the thick darkness that surrounded bim, ‘You were told to bring money with you, were you not?” said the old man, coldly. ‘* Yes, but—” ‘* Three hundred dollars.” ‘* Let me have light enough to count it then.” Even as he spoke, the shutters fell from the windows, and the winter sunlight streaming in, showed him the white-baired old man standing on the opposite side of the table, upon which the mysterious something covered with a cloth was the only suggestion of the vision he had just seen, The small eyes of Piper were scanning him osely. The banker drew forth his pocketbook and took out three hundred dollars in bills, which he handed to Ezra Piper. The latter’s fingers were just closing over the money, when there was a sudden crash, the shutters flew up, and in the total darkness Piper received a mighty blow in the chest that stretched him at full length upon the floor, while a voice hissed savagely in his ear: ** You cur!” The banker stood petrified.. He could not see anything in the profound darkness, and the irruption of another person into the room a pg from thin air was enough to startle anv ordinary human being. With the sound of Piper’s fall and the two words of indignation there was a dead silence for several seconds, Then there was a slight bustle, a whispering of which he could not distinguish the purport, and his two wrists were seized—one by a hot, cl dry hand, and the other by a clammy, cold one, The latter be at once recognized as that which had neld him before, and knew it to be that of the aimable old gentleman with the long white hair aud beard. The other be rightly conjec- tured to be that of the strenger who had dis- turbed the seance so rudely, and who had stig- matized the sage as a ‘‘ cur,” Mr. Argent would have added, ‘does this mean?” but no sooner was the first word of the sentence out of his mouth than a wooden gag was forced between his teeth, and a cord that held it was tightly tiea around his bead, cutting his cheek and causing him excruciating pain, This was relieved almost directly, however, his captors evidently not desiring to hurt him un- necessarily. Silently be was dragged forward. He had not been moved from tbe position he had_all along occupied in front of the table, and it seemed to him that he was being taken directly through the wall of the room opposite the win- dow, A draught of cold air struck him, and he knew that be was being taken through a door that be had not observed while the room was light. A dozen steps further, and then a gruff voice whispered: ‘¢We are going down-stairs.” Instinctively the banker put forth his foot cautiously, and found that he was at the head of a flight of stairs. He counted them as he descended, still held on both sides. Ten steep stairs of stone or brick. Still pitch dark. He was evidently in a cellar. As he settled this in his mind, a hand- kerchief was passed around his eyes and a heavy sack or covering of some kind put over his head, Then he heard another door open and through the thick sack on his face he detected a faint odor of horses, He was dragged swiftly along until he felt a still colder current of air on his hands, which were the only part of his ‘body exposed. He knew that he was no longer in a house, but whether he was onastreet or only in a back yard he could not tell, There was no noise, ays the occasional impatient pawing of horses’ oofs. Again warmth and a strenger sme]] of horses. | Then the sack and bandage were removed from ' his face and the gag from bis mouth, and he found himself in astable lighted by two win- dows high up in the walls, He looked quickly to see what his captors were like, He saw a tall, dark man, with white bair and a small, sneaking-looking fellow, with whiskers, mu-tache and a flabby face. Norman Roundel and Ezra Piper. ‘‘ Where is the old man?” gasped the banker, in astonishment. ‘* He’s at home. What do you want with him?” asked Roundel, grvuffly. ‘* My—my—daughter.” ‘‘ We are taking you to her.” ‘‘ You villains! You lie! [ll hand youover . to the police as soon asI get away from you. ru— ‘‘ Exactly!” sneered Roundel. ‘‘ As soon as you get away! I’m glad you put that in. Here, beauty, shove him into the coupe.” __ The last command was addressed to Piper who stood grinning at the other side of the banker, but without relaxing his bold of the prisoner’s right wrist, Roundels clutch being on the other one. Ngai With a dexterous movement, Roundel jump- ed behind the banker, and locking his arms around him, held him securely so that Piper could let him go, . There were two horses in the stable. They turned toward Piper as he went to their heads, They evidently. knew him. In five minutes he had them harnessed toa close carriage of rather remarkable appearance such as might belong to a family of redu gentility. ! The banker stood watching Piper’s proceed- ings in silence. The gag had been replaced in his mouth and he could not utter even a whimper, had he desired to do so, ‘“ Ready?” asked Roundel, at last, ss es.” ‘‘ Open the door.” « All right. The door of the carriage was opened, and Mr. Argent was bundled in, the white-haired scoundrel following him, and closing the door and curtains. BS peewee Nee wee, 6 ek “CO ; L_| \ + m 7 eo an Z a » oA 7 + Ss > a i oe r chooks.com