Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 608 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

ive ag- till Lve ey deft fingers of Norah O’Connor and the other dining-room girls, looked like little ghosts in the fitful shadows, and gave the place an uncanny air in accordance with the mysterious hour. Strange cracks, thumps and whispers resounded through the corridors, and it required but a lit- tle stretch of the imagination to people al! the echoing spaces with the wraiths of departed guests whose actual bodies were wrapped in sleep hundreds of miles away. Some such idea may have disturbed the slumber of the night clerk, for he shook himself up in his chair and looked fearfully around him ere he again fell into a doze. In a distant bedroom two men turned up the gas just high enough to enable them to see each other’s faces. Slicker and Barker, both fully dressed, were listening intently at a door that separated their room from that adjoining. Barker’s left eye was in deep mourning, prov- ing that Norah O’Connor’s fist was not to be despised, if she was only a girl. Thedecoration did not detract from his a ways rather forbid- ding appearance, and he looked anything but a desirable person meet prowling about a hotel in the dark. Slicker’s countenance wore a self-satisfied ex- pression, but his movements were full of de cision, and showed that he was the directin oo the business he and his companion had nd. Stepping lightly to the window, which was wide open, to let in what air might be stir- ring, he looked out, and then, nodding his satisfaction, came away and whispered: ‘** Allright, Bark. He’s thar!” **T don’t care a durn,” was Barker’s oa ae cious response, ‘ Let’s get this job over. It is too emt ico for me, altogether.” ** Yes, Is’pose so, but es can’t expect allers to be on er bank lay, yer know.” ** Hurry up!” growled Barker. ** He ain’t got no light in his room.” ** Well, you have one, I suppose?” ** Yes hyar it is,” Slicker took a small folding bull’s-eye lantern from a capacious pocket in the inside of his coat, and lighted it at the gas, Then he turn- ed out the latter, and flashed the bull’s-eye upon the keyhole of the door. ** You'll send a stream of light into the room that way,” whispered Barker with a scowl]. He had been in an ugly temper ever since Norah O’Connor blacked his eye. Henever forgave an injury, from either a man or woman. ** Don’t yer fool yerself, Bark. Thet’s er dead- latch. Ther keyhole don’t go right through. I know my biz,” ** Well, hurry up!” 7 . A bolt was em cise back, and then, Slicker, with a piece of bent wire thrust through the key- hole, turned the latch and pushed the door open _@ few inches. He and Barker, each with a handy billy firmly clutched, listened breathlessly for an in- stant. All was silent, except the measured breathing of the occupant of the bed, which was behind the door, and thus out of the sight of the intruders, “Let her go, eh, Bark?” ‘s Yes.” * All right. Hyar she goes!” With the greatest caution, Slicker opened the door wider, wider, until there was room for him to slip through the space, closely followed by his companion. Their footfalls made not the least sound on the carpet as they stole to the side of the bed and looked at the sleeper, Their excessive pains not to disturb seemed to be la ly superfluous. Double-Curve Dan—or Dan Manly, to use bis proper name—was lying on his back, with one arm carelessly thrown over his head, and the other stretched out under the thin bed-quilt, as if he had been very tired when he lay down, and had taken an easy position and kept it all night. His slow, meas- ured breathing told of deep, dreamless sleep, and it needed no second glance to assure Slicker that he need not dread interruption if he pro- ceeded with only ordinary care, ‘Thar they are. How car’less ter leave em thet way,” whispered Slicker with a grin. “‘Hurry up!” was Barker’s impatient re- sponse, Under the pillow of the sleeper, but only part- ly under his head, was a small black sachel, astened with a brass padlock. ** Do you know that thar’s ten thousand dol- lars’ worth of unset diamonds in thar?” ‘*I don’t care if there is ten millions. What do — want me to dof’ whispered Barker im- patiently, ‘- The Pitcher Detective’s Foil. ““Hold up ther piller so ez I kin take ’em out, an’ give him er crack with that thar weepon uv yours ef he wakes up,” *“*I will!” fiercely, There was no occasion for violence, however, The black sachel was taken away, and Double- Curve Dan slept on peacefully, without a sign that he felt the hands stealing under his pillow to secure a fortune. ‘*Good!” whispered Slicker exultingly, as he and Barker slipped through the doorway and noiselessly secured the bolt on the other side. No sooner had they done so, than Dan Manly threw off the quilt, and leaped lightly from the bed, while an amused smile lighted up his frank countenance, ‘This is funny!” he chuckled. ‘‘ But, by gracious, Barker, you came very near endin your career to-night. If I had done what could bardly prevent—burst out laughing, I am afraid I should have had to pull a trigger on you to stop your knocking my brains out with your billy.” He held up a six-shooter as he spoke. He had had it firmly clutched in his hand that lay by bis side under the quilt, and the indications now were that he was not so sound asleep, after all. He listened at the door but not a sound could be distinguished in the next room. ‘They must have gone out; but, never mind, I shall see them down-stairs in the course of the day, about the time that they discover they have been fooled in that sachel. It wasn’t very professional in me to let them take it; but I could not help it. It was the best joke that I have seen for some time. As if I, a member of the New -York Secret Service, would leave ten thousand dollars’ worth of diamonds lying about loose in a black sachel! I don’t know much about Slicker, but Iam surprised at Barker be- ing taken in by it, I am indeed.” s he thus mused Dan lighted the gas, but turned it down very low. By the feeble glim- mer, he opened the front of his shirt bosom and examined a flat flannel bag, that lay against his chest, and into which were sewn the gems that the two burglars believed they now had in their own ssion, ** All safe,” he muttered, as be fastened up his shirt again, and put on his coat and vest which lay on a chair near the head of the bed. ‘He walked to the window and tbrust out his head. Then he hastily drew it back. ‘So; I see the dodge now! They are in that empty room at the other end of the corridor. There is Richard Scott, too. Ah, Dick! Dick! I shall have hard work to save you, Pity— ity! The detective shook his head sadly, as he watched the ree of the two thieves, They had fastened the biack sachel to a long piece of string, and were lowering it to somebody on the sidewalk. The sachel swayed to and fro and bobbed against a window on the second story. ‘** If they wake up anybody it will be all up be Richard Scott, 1 am afraid,” commented an. The situation was a peculiar one. Here was the owner of the sachel, at the window, watch- eons thieves turning over his property to a third, and, not only making no effort to recover it, but actually in an agony of fear that the re- ceiver of the stolen goods might be caught. But that we know Double-Curve Dan to be an astute detective, and as honest as he is keen, we might think that he was either crazy, or was in the plot to steal the valuable property which he had been intrusted to deliver in yracuse the next evening. As it is, we are content to know that he had a ee reason for his actions, and that reason will be made plain further along. The sachel got safely to the sidewalk, and the individual on the sidewalk was in the act of un- we the string when there was a loud female shriek and Norah O'Connor rushed out of the ir: = 4% . doe the se. ** Oc e shpaipeen ! e’s thryin’ to joom his boord, so he is. If I hadn't been gittin’ ap airly to shtart the kitchen foire, back and forth he’d ha’ done it, too. Give me the valise, wul yer? Yezcan’t git it away whoile Oi’m here, now, d’ye moind!” The girl, who was in a tremendous state of ex- pS eearg was holding the black sachel in a grip of iron. “* Plug her with brick!” howled Slicker from the window above, disappearing as seon as he had given this valuable piece of advice, ““Halloa! What’s all this?” demanded the clerk in tones of authority, as the idea tbat there was some sort of disturbance penetrated his sleepy brain, and caused him to come outside, At this moment Dick Scott, for it was indeed he, whispered something in the ear of Norah O’Connor. ‘**Phwat?” } She bent eagerly forward and looked into his ace. ‘* Howly Saints preserve us, so it is/” She released the black sachel, and Scott, without a word, turned and ran up the street at the top of his speed. **Who? What? Which?” asked the clerk be- wildered, His head was none the clearest under the most fayorable circumstances, but at half- past three in the morning he was gencrally in a mental condition but one degree removed from imbecility. ‘*Och! Nothin’! Sure, Oi wuz dhramin’, Oi have to git up so airly in the soomer that I dun- no phwat Oi am doin’ half me toime,” answered Norah, innocently, as she made her way to the ge and got the coal oil ready to start the e ‘** What fools girls are!” commented the clerk, in a superior way, as he went back to bis chair. ** Now, she’s woke me right up, and I suppose it is no use trying to snooze any more. That four- o’clock train will be in soon. No rest night or day, for a hotel clerk, it seems to me.” hile the clerk was yawning and mbling in his chair in the office, Barker and Slicker were standing face to face in their room, listening. ‘““Wal, Bark, I ess ther job hez gone through all right so far, eh? Seemed ezif Dick hed some sort uv hold over thet girl, didn’t it?” ‘** Curse her!” ‘“Why? Oh, yes, because she gave you that inted eye. Wal, you mustn’t mind thet, ark, That’s only a love tap. Ha, ha)” “Do you think it is wise to be chattering and laughing in bere with that feller in the next room?” asked Barker, in a stern whisper. ‘* Oh, I didn’t make no noise! You bet I Know my biz.” ** Well, I don’t know whether you do or not. I think we had better lie down and be quiet till the morning. We are are as likely to be sus- pected as any one, and | am going to get away from here assoon asI can, As for you, I sup- ou will—” “Bluff it out, Yes, that’s ’zackly what I mean ter do, Running away only brings sus- picion upon yer. I should think you knowed thet, Bark.” ** Nobody has seen me in the town or in the hotel—except that girl, and she doesn’t know me, She couldn’t tell what the man was like that she gave the—the—black eye, to. No, my safest move is to get back to New York as soon as possible. I’ve done what the captain or- dered—helped you with the job, and now—” “Say, Bark, did you suppose ez ther cap’n ’u'd send you all ther way ter Albany ter help me hook er sachel? Why, I’m 2 a at yer,” ‘**'What do you mean?” ‘“*T mean that ther on I havein Albany is ont commenced with this hyar sachel bizness, and—” Slicker stopped suddenly, and he and Barker both swung around toward the door that led to the next room, Then their hands went up over their heads mechanically, as a hunted expression came into the eyes of both, The gas bad been turned up to its full hight, while, standing carelessly in the open doorway, a pistol in each hand, was Double-Curve Dan! ‘*'What does this hyar mean, sir?’ blurted Slicker, at last. ‘“*Gentlemen, I am looking for a small black sachel,” returned the young detective, in dulcet tones that made the irascible Barker long to clutch him by the throat. CHAPTER III. FOUL BALL, THERE was a tremendous assemblage on the Albany ball-ground when the two nines that were to play one of the most SS Ane of the season made their appearance in full uni- form. The Albany Club, in its white flannel shirts, breeches and caps, and blue stockings, and the Diamond Stars of New York in blue, with red diamonds, or stars, sewn in at intervals all over their uniforms, were mingled in an apparently amicable group. The bitterest rivalry, how- ever, existed between the two organizatio and the forthcoming match was the outcome o communications and taunts that had been ex- changed unceasingly for the last six months, As many of the spectators in the twenty-five- cent seats told each other i the pre tions for the game, it would be “for blood, and don’t you forget it.” And now the people with whom we have al-