Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 628 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

‘ P — a we - . ee Gl ee > ° i ee eee CHAPTER X. THE PARTNERS MEET. In this manner the daring young ex-bootblack bravo entertained himself as he walked hastily along, and in a little while he was at his place of business. There a great surprise awaited him. ‘““Sweet pertaters. lamp-black, s’teen-penny nails an’ tooth-picks!” That was the exciamation that escaped him when he beheld the manner iu which the corner stand was draped with mourning. And then he placed his hands on his hips and stood and surveyed it for some time in silence. *¢ Well, (ll be jiggered!” he at length ejacu- lated. He was on a corner opposite to the stand, and bad not yet crossed-over toit. By the neigh- boring electric lights he could see it well enough from where he was. His next performance was to laugh long and heartily. He could not help it. ‘*Well, Skinny, my finespun partner, you have done it this time, an’ no mistake about it. Accordin’ ter th’ pearance o’ things somebody is dead, an’ I reckon that somebody must be me. Anybody would think it was th’ President o’ th’ United States, by th’ amount o’ drapin’ you dis- play. You have got it loaded clear up to th’ muzzle, as sure as anything. Ha, ha, ha!” Billy was much amused, and in truth the stand was greatly overloaded with the emblems of mourning. ** What I[ would like ter know, though,” Billy went on to mutter to himself, ‘‘is what proof they have got that I am defunct. If they are merely guessin’ at it they will hear from me, an’ they kin depend on that. I shouldn’t think mom would allow any sich a display as this, until she was dead sure that I had gone under.” It was, taken all iu all, a serious moment in Billy’s life. Here he was, looking upon things as they would be if he were dead indeed, ‘They must have some way of inferrin’ that I am gone hence,” he reflected, ‘‘ an’ I would like ter know what it is; fer I don’t see what it kin be. It ain’t likely that th’ fellers that put me out o’ th’ way has brought ’em proof o’ my death, They might ’a’ cut off my head an’ sent it home, I s’pose; but as I happen ter bave my head along with me, that idee is knocked inter a cocked hat. An’as I am not in th’ habit o’ wearin’ a great signet ring, they couldn’t ver well send that; an’ as fer my body bein’ found, that is out uv’ th’ question, us [ happen ter be at home in it at present. Well I won’t worry about it, fer J reckon I'll find out all about it purty soon now.” His next reflection was as to whether he should go over and rip the mourning stuff down from the stand, or leave it there and let Skinny take it down next day. ‘*T reckon [ll leave it there,” he concluded. **Tt will be a good joke on my thin partner ter make him take it all down again; an’ besides that, it may be well ter let folks think that I am dead, till I can see Skinny aw’ see how th’ land lays. Yes, I will leave it there jest as it is.” aving come to this conclusion, Billy was about to start for home, when whom should he see coming toward the stand from the opposite direction but Skinny. ‘Sweet pertaters!” Billy exclaimed, ‘ but here will be some fun, sure as I am a livin’ sin- Broadway Billy’s Dead Act ——_— OO OO FCO OO ——— es because my sperret can’t rest easy. I thought you loved me, Skinny, I did, but I see it was all put on,” Poor Skinny was badly scared. ‘* No it wasn’t put on, nuther, Billy,” he earn- estly averred; ‘‘see what I have put up here on th’ standin memory of ye. Sve this band on my hat. See this other one on my arm,” ‘* Yes, I see; an’ you are in a pooty-lookin’ state fer a mourner to be in, ain’t ye? Ye look as if ye had been sleepin’ in a pig-pen.” ‘*T have been in a place almost as bad, Billy, an’ all on account o’ you,” the trembling Skinny managed to say. ‘* Been off on a scream, mebbe, now that I ain’t here no more ter watch ye an’ keep ye in th’ straight an’ narrer path o’ virtue. But, what did you mean, Skinny, by disgracin’ my memory as you have done with all this mournin’? Any one would thiuk that th’ chief cook o’ Tam- many was dead,” “ Ain’t ie pleased with it, Billy? If you ain’t, I will take it down th’ very first thing ter- morrow.” ‘* Be [ pleased with it? No, Lain’t, Too much of a good thing is no goodatall. You have cast sich a gloom over my memory with all this black-stuff, Skinny, that th’ shadder of it hides th’ way an’ I can’t tell where I want ter goto. That is why 1 am back here. If you want me ter rest in peace, my thin partner, th’ drapin’s will have ter come down.” Billy was as sober asa judge, bis right hand was held steadily up, and he continued to speak in the same hollow tones. It was a trying thing for Skinny’s nerves. In bis mind there was no doubt but that be was talking to a veritable ghost. ‘‘ Tt shall all come down ter-morrow, Billy,” he promised faithfully. ‘‘Only give me till then, an’ I won’t leave a thread of it hangin’.” “It is well. But, remember this: If you do not do as you agree, I will come to your cham- ber at twelve o’clock every night, an’ will ha’nt ye th’ remainder o’ yer days. This I swear by th’ moons o’ Mars.” “Gh, ['ll do it, Billy; I'l] do it sure.” ‘* See that you do, An’ now, watch an’ see me disappear in a cloud o’ red fire an’ blue smoke, an’ see if you don’t smell brimstone after I’m gone,” Skinny drew back with such an expression of horror upon his face that Billy seald play the pase no longer, but burst into a merry peal of aughter, he attenuated partner looked more surprised than ever, ‘Sweet pertaters! Skinny, don’t ye know that it is me, me yer pardner, me th’ uncrushed bb coe 0’ Broadway, in all his native beauty an’ ellegance, an’ alive an’ in th’ best o’ health? Say, don’t ye know me? Do you really believe in spooks? Jest come an’ grip onter me, an’ see that [ am real flesh an’ blood.” The face of the thin partner was a study. He was halting between two opinions, Was this Billy, or was it his ghost? ‘*Ain’t you a ghost, Billy?” he innocently asked, Billy went off into a fit of laughing again, ‘Not half so much of a ghost as you are, Skinny,” he answered. ‘* But we found yer body,” Skinny went on to expat, ** an’ you have been buried.” his made Billy instantly sober. ‘You found my body!” he exclaimed. _——-_ oe ~=, their carriages, an’ it was about as tony a plant as I ever seen.” ‘Skinny, it is too bad, ain’t it,” observed Billy, soberly. ‘* What is too bad?” Skinny asked, ‘* Why, ter think that [ should come back an’ sp’ile th’ effect of sich a good send-off as you describe,” ‘* Well, I should say not!” cried Skinny, now himself aguin; *‘ th’ folks will all be mighty glad ter see ye, I kin ’sure ye 0’ that.” ‘** How did mom take it?’ Billy inquired. ‘* Awful bad,” ‘So i s’pose, an’ I reckon 1 had better go mtg ter once an’ see her—” - ** No you hadn’t,” o d Skinny. ‘***Cause, she is abed by this time, an’ you would scare her inter fits, th’ same as ye kem almost servin’ me, You will come right along home with me an’ stay till mornin’, an’ then my mom kin go over an’ see her an’ prepare her fer th’ sight of ye.” ‘* Wise head!” Billy complimented, patting his thin partner on the back, ‘It shall be as you say. Lead on, me noble juke, an’ I will foller thee,”’ Together they started off, talking as fast as they could make their jaws wag, each eager to learn all that the other knew, Skinny was anxious to know where Billy had been, and perhaps would have found out sooner than he did had he not let out the fact that he had been playing at detective work, ‘* What!” cried Billy, as soon as it was let out, ‘‘ you been playin’ detective! What have you been tryin’ ter detect? You couldn’t detect a house afire.” ‘*T couldn’t, eh?” retorted Skinny; ‘that shows what you know aboutit. I have detect- ed th’ men that put you out o’ th’ way, an’ I kin tell ye how they done it, too,” ** Ob! get out, what are you tryin’ ter give me? Come, now, bow did they try ter dispose o’ me? Answer that, an’ Ill listen ter th’ rest o’ yer tale,” Skinny answered correctly enough, and Broadway Billy was amazed, CHAPTER XI, BILLY’s PROPOSED PLAN, ‘* SWEET pertaters!” Billy cried, ‘‘ you have hit jt right, Skinny, but how you got onter it is more than I kin guess,” ‘‘ It was by the mereskino’ my teeth,” Skinny assured, *' It must ’a’ been.” ‘¢ Ye see, I was at th’ stand, an’ mom had jest brought my supper. I was eatin’ with one hand an’ tryin’ ter ‘tend ter biz with th’ other. A feller kem along, looked at the drapin’s in a ruther funny way—” ‘*{ don’t wonder at that,” Billy had to chip in. ‘* Hold yer head shut, will ye!” Skinny ad- monished, 6 Sartainly ; 0 on.” ‘* Well, th’ feller stopped, looked around, an’ asked who was dead. told him. Then I no- ticed that he had a sort o’ sneakin’ smile on his ugly mug, an’ I didn’t like bis looks at all. ‘* * What did he die of? sez he. ‘* * Not o’ softenin’ o’ the brain, anybow,’ sez I, ‘**Mebby it was of too much smartness,’ sez he, an’ then, with anotber of his hateful grins, off he went, Skinny came on at a rapid walk, and as he “When?” an’! knowed that I mustn’t let him git out o’ hy eh ner. Here comes Skinny hisself, an’ if I don’t ** Yes,” Skinny affirmed. ‘I done some Jightnin’ quick thinkin’, It we scare th’ daylights out o’ him, it will be ’cause I ** 'W here?” popped inter my head that that feller knowed WA can't do it.” ‘It was found floatin’ in th’ river.” somethin’ about th’ manner o’ your takin’ off, drew near, Billy stepped out where he would be seen. It was the sight of Billy that caused Skinny to utter the startled exclamation at the point where we found it necessary to drop him. And it was quite enough to startle him and cause him to exclaim. Here was his partner, whom he knew to be ‘Only a few days ago.” ‘* An’ ye thought it was mine?” “Sure. So did yer mom, an’so did every- body else,” “Then you an’ mom an’ everybody else is muchly mistaken, that is all,” cried Billy, stout- ly. ‘‘ This here body o’ mine ain’t been fourd in th’ river, as you go on ter tell it, fer it has my sight if I wanted ter know more about him,” ‘* Bully fer you!” cried Billy, who was eagerly taking it in. ‘+ 1 told mom that I was goin’ after him, an’ I dropped everything an’ was off afore she could say snuff, aven’t seen her sence, Jest got back here ter see that she bad locked everything oa Need dead, standing before him, It was his ghost! been with me all th’ time.” up safe, an’ then was goin’ home,” or ‘* Billy!” the frightened thin partner ejacu- ‘‘Well, th’ other feller looked mighty like ‘Skinny, you are a_ brick)” Billy compli- of) See lated. ou,” mented. “I didn’t think it wasin ye, an’ that ae Diy Billy advanced upon him with theatrical ‘** 1 should say so. if it fooled my mom.” is a fack, When did th’ fever strike ye?” > oar strides, raising his right hand as he came near, ‘‘She was sure it was you,” Skinny averred, ‘‘Neither did I,” Skinny answered, “' an’ as ; and when he was near enough, said in hollow | now growing bolder, since he saw that this was | fer th’ fever, that hit me jest as I have told aL tones: indeed Billy, and that there was a mistake out | ye.” ~ “Skinny, behold yer pardner’s oneasy sper- | somewhere; ‘an’ so th’ body was buried as} ‘ But, go on an’ finish yer tale.” ret!” Skinny was as pale as death, and was trem- ang as though he had a bad case of chills on and, ‘* W-w-w-what d-d-do you want, Billy?” he chatteringly inquired. ‘* Skinny,” Billy answered, in the same sepul- chral tones, “I have come back ter ha’nt you eee, ee = ——— ——— Oo Oe Ss Om msn — _=_=<3ugk_e=————————VX—__V_V3—aXx—O3O3O3O33O ee en... _—_—_ meme CC! ee i yours, an’ a stone has been put up ter your memory.” ‘Sweet pertaters!” ** And, ob! but you did have just the gallus send-off, Billy,” Skinny went on, enthusiastical- ly. ‘*It would ’a’ done yer heart good ter been there. I tell ye I was proud of th’ way it was done. ’Most allof yer rich friends was out in ‘Yes, ter be sure. Well, I follered that fel- ler to his hole, got inter a hole under th’ house myself, an’ heard all they had ter say; an’ among other things they had a chin about th’ neat way they had disposed 0’ you.” ‘* You done well, my lanky pardner, you done tremenjus well; I couldn’t ’a’ done any better myself.”