Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 637 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

i, ¢ ~ — —_ >" , . - ae i wt =-.°* ° y= «~ ie. , = ~~ “9 7 . , * - ® * bon a * ewe ” = FP beat gS v7 + a a” V4 > ar - re S 3 - A e™ Ve “ i 2h cam . > — - yy? - , “ - WP Tee es us, oe “es "oN , - TA A a ‘gegX Tes fo 3s the fountain by a six-foot policeman, who seemed to take delight in the exploit. ‘What am [ wanted for?’ queried Dick. ‘For assault. Can’t you keep your head without jumping every boy you see, just be- cause he a re to wear good clothes? You're the chappy I’m looking for, He'll come down and identify you wheh we send him word,” ** Who will?” ‘Kingdon, the broker, He’s the gentleman what laid in the complaint. He says his boy didn’t want to, but he wasn’t going to let the affair pass.” Through Dick’s bewildered brain there ran one happy thought while he was marched away by the stalwart officer. He would get to meet Carlos Kingdon after all, He would seek a private interview with him at the station-house, and would tell him the story of Wat Waffles’s conspiracy as he had picked it up, link by link, until the chain was about complete, It did not take the policeman long to land his charge at the nearest station, where the charge of assault was placed opposite his name, and he was remanded to a cell. ‘* When shall I see Carlos Kingdon?’ asked Dick, stopping and addressing’ the lieutenant in ‘charge, ‘* Not before to-morrow,” was the reply. ** We sha’n’t trouble the gentleman to-night,” And Dick, somewhat disappointed, was locked up. CHAPTER XVI. SET FREE. WHuix the boy detective of the docks was oc- cupying the hard pallet of the station-house cell, another prisoner in a different part of the city was being released. This was Mother Scammon, who, as we have seen, had been arrested for the murder of Pa py Powder. Cid Cuyler, the detective who had caused her detention came around to the station about the time of Dick’s occupancy of his cell and asked for her release, He stated that a mistake had been committed, that there was really no evidence against the woman, and she was accordingly set free. Mother Scammon left the station-house in an outburst of indignation, It was past midnight, and the streets in the vicinity were deserted, but for all this, Cuyler, the detective, was watching her, | **My ruse may fail,” said he to himself, “We have to resort to some queer schemes to - eatch a fox. [ve lost Wat Waffles, who almost choked me to death in Pappy Powder’s deserted trap a short time ago, and I want Mother Scam- mon to Jead me to his last haunt.” When the woman started off of course she had Cuyler at her heels, f the detective had dreamed of the misfor- tune which had overtaken Dick Doan he might have turned aside long enough to have gone to the boy’s rescue, but instead he followed up the quarry he had’started afresh, Mother Scammon led the detective to the lodgi which Waffles vacated immediately after his tussle with Dick and the chair, Of course she did not find the fellow there, When she came down-s airs with a disappoint- ed look on her face, she stood undecided on the sidewalk for a few moments, Cid Cuyler watched her still. All at once she started toward the wharf. “Going back to the Nest, eh?” mentally ex- claimed the detective. ‘“‘If you find Mollie there, you may do the girl violence. I shall not be far off, Mother Scammon. Mollie, as Dick’s friend, is worth her weight in gold. You shall not harm her.” The detective managed to cross on the same boat that carrie 1 Mother Seammoa, and without being seen by her roving eyes, She went straight to the old house from the _ wharf, and Cuyler saw her enter. ‘* Back again!” exclaimed the woman, shut- ting the door bebind her. “If [£ had that de- tective here I’d sink my fingers into his throat, just to see him squirm. Me kill Pappy Pow- der! For once the bloodhound got on the wrong scent. Who did kill the old man? Id like to know, for the killer did mea service. Where's | the girl?” SEo went from room to room, but Mollie was not to be found. ‘ ‘“‘ Somebody has helped her out of the chair. Was it the detective who took my key at the station-house? He has been here. Now, if they -___ found and rescued the young rat inthe trap, the 2 apre, Jig isup!” 2 i ie “Mother Scammon went to the dark room Dick Doan, the Dock Boy Detective. through a trap in which Dick o’ the Docks had tumbled into the cellar. She opened the door in the floor, and searched the cellar with a lamp. It was empty, of course. ‘* Linust find Wat!” said she, drawing back with a blanched face. “If I can reach him no other way I will goto Tony. He ought to know his whereabouts, The case is desperate. Dick at large, and a new detective in the game! I wonder if Wat doesn’t think that the golden stakes are slipping through his fingers?” __ Daylight broke over the sister cities on the two great rivers. It found Mother Scammon on her way back to New York, and by the time the sun had scaled the horizon, and was gilding the spires of Gotham, she was eagerly watching a certain house in an aristocratic quarter. Mother Scammon had a good deal of patience, for hour after hour passed without bringing her any reward, At length she saw the front door of Carlos Kingdon’s house open and Tony come out. The boy looked around and came toward the Park, probably for his morning walk, He was eyed like a hawk by Margaret Scammon. In a strip of warm morning sunshine Tony took a seat on one of the benches, and drew his cigarette case, As he lit oneof the fragrant smokes, he saw Mother Scammon coming to- pars him with eagerness written all over her ace, ‘*This is against orders,” exclaimed Tony, ps afrown. ‘* You weren’t to bother me at all. ‘ ped ih Scammon’s face instantly grew ark, ans ‘*T don’t care what you think,” said she, ‘I guess I have a right to speak to you. If I have- n’t I don’t know who has,” Tony affected to smile, ‘“Do you want to know how I am getting along?” he asked, ‘*No. I want to find Wat Waffles,” ** J don’t know where he is,” ‘*T must know,” answered Mother Scammon, “IT wish I knew. I'm ina pickle,” ‘** How so?” ‘*l had a bout with a young spy last night, We clinched on the steps and had it up and down until Carlos Kingdon tore us apart. was getting the best of my enemy when we were separated. A few more blows and I do believe I would have finished him, Now the spy is un- der arrest for assault and Kingdon is going down to the station to identify and prosecute him, You see, I don’t want the case to go any fur- ther. I don’t want Carlos Kingdon to have a talk with the boy now locked up. He knows something—too much, I’m afraid, Besides, Clar- ice had a long talk with him in the library this morning.” ‘*Wita whom?” ‘*Carlos Kingdon, of course. I don’t know what passed between them, but it’ll take a good deal to turn him against me, I’d like to see Wat. Ho’s to meet me here at nine to-night, but there’s no telling what will happen between now and then.” Mother Scammon was silent for a moment. ‘** Will Kingdon go to his office first?” ‘Yes. He always does that, no matter what other business demands his attention.” ‘*fle must not see the boy at the station- ‘“Of course not. That is why I’d like to see Wat just now. He could lay a slick plan with his cuta head, I thought you would have silenced that boy before this. Wat gave me to understand so,” Mother Scammon smiled faintly. ‘*T thought we had,” said she, spoiled the wkole play.” ‘¢ Your arrest?” echoed Tony falling back and staring at her. sé Yes. ” ‘* What did they nab you for?” ‘** For murder.” Tony muttered an exclamation of horror. ‘* Who's been killed?” he exclaimed. ** Pappy Powder.” ‘*Oh, yes, the papers have told me that,” ““We had the y—the dock-ferret—in a trap, but the detettive who arrested me doubt- less released him ’ j **And made it possible for him to play the spy on me!” cried Tony. ‘‘ He played a right slick game, too. He found out that I’d been back to Uncle Noll’s Nest since the time Wat took me up in Jersey according to the story—” ‘* Why didn’t you watch your tongue?” broke forth Mother Scammon with a scowl. ..'‘ He completely hoodwinked me and that’s | house,” ** My arrest duty told him that and the po * ip AS, . why I tackled him last night. Now don’t you think we must see Wat?” ‘* Ay, he must be hunted down!” cried the woman. ‘ But first Carlos Kingdon must be kept from the station-house while the boy is there. If he isn’t present by noon the young- ster will be sent to the Island and then we can rearrange our cards. How do you come on in your pew quarters?” ‘Pretty well, but I don’t like ’em,” said Tony, shrugging bis shoulders. ‘“‘I can’t go where I'd like to go, sort 0’ blood in me to bea rich man’s heir, TU choke the girl one o’ these days!” ** Clarice?” ‘* Yes. She is too suspicious, If I only knew what she told Kingdon in the library this morn- ing, ’'d go back tothe house when she is alone, and read the riot act in plain English,” Mother Scammon tried to tell Tony how im- portant it was that he should hold his temper and when tke door of the broker’s house open to let the broker out she bade him a hasty good- by and flitted after Kingdon, ‘* You can’t fool me,” said Tony, looking after her retreating figure. ‘‘ You and Wat Waffles can’t hoodwink me, I know where I belong just as well as you do, and if it wasn’t for the big stakes in this game I’d throw off the mask and be Tony again. You are my mother, Mar- garet Scammon! I know it. And itis a shrewd game to make me Carlos Kingdon’s heir! Thus far it has succeeded, and I’m the auep to play my parttoaT. If youand Wat Waffles do as well we’ll be in clover the rest of our lives; but just now we've got to be almighty clever, for suspicion is abroad, If it fastens on Carlos Kingdon we are lost!” CHAPTER XVII, IN THE TOILS AGAIN, Dick DOAN waited in bis cell for Carlos King- don until his patience seemed to leave him by his finger ends, He was anxious to meet the broker face to face with no Wat Waffles present to tumble him head- foremost into a hall. He was astir at daybreak, indeed he had scarcely closed his eyes at all during the night, and in response to bh ngdon would “ drop round ” sometime before ten o’clock, If the boy could have seen Mother Scammon following the broker as he went from his house to his office, he would have shown a good deal more uneasiness than he did. The woman from Jersey City was determined to keep Dick and Kingdon apart as long as pos- , sible, and it was to accomplish this that she was the broker’s shadow that very morning, The boy spy of the docks was getting restless when he was sent for from the office, ‘* He has come at last!” he mentally exclaimed, thinking of Carlos Kingdon as he hurried for- ward under escort, ‘* Now Ill expose one of the coolest plots in existence, for Kingdon must lis- ten to me.” When the boy reached the office he felt a bit- ter disappointment, Instead of Carlos Kingdon being there to re- ceive him he was met by a woman in a vail who said she was looking for a lost boy, Something about the person rendered Dick suspicious. he caller at the station-house kept her vail over her face and talked in low tones, “Ts this your son, madam?” asked the ser- geant. ‘We nabbed the boy last night for assault and just as soon as the complainant comes we'll dispose of the case,” ‘**He looks like my boy, but he is not mine,” was the reply. The woman rose to depart. _ “Hold on!” cried Dick springing forward and intercepting the caller. ‘‘I want to show you, Mr. Sergeant, that all this is a cute game,” At the same time Dick’s band darted at the black vail and before its wearer could prevent he had jerked it off exposing the face of— Mother Scammon, The’ woman colored and uttered a cry of anger. “ Looking for her son, is she?’ the boy went on, “If I’m not mistaken she knows where to look, and it isn’t here either. This is Mother Scammon, the person who was held awhile for the murder of Pappy Powder, the little old her- mit of the picture gallery. She wanted to see that I was safe—nothing more. Why She don’t want me at large just now. I know too mucb.” By this time the woman thus exposed bad broken away and a moment Jater was on the pavement pare as many steps between herself ce-court as possible. in (Ee) , a 4 . & we / | pe ~ 4 a - 3 +a ‘ 13 a 4 e . *" , 7 . woe * I haven’t got the right | inquiries the sergeant on - ae Ce % . - % 4 — ee « a ~~ tenes