Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 657 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

tw Aor” - nd ~ / : ee ee _ whispersd, drawing the Warbler into the dark recesses of the side street. ‘‘ She is acquainted with the old chap, as sure asyou live, I saw her in his room awhile ago while he was away. Just then a servant came along with a pitcher of water, and saw her, tco,. Miss Fulton seemed took back a little by this, - ***¢ Where is Mr. Leonard? she asked, You know what a high, squeaky voice she has, Mr. Ware!” and the boy gave a ludicrous imitation of it. t* Well, she said it just that way: ‘¢ ¢ Where is Mr. Leonard?’ “ ¢T don’t know,’ said the servant, kind of surprised like. ‘ Did you want to see bim per- ticklar, ma’am? ¢ No—er, that is, not especially. You may tell him, though, 1f you see ibis: that I called to borrow one Of his books,’ “That's just what she said, Mr. Ware, when I don’t believe Mr, Leonard has a book in his apartments, I’m sure she dicn’t have any in her hands, nor she didn’t go back to get any.” ** And what do you make of it?’ the Warbler questioned. ‘ ‘That she was there to get orders about some- thing, or to tell him something.” “ Roa where is she now?” “T don’t know,” the boy reluctantly con- fessed. ‘‘She skipped down-stairs, and when I followed I couldn’t find her, You see the ser- vant hung around in the hall there for five minutes or more, and I didn’t dare to creep out.” ** And you haven’t seen anything of Leonard?” ‘“Notasign. Iam beginning to think he sus- icions us. I can see him once in awhile, but e has kept awful shady, for some reason.” ‘‘You must be extra careful,” the detective cautioned, ‘*It won’t do to let bim find out who we are at this stage of the game, I can tell from his looks that he’s as quick as a steel- trap. The least carelessness on our part may ruin everything. ‘*The reason I speak of this is that I noticed your wig awry when we turned in here a little while ago. If he had seen that he would have had cause to suspect us, With your darkened complexion and that wig he will never guess that you are the boy he saw in Chicago, unless you heedlessly betray yourself.” ‘“ Well, the thing is so plaguey hard to keep os !’ the boy grumbled, twisting the wig into ace, . ‘ Then he crept from the shadows of the side street by a rear route, and the detective went on into the saloon. | When the singing commenced, a half-hour later, the barmaid was in her usual place, At the end of the performance the Warbler again sought an interview with her. * As bright and sprightly as ever!” be flatter- ingly asserted, giving her a cajoling glance. ** Methinks the very birds would become en- vious, only that the said birds don’t chirp around after nightfall.” **Some of them do, Mr. Ware, There’s the ow] and the night-hawk, for instance.” “To peither of which class can you be com- pared. I have heard you sing; and if the recol- Jections of the old boyhood days on the farm are not misleading, the creatures you mention are not gifted in that line.” In muking this assertion he drew largely on his fancy. He had never heard Miss Fulton ging, though he had heard her make some squeaking attempts thereat. She looked him squarely in the eyes, “Mr. Ware, do you want to know what I think of you?” “ Certainly!” with a deferential sniile, “That if a contest of sweet-talking frauds was got up you'd be sure to win the blue ribbon.” He laughed, apparently regarding the thrust as a compliment. * You wouldn’t say that to John Leonard,” he averred. *Wouldn’t 1? Well, then, it’s because he isn’t such a palaverer, But why do you mention him in that connection?’ He saw that she was intently studying his face. _ “Faint rumor bas whispered into my shell- like ear that he is somewhat sweet on you!” he ventured, striking out boldly. ‘IT hope you won’t go and sing that to the ublic!” gasping the words as if the assertion ad startled her, ‘‘ Yes, John Leonard and I are very good friends, but not in the way you ‘seem to think,” ‘Hit ’er ag’in!” Tanner laughed; for, now i | bi , that the crowd was thinning out, he found time - hanging rather idly on his hands and strained an ear to catcb a sentence now and then, *' [f John v= ‘i we Ct ee ees ac Ss Sl 0 Ce ee cecal Ll LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL " ’ : Warbling William. Leonard ain’t sweet on her Idon’t know whoair. She was chattin’ to him fer nighabout an hour, this evenin’.” ‘*T hope Mr. Tanner isa humorous falsifier,” the Warbler declared serenely. ‘* If heisn’t, my cake is still in the flour-barre]l. I suppose, though, the field is open, and ’m at liberty to cut him out, if I can.” ‘Tf you kin? That's good!” guffawed Tanner. “*T’ll bet this gold mine ag’in’ a wu’thless hole in the ground, hows’ever, that you can’t do any- thing of the kind.” Miss Fulton attempted a blush, but the paint was too thick to reveal any heightening of color. ‘* You men are all alike,” she simpered. ‘“‘ If a girl speaks toa gentleman, a wedding is an- nounced forthwith, As Itold you, Mr. Leonard and I are very good friends, that is all.” ‘*Then [ll not have to go out and shoot my- self because of a broken heart!” the Warbler ex- claimed, airily. ‘Il was afraid such might be my awful fate. Ifthe field is open, [I hurl my lance into the arena and give notice to John Leonard and the rest of mankind that I shall en- ter the lists.” Few young women of the caliber of Fanny Fulton but would be flattered and pleased by the manner in which he said this. It told in language plainer than words that his heart had been touched by her beauty and wit, ‘‘ By the way, what has become of Leonard?” he questioned, pulling, as was his reflective habit, at his mustache, Miss Fulton started, and again eyed him close- ly. Evidently this frequent recurrence to eonard began to arouse her suspicions. ‘‘In his room oron the streets, I suppose!” with a noticeable sharpnessin the words, ‘* You seem very much interested in Mr. Leonard.” ‘¢‘ Naturally!” and he oilily rubbed his bands. ‘““T didn’t know but he might suddenly come gunning fora canary of about my build, That would be awkward, you know, and unpleasant.” Then dropping his bantering tone for one more serious: ‘‘T’m really more than half in earnest in what I’ve said, Miss Fulton, I fancy we migbt think more of each other onacloser acquaintance, I must admit I haven’t much wealth; but wealth isn’t everything, even in the Wild West. With your consent, I’d like to cultivate your friend- ship. Who knows butit might result in some- thing warmer?” She smiled a consent; and the Warbler, lifting her hand to his lips, politely bowed himself away. CHAPTER VI. ANOTHER LETTER. Two days later, Warbling William received a message from Miss Maud Malcolm, stating that she urgently wished to see him, The message which was written, was borng by a miner who had been hired by Miss Malcolm to deliver it. It gave no explanation of the cause of the sudden summons, The pseudo-showman waited only until the darkness would conceal his movements and then set out for Miss Malcolm’s residence, which was too conspicuously situated ona hill to suit his crafty purposes, He found her pacing restlessly up and down the narrow limits of the little parlor, She had apparently been waiting; and his coming seem- od a great relief. The Warbler’s mind was cast in almost too suspicious a mold, or it may be that this con- stant shadowing of questionable characters had given a twist tohis imagination. At any rate the unwelcome and unbidden thought came that he had seen actresses tread the boards of the mimic stage in much the same way. A look at her face, however, banished the unpleas- ant suggestion. ‘‘Obh, [amso glad you have come!” she ex- claimed, in an agitated voice, ‘It seems ages since lsent for you. E have received a letter which has set me half wild,” ** More letters!” thought the Warbler, that odd suspicion again coming to him, ‘It looks like this is to be a letter case all through.” ‘* It’s from him!” she said, placing the closelv- written page in the detective’s bands, ‘* We must do something to relieve bim. Do you think it would be advisable to call in the aid of the officers?” She checked herself, as if realizing that he did not yet know the letter’s purport. ~- The Warbler deftly smoothed the page and spread it on his knee, The handwriting corre- sponded with that in the love note found by the boy, and the contents were as follows: i \ " my! Es! ss 4 ok” oy ‘% ws \ ; the _f 4s - a a5 ul Fa’ hips a} \ a y ? » yr re ; hay) - a ae aa * ~ id ok ee el Soaks m4 ‘‘In THE Jim Crow Ming, date unknown, ‘“My Dear Mavup:—I have succeeded in tribin the miner who waits on me, to furnish me wit writing material and deliver into your hands what I may write. {fam held a close prisoner in an aban- doned chamber of the Jim Crow Mine. How long I bave been held here I don’t know, for I have lost ali track of time. I feel that if I remain here much longer I shall go crazy. The darkness and loneli- ness and the torture of mind I have suffered are killing me. No doubt Leonard has explained to you my absence in some way not greatly to my credit, I was assaulted and robbed bya man whom I! now suspect to have been one of his tools. 1 was ren- dered unconscious by a blow on the head, and when I recovered I found myself here. Send some one to my rescue. Iam in the abandoned chamber lead- ing north from the shaft. I haven’t time nor space to write more. ‘Faithfully and lovingly yours. “ LEwIs CAVENDISH.”’ ‘You are certain the letter was written by Mr. Cavendish?” he asked, looking up from the page, ‘*T know it!”she assured him, ‘* There can be no doubt that Lewis wrote it, And to think he Eas been beld all these weeks in tbat terrible place! I can’t rest nor sleep until something is done to relieve him,” She again paced nervously up and down the room as she had been doing when he entered. ‘*T don’t think it would be advisable to call in the officers,” be said, ‘‘ Leonard is no doubt hand in glove with them, and warning would be given before we could do anything.” ‘‘You intend to go alone, then?’ stopping in her walk and looking at bim with big, wet eyes. He nodded assent. ‘‘Oh, Mr. Ware, vould it be possible for me to go with you? It don’t seem to me that I can stand it to remain inactive while Lewis is in such need of aid. I[f I could just. go along to see and hear, even if I could be of no assistance!” ‘‘T am sorry, Miss Malcolm,” with a pitying glance. ‘* But I fear I wouldn’t be justified in granting your request. A worn-out chamber of the Jim Crow Mine is doubtless a dark and dis- mal hole, with many dangers to be overcome in reaching it, Then, there is another reason for the refusal: It may be easier to get iu there’ than to get out; and if I gosome one may have to come after me. ‘* So, you see, it is important that I leave a friend behind, Harry is smart, but he is only a boy. Ishall tell him to call on you it I do not return within a certain period, and together you: must put into effect some plan to rescue me, ‘‘Should you hear nothing from either of us within two days, call on the mayor and insist on having the mine searched.” ‘* Why not do that now?” “ Aslsaid, Iam afraid we should flush the game by doing so, I want to fasten my grip on John Leonard, if possible. If I ao not come back, though, there is nothing else you can do but seek the assistance of the officers,” He refolded the letter and placed it in his pocket, “With your permission I should like to retain this; apalogetically. ‘‘ It may come bandy, by aud by, for we never know what may bappen. ‘*When will you start?’ she queried, anx- iously. ‘Just as soon as I can. To-night, at all events, Don’t agitate yourself, Miss Malcolm, more than you camhelp. I will report at once on my return; and I trust Imsay be able to bring Mr. Caveridish with me,” : She followed him, weeping, to the door, as be quitted the house, ‘“Of course I was foolish in suspecting her,” he thought, as he slipped, fox-like, back to Tan- ner’s. ‘‘I have been led into traps so often, though, that I reckon my wariness is excusable, If young Cavendish is held in the mine—and there can be no doubt of it, I think—I ought to be able to release bim by a little stratagem,” So busy with his thoughts was he that he al- most ran over the boy, who was waiting for him | at the street corner. ‘¢The cops will pull you in if you go to falling over people that way!” Harry warned, with a grin, ‘*]’ve been watching the old man like a hawk, as you told ine to. But he’s always too much for me, some way, Just when I think I’m looking at him, I find him gone! The Irishman’s flea could’t bold a candle to him.” ‘Come up to the room!” Ware whispered. ‘*T have something we'll want to talk over.” When they were safe in their own apartment and screened from all observers be handed the boy the letter, ‘** What do you make of it?’ he asked, watch ing the play of surprise, wonder and anger om the boy’s expressive features, pe 4 q o * A oe eae 7 t4 A wre "sah Pod —“e ‘i eed