Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 660 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

SS |, Ue | | _, head.” — Deadwood Dick, Jr.’s, Insurance Case. 7 Frank Lester, you had better tell me, for I shall arrest the first man that knows es spa about him, and I'll bet my hat, coat an shirt, that you do.” ‘Frank Lester? person.” ‘Do you happen to be acquainted with a person by the name of Bill Breck?” Mademoiselle started, and glared at the detective, in evident astonishment. ‘Who is Bill Breck?” she demanded. ‘You ought to know, since he is an in- mate of your house.” ‘* He is not!” «Well, I saw him come here, just the same, and that, too, not half an hour ago.” ‘‘T know nothing about him, nor this Lester, for whom yon inquire. If I did, I would tell you. Although I keep a Jagger lace, lam not in any waysacrook. If ose, I pay. If you lose, you pay. That is my motto, and a pretty good one, too, as you will acknowledge.” “ Yes, if adhered to, But, I hardly think that is the case. Mottoes are for the home circle, not for places of this sort.” Mam’selle did not appreciate this. She turned away in a huff. While Dick returned to Josiah, who was at the bar, loading up with apple-jack, the a approach to hard cider he could nd. “T guess we had better adjourn to some other salubrious climate, eh, general?” sug- gested Dick. ‘* Waal, yes. Whar shall we go? I was jest consultin’ with the jack bottle, in regard to goin’ back to Perk. Strikes me I’d like to see Sarrantha, and Samantha would like to see me. What d’ye think?” - Tl give you a tipon one thin Dick. “If Samantha was ever to er . ‘) I don’t know such a ; 2 ie) & uw Well, I dunno but you are about right. She is a reg’lar old whooper, when she gits her tantrums on, and I’! tell ye what, I once had to climb the straw-stack, to save gittin’ hit over the cocoanut with a flail, and all be- cause I went down to a neighbor's to get some early berries, and had a dozen or so glasses of hard cider. Et was sceuted with Wintergreen essence and Samantha detected it She had been there herself.” By this time Josiah had become pretty well winded, and he and Dick left the place and returned up-town. The old man was pretty full, but he was still able to walk pretty straight. “That aire Circe are a purty gal,” he kept muttering. ‘‘At first, 1 war tempted tew marry her, and shake Samantha. But that won't do. A pecooliur feelin’ it come over me that I can’t account for. Ye see, I once had a gal myself, but she run away from home ’cause I horsewhipped her.” ‘© What for?’ ‘‘ Stealin’ my harvest apples.” ‘‘Serves you right. She ought to have turned around and shot you.” ‘** How so?” ‘‘Is not your own child entitled to what she wants to eat?” ** Not off of mv harvest tree. «Them aire apples is fer me an’ the hi-ed man, an’ even my old woman darsen’t tech one,” ick turned away in di , ‘You'd better go home,” he said. “Why sor” ‘* Because you’re of no use. You may be good enough to hoe potatoes, or weed onions, ut you’re no use here. What little money you have got you had better use to convey you back to your home at Perkinsville!” Dick then left him. The detective expected that he had seen the last of Circe for a time, but on his arrival at the hotel later in the day, he was surprised to receive a notice from the clerk that a lady Was awaiting him in the parlor » said ** Louise Lester?” ‘*She did not give her name, sir.” ‘¢ What kind of a looking woman!” ‘‘Medium height, and mighty pretty.” Dick went up to the parlor. He had already removed his disguise, and resumed his usual appearance. There was only one person in the parlor when he entered. It was a woman. She sat by a window, looking out upon Union Square. As Dick approached her, she turned about and faced him. It was Circe! She was beautifully attired, and the dia- monds she wore were some of Tiffany’s choicest. _ *T believe you wished to see me,” said Dick, bowing with a salute. sé Yes. ” ‘‘ What might your pleasure be?” ‘Tl want to know what your pleasure is, myself, Are you hunting for Frank Lester —honest and true?” “<<Eem.” “ Who employs you?” Dick hesitated a moment, before he re- plied. ‘Does it concern you particularly?” he inquired. ‘Yes. It does!” ‘‘In what sense?” ‘‘Common sense. We were betrothed, but he disappeared during the arrangements for our nuptials.” ‘¢ And he did not materialize again?” ‘‘No, That was why I was so curious about that devil at the Murray Hill. After your conversation at my house, I could not rest 'til I saw you. So I came towarn you.” ‘‘ You know Louise, then?” | ‘* 1] know of her.” £ \ ms ei pa . ~ : ram, en ; are ne , > , : ro,” «hi | i . ré@ , a ri . ATIVOGVE ‘ * rh es - ‘ ‘‘ Well, no, not when there is a man ia the case.”’ iy = were engaged to Frank?” “Fes.” “Did you know anything about the in- surance on his life?” ‘*Yes. He wanted to bet it away one night, but I would not let him. I’d sooner have lost the amount myself.” ‘‘You are rich, then. ** Well off!” ‘‘Then you would not have married Frank Lester for his money?” «Well, I guess not, Mr. Detective. I) have got money enough of my own to “a me through.” «Tf Frank Lester is found, what then?” « It will be a rich feathar in your cap.” This ended the conversation, and Dick re- tired to his own room. It was two days before he saw Ferris, again, and he was beginning to get dubious of him, when the gentleman turned up. “Ah! Iwas wondering whether you had taken up permanent lodgings at the Murray Hill!” said Dick. ‘“Well, hardly! It is too swell forme. I shall have to wait until 1 am somewhat richer than Iam now.” ‘* Well, what news have you got?” ‘‘T have none, as regards Louise. She re- mains at the hotel, the most of the time in her room.” ‘But you have other news.” ~ Yes. Breck comes to see her every day, but his calls are brief. To-day, as he left her room, I saw her give him, some money. I judge it was a prctie ood sum, too. When he left the hotel, I followed him,” — ** Where to?” tts _ “The darned toughest place in New York, I reckon—Andy Morgan’s place in Mulberry street, There’s no less than four mur- ders been committed there, in the past few years.’ | ‘* What is it, a saloon?” . aa ——— — . ‘‘ Yes—a resort for the Italian element of the neighborhood.” ‘‘ Well, what did Breck do there?” ‘‘He treated the crowd, and after that he held a long consultation with an Italian by the name of Larrezo, an ex-convict, who served a term for killing his own mother.” “Did you overhear the conversation, or any part of it?” ‘No; but I saw Breck give the Ttalian some money. This caused me to think that the Italian might have Frank Lester in his power, as a prisoner.” “Tt may be. Where does this Larrezo ive?” ‘‘T don’t know exactly, but somewhere in Mulberry street, I presume. A large per- centage of the Italian population reside in that street.” ‘Do you know of a woman who runs 4 ark g-house in Mott street, called Circe?” se ves ” ‘* What sort of a woman is she?” ‘‘Oh, she’s all O. K. To be sure she runs a game, but otherwise I don’t believe there is anything against her.” ‘‘] hear her place is a ‘ fence. “JT don’t believe it. I’ve known her for several years. There may be some crooks ’ 9? that visit the place, but that’s nothing.’ They hang out around most every gaming lace.” “T tracked Bill Breck to this place, and even entered it myself, but after I got inside I saw nothing of him.” ‘‘It may be that he has got a room in the house.” “True, yet 1 hardly think so.” ‘Tf heain’t, you’d most likely have seen him in the gambling-room.” ‘‘ Yes, I should think so. Do you know if. Frank Lester was acquainted with this wo man they call Circe?’ — "Yes, I believe so.” Ta says she was betrothed to him.” ‘Don’t you believe it. Frank Lester was not betrothed to any one. He liked his free- dom too much to tie himself toa woman. He was not in any sense a lady’s man. He thought more of a good trotting horse than he did of all the women extant.’ ‘IT wonder what Circe’s object could have been in lying to me, then?” ‘Tl give it up.” ‘« She offered to reward me if I would find Lester. It looks as if there must have been something more than common between them.” ‘* Well, there possibly may have been, but I seriously doubt it. Frank was too prou to get into an intrigue with a woman like Circe, although she is no doubt respectable enough.” “ec ‘‘ Well, you hunt up the abode of this Lar-. rezo, and see what kind of a place it is, and report as soon as you get any news.” ‘“‘ All right.” They had a drink together, and then Ferris once more set out to assist in this peculiar case. CHAPTER IX, LOUISE'S Te PRY, DEapwoop Dick was puzzled in his qpest of the whereabouts of Frank Lester. Dis r d «ut : es ane pretty forcibly that “Tt Yaoks as if, “he oe run throug with all his money, Frank Lester had gc and jumped in the river.” hb af ae If Frank Lester had committed st likely bis body would have been . ‘No, he didn’t commit suicide Dick finally decided, ‘‘ Young men. of his gay phe Nowe rarely do. I must y Beers ouise and Bill Breck have put him out of z the way. I’ll pay Miss Louise another visit, ea | Gomiucl cS : choo col