Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 669 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

~ Broadway Billy Abroad. —_—_ Swinging his box into position in his old-time wiv, he retraced his steps toward the house, When he came opposite to it, being on the op- posite side of the street, he stopped and surveyed it critically. He bad already done this, while *aiting be- hind the carriage, but now he was looking at it at a little little longer range. The woman had gone in, Chinamen were passing up and down the street on both sides, and many of them, as they saw Billy, looked at him with much curiosity. Presently one of them stopped and surveyed him deliberately. Noticing that some one had stopped in front of him, Billy turned his eyes upon the China- man, and seeing that he was looking at him, asked: ** You speakee ’Melican, John?” The Chinaman grinned, ** Yes, me allee same speakee him,” he answer- ed, in the usual style, ‘What's your name?” ** Name Tom Wah,” ‘That’s a name good enough fer anybody, Tom. Say, do you know who lives over there in that house?” pointing to the one be was in- terested in. ** Allee same L[lishwoman lives there,” the Chinaman answered: ‘‘ name Missee McFaddee.” If Billy bad not already beard the name, he would never have been able to make ‘*McFad- din” out of ** McFaddee,” ‘What ’Melican boy name him is?” the Celestial inquired, . * My name is Billy,” Billy replied. ** Allee same live San ’Flisco in?” “No; I’m from New York.” **New Lolk!” the Chinaman cried; ‘‘ me livee in New Lolk used to,” ‘*On Mott street?” The Celestial grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, yes, allee same on Mott stleet,” he cried, ‘** Pat it there, then,” exclaimed Billy, holding out kis hand, ‘‘ I’d as soon shake bands with you as any Chinee that I know,” The Chinaman grasped his hand willingly enough, ‘* Where do you live?” asked Billy. ** Me allee same live light here,” and the China- man indicated the very hous: in front of which they were standing, ‘**Good enough!” Billy cried, ‘and if you'll ask me in Ill be proud ter bonor ye with my company fera time, I took tea with yer great consulate general this afternoon, an’ here’s a present that he gave me, ter prove it.” As he said this he held out his hand and dis- played the ring that had been given to him, As the Chinaman’s eyes fell upon it they open- ed wide with wonder, and his face grew serious. ‘**Gleat Consulate givee you that?” he asked, ‘*That is what he did, Tom,” Billy assured. ** Tf you doubt my word jest go and ask him.” ‘“'You same ’Mejican boy allee same fightee Sam Foo Chow for?’ “* ’m th’ same critter,” was the assuring reply ; ** th’ only difference bein’ that ’m now in full evenin’ dress,” Several other Chinamen had now collected around them, and seeing this, Tom Wah invited Billy to come into his house immediately, Billy followed the Celestial in, and Tom led him to bis best room. As soon as they were there Billy unslung his box and sat down upon it, in the way he had been accustomed to doin the days when he and his box were inseparable companions; took off his cap and said: ‘* Now, Tommy, old hoss, I’m gcin’ ter claim ther floor fer th’ time bein’ an’ put you in th’ witness-box, ez it war. What do you know about this Mrs, McFaddin? If you cannot un- derstand my street gibberish, which 1 must al- ways use, I'll try and polish up my speech a lit- tle for your benefit,” This Billy was able to do, for he had attended night-school not a little, and hdd given a good deal of his spare time to his books besides, as has been mentioned casually id previous stories, “What ’Melican boy want know?” the China- man asked, showing that he had not understood. ““T want to know something about Mrs, McFaddin,” Billy repeated. ‘* What kind of person is she? What does she do for a living?” Speaking plainly and slowly he was readily understood. . ‘**Ob! Missee McFaddee she [lish son-of-a-gun, allee same keepee bloarding-house and sellee pipes to smokee, Fightee allee same likee man.” “Sweet pertaters! she keepsa boarding-house, does she? That is jest what I am in search of, Tommy. If | kin git a nigbt’s lodgin’ under her — —————— ens sw—n—n —_ _ _ _ _eeeOOOoOoO0oes_ cc LLL LT LL sessment, roof, no knowin’ what wil] come of it. But, ’'m droppin’ back inter street slang, an’ you don’t understand nothin’ but polished English. Say, do you think I could get lodging there for the night?” ‘** Allee same stay here,” the Chinaman quick- ly offered most bospitably. ‘** Much obliged, Tom, but that won’t help me out with what ve got in mind,I fear. By the way, are you on friendly terms with Mrs, McFaddin?” re. Yes, allee same good enough, but don’t likee her. : ‘* That’s the talk, Ill tell you what Iam up to. Thereis a prisoner over in that house that hadn’t ought to be thera, and I want to get lodging there to help her get away. Now do you think that if you took me over and intro- duced me to the landlady as a friend of yours from New York, that she would take me to board?” “Yes, me thinkee so, if she havee loom in house,” ‘Well, it won’t do any hurt to go over and see if she’s got room. See here, though, Tom, you must not mention what I’ve told you,” ** About plisoner?” 4s Yes,” ‘* No, me allea same keepee vely still,” ‘All right; and now what about this ring that your Great Mogul gave me? Will all Chinamen respect it, and do what I want them to? or will they be inclined to think that I stole it?” FZ ‘*Melican boy lookee mighty tough, allee same likee New Lolk bootblack; may t’ink bim stealee ling,” ‘* And how am I to prove that I didn’t?” ‘* Hold on, me fixee you,” the Celestial ex- claimed, and getting up from his stool he went to a closet at one end of the room, From the closet he brought out some India ink and a long, slender bone needle that was sharp at both ends. ‘*Me putee mark on ’Melican boy him’s list,” indicating Billy's wrist, ‘‘an’ no Chinaman hurtee him; allee same savee him life ebely time,” ‘“Good enough!” Billy cried. ‘Slap on yer sign-manual, Tommy,” and he bared his wrist to receive the mark, The Chinaman set to work, and in a few mo- ments Billy’s wrist bore a curious little indeli- ble character, the meaning of which he knew not, but which he had full confidence would do all that Tom Wah had claimed for it, ‘*Now *Melican boy allee light,” the China- man declared; ‘‘no Chinaman burtee him, Allee same allee Chinamans do what ‘Melican boy say, when he show ling of Gleat Consulate Gen’lal,” CHAPTER IX, A BIG POINT OF ADVANTAGE, BROADWAY BILty naturally felt that he was becoming something of a Chinaman. He had found such marked favor at the hands of the Celestials that he had a sort of fellow-feeling for them, and looked upon ‘* John” in a more friendly light than he had ever done before, “Sweet pertatersi” he exclaimed, ‘‘but as soon as I kin grow a pig-tail, Tom, I'll be a sure-nuff Chinee, Seems queer that I had ter sail all these five thousand eigbt hundred an’ odd miles ter make yer ’quaintance, Jobn China- man, when there’s lots of ye right at home. There’s pleyty 0’ strange things in this world of ours, though, an’ they’re croppin’ out all th’ time, Here I’m driftin’ back inter street gibber again, though, which you don’t git onto with ease and grace, Come, let’s go over and see Mrs, MtFaddin.” The last was spoken slowly, and Tom Wah responded immediately. "Yes, allee same come long, Tom Wah go too, Billy put on bis cap, got up and shouldered his box and was ready, and the Chinaman Jed the way out. They crossed over to the door of Mrs, McFad- din’s house, The Chinaman rung the bell, and it was the landlady herself who answered to the summons, ery: held back a little, preferring to see what his friend would say. ‘*Phwat d’yez be wantin’, Tom?’ the woman immediately demanded, ‘*Goodee-eveling, Missee McFaddee,” the Chinaman responded; ‘this "Melican boy, allee same fliend Tom Wah, him comee allee same New Lolk flom: wantee gicee bloarding-place, me blingee hi..i here,” Mrs. McFaddin gave Billy a searching look, and said: ** Oi’ve got no room fur dhe loikes ay yez, lad, Yez will have ter be afther lookin’ furdher, so ye will,” ‘‘ Allee same takee him one night,” persisted the Chinaman, ‘‘ him look ’lound to-molly, then.” ‘*Phwy don’t yez kape him yersel’?” the wo- man demanded. “Jest lev me orate once,” put in Billy, seeing that the matter was not working favorably to him, “I likes the looks of ye, Mrs. McFaddin, and it is in your house that I would be staying, Ye remind me of me mother’s sister what’s dead and gona now, but what came over from the old country, an’ took care of me when I was left a poor, lone orphing, but bein’ dead bas left me more orphinger than ever. I bave money to pay for me keep, and if you will just take me in for this one night, I’ll sleep on the floor, with me box for a piller an’ me ragged vest fur an ®ver- coat, to serve as a coverin’.” This was rattled off as only Broadway Billy’s tongue could rattle it, and the Irishwoman had to smile as he ended, ‘You are Irish, then?” she asked. ‘* Not a bit of it,” cried Billy. ‘‘Me parents was Trish before me, though, so I’m first-cousin to it, ** And yez are from New York?” ‘*That’s what Iam, Mrs. McFaddin; but bav- in’ nothin’ to keep me there, and wantin’ to see a bit of the world, I stole off on a ship, and here I am. I am as honest as the green grass, Mrs. McFaddin, and if ye will only take me.fur this one night, when I’m so tired, fur the sake of me mother’s dead sister what’s left me more or- phinger than I was before, and give me a bit to eat, fur all of which UJl pay ye right on the spot, and give ye an orphing’s blessing, that—” Mrs. McFaddin put up both hands and waved him to silence. ‘Saints presarve me! phwata talker yezare!” she cried, ‘‘ Oi have wan little cubbyavarcom away up furninst dhe roof, an’ if yez want ter sl’ape dhere yez may.” ‘*May Saint Patrick send ye a chromo!” ex- claimed Billy. ‘‘Vll take it, Mrs, McFaddin, an’ it is so sweet me dreams will be that I'll be dwellin’ in marble halls all night, It’s all right, Tom,” turning to the rR tte 7 an’ LT'll drop in and see ye to-inorrow. Tra-la-la.” h a wave of his hand to the astonished Chinaman, then, he stepped into the house and the woman shut the door. ‘‘ Are yez hungry, lad?” she asked, ‘““Not half as hungry as I am sleepy,” Billy answered, ‘‘ and if ye will show me straight to me room, I'll eat me supper and me breakfast both at once in the mornin’,” The woman was amused, and she liked Billy already, ** What is your name?” she asked, ‘Me name is Denny McGoogin, ma’am.” ‘* Dhat’s a good name, at all evints, Well, Oi will take yez roight to dhe hole avy a room dhat Oi mintioned, and in dhe marnin’ yez may ate ail ye pl’aze. Come along wid me,” She led the way to the very top floor of the house, and there threw open tbe coor of the room she had spoken of, which was simply a big closet, There was a bed on the floor. ‘* Bless me, ma’am,” cried Billy, “' but this is a room fit for a king. Sure, it is a permanent boarder I'll be, an’ ye’l] have me as such.” A good deal of talk followed, and when the woman finally went down-stairs she carried with her the impression that Denny McGoogin was the best and brightest lad of bis years that she had ever seen. | Billy had told her that be was only fifteen, which she did not for a moment doubt. ‘*Sweet pertaters!” Billy exclaimed as soon as he was alone, *‘ but I thought she would keep me a-talkin’ till ’d run down, Well, she’s dis- posed of for th’ time bein’, an’ herelam, Now what am I ter do? Lonly wish tbat I'd been fitted out with th’ usual quantity 0’ brain when I was built. Wonder how a feller feels that’s got his right sbare o’ that article? \T’d buy a pint, if 1 only knowed of some place where they keep itontap. Yes, here I am, and what's ter be done? Now that I’m inter th’ den, how am I ter locate that woman’s room? Hang me up an’ smoke me fer a herring if | know. But, this is one big move made, an’ if I can’t go ahead now I ain’t worthy of th’ conferdence of Inspector Br—— Hello! I bear voices below,” Down he dropped and laid his ear to the floor. Sure enough, voices reached him from jthe room below, and one of them he recognized as that.of the landlady. ““Yez may as well take it aisy,” she was say- al | | ' . -. gS - sbooks.¢co TI ce csc ea LRN ER ici a ad og > ‘ . f vy : : ; ‘*: “ .