Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 671 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

lL not. which ublicy could d his) roofs zned, usin, » been) 7 ne he he ve nd : Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler. 15 Let us see. While Polly was telling her story under pro- test, Mr, Webb Weldon, the last of the house of Holdfast & Co,, was carefully writing a letter in a small room whose only furniture consisted } of around table and a chair. If the reader could have stolen into the room and looked over the young man’s shoulder he would have seen the ink glistening on a page which bore the following sentences; ** To the Chief of Police :— **{ desire to inform you that there livesin this city, and in elegant leisure, at-that, a man who six years ago and in the State of Jersey, committed one ef the most infamous crimes on record. This was the several forgeries of the name of a wealthy gentleman, now dead, the crime being perpetra- ted for a two-fold purpose—to enrich the per- trator and to destroy the reputation of his cousin, The crime was successful, It made its originator the sole heir of the man whose name he forged, and sent his cou-in to prison, Ihave direct Nee of the man’s guilt. They are in his own landwritinz—a confession which he was forced to write out by the one he had wronged, He after- ward had those papers stolen for his own purposes, ony to lose them in turn before he could destroy 1em, “ Now, I say that I can lay my hand on these pa- pers at anytime. Do you want them? Will you promptly use them if they are turned over to you? I want to see the guilty punished and justice done the innocent, If cannot help the man who went to prison for another’s crime; but his family rests under the disgrace while the real villain rolls in wealth. If you willtake the papers and use them without fear or favor, say so in the next Herald. “ Yours for justice. * Rieut.” Webb Weldon read his work over with a good deal of satisfaction, and took his departure. Before quitting the room he had inclosed his letter in a large envelope, which he had ad- dressed to the chief of police of New York, ae “Private and important” in one cor- er. He made his way to Mulberry street, entered the posing occupied by the Police Depart- ment, and leaving his letter with on official bel a he found on duty there, vanished Jike a About an hour after these events a man, who y Was none other than our old friend, Captain Catchem, sat in the private office of the hand- rtiag or shrewd superintendent of police for A letter which the detective had just read lay on the table betore the pair, and there was a meanful twinkle in thecaptain’s eye. This move don’t astonish me,” said Butler, glancing at the letter, ‘‘ All around, this is the most Interesting case I’ve had dealings with for ears, The man who wrote that letter holds ust-what he says he does, He is going to make is last play—may have made it by this time. Tf he fails he will treat with you; if he wins, you won't hear from him any more,” “Will he win or fail?” asked the superin- tendent, yor wtf *The end for him is failure,” replied Captain Catchem, inemphatic voice, ‘He can’t bleed his victim, though he would give half bis for- ae ete Yat cocoMents safe in his hands, er 0 @ letter is playing for two for- tunes and & wife,” a ag ys v Big stakes!” laughed the chief. “. Rather,” grinned Captain Catchem, i ead you say he shall not win?” oO. “Ought I to answer that letter, as he sug- gests?” a ae all mens Co,” . ® superintendent pushed a piece of paper toward the detective, who took up a fen and wrote thus: “ Bienr :—Am ready to see you at your own time, and either at home or abroad. ** JUSTICE.” h That will do,” said the superintendent, when ® had read the reply, and five minutes after- ward the detestive stood under the lamps of ow ork, with a quizzical smile on hig face. Pll see if the Jast move but one has been made,” he exclaimed, starting off. Hoe hour had not yet grown late when Mark urchison’s door-bell tinkled violently, and the Servant, with a face quite white, stared at the. person who presented himself on the sens . Have ou seen him?’ she inquired, “Oh, m afrai something dreadful has happened, never acted so before, though he’s been troubled for some time,” The girl spoke without catching breath until Be ts tine ihe mace By this time caller was in the hall the door had been shut. one ** Where is your master?” he asked. *““Gone! Gone! He had a caller a few min- utes ago,” ‘““What was he like? You saw him, course,” ** T let him in,” ** Well?’ ‘‘ He was youngish-looking, from what I could see. He went straight to the library without sending in his card, and the moment he opened the door I heard my master say, ‘My God!’ and then there was dead silence,” ‘* How long did the man stay?” ** Not longer than ten minutes.” ** Did the man go away alone?” ** He did.” ** Followed to the dcor by Mr. Murchison?” ‘No, He went out unescorted,” ‘* Your master remaining in the library, eh?” ‘Yes. But, who are you? Ah, I see now! You bave been here before, You are serving him in some manner,” *Tam, You must tell me all you know.” **Come into the library, then.” Captain Catchem—the man was the detective —followed the girl into the designated room and seated bimself, | ‘‘] know he went away in a terrible frame of mind,” resumed the maid. ‘'I could hear him moving in this room, opening and shutting drawers, ransacking the safe yonder, and now and then breaking out into awful imprecations, He acted like a madman, [believe you are a detective, Ifso you may find him, The man who called is to be blamed for the whole thing.” ** ‘You are right,” said the detective, smiling to himself; but he went no further. He had no doubt that Webb Weldon had yvisit- ed Mark Murchison. He had boldly invaded the same house in which he had met with a re- pulse at the muzzle of a revolver. Had his last visit proved successful? Had he delivered over to Murchison the papers for i ly Jed Jeffreys had struggled nearly all his ife It must be admitted that the detective went from the nabob’s house considerably puzzled, lt began to look to him asif something had slipped through his fingers, He went straight to the boy detective's home, and the moment Mrs, Jeffreys saw him she lost color and drew back. “Think of me as you will,” said Captain Catchem, “I’m willing that youshall judge me by my acts, Where's Jed?” Out, sir” ** Do youexpect him in soon?” ‘* There’s no telling.” ** Ts he ‘ at work?” ‘** He is always busy. I think if you were not standing between him and justice he could end the play satisfactorily to us all,” ‘* Madam, you don’t know what you say when you accuse Burt Butler of blocking the wheels of justice.” ‘*] know that you are in Mark Murchison’s employ! You know that he has wronged us; you know that those papers should be in our hands, Captain Catchem—I call you by the name you have won by your shrewdness-——if you keep us from vindicating my dead husband’s character, I shall call down upon your head the— ““Stop right there, madame!” broke in the detective, ‘I shall see that nothing of this kind happens.” Sarah Jeffreys looked strangely into Captain Catchem’s face and wondered how he—Mark Murchison’s ferret—could talk thus, ‘ve found Polly,” he suddenly continued. ‘‘Polly Pindar? Ah! I’ve not forgotten her. She was Murchison’s maid and would be a valu- able witness for us if she could be induced to talk.” “ Polly has talked,” ‘‘ For you, Captain Catchem, but not for us, Has she betrayed the secret she has kept so long?” ‘* What secret?” ‘The secret of her connection with Holdfast & Co. Jed and I now know that she was the friend of the firm when Murchison was robbed, and she is now playing spy for Webb Weldon in the house of Lola Lewis, who is, with her for- tune, the prize of his game. She wouldn't talk for us, but if you have unsealed hfr tongue you and your master bave scored a point,” Captain Catchem did not speak for a moment, : Polly Pindar didn’t like to talk,” said he, “But you forced her, did you?” smiled the widow, “T may have used a_ little stratagem, Madame, do you know that Holdfast & Co, stand dissolved?” of ‘Dissolved by death!” exclaimed Jed’s mother, ‘¢ Nottingham or Nathan, it matters not which, went out of the world in a hurry, and you know how he died.” Mrs. Jeffreys’s eyes were fastened upon the city shadow. ‘Webb Weldon didn’t kill his companion,” she went on. ‘“‘He didn’t kill bimself, My boy didn’t commit the crime, Now, who did?” There was no reply. ‘“‘Wasn’t that man content with one crime on his soul?” the widow went on. ‘* Did he bave to creep upon Nottingham and throttle him on the bed? Captain Catchem, you ought tu be careful whom you serve!” Before the detective could speak, even if he had so intended, the door was burst open and Jed stood in the middle of the room holding above his head a packet while his eyes shone as they had never shone before. ** At last, mother! at last!” cried the boy. CHAPTER XIX, WEBB WELDON S TARTAR, Mas. JEFFREYS starting up, stood as one pet- rified between Jed and the table, and Captain Catchem’s eyes had a stare of wonder. Had the Boy Hustler succeeded where he had failed? ‘‘ You haven’t got the papers?” be cried, ‘‘ Haven't 1?’ answered the Jersey boy shak- ing the package in triumph, “If I haven’t found them, I'd like to know what I hold in my hand!” ‘* Thank God! cried the widow. ‘%After long ears of waiting | see the proofs of my bus- yand’s innocence! Oh, Jed! Jed!” And she caught her boy ip her arms and kissed him until something glittered on the detective’s cheek, When Jed could escape from his mother’s embrace he went to the table and placed there- on the packet he had brought home, ‘¢ You shall see for yourself, Captain Catchem,” said he, ‘‘ There shall be no secrets between us, Come and see!” A few seconds later the detective was reading a papef which, a day or two before, would have been a great revelation, but which just then was not so much of one, “Tt is all clear,” said Captain Catchem when he looked up and cneountered the joyful and victorious look of mother and son. ‘“** But, how did you gat possession of these papers, Jed?” “T had a tussle for them,” the boy answered with asmilo. ‘*I thought it was now or never and, indeed, they were in the greatest danger,” and seating himself in front of the table he began to tell the story of his capture, We will follow the boy ferret through the whole adventure, but will tell it as it best suits us, going back in our story far enough to begin at the beginning. When Weldon came out of Mark Murchison’s house which he visited soon after leaving the letter at Police Headquarters for the superin- tendent, he was seen me a boy who had been ** on guard” for some time. The young man bad had a single adventure in the nabob’s house to which he had gone to play bis last desperate card against bis victim. As the maid had told Captain Catchem, Mur- echison was surprised to see his tormentor once more beneath his roof. His eye was at once lowered to the drawer in the table, but Weldon, knowing what was there, stepped across the carpet and said in low but meanful tones: ‘“Tf you dare, sir! I have fixed things out- side, If Iam killed here, you will be exposed to-morrow—not for one crime, but two!” Murchison recoiled with a gasp. Weldon’s words seemed to have taken his breath, ‘You made nothing by the quick play you executed in this room,” continued the young man. ‘You gota few blank pages for your pains. Now, sir, deal fair with me and the whole matter ends bere, Put me off another hour and we will see what happens, The dead talk somtimes, The eye of justice is never closed, and rents in the carpet tell as much as the doctors!” The last words drove from Murchison’s cheek all the color which had come back, and his hand shook on the edge of the table. ._ “1 want two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars,” continued Weldon. Another gasp. ‘* You have raised,” said the nabob. ‘Yes, I know a good deal now,” was the re- sponse, “ You must not trifle with me, The day for trifling has passed. What do you soy?” ‘Murchison thought fast. He would give thousands if he could but see a Catchem before paying this cool rascal a dollar. cor 200 (G Go