Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 671 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

te = % — —<——— — a Va. ae on % ’ ~ 4 “s otis as a A RS Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler. a ‘a we = “a =o € é Ly ‘“‘That’s a cool piece of business,” remarked the rich man, falling back and looking at Cap- tain Catchem, ‘* Pretty cool,” smiled the detective. ‘*‘ What have you done in the matter?’ ‘‘ Nothing. I had determined not to move until I had seen you, If we could ferret out those fellows—if we bad obtained at the time of the robbery a personal deseription of them—” ‘‘ Such as the boy could have given, eh?” Murchison seemed to lose color, 6 Confound the boy!” he exclaimed, ‘‘Tf he had remained in the neighborhood an- other day I would have been in possession of his secret, y had my plans laid, but when [ came to carry them out the bird had flown. AsI was saying, if we had then had a description of the robbérs I might have beaten them years ago, and they wouldn’t be holding this club over my head now.” ‘* Might not the boy’s mother have encouraged him in his action?” asked Captain Catchem, Mark Murchison started in spite of himself, ‘What have you discovered about the Widow Jeffreys? Do you know where she is?” he quick- ly inquired. “Her whereabouts are unknown to me,” was the reply. -‘‘The boy was the first to leave. The mother did not follow for some time,” Murchison seemed to take a long breath. ‘Where have you been? On the ground?” he asked. ‘‘ Yes, Ihave just returned from Jersey,” answered the detective, ** Haven’t they been back since?” ‘* Nobody in the vicinity of Lamoyne knows anything concerning their whereabouts, They seem to have disappeared.as if the grave had swallowed both,” ‘Which I’m afraid isn’t likely,” smiled Mur- chison. | ** But what’s become of them?” The man in tke big velvet-armed chair again shook his head, ‘‘The boy isthe lost link of the chain,” con- tinued Captain Catchem, ‘‘Thus far Messrs. Holdfast & Co., have concealed their identity in @ manner which does them credit, though they are the deepest and shrewdest rascals I have dealt with. You are expected to answer this last demand through “the usual channel,” which means the newspaper. You don’t want to send a positive answer, nor do you want to lead them to the belief that you will not pay the sum demanded,” ‘*1’m to stand them off as it were, am 1?” ac Yes,” **T wish I could do that till the Day of Judg- ment!” exclaimed Murchison. ‘* But, let us go back, You remember that I asked whether you thought the boy’s mother in- fluénced him?” __ **Ah, so you did. Mrs, Jeffreys was a stub- born woman,” ‘¢ Your enemy?” ‘* Not my friend, you may be sure. Did they tell you over. in Jersey how I offered her ten times the value of her patch if sha would vacate?” ‘** T heard that offer spoken of.” **'Yes! She would not stir. When the rob- bery took place, and her boy came forward with the story of what he professed to have seen, yet would not divulge, I at once thought of his mo- ther—that she was the power bebind the throne; and I’ve thought so many times since,” ‘* Was the boy truthful?” ‘‘The people regarded him so,” admitted Murchison, though with a reluctance which did not escape the observing detective. ‘You don’t think he would league with any one to do you an injury, do you?” ‘‘Tf his mother had planned an injury he vould have helped her to its accomplishment!” declared Murchison with spirit. ‘* That woman hated me hard enough to do anything. Why sbe did so is neither here nor there, Captain Catchem, If you think of looking for the bo in hopes of getting at the identity of Holdfast Co,, I fear your time will be lost. The boy and his mother have not crossed my path since the robbery of Oak Mansion, though I am not satis- fied that they are dead.” “Why not?” A singular smile passed over Mark Murchi- son’s face, ‘‘ Why not?’ he echoed. ‘‘In one of the threatening letters with which I bave been favored by Holdfast & Co., reference is made to the J in a way which tells me that the tascals believe they are still living.” ““Yiave you no other £7" “‘ Nothing positive. K thou ht I saw the boy about a month ago—saw him on a police =: stretcher, after hs had been taken from beneath the wreck of a wagon on the Bowery. I hap- pened to be passing at the time and was meres for a moment by the crowd. The victim of the runaway accident was carried past me in the glare of the street lamp and a thrill ran through me for I thought of the Jeffreys boy the mo- ment I beheld the face on the cloth, It was mere fancy, no doubt, captain—l happened to be thinking of the robbery at the time—but, somehow or other, that face haunted me for more than a week, Now, let us come back toa reply to the letter you have just read.” Captain Catchem seemed willing to do this without further questioning concerning Jed, the lost link, and during the next few minutes the two agreed upon a reply to Holdfast & Co,, which was to be inserted in one of the leading morning papers, Armed with the reply which he was to carry to the counting-room on his way down-town, Captain Catchem bade Murchison good-uight and quit'ed the house with a puzzled smile. ‘The boy becomes more valuable as time flies,” he said to himself, ‘‘ I must find Jed. Jef- freys and see what he islike, Murchison un- consciously gave me something to work on. He never said anything about the Bowery accident before to-night. This case is deeper than IL thought. Itisdark,too, If I’m not mistaken, a foul wrong has been done, and my employer is not the only sufferer.” Half an bour later Captain Catchem walked into a police station near the Bowery, and was recognized by the officer in charge with acheery nod, The hunt for Jed Jeffreys bad begun, CHAPTER III, HOLDFAST & CO, Axsout the time of the detective’s visit to the station-house, one of two men unlocked the front door of a frame dwelling a few squares from the place, and the couple went forward and disap- peared. A few seconds afterward they were in a small back room very plainly furnished and with eur- tains down. The eldest of the couple might have reached his fortieth year; his con pinion looked fifteen years younger. The lutter was very good-look- ing and stylishly dressed. He wore his black mustache waxed to points, and gloves of the softest kid incased his hands. This person was known as Webb Weldon, while his companion, not so handsome nor as well-dressed, answered to the name of Nicholas Nottingham, When they had flooded the little room with light from the overhead gas-burner, the younger threw himself into an arm-chair that threatened to break under him, and broke forth in petulant tones: ‘* Dm getting tired of this!” cried he, ‘“‘If we don’t raise the wind pretty soon ’’'m knocked out.” Nottingham looked at him with a dark frown, ‘¢Give him time,” be urged. ‘‘Time? By heavens, he’s had plenty of time, to my notion.” ‘We will find his answer in to-morrow’s paper.” ; And what will it be when we’ve fcund it?” demanded Weldon. ‘‘What has it been all along? He has put us off from time to time till I’m sick of his foolishness, We've got the grip on him, and if we let up we deserve to be thrown into the bay with millstones at our necks,” “Pm pretty sure the last letter will fetch him.” The young man laughed derisively, ‘*T hope you’re correct, Nick. I can’t win in my little up-town game without baving some- thing to back up my assertions, I have made out that I will be able to place my hands ona cool hundred thousand on my wedding day and that event isn’t far off if things don’t get tripped up by this cat and mouse play witb old Mur- ohiece, If I were compelled to produce the hundred thousand to-morrow, what could I do? You know. Id lose the young i and the fortune which the old gentleman will leave ber, ere long. So you see the fix I’m in. This busi- ness must be closed. This reply to the first letter sent by Holdfast & Co,, must be entirely satisfactory, or, by Jupiter! TJl make a des- perate move that will astonish all parties con- cerned,” Nottingham looked at his companion some- what amazed, **T mean every word of it!” continued Weldon, striking his chair arm with emphasis, ‘If he plays with us a little longer I lose my bril- liant prospects, and all our work falls to the ground,” He took a cigar from his pocket, bit the end off in a savage manner and began to smoke, ‘* You know he has put a detective on the trail?’ remarked Nottingbam who was coolly watching him, ‘Captain Catchem? Yes, | know that. But I don’t fear bim, we’ve covered our tracks ina manner that does us ciedit, Why, Mark Mur- chison doesn’t know us from the man in the moon. I passed the old fellow yesterday and even dropped a word with him im the Park the other day, and he hadn’t the sligbtest idea that I belong to the famous house of Holdfast & Co, That detective catch us on information he ex- pects to pick up? Nonsense! I’d sooner run from the boy, than from Burt Butler,” Nottingham, who had followed Weldon’s ex- ample by taking a cigar from bis pocket, burst into a laugh. ‘What do you think Murchison would give to be closeted with the Jersey boy an hour?’ he asked, ; ‘““A good deal, no doubt, especially if the youngster was more communicative than when Oak Mansion was ‘ pulled,’ six years ago, But, the boy has vanished completely. He said bold- ly that he wouldn’t tell Murchison what he knew unless the old man made amends for the pests but that he coulda’t do because— But you now why, Nick, so I ueedn’t particularize,” Nottingham nodded knowingly. ‘‘ Captain Catchem might undertake to find the Jersey boy,” he suggested, ‘‘ Where would he look?” exclaimed Weldon, ‘‘ Both the boy and bis mother have disappeared. Yes, where would the detective look?” ‘Of course I don’t know, but this man Catchem is shrewd.” ‘“Granted; but six years have elapsed, The circumstances were pes eg long ago except by the several parties, hy, the Jersey people don’t mention the affair any more. When I was up there last summer they would not talk about the old incident, and never asked what had be- come of Murchison, Therefore, with matters in this state, I'd like to know where Captain Catchem would begin to look for the Jeffreys boy, supposing that he entertains such an idea. Let him go ahead, What we want to do is to close in on the two hundred thousand, for Hold- fast & Co. must let nothing put them off till their heads are gray,” | ‘*Speaking of the vanishment of the widow and ber son, it always struck me as being a queer piece of business, The boy went first, and the mother did not follow until he had found a place for both,” | ‘“You assume that,” smiled Weldon between puffs. é ‘Yes, but with good reasons,” continued Nottingham. ‘‘The boy was shrewd, deter- mined and tan attached to his mother. He had a bome for her when she went away, and what more likely than that that home is in some city whers Jed, as they called-him, could find employment for bis wits?” For a moment the face of the young smdker assumed a look of alarm, ‘* Do you think—” he began and stopped. ‘Dol think the couple baye made Gotham their home all these years, eh?” queried Notting- bam, ‘‘ Nothing surprises me nowadays, The boy was about eleven then; be would be seyen- teen now. In those six years be has lost none of his shrewdness and with the incentive which would naturally animate him, be might prove dangerous, if he has found the trail.” =~ ‘The more reason for closing up the job!” cried Weldon. ‘* Tf the boy is here in the city at work on his own hook, yes,” was the response, Webb Weldon frowned and threw his cigar away. ‘*T say we must finish the whole thing up, this time,” he exclaimed, pacing the room, and glanc- ing now and then at his companion, * This piecemeal blackmail is too slow and risky - I have too much at stake to lebit goon. If Mark Murchison returns an evasive or obscure reply to our last letter, ’m for tightening the clamps - till he cries for mercy. Does he think we holds nothing compromising? Is the man so foolish as to believe that we don’t know the whereabouts ~ of the damaging papers? By heavens, we will « show bim that he is the most mistaken man in New York!” Weldon had walked to one of the windows of © the room, He took hold of the curtain and pull- ed it aside, then placed his face close to the pane ast anxious to get a glimpse of the night out~ e, “s - ’ . aed ebooksicom com