Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 671 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler. —_—=———— -- Nottingham, who was still eying him closely, saw him start and drop the curtain, “We've been watched!” cried Weldon, ex- hibiting a face so pale as to be almost devoid of color. The other sprung up and went forward, ** Watched?” he echoed. “Yes, A spy jumped from the sloping roof when I looked out. Don’t contradict me with a look of incredulity; I know what I saw, and my eyes aren’t in my head for nothing.” *What was he like?” asked Nottingham. “* Like a man, of course,” grioned Weldon, ** He may be lurkiag in the yard.” Nottingham at once led the way from the room and the cramped back-yard which began at the base of the low back building attached to the house and ran to the alley. Arain had fallen within the last few hours and the ground, almost entirely devoid of grass, was wet and spongy. It did not take the two men long to discover that the fenced-in yard at that time held nobody but themselves, ‘** Look here!” suddenly exclaimed Weldon, inting towafd the ground. “Say I saw no- y will you?” A ray of light falling from one of the upper windows of the adjoining premises showed them a foot-track very distinct in the earth. Both men stooped an examined it with breath- less curiosity, Robinson Crusoe on his island did not study the strange footprint in the sand with less excitement. “* What if he not only saw, but overheard us?” asked Weldon, looking into Nottingham’s face. ** What if this unknown spy actually overheard the private consultation of Holdfast & Co.?” Nottingham said nothing for a moment. “I wish we could have caught him on the roof,” he said at last. “It would have cost him his life!” “That it would. 1 don’t like this business.” *T thought not!” laughed Weldon. “I did not think Captain Catchem equal to this emergency.” *“What? Do you think he was the person on the roof? Awhile ago we were laughing at the detective’s failure to find out any thing for Mark Murchison; now—” ** If the spy wasn’t Captain Catchem, who was he?’ interrupted Nottingham, Weldon shook bis head perplexedly, Having tracked the spy to the fence which he had scaled, the two returned to the house, and when they had entered the little room Weldon turned upon Nottingham and seized his arm. ** Look here!” he cried, ‘* It seems to me that Holdfast & Co. will be ina tight box if some- thing isn’t dove within the next twenty-four bours. That spy wasn’t the detective. He didn’t look big enough for Captain Catchem, Who else would track us?” “ There’s another interested party, Webb,” re- turned Nottingham, ‘‘ There is another person who wants what we hold in our net; but who, if he is of the same mind he was six years ago don’t want old Murchison to come out best. I say there’s a person of this sort, if death hasn’t claimed him since the affair,” “IT Gnderstand you, Nick. You don’t speak in riddles when you use language like that.’ *T thought not,” ‘‘ You mean the Jersey boy—Jed Jeffreys.” Nottingham’s answer was a nod, ** But we can’t look for him in a city like this. We can’t stop with the last cards in our hand and hunt him down. We mast have the play out with Mark Murchison. [I’m anxious to see the morning paper. It will settle matters one way or the other, Murchison is in a trap of which Holdfast & Co, are the jaws. And no eee boy—I don’t care what his motives are— shall loosen those jaws, or break their force!” CHAPTER IV. THE PROFILE PROOF, Let us follow the spy who so suddenly broke the secret deliberations of Holdfast & Co. and See who he was and what became of him. When he had scaled the fence at the end of the yard, dropping into the alley with theagility of a cat, he made off rapidly and came into view on the street some distance away. Now he was seen to be a well-formed, good- looking youth of seventeen, agile and quick, and not long after reaching the street he rap up the steps that rose above the floor of a certain hall- way,and bursting into a room on the second floor, surprised a plain-faced woman of fifty. “You come in like a storm, my boy,” said the woman with a smile. “1 don’t know but that I have’some one at my S ‘*T trust aot, Jed.” ‘* ve just come from the two scamps in coun- cil,” replied the boy who, without further con- cealment, was Jed Jeffreys, Captain Catchem’s **lost link.” *““Did they see you?” asked the mother anxiously. **Webb Weldon did, but notin time to get his fingers upon me, I was too quick for him, for by the time he and his pard reached. the yard, [ was over the fence and gone, I played it pretty fine on the pair. When they came home I was at my old place on the roof, and if Webb hadn’t accidentally come to the window, I would have heard the whole thing out.” ‘* What! could you hear them too?” “That I could, mother. The shutter was closed, ’tis true, butone of the panes had a cor- ner broken out, and not a word escaped me up to, the moment of the young chap’s appearance at the window.” Having reached this point, Jed proceeded to tell his mother what be had seen and heard from his place on the sloping roof of the shed, ‘*So,” said she at the close of the narrative, ‘*so Mark Murchison has a detective at work?” a He has; Captain Catchem, everybody knows im. ** Do you?” ** Both by reputation and when I see him,” ** You must steer clear of him.” “*T know that, mother. One of the last men I want to meet now is this ferret who is working up Mark Murchison’s case for him, If the detective finds Holdfast & Co,, he’ll make ’em disgorge to Murchison; then, where are we to get anything? No, I will play detective on my own hook, The scamps must disgorge to us, mother, for, if Murchison recovers what he lost six years ago, we fail; that’s all.” ‘* And the infamous wrong that has blighted my life will never be righted!” exclaimed Mrs, Jeffreys with spirit. ‘‘ Captain Catchem is like most of his class, They work for reward, Jed, and in this case we can’t outbid the man who lives in the fine house and has the cash, Steer clear of this detective,” ** As I would from a rattlesnake.” ** He may look for you because of the stand you took six years ago in Jersey.” “TI don’t think he can find me. I’m no little boy any longer,” and Jed straightened with pride and looked at his mother. ‘‘ Six years make a vast difference in one who grows fast, 1 don’t look like the boy who looked down into the ravine that afternoon and saw the rascals making their masks while they let me know that they were up to something dark,” ‘*[_ remember exactly how you looked then,” observed the widow with a smile. ‘‘ Now, motber, we’ve got to close in on Hold. fast & Co.,” said Jed aftera brief pause, ‘If this last threat of theirs fails, they will strike a blow for Murchison’s money, and if they don’t get what they want they'll take less.” **Do you think so?’ ‘““T'm sure of it. Webb Weldon must make a showing of wealth before long, or lose the young lady he is about to win,” ‘The mean plotter!” cried Mrs. Jeffreys. ‘‘ I pity the creature who is drawn into his snare,” ‘*So do I, and [ll go out of my way to put a stone in his path. He isso anxious to win the girl that he will induce Nottingham to lower the rice asked; but you must not believe that urchison, our evil genius, will ever get the stolen documents for nothing, If he gets them again you know what will become of them?” “They'll go straight from his hands to the fire,” answered the widow, ‘“ A place to which he wishes he bad consigned them years ago,” added Jed, ‘ Let the missing documents go back to Mark Murchison and he will be ready to snap his fingers at us,” ‘‘ And he can snap them with impunity, too,” ‘* My blood seems to boil whenever I see him, He rolls in wealth, lives like a lord in a big house all by himself, and on whosemoney? Ah, mother, it seems to me that Justice sometimes misses the target altogether, Think of it, Mark Murchi- son may have given Captain Catchem, his detec- tive, pointed instructions to ferret us out, mest To make me give bim a clew to the men who committed the robbery six years ago—to point out to him the present whereabouts of Holdfast & Co, in order that he may help the man who would crush us under his heel if he could get us there. No, not a clew for Captain Catchem; not while the blood of the J effreys flows through my veins, and that will be while life lasts! Ill fight our battle, mother. Our cause is in my bands, and I'll know no rest until the victory been won!” “Brave boy! You are the only living person I can trust!” exclaimed the widow, with moist- ened eyes. ‘*You have to look out fora new hunter from now on. The detective will prob- ably search for you. If Holdfast & Co, are keeping their personality in the dark while they play their band deainst Mart Murchison, I don’t see how Captain Catchem can pick up aclew witbout you. Wewill look at the papers to- morrow and see what reply is made to the last demand,” A few minutes Jater Jed left the house, and, with his keen eyes on the alert, made off down the street. Thus far he had carefully avoided the men who had plundered Mark Merahteoti of some things of more value than money. To be sure they had been lost for years to him, but his tireless industry had unearthed them, and he had been their constant shadow for some time, We know that Webb Weldon and Nicholas Nottingham, the two conspirators, had an idea that the Jersey boy was somewhere in the city and the discovery of the spy on-the roo strengthened this belief, On the other hand, Mark Murchison had seen nothing of the missing witness, and during the six years that had rigs 2 since the robbery, had run across but one face that recalled him, and that was the face of the boy who was hurtin the accident on the Bowery. Jed, after quitting the house which had been their home for years, went direct to a residence as plain as his own but a good many squares distant, The door was opened by a boy who was dwarf- ed in stature—a boy with an oldish face which had wrinkles. He was slightly hunchbacked besides, which added to his uncomelines; but he had the brightest eyes ever seen in a boy’s head, He greeted Jed with a grin of delight and pore him familiarly on the shoulder when he ad let him in, ““You’ve found something out. I know it!” cried the hunchback, ‘* Your eyes never de- ceive me, Jed. Let’s go back to the old room and I'll listen.” The boy led Jed into a small chamber in the back part of the house and pushed a stool to- ward him. The deformed bad a singular occupation, He would wander into the parks after the lighting of the lamps and cut from bits of paper which he carried fac-similes of the faces he met with. His fingers were deftness itself and his work ma pe * ~ satel OE... = ee enmee In this manner he made enough to let him live comfortably in the house where Jed visitec him, and as *‘ Scissors Simon,” as he was called, had taken a fancy to the Jersey boy, the liking had grown to be mutual, ‘Before you tell me any thing,” said Scissors to Jed who had no secrets which he withheld in that room, “‘ let me show you my last work. I was out last night. Business wasn't very good, I was alone on my old bench waiting for a ‘* poser” when two of them strolled into the circle made by the electric light. There was something about them that struck me forcibly, and what you have told me rushed through my mind, They formed sucha rare picture that [ couldn’t keep my scissors in my pocket, but I bad to work in secret, I slipped from my settee and took to the prorecting shadows of the bushes near by, and from there I got a good picture of the gentlemen. Here they are.” Simon opened a stand drawer and took forth rs profiles of two faces which he handed to on “Ho!” cried the Jersey boy sharp. ‘ You caught them on the wing, didn’t you? * The little hunchback laughed, ‘* Do you think so?” he queried, ‘To be sure 1 do! Your work speaks for it- self, Simon, This face beloney to Nicholas Nottingham and the other to Webb Weldon, You have captured the sharp twins together, nabbed Holdfast & Co,, in an admirable man- ner, Your scissors have no equal. They’re as good as a detective camera. This picture would *go’ in court,” Simon’s eyes snapped with delight over this praise which he knew was genuine. ‘‘T thought vou’d know them,” he exclaimed, “They didn’t see you at work, eh?” “Of course not, I was too shrewd for that. They remained long enough to let me finish the ob, and then walked away. Keep the profiles, ed. I thought of you while I worked.* Jed, with thanks, placed the paper in an inner ket, and during the next ten minutes Simon etone! to his adventure on the roof, He gave Jed the same advice his mother had proffered. It was, ‘ Look out for Holdfast & Co., elele) S 7 ne Vee . = esi co -~ ~, ( —_— ——