Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 671 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

_ om Po FM ABBE Coe Be i ~~ . © OFarsat Aaote ts 5 So teetet ct bee -~ Rodd to? < 8 It sprung into existence complete in all its detuils, and seemed to tingle the blood at his finger’s ends, ** When a man is at another’s mercy he has to submit,” he said, pushing back his chair and glancing toward a safe at one side of the room, ‘I won’t keep you waiting long. I want this bit of infamous business over forever, I’m tired of it,” His words, spoken for a diabolical purpose, seemed to disarm Webb Weldon’s suspicions, Murchison rose and went toward the safe. The young man watched him with victory vis- ible in his eyes, He saw the nabob stoop before the s'eel door and begin to manipulate the shining knob. **'T'he last play won,” thought he. ‘I'll open Nick’s eye when i go back. He thought I would fail.” At this juncture Mark Murchison sprung erect and wheeling upon Weldon covered him with his revolver, The very quickness of this move seemed to take the young man’s breath. He had never seen anything like it, and he found himself won- dering from where Murchison had produced the six-shooter, ** Hands down!” cried Murchison, looking like @ cool maniae over the leveled weapon, ‘ This is a game in which two can take an active hand. You want the modest sum of two hundred thou- sand for those documents, ha?” Weldon did notspeak. ** You have the papers on your person, Fool that you are, you had to fetch them to this house—into my castle—and make this demand ‘when you might have known that I would not be bled to this extent. Stand up!” The young man obeyed, “Shall I call my servant in to rob you, or will you, on pain of death, despoil yourself?’ Murchison went on, witha grin. ‘I grant you ten seconds of grace, Throw the papers upon the table and walk from my house alive, or drop dead in your tracks—shot by the man whom your deep villainy has rendered desperate.” There was no mistaking the looks that accom- nied these words. Mark Murchison had all he appearance of a really desperate man. Ten seconds! Webb Weldon, caught in a trap of his own setting, inwardly cursed himself in front of the frowning pistol. Suddenly, without a word in reply, he thrust "his hand beneath his coat, and looking at Mur- chison jerked out a packet which he ttrew upon the tabie, it bounded up like a bali and fell to the floor on the other side, **Now go and thank Mark Murchison for bis mercy !” said the nabob, Weldon walked from the room without a show of ceremony and when the front door of the house had closed behind him Murchison sprung forward and lifted the packet. The following moment he cut the string and ~ then let slip a curse. He held nothing but blank papers in his hands! or ie CHAPTER IX, CAUGHT IN THE LIGHT. THE man had beaten him. In other words, he had been cleverly outwitted by Holdfast & Co., for, instead of holding in his hands the documents whose loss had cost him so much trouble and money, he held nothing but white paper. Webb Weldon bad come to the house ready to py the hand which suited his purpose best. f Murchison paid over the price demanded he would receive the be if heattempted to get them by force he might obtain possession of the false packet which Weldon carried in another pocket, As we have seen, the young: man frustrated the nabob by delivering up what aypeared to be the precious packet, and thus managed to escape with the true one and his own life, as well. Mark Murchison’s rage knew no bounds when he realized the deception that had been practiced, For some minutes be walked the floor, raving like a madman, end his servant who heard bim from a distant part of the house wondered what had happened. **T know how the scoundrel looks and that is something,” exclaimed Murchison, cooling down at last. ‘‘I can describe him for Captain Catchem’s benefit, and the detective will bave a link at last. I see it isa desperate game with, them. The fellow took desperate chances to- night, and, curse bim! beat me after all!” Not many minutes ela before Murchison was on the street hastening toward the detec- . tive’s office. — "er. *y “a.” ie v 2) 7 hg ee eee oe He was fortunate in finding Captain Catchem in, but if he had delayed his call a short time he would have missed his man altogether. Tho detective followed Murchison very closely through the narrative he spun. Astherich man omitted nothing he was not questioned once to the end. ‘‘A cool game and desperate chances,” smiled the shadow, ‘*T should say so.” ‘Tf he had not complied with your demand what?” ‘“‘T should have killed him in his tracks,” -* a found the right documents, ha.” 6s es,’ ** Ain’t you sorry now you did not shoot him dead!” ‘*By heavens, [ am!” cried Murchison, ‘ To think I bad the papers in my house, almost with- in reach! Itexasperates me, If the trick was to be played over there’d be a dead man under my roof rt this moment,” ‘*'You’\e given me a clew,” returned the de- tective. ‘'I think [’ve seen the man you have described,” ‘* What! think you know him, do you say?” **T think so,” * To find him is to unearth hls partner; it is to uncover Holdfast & Co.” Captain Catchem nodded, ‘* It is, if the boy don’t interfere.” Murchison started visibly. ‘* What boy?’ And then be bent forward and continued: ‘* Have you found thé boy who held his tongue six years ago? Do you know where he hides? And what do you mean when you say ‘if the boy don’t interfere? ” The detective looking straight at Mark Mur- chison said: ‘* I’ve found Jed Jeffreys.” The nabeb seemed to fall back in his chair with a gasp, ‘** And bis mother?’ he asked. ‘* And his mother!” For a moment a dead silence fell between the two. ‘* Are they in the city?’ questioned Mur- chison, . ‘* They are bere.” ‘** Relentless still?” ‘* They bave no love for you.” ‘*They never had!” exclaimed Murchison. **Tf I had closed in on them when I should have done so they wouldn’t bother me now. Won't the boy tell what he saw six years ago?” ‘‘ [Tm afraid his lips are sealed.” ** Stubborn yet, eh?” 6s Yes.” Tt was curious to see the workings of Mur- chison’s countenance, ‘* What does he say?” he queried. ‘* He is fighting bis own battle, he tells me,” * Fighting it for what?” ‘¢ For vindication,” ‘*T presume you did not see the mother?” ‘*T saw her, too.” “ A veritable tigress, eh?” ‘‘ She don’s look like one.” “ But you don’t know her, But for the mother as I’ve always said, the boy would have talked when I wanted the truth, Sbe got him to keep as a secret what he saw that day at the ravine. It was her doings, I tell you—the work of Sarah Jeffreys.” Mark Murchison spoke the widow’s name with bitterness, . ‘‘] bope you will get along without drawing on the family,” -he continued. ‘If you've seen the man who visited me to-day, why, all you have todois tobunt him upand keep him in sight. By the way, in what part of the city did you find the family?’ Captain Catchem saw how eager Monrchison was to obtain the address of Jed and his mother, The nabob had some deep design in view, and believing this the detective hesitated. ‘* Really,” said he, ‘*I never looked at the number of the house.” ** But you know the place?” ‘*Oh, yes, lL suppose I could go to it without much trouble, O——street isn’t very hard to find you know,” ‘** Do they live there?” Captain Catchem nodded, ‘About the jast place J should have searched for the fugitives,” said Murchison. ‘* Have they been in hiding all this time?” ‘* Not exactly in hiding,” was the reply. ‘* How did you pick them up?” ‘Partly by accident,” answered the ferret, who did not seem ready to tell Murchison that he had set him on Jed’s trail by bis story of the boy injured in the accident in the Bowery, and = > v1 - oh te “ool te ‘ AL wae’ seeing that the captain was not inclined to be very communicative on this score he let the subject drop, : ‘“l’m sorry I missed the boy at Scissors Simmons’s house,” murmured Captain Catchem when he heard the feet of Murchison on his stair telling bim that he was at last shut of hig employer and visitor.” He must bave caught sight of me through the sbutters or he would not have quitted the building by the back way, I’m deeply interested in this case, and if I had been in Jed’s place when the Jersey mansion was robbed 1 believe I would have kept my secrets, too,’ The detective went back over Murchison’s en- counter with Webb Weldon and was convinced that be had several times seen the young man on a certain street which he resolved to visit as soon as night fell. ‘‘T have a clew at last,” thought the tireless captain. ‘I have a personal description ofa member of the house of Holdfast & Co., and I shall work the line for all it is worth, The boy and bis mother will baffle me if they can, and by Jupiter! I don’t know but that they ought to succeed,” Night falling once more over the length end breadth of New York, found Captain Catchem, true to his promise, among the shadows of a certain street which led one into the Park visited so often by Scissors Simon, the boy artist. It was the street upon which he thought he had several times seen a man whose appearance tallied closely with Murchison’s description of his cool-headed caller, and he had resolved to baunt the thoroughfare a long time in hope of being rewarded for his pains, Captain Catchem strolled the street for sey- eral hours. Sometimes he went into the Park whose benches were pretty well filled for the night was pleasant and the parks added to the comfort of the people. At last during one of his extended strolls the city ferret caught sight of Scissors Simon at work on a subject who had obliged him by taking up a position under the electric light, The detective stood aloof and watched the in- genious boy until he had finished his profile portrait and received the money for it, when he sauntered forward and halted in front of his bench, ‘*‘ Want a picture?” asked Simon, catching up his scissors and taking from the little portfolio he always carried a piece of pepens but the next moment, as though he had suc he man before bim,,his_look became a stare, Captain Catchem smiled and bent quickly over the boy, his right hand resting on the back of the Park settee close to Simon’s shoulder. ‘No profile just now, Simon,” said he, ‘‘ When did you see Jed last?” Scissors Simon seemed to be thrown back by the question. The next moment he laughed. * You’re a fox! I know you!” he exclaimed, evidently recalling how he had cut the detec- tive’s profile while he watched for Jed under the shade tree in front of his house, “Never mind that,’ responded Captain Catchem. ‘ You are Jed’s friend, ain’t you?” ‘** To the death!” exclaimed the boy. ‘* Vm glad of tbat, You want to help him all you can?” ** To be sure I do; but I can’t see bow giving bim way to Captain Catchem can_ benefit him. The buman shadow smiled in spite of himself, **' Why can’t you see thus?” he asked. ‘You ought to know without asking me, You know what information you seek, Jed and I don’t keep any secrets from each other. Cap- tain Catchem, when you come to Scissors Simon for information intended to help Mark Murchi- son, the gold-ribbed nabob, you come to the wrong person.” The boy artist spoke with much determina- tion. ‘You don’t know how the game might turn out,” rejoined the detective. “I tell you— Wait a second!” And Simon called to a man who at that moment came up in the path in front of the settee: ‘‘Ho! don’t you want a profile? You're a good subject.” The gentleman addressed by Scissors Simon lanced for an instant at the boy, and then, with Cond erect again, kept on, es i Captain Catchem ‘out of curiosity looked to- ward the man and caught bim in the full glare of the light that swung among the trees, What did he see? Who was the person walk- ing off with every line and curve of his figure calling up Mark Murchison’s description of his late visitor? Could it be that same person? + # Tere) 1 denly recognized fixed.