Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 685 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

a ws, ae ae es © - : 12 perfect in his eye, and when he had made a few corrections he inclosed it in a long envelope, which he addressed to Inspector Byrnes. “That's the sting, Mr. Denman,” exclaimed Joly, thrusting the confession into his pocket and picking up bis hat. ‘‘J’ll just drop it intoa letter-box, and then come back here and pack up.” He looked at his watch, and noted that the hour was waxing late. As he was about to quit the room he heard footsteps on the stairs, and the next moment Nips, the clerk of the ‘‘ Eureka,” burst into the apartment. Joly and Nis had always been friends, hav- ing bad a number of larks together; but just vow the manager wished the clerk had not come, , Nips, from all appearances, had been spending his wages pretty freely, and bis voice was thick, and Joly was uot long finding out that he bad come to propose a lark which, as Nips expressed it, should be ‘‘a reg’lar won’t go home till morn- ing affair.” Jenkins, with the precious document in his pocket, rejected the suggestion, whereupon Nips returned to the charge with renewed vigor, and painted things in such glowing colors that poor Joly yielded, and they went off together. We shall not follow the two attaches of the ‘‘ Eureka” through the mazes of their wander- ings. They went from scene to scene, having what they termed ‘‘a jolly good time,” which means -that both got very hilarious, and Joly forgot all about posting the narrative for In- spector Byrnes. The early hours of the morning found Joly back in his little room on the second floor of his landlady’s house, the occupant of an arm-chair, and fast asleep. He could not have told how he had reached the place; but he was there, in a dilapidated condition, and utterly oblivious of everything around him. It bappened that while Joly reposed in this condition, a young man in good clothes, passing along the street, looked up and saw a light in one of his windows. The pedestrian was Burt Denman. The schemer looked at his watch and then sent another glance toward the wiadow, “If he’s made a move he’s done so before this,’ murmured Burt. ‘‘Vll run up and see.” Going to the door, he found it slightly ajar, thanks to Joly’s condition when he came home, and the following moment he was climbing the stairs to his manager's room, When Denman pushed open Joly’s door, and beheld the tableau just beyond, he stopped and gave vent to an exclamation of surprise, There lay Joly in the chair, as limp as a rag, with the flaring jet overhead revealing his true condition, ‘*Been out, eh?” ejaculated Denman, crossing the room with a grin on his face. ‘* This doesn’t look like getting back an important paper.” He stood over Joly, and for some minutes looked down at bim with contemptuous silence, ** T’ve a mind to shake you up!” grated Burt, his band at the same time falling upon Joly’s shonider. ‘*L guess we'd better dissolve part- nership.” Just then his sharp eyes discovered something on the inside of Joly’s coat. It looked just enough like the corner of an envelope to excite his curiosity, and in a moment he had opened the coat and drawn it forth. What did hesee? A letter, addressed in Joly’s handwriting, to Inspector Byrnes! Denman’s eyes dilated at this discovery. The letter trembled in his hands, and he sent a mad jook at the unconscious autbor, ‘*T'm of the opinion that you’ve written your own death-warrant, you miserable wretch!” he cried. ‘1 didn’t think you’d go quite this far, though I never bad muceb faith in you. But Vl sea to what limits your innate rascality has taken you.” Denman drew back and with the blade of bis knife opened the envelope with much care. Then relieved it of its contents and the first «lanes at them nearly sent the document to the floor. As he read on, his face flushed and paled alternately and the looks he sent toward Joly boded that individual no good. ‘This is the luckiest discovery of my life!” exclaimed Denman when he had finished the betrayal. ‘*1lt’s like finding a gold mine, So Noah Natchett, the vulture attorney, bas the missing leaf? Ill see that he doesn’t keep it, and lil take care too that Inspector Byrnes never profits by your clever bit of treachery, Joly. This is your idea of “ getting even,” I i wh } . Wd etal ef, Nee > 4° Bed + ny ate en SE Ri slaks, : ele be a a a é J ' va Vv q we : eet 188 Ge >, As a . " » ous eee! Ms a ‘ oe *% ' . Cen baad . , ‘ 5 « f (un Ow — - 2 te . Se Eee “ pee, 7 ay 7 ore ti Fu 7] presume, Well, it’s a lamentable failure; that’s all I have tosay.” Denman went to the table where he found writing materia)s and a bottle of mucilage. Making use of the last named article first, he carefully resealed the letter and then wrote be- neath the address a few words which he under- scored, All this time a smile played with Denman’s lips as though he thought he was doing a sleek piece of business. When be had finished, be glided to Joly’s side and returned the document to his pocket with- out disturbing bim. ‘‘) guess a thunderbolt will strike you when you come out of your trance,” be grinned. ‘“The next time you’ll post your letters while you’re sober, Good-night and pleasant dreams, Joly,” and Denman laughed a mocking laugh and left the room, Several hours passed over Joly’s head after his visitor’s departure. The city clocks struck but he heard them not. The carts began to rat- tle once more over the stony street below but he was oblivious to the noise they made. Joly’s sleep was like the sleep of death, At last the long arrows of the new day came in at his window. He came out of bis deep slumber and rubbed his eyes. His surprise was great when he found himself in the cbair and notin bed. ‘* What does this mean?” cried Joly, and then the events of the night—or some of them, abt least—came to him, ‘‘T recollect now! Nips came, I went out with him—what a fool | was!” Then he thought of the letter. ‘‘T wonder if I posted that document?” he said, feeling for his pocket. ‘‘ No, here it is, What if I bad lost it last night?” He drew it forth and looked at the address, But what did he see? There was writing on the envelope which he had not put there! ‘‘ Joly’s eyes suddenly bulged out as if about to burst from bis head. ‘*My God!” he exclaimed. ‘'He has been here!” Well might he utter these words for he had read on the envelope the following: “T have read the inclosure and approve of it. Please deliver at once to.Jnspector Byrnes! ** DENMAN,”’ The letter fell from Joly’s hands! CHPTER XV. PHELAN TAKES THE TRAIL. Mr. Puiu PHELAN, the young independent detective and Happy Hugh’s friend sat alone in his room with his heels upon his little round table and a cigar between his teeth, He was in very good humor just then, for he had just finished a small burglary case which has no bearing on our story, and he felt like telling his triumph to some one—Happy Hugh for instance—if that person would only step in, A long and uneventful day was drawing toa close, and now and thena puff of air ladened with the saltiness of the sea came in at the de- tective’s open window. ** He doesn’t come,” said Phelan glancing to- ward the door, ‘and it’s not worth my while sitting here waiting for bim to dropin. Now I’m free for a spell—got nothing on my hauds and if we hada clew to that Jersey gir] who went off some years ago, Hugh and [ would work the case together. He’s inclined to be in- dependent, though,” chuckled Phelan, ‘I like his, spirit, though I can’t say that I always admire his judgment. him.” Locking his door, the detective went away and after a brisk walk of afew minutes found himself ascending the creaking stairs to Happy Hugh’s quarters, It was the day after the successful springing of Burt Denman’s trap, an event which Phelan knew nothing about. It was not bis first visit to Hugh’s lodgings and he knew the way too well to ask for instruc- tions, therefore he was soon at the door, Knocking was not considered necessary by the detective, so he opened the door which was not locked, and stepped into the room, He found no one at home. ‘*Not in, eh? exclaimed Phelan survey of the interior. ‘* He may be giving his pupil, Mr. Jenkins, of the ‘ Eureka,’ a lesson on the flute, but it looks to me like no one bas been bere in twenty-four hours,” There was about the premises an air of de- sertion which did not escape the observing de- tective. - taking a Pil go down and see | Happy Hugh, the Boy-Musician Detective. CSE S~ eee Oe OO -”000 C—O _ _ — _ — = eee ee ee ——— He stepped to the table and opened its solita drawer, : ‘‘He keeps his flute here, but it is gone,” he said, aloud, ‘‘For all this, something tells me that the unexpected has taken place. Happy Hugh hasn’t been at home for some time,” It happened that at this particular moment Phelan looked toward the wall beyond the table, W hat did he see there? If his eyes bad not deceived him there were pencil-marks on the white surface—marks which the knew were not there on his last visit, The next moment the young detective had stepped forward and was eagerly devouring the message which Happy Hugh had written in the dark: ** JUNE 17th—10 Pp. M. ‘“T have gone away with Burt Denman. If I don’t come back hold him responsible, Hvuax,”’ The words intended for Somers, Nelly Ax- tell’s former lover, bad been found by another, a@ person who, though a detective and Happy Hugh’s friend, was suppose to know nothing of Denman’s connection with the Axtell mystery. ‘With Burt Denman!” exclaimed Phelan. ‘* Why, that’s the man who was attacked by the crazy tramp, Sooey. He’s the owner of the Eureka Employment Bureau, and Joly Jenkins, his manager, is Hugh’s pupil, ‘If I don’t come back bold him (Mr, Denman that means) re- sponsible,’ This looks like a game of villainy. Well, Hugh hasn’t come back since writing that sentence, and, Mr. Denman, it is my duty as the hoy’s best friend, to hold you responsible.” A minute afterward Phil Phelan stood on the first landing interviewing a large woman who almost took up an entire doorway. ‘‘T remember seein’ the boy go off with a man,” said this person. ‘‘ With what sort of a man?’ asked Phelan. ‘‘+ A dudisb-lookin’ chap in salt-an’-pepper clothes, a waxed mustache an’ a ratan cane,” ‘‘That’s Mr. Denman in a natshell; Pye seen him,” said the detective to himself, ‘When did the boy go away?” Mrs. Yellowplusb, the general overseer of the big house, gave the hour as near as she could and added that ‘‘ the gentieman looked pleased an’ happy.” ‘‘ And you haven’t seen Happy Hugh since?” ‘‘He hasn’t come back, for we’d have heard his flute if he had,” was the quick response. ‘¢ You don’t think anytbing’s happened to him, I hope?” Phelan thought not in order to curb the wo- man’s inquisitiveness and get away from her as soon as possible, and the moment he succeeded in doing the latter, he left the house and began the hunt for Hugh. Phelan as yet bad not connected Nelly Axtell with Happy Hugh’s disappearance but he was soon to be enlightened in an unexpected manner. He had not proceeded a block when he heard quick footsteps behind him, and as he turned to see who made them, his arm was grasped by an excited and flushed young man. ‘“My name is Somers—Perry Somers!” said the youth, ‘I bave just been to Happy Hugh’s lodgings for the fifth time since morning, and Mrs. Yellowplush has told me that you were looking for him. I’m afraid the trap has been sprung.” “The trap?’ echoed Phelan, looking down in- to the young man’s face. ‘* What trap?” “Don’t you know?’ cried young Somers, showing a surprised countenance. ‘The men who stole Nelly Axtell are playing a deep-laid gaine and I’m afraid thaf Hugh, who was on their track, has been caught at. work,” This was enough for Phelan, Like a flash several things, disconnected until now, came to his mind, “Tt want all you know told in brief and com- pressed into a few minutes,” he said to Somers, ‘‘ We'll step aside there,” and he led the way toa very cheap restaurant. where he sougbt out the furthest table and ordered coffee for two, ‘* Now, tell me everything, Mr, Somers,” said he, ‘‘I am Philip Phelan, a detective, and Happy Hugh’s friend,” “Thank Heaven!” exclaimed Somers before he began, anda moment later bis tongue was going like a bell-clapper. It is needless to say that the detective listened intently to the close of the narrative, Somers told all he knew, which was a good deal, for Happy Hugh had given him his own experience On tbe trail. “T see,” thought Phelan, while Somers rattled on. ‘The boy wanted to work the case alone, and I’m not going to blame him, He’s got to rely on himself some time, and he can’t com- mence too young. I’m afraid, though, that he ‘thet ohh al til ve ‘ Ove s Bie BS ke if At > toate 4) ti | ier chooks.com