Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 685 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

ey? Happy Hugh, the Boy-Musician Detective. is has a sharper pitted against him. This dude, Denman, is a rogue of the first water and the couple are playing for big money—Nelly Axtell’s Scottish fortune.” “Pll begin now, Mr, Somers,” continued Phelan aloud, laying his hand on the young man’s arm, ‘Do you think you can find him?” The detective smiled. “I’ve never failed yet and it gives me pleas- ure to say so,” ** Don’t you think he’s fallen into a pitfall of some kind?” “To be plain, it has that appearance,” an- swered Phelan. * And he went away last night?’ * Yeu,” ‘“ With the head plotter—Burt Denman.” “That is true, See here, Mr. Somers; you must look for Mr. Ahijah Axtell, I have no doubt that your meeting with the old gentleman caused him to change his quarters. I am confi- dent that he hasn’t left the city. While I look for Hugh, you must make the rounds of the commonplace hotels of New York. You won't find him at the Astor, nor the Fifth Avenue; but he’s gone to some snuggery to keep away from certain people.” ‘‘ irom me, for instance,” smiled Somers, ‘¢ Tl] find bim if he’s to be found.” With this Phelan paid the score at the cash- ier’s desk of the restaurant, and the two went A square from the place they parted, and Phelan looking over his shoulder watched the young bookkeeper until he disappeared. ‘‘T rather like him,” said the detective. “I fancy that he’s just the sort of fellow for lost Nelly Axtell, though somehow-or-other he didn’t please her grandfather. He’s given me a clew, though. I never heard a story told better than he told his. Now for Happy Hugh, the fly in the web.” Phelan’s first move was toward the “* Eureka,” which he found closed for the nignt. The books had been posted early, for there was no light about the premises, and—Phelan knew it not, of course—there would never be another under the present management, The detective was not long finding Denman’s lodgings, for Somers had located them from in- formation obtained from Happy Hugh, As he looked up at the front windows of the second story he wondered what his visit would reveal, but in a moment he was knocklng at the lower door. ‘‘Denuman don’t know me,” thought Phelan, ‘‘T am a man with money to invest in an em- loyment agency doing a good business, though r. Denman won’t want to share his golden egg with any one.” ; n response to his summons he was brought face to face with a young woman who thought Mr. Denman was in his room, and when she offered to call bim into the parlor, Phelan ob- jected, and said he would run up and save her that trouble. ‘ His raps on Denman’s door elicited no re- Sponee then he tried the knob, but it would not rn. ** Locked out, eh?” exclaimed the detective, ‘* We'll see about this,” and he produced several little lock-pickers from his pockets. The first one selected opened the door, and the detective walked into Burt Denman’s room. Of course he did not find that worthy af bome. Every piece of furniture wag in its place, the room was clean, and neat, like Denman’s per- sonal appearance, and Phelan looked disappoint- ed though not discouraged. There was not 7 enough for his investiga- tions, so he drew the curtains together and lit the gas, His next move was toward Denman’s desk the lock of which he adroitly picked, but the victory proved a barren one. “If it is true, as Somers says, that certain Pa rs which prove Nelly’s claims to the Seot- ish estate are missing they must be in Burt Denman’s posession,” murmured the detective, ** This is his private abode and he would natu. ra)] keep them here. Let me find them, and Pll bring the rascal to time.” He began to eearch the room for a secret hid- ing Place, taking care to restore to its proper place everything he moved. He Sounded the wall carefully, felt the carpet with his hands and looked into every corner. At last he took hold of the cot and moved it m the wall, To look behind it he needed @ light, so be struck @ match and leaned forward. The following moment he uttered a startling cry. Against the base-board and at his feet some- thing sbone like polished silver. Phelan’s hand swooped downward like an eagle. It closed on the object he had discovered ~ in a second he was looking at Happy Hugh’s ute! ‘‘ This may hang you, Burt Denman!” he said. CHAPTER XVI. THE ‘‘ EUREKA” LOSES ITS MANAGER, THERE was nothing else in the room for Phe- lan but the flute, and putting it in his pocket, he went over the premises once more and took his departure, It did not strike the detective that Burt Den- man had carried Happy Hugh through the dark hallway which ran to the rear of the building er a down the steps leading into the back ard, ‘ He believed that Hugh had been enticed to the room in which the flute had beeu found; that he bad, after a struggle, been taken away perhaps in a closed cab by the schemer; and thought it not unlikely, now that he knew so much, that the ‘‘ Eureka” might further advance bis pros- pects, Meantime another of our characters was hav- ing a serious time, and, leaving Phelan for a few moments, we will follow bis fortunes. We have seen how the writing on the envelope containing Joly Jenkins’s confession had startled that individual. He knew that, while sleeping off his drunken stupor which be charged to Nips, the clerk, Denman had opened and read the letter. It was all up with him now. Should he not go direct to Mulberry street and lodge with the police information against Den- man? In another hour it might be too late; Den- man might carry out his threat and he (Jolv) might find himself bebird iron bars charged with a crime which would tighten a rope around his neck, But Joly hesitated. He did not know what to do. Now he thought of betraying the plot, and now of flying witbout posting his confession, hoping by this means to escape the vengeance of his employer. Between resolve and fear, he passed the most miserable day in his existence, Nips opened the Bureau and wondered what had become of of Joly. As the day advanced and patrons presented themselves, Nips’s wonder increased; but he finally concluded that the lark bad been too much for the manager and thought he would “turn up all right ” the next day. When night came Jenkins crept from his place of concealment. He went along the street like a guilty man. Before quitting his lodgings he had taken pains to disguise himself and while he could not change his peculiar walk, he had succeeded in render- ing himself in appearance very unlike the mana- ger of the Eureka, Every now and then Joly looked behind bim, He was fearful of having Denman at his heels— not Denman his old friend and companion, but Denman the tiger and his deadly foe, Joly went by a circuitous route to Noah Nat- chett’s office. ‘‘ The old rascal shall surrender the document unless Denman has secured it, for my confession informed him where it was,” said Jenkins to him- self. ‘*T can buy peace witb it, and I’m not ready to be locked up for that awful mistake of mine,” He went up Natcheté’s stairs and listened at the old law-shark’s door. A light was burning beyond the portal, and the key-hole enabled Joly to see the spectacled face of the lawyer bending over the table, All at once a desperate thought took posses- sion of Joly’s brain. Goaded by it he turned the knob softly and the door opened—opened without noise, Joly’s eyes shone like a basilisk’s while he stood on the threshold and glared at the man whom he had not disturbed, ‘ Alone! I’ve got every thing my own way!” thought Joly, still eying Natchett. ‘‘ He thinks I’m squares and i away, but bere [ am— in his den—and all I have to do is to play tiger for half a minute.” _ One of Joly’s feet slipped forward on the mat- ting, then the other crept in front of it, and in this manner, tiger-like, he advanced upon the unconscious man. Noah Natchett was immersed in a paper be- fore him, When Joly looked at it he nearly let slip a cry. [he old man was looking at the identical doc- ument he bad come for! Yellow and time-stained it lay on the table in front of him—the leaf which recorded the marriage of Mortimer Axtell against big father’s wishes, : Joly knew where the otber proofs were. They were locked up in the safe in the private office of the ‘‘ Eureka,” He had stolen the paper on the lawyer’s table for the purpose of asking Natch- ett about its genuineness, little dreaming that the old lawyer, as parish clerk, had recorded the very events thereon! In a short time Joly Jenkins was hovering like a hawk over Noah Natchett and the precious paper. He did not breathe. Slowly bis band crept forward, crossing the table like a shadow, and all at once if pounced upon the leaf and snatched it from under the old lawyer’s eyes! A startling cry rang from Noah’s throat as he fell back and saw the thief. **You?” he cried, evidently recognizing Jol in spite of bis disguise, ‘* You can’t carry o that paper! It’s worth its weight in diamonds, and, besides, it’s needed to right a great wrong—” ‘* Of course it is!” broke in Joly. need it as badly as you do.” ‘** But you can’t have it, I say!” ** Can't, eh? Haven't 1 got possession and you know that’s nine points in law, ba, ba!” Old Noah said nothing, but left his chair and took a step toward Joly. -** Stand back!” cried Jenkins. ‘‘ While you bave that paper? I willnot. I know where heis. I saw him to-day.” ‘* You saw whom?” asked Joly, bis curiosity thorougbly aroused. ‘** Mortimer Axtell!” “ Pshaw! you saw nothing of the kind, old man!” Jaughed the thief, ‘*T did. He has been called dead these many years,” said Natchett. ‘*‘ His name stands on the record you hold in your hand. 1 say that Mortimer Axtell—the real one—is living and even now is nearer than yquthink. knew him the moment I saw him, thcugh I badn’t set eyes on him since the day 1 saw bim married in Scotland. Ge told me everything. The big estate was to descend to a daughter, There was one, but she died; then there was a son and he married to become the father of a little girl who is the heir now.” ‘** But, where is she?” grinned Joly. ** Ab, why do you ask me that question?” re- torted old Noah. ‘*‘ You had a hand in the plot!” **Tn what plot?” ‘‘The one that was carried out five years ago.” a You lie!” grated Joly. The lawyer took another step toward the man near the door. ** That’s close enough!” cried Jenkins, thrust- ing the stolen paper into his bosom, ‘* No, tis not!” And then there was a leaping forward, and despite his years Noah Natchett fell upon Joly, and beating down the hands which he thrust out in self-defense, forced bim against the door where both men struggled as if for life. ‘*He’s a lion in strength,” thought Joly. “If he conquers me [’m gone, and the game is up. I must not let the old shark come off best.” Joly was afraid that some one in another part of the building might hear the noise of the struggle and come to the lawyer’s rescue, This thought made him put forward his best licks, and the scuffle was at its height when the door was forced open and both men, falling out into tne corridor, pitched toward the stairs and bat- tled on their brink, The horror of falling down the dark steps seemed to -freeze the very marrow in Joly’s bones. He made a desperate attempt to break loose from Noah’s grip, and succeeded at last only to a himself falling headlong toward the side- walk, Somewhore on the way down or at the bot- tom, Joly was never able to tell where, con- sciousness deserted bim and when he came back to life he was rattling over the streets in a patrol wagon. ; He lay still for a few moments tryig to re- call the events of the night, but with indifferent success. ‘Where am I, anyhow?” said be. ‘‘I feel as if my bones were broken or tumbled into a heap, I must have fallen somewhere. Ah, yes! I went to Noah Natchett’s, but what happened there?” The next moment he managed to raise a band which he thrust into his bosom. “‘The old shark kept the prize for all!” he wenton, “I hadachance to go away, but i **T guess I comicboo ; "> oe 7 a 8 Be : ph , =e > b + i 4a aa < J _ i A J : < .