Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 685 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Happ “‘ Nips, do you know where his tutor lives?” “The boy what gives Joly lessons on the flute?” sé Yes,” ‘‘Just around the corner, No. 963, third floor.” ‘* Thanks,” smiled Denman, proceeding to lightacigar. ‘‘ Nips, you’re a lucky dog.” ‘‘T think as much myself. I just missed that buman cyclone,” ‘‘ Well, he’ll never come again,” said Den- man. ‘* Not if he’s dead as reported.” ** Oh, he’s dead enough,” was the reply, ‘He must have mistaken you for some one else, sir,” ventured Nips, ‘*T can’t think otherwise; but these crazy peo- ple take strange notions.” ‘‘Then, he was really crazy?” “ What else?’ cried Depman. ‘ Do you think asave man would act in that mauner?” *‘ [ts not likely that one would, And to think that he shou!d fix upon the *‘ Eureka” for his scoop! Why, he passed a dozen houseson bis way here. It’s unaccountable, Mr, Denman.” The proprietor of the ** Kureka ” smiled and said nothing, Unaccountable? No, to him it was tbe most natural thing in the world. He knew why Dan Sovey had selected the ‘‘Bureka” as the scene of his awful attempt to take life; but be did not think it necessary to enlighten Nips. He waited awhile longer for Joly’s return to the Bureau, but as that individual did not come, he went to the door, to be spied by Happy Hugh as we have seen, Inashort time he moved away, and found numerous people looking at him and wondering perbaps at his speedy recovery. He went down the street to the first corner, from which. he looked closely at the buildings, and Hugh, who was not far behind, saw him halt in front of bis own lodgings. ‘¢ Wants to see me, eh?” murmured the young detective. ‘*I don’t know whetber I want an introduction just yet, or not. We're liable to meet some time, but the present don’t seem the propér moment for the encounter.” By this time Denman had entered the lofty tenement, and Hugh heard him talking to a woman in the main hall, “¢ Mother Salmon don’t know where I am, con- sequently Mr. Deuman can’t get much informa- tion,” said Hugh to himself, while be waited for Burt’s og ig ea ‘* Ab! here he comes, with no triumph in his countenance!” The boy ferret followed Denman to his lodg- ings, where, after an hour’s waiting, he left him and went direct to Ahijah Axtell’s hotel, ** A little too late,” said the clerk on duty, rec- ognizing Hugh by a previous encounter, ‘The old gentleman has paid his bill and left.” ie he was thunderstruck, ** W ben did he do this?” ** An hour ago,” ** Did he go home?” ** Really, I can’t say.” ‘* Wasn’t it an unexpected move?” **] think it was. e had been sitting in the office some time when a young man came in and accosted bim, The old gentleman seemed star- tled, looked dazed-like,” ty By the young man’s coming?” Yes.” “What did he say?” “ Axtell, eb?” “Vos, Axtell.” 4 looked at the young fellow for a moment and said: ‘I have no news for you, She is lost still,’ And then he got up and walked away. He was watched by the young man a few mo- ments, and when he found that his unexpected visitor had gone away he paid his bill and de- parted.” Hugh was silent for a moment, ‘‘Didn’t the whole thing strike you as being very strange?” he asked the clerk. | never saw anything exactly like it.” ‘‘ Was the young fellow asbarper?” _ “Not at all. lbave a slight acquaintance With him.” } On!” exclaimed Hugh, surprised. ‘“* His name is Somers—Perry Somers, and he isa young bookkeeper on Barclay street. He came from Jersey some years ago, and before he went off, and while old Mr, Axtell was out of hearing, told me that he knew our guest when | Was Seeing better days,” i Perry Somers said that, did he?’ asked Hugh, eagerly, ‘“* He did.” ** What is his number?” The clerk wrote the young man’s address on ‘ y Hugh, the Boy-Musician Detective, 9 eee ee ee A a blank card and received the boy detective’s thanks for bis information, ‘*T want to see this Perry Somers,” he said, leaving the hotel. ‘*’Hijah Axtell would not have left the hotel if the young man badn't come. In some way Somers is connected with the story of Nelly Axtell and I want all the in- formation to be picked up.” Happy Hugh went straight to Barclay street, and entering the house bearing the number fur- nished by the hotel clerk, inquired for Mr. Perry Somers, He was shown to tbe little bookkeeper’s den attached to the house, and there, standing at a desk with ink on his fingers and a ledger before him, was a good-looking young man of twenty- two, The moment he turned to meet him Hugh liked Perry Somers. He had a fine open face, deep blue eyes and a taking appearance. It happened that Somers was alone when Hugh called, and laying aside his pen he told the boy that he was at his service. ‘*Mr. Somers, aren’t you just a little bit in- terested in the whereabouts of a certain young lady 2?” queried the young detective, The bookkeeper started and stared at Hugh. ‘*f[ am,’ he said, frankly. ‘‘ You knew this before you came here and that is why I find you in my office. Iam interested in the where- abouts of Nelly Axtell who disappeared about five years ago. 1lwas a Jersey boy then, and Nelly and I were close friends. There’s no tell- ing what might have bappened if the villainous plot had not been hatched,” ‘Ob, you think it was a plot, do you?” ‘““There’s no question about it,” answered Somers, promptly, and with decision. ‘* They can’t make me believe that Nelly went away of her own accord. That wasn’t her nature. She was abducted tor a purpose, and the so-called Axtell fortune was the prize played for. But who are you, and whatdo you know? Ihave seen Nelly’s grandfather within the last few hours, and was bluffed. Somehow or other the old gentleman never took kindly to me; but Nelly did, I think.” Somers smiled, and after a pause went on: ‘* Of course I’m interested in ‘ a certain young lady,’ for Nelly is a child no longer. I'm will- ing to spend my last dollar to find her, Show mé a trail and I don’t touch another ledger- page.” ‘Then you can drop your pen, Mr. Somers,” said Hugh, ‘for I think I can do that,” ‘‘ You?” cried the young bookkeeper. ‘‘I thank Heaven that we have met, We’ll win or fail together, my boy.” CHAPTER XI, IN DENMAN’S GRIP. _ THAT night, baving made a confidant of young Somers, who had turned out to be a friend of Nelly Axtell’s, if not her lover, Happy Hugh, in passing the Eureka Employment bureau, saw a light in the window of the private office, He was inclined to believe that Nips held pos- session of the place, and was engaged in posting the books after a busy day; but be soon discoy- ered that, instead of the young clerk, Joly Jen- kins, manager of the concern, was the tenant of the room, The building stood in part along a narrow alley, aud on the alley side was a window, pro- vided with a shutter much the worse for wear. Hugh crept up to this window, and, thanks toa missing slat and a curtain not very well pulled down, saw Mr. Jenkins looking over some papers at the desk, while the door of the iron safe stood wide open. Having reasons for thinking that his pupil was as deep into the conspiracy as Burt Den- man, Hugh, with his eye glued to the shutter, as 1b were, Watched Joly like a hawk. He saw how carefully Joly examined the documents, Stopping now and then to make notes in a memorandum at his elbow: how when be had gone through a certain paper he put it back in the safe, to take out another and sub- ject it to the same inspection, ‘‘He’s not at honest work, that’s certain,” murmured the boy detective, ‘Joly is up to something. He didn’t like it when he was told that ‘Nelly’ wasn’t at Number 555, which wasa falsehood, for sue was there at the time. He evidently thought somebody was lying to him, and he growled when-he came down the steps like a person who intends to get even. Now the chances are that those are not your papers, Mr. Jenkins, If they were you wouldn’t be making notes of their contents. One generally knows one’s property. Ab, you’re a sly dog, Joly. You had a motive for learning to flute, 4 na). oy Ay ' \ Py ; af Share: sys ~ s " " “ , “ \ 7 La 0, e's Ne fells. ‘ and there's a pretty face at the bottom of the scheme.” Hugh continued to watch the man until the lost memoranda had been made, Then Joly glanced at his notes, nodded his head and smiled approvingly. fe was about to close the safe when the door leading into the business office of the concern opened, and the manager looking up fell back with a cry from the person who came in. ** Now for a scene!” thought Hugh, for Burt Denman had stolen upon bis manager, and Joly was showing by his countenance that he had been caught in the act, ‘‘Found at last!” the boy ferret heard Den- man say in answer to Joly’s stare, ‘“* lve been looking for you this hour, but not here, of course,” ‘** Of course not,” stammered Jenkins ,attempt- ingasmile. ‘‘if you had come here direet you'd have saved sole leather.” ‘* That’s a fact, but the loss isn’t appreciable,” was the retort. ‘‘ Business has been good to- day, Nips says.” A big day.” Denman, whistling a lively tune, approached the safe, but did not seem surprised to find it open, He sent a swift, sly look at Joly and then stooped in front of the steel door. Taking a key from his pocket, he opened a small door within the safe and tock from ita packet containing some of the very papers from which Joly had just made some notes, Joly grew pale about the gills as he watched Denman run over the papers with his silken fin- gers. Suddenly the proprietor of the *‘ Eureka” stopped as if he had missed something, then he went back, only to stop again at the same place, Joly was eying him like a lynx, At last Denman quietly placed the packet upon the table at his left hand, and turned on his manager. ‘* You will oblige me by telling me what has become of the missing document,” Hugh heard him say to Joly. ** What paper?’ Mr. Jenkins said with all the calmness he could assume, ‘** Must I tell you what youalready know? Why, the leaf from the register, of course!” Joly sat still with upturned face, ‘** Do you accuse me, sir?” be said at last with an effort. A smile appeered at Denman’s mouth, He seemed to lean toward Joly as he replied, ‘* You knew it was here!” he said. ‘* You knew where to put your hand upon it. The paper is missing, | say. It was not your pro- perty; it was held in partnership and you had no rigbt to remove it without my consent. Tl take it if you please,” Jenkins appeared to sink into the back of the office chair. He could not restore a document which he had been forced to leave with Noah Natchett, the vulture lawyer of New York. This was one of the impossibilities of the hour, and Joly could hardly keep back a smile wben he thought how coolly the old lawyer bad robbed him, Meantiwne Denman was holding out his band for the missing paper while he looked him sterm ly in the eye. ‘* I’m not joking,” said the scheming sport. ‘*Tf you think I’m in fun the sooner you dis- abuse your mind of thatidea the better. You've heen playing a little game of your own for some time and I want it stopped.” ' “ What have I done?” ‘In the first place, you’ve broken a part of our agreement,” continued Denman, ‘* You were not to visit our charge without my know- ledge, and you’ve broken that promise. You bave been taking lessons on the flute for a pur- pose easily understood. Finally, you have watcbed me at night.” “1?” exclaimed Joly, “You!” answered Denman. “I made you manager of a money-making concern. I have taken your books for honest statements and without questioning them, You've had plenty of mouvey. You have lost a good deal on the races, more than your salary; but I don’t.com- plain, Now, I want that missing paper. Don't look at me and say that some one else took it. Don’t throw the theft on Nips, because it is worth nothing to him. He wouldn’t know what it meant if be read it. I can’t just fathom your intention in taking it; but Pm as sure you did as though | stood by and saw you do it.” By this time Joly was writhing and twist- ing in the arm-chair, as though electric needles were pricking him and be unable to get up, VAT ey