Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 709 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

——$— te ~ ——— >». Vis aS 21] « y Veena aa PY The Curbstone Detective. 3 was lounging in a crazy rocking-chair with all the air of a householder, Harry was not alone, was a much older personage, a man apparently between thirty and forty years of age. He was not ill-looking in face, though he seemed to have Jed a fast life, and had abou him marks of dissi- pation, There was an effort at smartness in his dress which indicated the same thing. ‘‘T tell you,” said Harry, laughing heartily, *‘it was jist the neatest go you ever see’d, The old ny te was sold as cheap as six herrin’s for a enn ar hood, ” laughed his companion. ‘It was rich, and no mistake. You've got the pocket- book now?” ‘“ Ain't I, though? ‘You bet he won’t get it back for no ten cents, this time! It’s a good deal too fat to sell that cheap, I’m goin’ to wait now till he offers a smashin’ big reward. And he’s ot to pony. it down, too.” Ff don’t know,” said the other, rubbing “Somehow that don’t Seated opposite him his head reflectively. look quite the square ial, Harry. Honesty bas on y, got one fade. my lad, and that’s the up- r side.” ‘‘What d’ye mean, Bill?’ asked Harry. “I don’t quite catch the hang of that.” ‘“‘ It isn’t the thing to wait fora reward. It’s your business to return the book at once.” Harry looked at his companion curiously, while a hg whistle came from his lips. “What did you git fur breakfast this morn- in’?” he asked. ‘‘ Honesty’s the best policy,” rejoined Bill. * Reckon maybe it is; but I didn’t know it was your policy. How’m I ter know where the old rooster is, anyhow—till be puts his name in the apers?” he hastily continued. Fou can find that out from the pocketbook. There are papers in it.” ‘* J didn’t open it ter see. honesty struck in.” “Very good. But it’s ge ar enough to fin 7 ““T ain't good at readin’ writin’,” rejoined Harry. ‘‘Tam. And whatI don’t know about New York ain’t worth knowing. Fetch it out, aud lev’s run over it, If we can find out who the owner is, it’s your business to take it fo him at once, reward or no reward. If he was mean, Harry, that doesn’t give you the right to keep ‘what isn’t yours.” Harry whistled again, with a surprised look at his companion, who appeared the personification of honest poverty. The boy wasabout to speak, but checked bimself, rose, and crossed the floor to a closet at the side of the room. A look of cunning came upon Bill’s face as he watched him, pe Harvey Wilson’s the man,” he muttered to himself. **He hasn’t made any secret of his Joss. And I know he carries ‘ that’ document about him. He’s afraid to trust it out of his ket. If I can only lay my hands on it, won’t i make him squeal!” Evidently Biil’s honesty wasn’t even skin deep. It was much more show than substance. Harry turned from the closet with the prize in his hand, It was a leather wallet of about ten inches in length, bulged out with the pres- sure of its contents, and closed with a couple of stout rubber bands. ‘*Fat and juicy,” he said, laughing as he threw it on the table between them, ‘Tt's jist bu’stin’ full o’ bank-notes, "Nuff there to make us both rich.” ‘‘ They aren’t yours, lad,” rejoined Bill, shak- ing his head. “Don’t covet what don’t belong to you,” ** Covetin’s one thing and pocketin’s another, ” retorted Harry. ‘Ther’ ain’t no law ’g ‘inst wishin’, as I ever heerd tell of, I wish it was mine; and that won’t hurt the owner.” pe Right there, Harry,” laughed Bill, as he picked up the wallet and removed the bands. ** You’re sound on the goose, my boy. Now let’s see who’s the owner. Then, if you take my ad- vice, you'll hike it back to him, instanter.” The wallet came Openin his hands as he spoke. Harry’s eyes opened wide as he saw a great wad of bank-notes, laid flat in one of its compart- ments, and evidently of considerable value. “Whew!” he whistled. ‘*’Most a million there, 1 reckon!” “Them we've nothing to do with!” re ejoined Bill. ‘* Here’s where our work comes in.’ A second compartment of the book was well filled with neatly folded papers. These he took out and began to examine, Harry watching him curiously. He was not quite satisfied in bis mind with Bill’s sudden conversion to honesty, There’s where my our business to ex- out who the owner h. ‘ *" i : > >" i : Mak i * «and potas: Shee er rime po \ a DR tay Bill ran over them rapidly, one aia aa one, a glance sufficing for each, ‘‘ Here’s his name,” he said, at length, ‘‘ Har- vey Wilson; whoever that is, Confoundedly queer he don’t give his address.” He checked himself suddenly, with a chunge of face, as he opened the next paper. It was but a flash, how- ever; his former expression instantly returned. He held this paper in his hand as he opened the two succeeding ones. ‘Ah! here it iss Number—, Wall street. Confound it!” he ejaculated, as the papers slip- ped from his fingers and fell to the floor. He stooped bastily and recovered them. ‘*Getting awkward in my old days,” he mut- tered, as he laid the regained papers on the pile. “ Don’t he give bis house address?” He ran over the few remainder, ‘‘No, ’Tisu’t here, Any- bow, we’ve found where the old chap hangs out his shingle,” He returned the papers to the wallet, and closed it with the rubber bands, ‘It’s your funeral, my boy. But I'd advise you to take that back to him bright and early to-morrow morning. He'll ive you something for your trouble, no doubt.” ‘* A nickel, I reckon,” muttered Harry. ** 'W ait, if you like it better. Maybe he’ll offer a reward.” Bill rose as hespoke, and put on bis hat. és Goin’ 97 “Yes. Guess I'll toddle on.” ‘* Write down them directions, won’t you?” Bill penciled the address on a slip of paper. “* Bright and early to-morrow mornin’s the word,” said Harry. ‘ You’re sound on the goose, dashed if you ain’t! The next feller as Says you're a card-sharp, V’ll shut up his peep- ers.’ Bill smiled with lofty virtue. ‘*When I do anything off the square the moon will come down,” he said, ‘* Da-da, Harry! ‘Toe the mark, my lad, every time. Honesty’s the best policy.” He walked from the room, Harry following him with his eyes, ‘*You’ve got to know a feller a good while ‘fore you know him him at all,” be muttered. ‘Yesterday I wouldn’t bave left a soft-shell clam out where Bill Fisk could find it. tine I'd leave a wagon-load of water melons. pannin’ out prime, he is,” Ashe spoke a woman bustled in from an ad- joining room. Her faded, cheap attire bespoke great poverty. Her face, hardened and wrinkled by toil and privation, resembled that of the boy. She was evidently his mother. “You've had that Bill Fisk here again!” sbe cried sharply. ‘*‘ Haven’t I told you to have nothing todo with that man? He’s not safe company for you.” febbe ye’re too hard on him, mother.” ‘‘Nota bit. He’s a bad lot.” ** Anyhow he talks straight as a die. He wants me to take it back instanter to the owner, and not wait for the reward. He says that’s the way straight folks act.” ** Hesaid that?’ she dropped into a chair. ‘Yes, and he went through it and never laid a finger on the money.” Mrs. Hale sat bolt upright in her chair, **Sure of that?” ** Dead sure; 1 watched him,” “What did he open it for?” ‘To find out who the owner was, Here’s his name, Bill found it on one of the papers. You needn’t look, mother. | He didn’t touch a penny. Bill acted square up ‘**And he told you to take it back, and not wait for the reward?” ‘* He did that,” ‘*There’s a screw loose somewhere,” rejoined Mrs. Hale, solemnly. ‘* A leopard don’t change his spots; that’s Bible truth. Wait; we'll see,” She got up and left the room, as if quite over- come by the news. Harry followed her with a smile of confidence on bis face, “She’s struck funny,” he said to himself, ** But, Pll bet my money on Bill Fisk. He guy me good advice, anyhow. ‘Dunno what he’d done if he’d found the prize, but you’ve got ter guv a feller credit fur what you know.” Harry was as good as his word. At an early business hour of the next day he set out in search of the Wall street office of Harvey Wilson, the valuable find safely laid away in the inner pocket of his coat. He found the office without difficulty. The sign outside read: ‘**HARVEY WILSON, “BANKER AND BROKER,” Inside, a half dozen clerks were busily at ' | work, and piles of money indicated the money- chan ing business of the establishment. Wilson in?’ asked Harry, indepen- dedtay: The clerk addressed looked at him supercili- ousl from head to foot, es; but can’t be seen,” Can't, eh? Not with a spy-glass?” queried Harry, who did not like his tone. “Come, young man, none of your bootblack slack!” ‘* How’m I goin’ to shine him up if I can’t see bim?” “ Sbine him up, is it?” és Yep. “ He'll Nets you up, if you don’t slide,” ‘“*See here, my duck, if he know’d you was playin’ this on me, my eyes, wouldn’t be guv you a jolly eye-opener | i’m bere on biz, I tell you; bustlin’ biz! So make tracks and tell the old man I’m a-waitin’.” By this time the attention of all in the office was drawn to this conversation, and some of them were laughing at Harry’s independence of perneat n older personage ste ped ‘* What is it, te lad? he nied. ** What is your business with Mr. Wilson? He is too busy to see any one except on important business,” ‘‘That’s me!” ejaculated Harry. ‘“ Impor- tant? You bet! I’ve got somethin’ in my pocket he’d uv balf the money round yere to git,” ‘ What? Are you the finder of his lost pocket wallet?” “That ain’t fur from the size of it.” ‘* That is quite another affair, Give it to me and I wil! take it in to him,” “Tt don’t weigh more nor a ton, mister, I reckon I’ve got grit enough to carry anything under aton. If you’re ’fraid I can’t, s’pose you carry me an’ the pocketbook both.” ‘**Come, come, youngster, you are too fresh.” ‘**That’s why you want to salt me, isit? I’m sponsible for that pocketbook. If Mr. Wilson’s too busy to take it lll give him my address and he kin toddle round and git where J bang out.” Harry’s first questioner had now the laugh on his successor. ‘* You’re a prime one,” said the latter, a little sourly. ‘*‘ Wait, Pll see if Mr. Wilson will re- ceive you.” “Tell bim not to put hisself out, ‘I kin wait. Tl jist toddle down to the Park, an’ sbine up a few jobs while he’s gettin’ ready.” The gentleman evidently thought that silence was the best policy with Harry, for he made no response, Laughter from the other clerks followed him as he entered the inner office. Harry took a seat and whistled quietly to himself while waiting. Hecould not see what they found to laugh at. He did not have to wait long. returned after a minute. “Walk in,” he said; you.” ‘* T reckon he will if I walk in,” Harry strode independently into the inner of- fice, none too well pleased by his reception in the outer, He recognized at a glance the gentleman who sat here. It was his late street-car acquaintance, He seemed to recognize Harry as well. ** So it is you that have got it!” he said sourly. ‘You waited till the reward brought you, eh? It took a fifty dollar offer to stir you up to hon- esty. ” itty dollars!” ejaculated Harry. ‘‘ That’s prime. I didn’t know ‘bout it, mister, My hon- esty ain’t that sort. But, I reckon I'll rake it in all'the same. It’s better than ten cents,” ‘* You didn’t know of it? Then how did you find your way here?” ‘* Found your name and place of biz cn some The gentleman ‘* Mr. Wiison will see of the rs—here’s the thing, Mr. Wilson. And I’m ’bout as glad to git rid of it as you are to git it.” Harry took the wallet from his pocket om tossed it on the desk in front of Mr. Wilson, seated himself, while the latter hastily saetohed it up and began a nervous examination of its contents. He took out the roll of notes and hastily counted them. ** You'll find them "bout right,” assured Harry. “J ain’t kept out even my ten cents.” A few minutes sufficed to satisfy the banker, ‘Yes, they are all here,” he said. He lifted his eyes and looked at Harry with a different expressiow from that be bad worn. Friendliness had taken the place of distrust. ‘*Then s’pose you fork over that there fifty. I didn’t know ’bout it, but I reckon you ain’t the sort to flunk on yer word,” ‘* You have fairly earned it, my boy, I acted : J — ~~ oe . >