Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 709 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

~ 3 P . * =~! bem ot ‘A ~ RS, Se a oe + é iy * - pa _ ’ > . eh . ¢ . P. eal hts ee in eh hd —_ i ae Sh ae SP ee . >” ™ - ~ ’, * Sn 4 ~ ’ “ -_— — Fran, entered Wilson’s office. The latter was ousy examining bis mail. ‘*The thing is too deep for me,” remarked thv officer. ‘Fisk has gone out of sight. He evi- dently means business. Nothing remains but to put a keen detective on his track,” ' *©You said you could recommend one,” an- swered Mr. Wilson, as he continued to open bis letters. **] think I know the man you want. Heisa : Pinkerton officer, who has not been long in the service, but is said to be sharp as a razor,” ‘Send him here, I will make it all right with you for your trouble. This man must be found. Ha! What's this?’ The letter at which he bad just glanced dropped from his fin- gers, while his face grew suddenly pale. ‘* What is the matter. Mr, Wilson?” ‘*He is at work already!” cried the banker, snatching up the letter and running his eyes over itagain. ‘‘Itisas I feared, The affair is going to be an awkward one,” ‘* What is it, sir?” ‘* Blackmyil! He knows the value of his find, and is trying the squeeze game already. Here is a demand for a thousand dollars secrecy money.” " You will not give it?” **T dare not refuse!” rejoined the banker help- lessly. ‘‘ You little know what the loss of that paper means to me. I would givea small for- tune for its recovery.” CHAPTER IV. THE STRANGER FROM LEADVILLE, THE next morning Wallace, the policeman, in- troduced his friend, the Pinkerton detective, to Mr. Wilson, ‘*This is the map I told you of,” hesaid. ‘‘ Mr, Francisco Finelli. He is an Italian, you see, but sharp asa Yankee. I fancy he will do your work for you.” Mr, Wilson looked up inquiringly at the man who stood before him. He was slim and of mid- die height, but wiry looking. His complexion was very dark, his hair jet-black, while black whiskers and mustaches adorned his face. He wore a thick rimmed puir of spectacles, and in no respect was the sortof looking man the banker expected to see, ** Glad to see you, Mr, Finelli,” said the banker witha nod. ‘ Has Mr, Wallace told you what I want?’ ‘We have talked it over a leetle,” answered the detective, with a very slight foreign accent, and in a somewhat hoarse voice, ** And can you take hold of the case?” ‘*T must know all about it first.” At this hint Mr, Wilson invited his visitors to ‘be seated and entered into an explanation of the circumstances; taking care, however, not to re- veal the nature of the missing paper, ‘* Let me see that blackmail letter,” The detective examined the letter closely. ‘‘ Handwriting deesguised,” he remarked. “Are yuu going to send this money, Mr. Weel- n ‘*T must. He threatens to make public that paper. I would not haveit published for five times the sum,” ‘*Very goot, sir, Isee, It must be kept se- cret, You are to send a messenger to meet bim in Central Park, and he is to make a certain sign so that the messenger will know him.” ‘*Can I not have an officer in hiding, to follow and arrest bim?” The detective shook his bead, “No, Tbis man iscute. He will not carry that paper. If he isarrested his friend will make the re public.” ‘*What do you advise?” asked Mr, Wilson, rubbing bis head reflectively. As he spoke tbe door of the office opened, and 7 mary Hala, the bootblack, entered, box in hand. be ant a shine, any o’ you gen’lemen?” sé Oo. “On that biz, be ye? Well, I’m on that biz, too! Like to hear what ver got to say.” He turned his box on end, and seated himself without waiting for an invitation, ‘*Young man, it seems to me you are not wanting in impudence,” from Mr, Wilson, se- verely. . “eg Couldn't never git alongif I was. Imper- dence and polish—them’s my line o’ bizness; now go on with your thief-catchin’,” and Harry settled on his box deliberately. **- You keep your polish in your box, I fancy. ‘You are one of my detectives, though, so I sup- oe ou can stay, Here’s your brother officer, Mr, Finelli,” Harry looked at the Italian curiously. He seemed rather taken aback at the appearance of the detective, _ ~~ The Curbstone Detective. ‘* Well, I’m dished,” he ejaculated. detective, Looks sharp, though, paw, Fin.” ‘*'You’ll get it on your ear, youngster, if you get it at all,” rejoined the officer, angrily. ‘*Gittin’ on your ear, be ye?” retorted the boy ‘“ High setup, I reckon, All right, if yer don’t keer to sbake, I don’t,” Harry settled comfortably back on bis box again. Mr, Finelli turned away with an expressive shrug of his shoulders. ‘*Have you a messenger you can trust to hold his tongue?” he asked Mr. Wilson, ‘**T am afraid not,” ‘Very well. I propose this: } will be your messenger,” ‘ Ah! that is well-advised But you may be known to the New York rogues,” “No, Iam from Chicago, I only been here a short time. They know menot, I will give this man the money, see his face, and take him if I can.” ** Good! Very good!” ‘*It may not be easy, Mr. Weelson. Some men are hard to follow, without making them suspeecious, If it were safe to arrest bim on tlie spot— ‘*That would never do,” rejoined Mr Wilson, hastily, ‘* Your planisa gvood one, Let it be followed, I will provide you with the money,” ‘** Very goot, sir. I now know where I stand. This is the firs6 step. What follows must de- pend on this,” ‘Tt isn’t a bad idea,” broke in Wallace, ‘* To send a detective as messenger!—the fellow will never dream of it,” ‘*Ther’s on’y one thing better,” remarked vat” ‘*Whatis that?” ‘‘Send me as messenger! like a breeze.” ‘And Bill Fisk knows you, wouldn’t work,” ‘* Maybe not. I don’t want ter handle none o’ the old man’s money, anyhow. He’d snatch me next for stealin’ some o’ that.” ‘Why, you impudent young hound!” ex- claimed Mr Wilson, angrily. ‘‘I’m the old man,amI? That’s polite, at all events, Get out of this instantly, or [ll break some of your bones.” ‘* Didn’t mean it, Mr. Wilson, It came: out. That’s what they call you behind yer back, any- how, I never goes behind no man’s back.” ‘* They call me?—W ho?” **Tain’t tellin’s, Mr, Wilson, If I’d let that cat outer the bag, next thing I’d let out, some o’ your cats. I don’t tell pobody’s secrets ’cept my own, ‘*That’s a good rule, boy,” remarked Mr, Finelli, approvingly. ‘*'You bet it is!—We’re goin ter be pards in this job, Fin Let’s git out and chinitover, I _kin let you inter some pints.” ~~ ** All right,” rejoined the detective, with a laugh. ‘‘ When will you be ready for me, Mr, Weelson?” ‘Tn an hour,” “Very good. Jn one hour [I be back.” The two officers and the boy left the cflice, and proceeded through the outer banking room to the street, As they left the front door of the establish- ment a man turned from the street toward it at sight of whom Mr, Finelli gave a perceptible start, Harry, who had familiarly taken his arm, felt the quiver run through him aud looked up quickly into his face, There was a cori. expression on it, which he could not understand, and a suppressed exclama- tion came from his lips, All this passed in an instant. The detective was quickly himself again, He had evidently had a decided surprise, Harry turned his eyes keenly on the man who had caused this sensation. He was a tall, somewhat stout personage, dressed rather shabbily, and with something of a western cut in his garb. The face was weatherbeaten, and showed evident signs of dissipation. There was something in the cut of his features not unlike those of Mr. Wilson, though the expression was entirely different. He passed them without notice, and entered the banking-house, Harry, with his usual im- pulsiveness, was about to speak to the detective reer, thr his surprise, but checked himself, and look again into the face of his ME Se ey The lips were set, and there was a peculiar glit- ter in the eyes, ‘* See’d him afore, eh?” said the boy to himself, *There’s somethin’ shady twixt the two’ ye, But, I reckon ’tain’t none o’ my biz,” ‘A Dago Haaod us your I know Bill Fisk That game we _ "+ -+_—. OOO Oe = The officers walked away, conversing as the did so, while Harry contented himself wit listening. He wasrather proud of his connection with a genuine detective. Meanwhile the man whose appearance bad star: tled the detective entered the banking-house, and requested to see Mr. Wilson. After some par- leying, 1t appearing that he had business of im- portance, he was admitted into the private office, Mr Wilson was seated at his table, busily - engaged on some papers that lay spread before him, and did not look up at bis visitor The latter shut the door carefully behind bim, and stood with his back against it, gazing down with a meaning glance upon the banker As they remained thus the likeness between them, which Harry bad noticed, became very evident. It was intensified by an avaricious loo« that marked both faces, A minute or two passed, Mr, Wilson seemed to have forgotten that be had a visitor. The stranger evidently soon grew tired of this. | ‘* Harvey,” he said, with a peculiar intona- tion, Mr, Wilson looked up with astonishiyg quick- ness on hearing this voice. He not only looked up, but sprung hastily to bis feet, with such a ieee as to send his chair tumbling to the oor, ‘‘George!” broke in husky accent from his lips, while his face grew ashy pale, ‘““You haven’t forgotten me, at any rate, You still have eyes for a brother’ ‘* You here!” gasped the banker He had to put both bands on the table to keep himself erect, ‘*You!— By Heaven, man—” ‘There, there, Harvey! Keep your temper. That’s your old way, bursting out like beer out of a. bottle, Keep cool now. It will pay bet- ter. ‘*Keep cool!” exclaimed the banker, in a growing passion. His face, from being pale, bad now turned red. ‘* You profligate rascal, if you bad your deserts you wouldn’t be walking about here at liberty. So you have come here to dog me, have you?” ‘This isn’t kind, Harvey,” said the other, a little abashed. ‘‘ It isn’t brotherly.” ‘Brotherly! I disown you as a brother. What brings you here? So you bave chosen to break our compact.” His voice was very harsh. ‘* You broke it first, Harvey. You refused to send thatlast remittance. I can’t live on stones, 1 must have cash.” ““l baye sent you your allowance. If you choose to gamble it away, or spend it fcr drink, that is your affair, I will not add a penny to it.’ ‘*You’re too hard, Harvey. I don’t have enough to live on, Tell you what, old chap, band me over that note. ITll burn it before your eyes, and will pever ask you for another cent, Mr. Wilson looked at him keenly “Is that what brings you here? You have treveled from Leadville to New York to make that proposition Ys ‘* That’s about the size of it.” ‘* Well, you cun take the next train back. [ have got you by the throat, you rascal, aud in- tend to keep you there. I am not quite fool enough to put the power into vour hands, Per- haps you are not aware that 1 can send you for en years to the Penitentiary by a turn of the nd, _A fierce oath came from the lips of the visitor, ‘Pll bave that, or somebody’ll get hurt,” he hissed. ‘*You’re playing it on me too rough, Harvey Wilson.” . “You would like to bave the half of my estate, wouldn’t you? To throw it to the dogs, or waste it in dissipation? Well, you will not getit. What is more, you will not receivea enny from me while you remain in New York. you can only have your allowance in case you remain in the West.’ The visitor looked at his resolute brother with a strange expression. For the moment it seemed as 1f he were about to leap upon bim wit’ the fury of a tiger. : Mr. Wilson retreated a step and laid his band on a bell-pull behind bim, __ “That won’t work, George. Weare not in the wilds of the West, now. They don’t do things that way in New York.” : George Wilson threw himself in a chair, breathing heavily as he did so. He seemed to be repressing some strong passion. “Tell you what, Harvey,” besaid. ‘‘ You are playing it rough ona fellow. Lam net going to burt you. I could kill you if I chose beforg + , “a ‘ ate ‘ \~« ‘ ae ie _ +S .* pe _ + a * ny c ' ee teal nat ad 4b wtp an i ’ | ha, 7