Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 717 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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Realization of the fact came now and he felt troubled, but the gallant patrolman was not in the least alarmed. **Surrender, wap an’ ali!” he commanded, waving his stick, ‘‘ Oi arrest youin the name ave the Goddess ave Liberty an’ the Constitution, an’ don’t divil a wan ave yez dare to lift his hand. You hear me?” Cheslington tried to look innocent. ** What joke are you springing on us, officer?” he asked, * Joke!” echoed Michael, fiercely. ‘* Joke, is it? Begorra, ef tin years in Sing Sing is a joke, dat’s de kind ave a mad-dog dis jokeis, Open dat door!” He pointed to the office, ‘** Really, Mr. O’Dowley—” ‘Open dat door!” thundered Move-on Mike, ** Really, I shall complain of your conduct—” With heavy steps Michael crossed the floor, making straight for the door, but Cheslington oon yp the way and put up his hands scientifi- Caily. ‘*Go for him, boys!” the crook cried to bis allies, Move-on Mike uttered a roar and struck two blows, The first beat down Everard’s guard, and almost broke his arm; the second dropped the fellow, half-stunned, to the floor, By that time, however, the other men had recovered their wits, and they set upon the officer to- gether, Jack felt that he was wanted in two places at the same time, but could not be oblivious to the fact that ‘‘ Peter Woods” might even then be breathing his last in the smoke-filled room. The crooks had strongly secure the coor, but in such a way that any one could open it from that side. Jack began to scatter the impedi- ments, working with zeal. All the while he could hear Move-on Mike fighting his battle, but dared not stop. At last the way was clear. He flung the door open. A. cloud of smoke rushed out, He was almost blinded, but promptly dashed into the death-trap. He stumbled over some- thing and almost fell. It was the prostrate form of a man, and he seized and dragged it from the room, It was Flippy Jim. He turned back, but had only reached the threshold when anotber man appeared, crawling like a snake, *“* Peter!” shouted the Hunter Gamin, joy- fully, and he seized upon his friend and aided ‘him to where the air was pure. Then he reclosed the door and turned to see how Move-on Mike was progressing. Michael was all right. Two of his late oppo- ments were prostrate and insensible, and the wther two were subdued. They were on their feet, but, plainly, much the worse for baving got in the way of his potent stick, The gallant offi- cer was breathing heavily. ‘** Begorra!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ dis is wan ave the most interesting experiences Oi’ve had in six months, If vou’s have anny more ave the kind around here Oi’d thank you to trot thim out so Oi kin limber up me joints a bit more!” **T’ve got Peter out,” observed Jack, : **Oi had me eyeson yezalldhe toime. Will ye— Hullo! here’s de roundsman!” Another officer had walked in, When passing the building, the open, broken door had arrested y attention, and he had come to learn the cause of it. “ Here we are!” aicily remarked Officer O’Dow- ley. ‘‘ Four ave de biggest crooks in New York, an’ all bagged an’ ready tor Sing Sing market, You kin take your pick, sor, but Oi ask for me due credit.” Randolph appeared, staggering, but lodking like anything but a dead man. “I desire those men) arrested for attempted murder!” he declared. ‘*Sure, an’ they shall ,be arristed; yes, an’ ivery wan shall be convicted an’ sint up dhe _ river. Moind dat, now, an’ begin ter repint al- ready, ye skunks!” The roundsman was some time in getting the facts of the case, but, when he did, he aided Mike in rendering Cheslington and his companious Then a complete examination was There was no more found in the office than Randolph had seen before, but, just when the hopes of the adult investigators went down, Mosquito Jack came to the rescue, ‘*] kin explainthe whole game!” he declared. ‘* What was it?’ ‘*Tbey’re wire-tappers. Got a telegram ma- sheen up-stairs by w’ich they cut off the mes- Sages as they go erlong, an’ so make mouey on races, an’ other things,” Randolph found the assertion intensely inter- esting, and he bade Jack lead the way to the in- strument, This the boy did, and a general ex- amination was soon made. Itwas found that Jack was right, and the business of the conspira- tors was made plain, Fenton now had clew to the whole of bis father’s business troubles. Before, he had learned who made the teoubles; now, be saw bow it was done. No wonder the wire-tappers had been able to forestall the colonel’s projected moves when they secured the points before he did. He had been using a semi-private wire, as Randolph well knew, and it was clear that the wire they saw was the same one, At last, the way was clear for the young man to prove his innocence of all charges of treach- ery. Relief bad come to him and Flippy Jim just in time, They were still suffering from the effects of the smoke, but, probably, not injured per- manently. Move-on Mike pinched Jack’s arm and whis- yered: a? Begorra! me drag-net has got thim, an’ though you deserve most ave the credit, Oi think you’ll see me a sergeant soon!” CHAPTER XVII. MEETING THE ‘** DOUBLE,” ** WITH my innucence established in one way, I intend to prove it ir another, to-night!” It was the day after the scenes last described, and Randolph Fenton sat in bis owh room as be made the remark to Mosquito Jack. Cbesling- ton and his allies were in captivity, but, at Ran- dolph’s earnest request, the police had agreed not to make the arrest public until another day had passed. Randolph, too, had given Jack a history of the troubles which had made him an outcast from home, only withholding his real name, **T reckon you’re thinkin’ o’ Bertram Dalton,” the. Hustler Gamin replied. ‘*T am,” ** You intend to nab him?” **T shall be at the place where he promised to meet Lena, to-night. If becomes, Pil know who this double of mine is,” ‘Good! But you ought ter hev a perleece- Pb ‘“*T shall have one. Officer O’Dowley has asked for a mght off, anu will accompany me. Your look is one of eagerness, Do you want to go with us?” ‘* Bet your patent-leathers!” ‘** You shall go,” ‘Thank you! With yer innocence all proved, I s’pose you'll go back home,” No!” replied Randolph, with emphasis, ‘My father wrongfully accused me end drove me away from home, The step waé& final, and no reconciliation can be had. [ am going to fight my own way in life, and, after showing my father how be wrorged me, bid him farewell forever!” Mosquito Jack shook his head in grave disap- proval of this decision, but did not try to com- batit. Still, he hoped and believed a reconcili- ation would yet fellow. They waited patiently for the time to come when they could act their part, but were care- ful not to let Lena suspect their intentions. spite the advice of the landlady, the young wife persisted in her determination to meet her recre- ant husband, and Randolph was glad it was so. At the proper hour, Randolph, Jack and O’Dowley madé their way to the Park, and, after a little conversation with one of the gray- coated guards, took a position where they could watch, but were themselves concealed by bushes, Fenton had been quite rightin his assertion that the place was dark; nothing more favorable could be found, | They had expected to see one of to persons who were to meet—if{ indeed, Dalton came— arrive before the other, and it was a surprise when, as evidence that they had met outside the Park entrance, Lena and a young man finally passed the gate, walking side by side, and mov- ing toward those in ambush, ack touched Randolph’s arm, ‘*There’s yer ‘double!’” he whispered. De-. There was no answer; the young man was speechless, He saw the ‘‘ double,” but found him no stran- ger. Lena’s companion was as familiar to ** Peter” as his own right hand, and hecould not have spoken a word, He recognized his own brother, Wayland Fenton ! ‘Looks a heap loike yez!” Moye-on Mike commented. Still Randolph was speechless; be was dum- founded, The young couple left the main walk and turned into the smaller, darker path, When near the ambushed men, Wayland paused, ‘* Let us not defer action, Lena,” he began, abruptly. ‘‘I want this matter settled. Are you still so mad as to wish me to acknowledge you as my wife?” ‘‘ Bertram,” was the quick reply, “I am your wife, and you are all I have in the world, I don’t want to live un'ess we can be together.” ‘* My. treatment of ycu bas been cruel, mean, infamous,” ‘* There was a time in the past when it was all IT could wish, I look forward to the future with bope.” “ Suppose I am a criminal?” ‘* You would still be my busband !” ‘* Lena,” Wayland cried, ‘‘ I don’t deserve such a woman as you, and, for your own sake, | am sorry you ever knew me, If you loathed me, hated me, knew me as I do myself; if you knew how infamous I am—” ‘** But, Bertram—” ‘* Listen, and you shall know all, 1 am not Bertram Dalton; my name is Wayland Fentcn, IT am of a family rich and—well, all but me are honorable, I met you; loved and married you. But the most ignoble kind of pride stood in my way. You were poor; the curse of riches was upon me, and I would not present you to the world as my wife, I bad married you un- der a false name, and when I saw fit to desert you, you had no clew to my identity. One thing let me say right here: I did not desert you be- cause I was tired of you, but, lacking moral courage to do what was right, I saw no way out of the wretched muddle. Lena, how can you listen patiently while such a wretch tells his story?” ‘* Because T realize how hard it was for you.” ‘And you? Was the heavier burden on my shoulders or yours? But let that pass for now, You must know me as | am! ‘‘T am the younger son of Colonel Andrew Fenton, an honorable, noble man. I[ have a sister who is good; a brother whose heart knows no guile. J bave been tbe black sheep of the flock. While posing at home asa model young man I have been wild and reckless, my position as traveling agent for my father enabled me to hide this fact, as I also hid the fact of our mar- riage, ; ‘A year ago my worst, most infamous folly began, I had made the acquaintance of one Everard Cheslington,@ man about town, He was, and is, a wretch, but I was long ignorant jnst how evil he was. In a moment of weak- ness [ told him of my father’s business, and the cuards thrown around it. I was too ambitious at that time. My fyther was getting rich; I was getting only a méderate salary. ‘‘Cheslington made a proposal tome. It was that we putin a, telegraph instrument, tap the private wire, and go into speculation on our oven book, on the strength of the private advices mv father received, ‘* Fool that I was, I consented. The deed was cone; the work begun, But how did it work? I had not thought ' sbould injure father’s busi- ress, but only make money side by side with him. Instead, I learned tbat every dollar we made was at father’s expense, I implored Ches- | lington to give up the work. He laughed; said he had a good thing and should keep it; and added that I dared not go to Colonel Fenton and tell him the trutb. a “He was right. Coward that I was, I dared not confess the truth; the work went on, But, I did not sbare init. I withdrew, and Chesling-— ton had it all to himself. | es ‘“‘ The crisis came when my father, after vainly looking for explanation of his losses, erroneously decided that Randolph, my brother, must be guilty—Randolph, the noblest, most honorable of men. He was banished from the house, and I remained—I, the vilest of all wretches! ‘“T tried to find Cheslington, but failed, Once, I went to Mrs. Brown’s boarding-house, knowin he used to visit a friend there—I was admitte by a lodger, who was too indifferent to care whom he was lettingin, ItwasthenI met you, as you wiil remember, Pei G a f met hae * , . s * be <- ond . me ' ‘ —— « ’ id g *” ‘ y Ls 4 d cf | ae yd See we € i ’ . , . bt ae ie ng Ls <4 AQ) endl eS 2 ep - com Bt tad s# 7 « : “ —— 7 woe ee ICcbOOoKS.cCOm |