Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 720 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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mounts to anything, and we unravel both cases, t will be a feather in our cap.” ‘« Don’t blow about it,” advised Skinny. ‘‘ My _ think about it is, that you will have all the work you want on tbe murder case, let alone any other.” “You mean we,” Billy corrected, ‘* You are into that affair with me, you know,” laughing. That evening the lads had not been long in their room when there came a knock at the door, Opening it, the New York Gamin Detective found there an aged man, with white hair and whiskers, with a cane in his hand and a tremble in his frame. ‘Guess you have come to the wrong door, sir,” Billy politely suggested, as the man,did not speak, ‘“T guess not, young man,” was the slow an- swer, “Are you William Weston the detec- tive? If so, you are the person Iam seeking.” ‘‘That is my pame,” answered Billy; ‘* but I don’t lay very strong claim to the title, sir.” Don’t ye believe him,” chipped in Skinny. “Tf I was to say he wasn’t a detective, he'd choke me.” ** Bo still, shadow!" commanded Billy, with an authoritative wave of the hand. The old gentleman stepped in, closing the door after him, Billy eyed him keenly. He had never seen him before, thathe wasaware of. Whocould he be?” ‘**T see you do not recognize me,” the man ob- served. ** You see straight this time,” anwered Billy, ** for you hit the mark,” ** Still you have met me before, and have even shaken hands with me, What is the matter with your eyes?” ’ Billy looked at him more keenly, at this, step- ing nearer and*giviug bim a close scrutiny. e had not suspected before that the man might be in disguise, ‘* Sweet pertaters!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ but, you are a good one, aad no mistake, I thought I had sharp eyes, but you closed them up tight. No one would be likely to recognize you.” Skinny looked on in amazement, 6 had not got at the man’s identity yet. ‘**] thought I could stand the test,” the man laughed, now ih a more hearty tone of voice, but speaking low. And his trembling left him and he took a seat. “Well Dll be hanged!” ejaculated Skinny, now learning who the man was, since he as- sumed his natural tone of voice. ‘* Who would have thought it?” *“‘Itis I, A. Keene Ferret, at your service,” the visitor siid, laughingly. ‘*Bat, what brings you here?” asked Billy. ** Merely to test your rig-up?” **Not that alone; but to carry out the inter- view we commenced at the office to-day.” An idea flashed through Billy’s mind with the quickness of lightning. It was plain that the detective was not trusting the agent altogether, but was playing a double role with him. * Ha! Pass ” ejaculated the boy, ‘‘ You are not letting Mr, Clever-and-so-forth into all your doings.” “Exactly, and the way you talked when you were at the office led me to think pretty well of ou. **Glad of that! What do you want of me now?” ‘IT want to ask again just what your opinion is in regard to that case. Do you see anything crodkei about it?’ ‘*Not athing,” Billy assured. ‘It looks as clear and above-board as a bald head in the front row. Still, it will bear investigation, and when you begin that sort of thing, always begin with the woman in the cage,” ———_—_—e CHAPTER V PROPOSAL ACCEPTED, THE detective laughed at this odd and blunt manner of expression. _** You are a queer one, my lad,” he reinarked. “I like you, and the more I see of you the more I like you.” “That’s owing to my fascinating ways,” re- turned Billy, with a grin. ‘“‘ Before you know mea month you will be in love withme, That's whatis the matter with Skinny bere,” “Not what makes him so remarkably thin, - you don’t mean,” “Exactly. His regard for me is a consuming ion, and he is wasting away under the burn- ng fires of his uncontrollable ardor. Oh, be has got it bad, and no mistake about that, Hey, kinny?” . -—s&#Broadway Billy's Full Hand **'You would have it worse, if I had a club handy,” answered Skinny. **Then I will look out and not let my regard for you run away with me,” the detective joked. ** But about thiscase,” Billy came to the point. ‘* You seem to think there is crooked work going on regarding the Lodgelaw affair, and you seem to have one eye aimed at Mr. Clever-and-some- more-of-it Finck,” ‘That is precisely it, Mr. Weston, and I want to see if you won’t go into the affair with me and lend me some help. If you will, I will drop out and let you have the field almost all to your- self, and perhaps if there is anything wrong in the air, you will oot at it.” ‘* Tm willing totry it,” Billy declared. ‘ Fact is, I have already begun to look after it a little, I meant to settle it in my mind one way or the other,” ‘“* Well, you are an odd one, You seem to be born to detective work. From what I have heard of you, | am more than willing to take you in upon this case, and if you discover any- thing you will be rewarded.” “All right; and now let’s get at it. What is your suspicion? What do you want me to do?” ** We will consider your first question first, Mr. Finck is a man who has not been in the em- ploy of the Equivalent Company very long. His business bas been light, and he never had a big policy on bis list till thisof Mr. Lodgelaw. These things have combined to make the company sus- picious, You can see bow that is yourself,” ‘** Yes, I see,” ‘Well, the suspicion is, then, that if there is anything wrong this young man may have had abandinit. I bave had myeye upon him for some days, but can discover nothing. He knows I am here, and of course would carry himself mighty straight, Whether there is anything crooked about him or not, remains to be seen, That answers the first question you put, Now for the second, _**My own plan was, to give Mr, Finck the im- pression that I believed the matter to be per- fectly bonest all around, and to take my leave, Then I would come back in disguise and give the affair a new turn, without bis knowledge. But I have discovered ove thing about this young gentleman, and that is, that be has a wonder- fully keen pair of eyes, and he might suspect something or might penetrate my disguise. Witb you, however, it would be different. What do you say?” ‘“*T have said it already,” reminded Billy. ‘‘I have said that I am willing to try it. Go ahead and let me in on the ground floor of your little scheme,” ‘Well, it is simple, and about as I bave out- lined it. I will pretend to go away satisfied, and you can take up the case where I leave it off. I will merely drop down to Albuquerque for a day, and will return in disguise, but will leave you to do the work till | am wanted to help. I will stop bere at this house with you, and so will be near you all the time, jf will ap- ar as an aged Mexican, and will register as on Alva Paso, from Mexico,” *“ Good enough. I'll try my band atit, with the help of my lean lieutenant here, and I guess we can sift Mr, Clever-and-somewhat-additional Finck, and find out whetber there is anything wrong with him or not.” ** And then it is understood that you will do it, and I may depend on you, eh?” ‘You bet! When Broadway William says a thing, that is the thing he means, most gener- ally. You can count on us, every time.” ‘“‘ All right; I will depend on you. Don Alva Paso will appear here in a day or so, and you will let him know what progress you have made, and consult with bim about the affair from time to time.” ** Correct; that’s settled. We'll cast out a hook in Mr, Clever-with-another-addition’s way, and if we get a bite there’ll be some fun, you bet. Sweet pertaters! we must be doing some- thing to keep our blood in motion, you know,” ‘*And you speak for your partner, too, of course?” ‘Yes, I bave to,” Billy quickly declared. ‘** You see Skinny is so frail that be has to be careful of bimself, and in order to save him all the wear and tear possible, J talk for,bim.” “That ain’t so at all,” Skinny quickly pro- tested. ‘' He is stuffin’ you, Mr. Ferret. The reason I don’t have much to say, is because I never get the chance to put ina word when Billy is around. When he gets that mill of bis to running there is no show for anybody else,” ‘* Now, Skinny, how can vou?” said Billy, re- roachfully. “‘ After alj the good things I have n saying about you, how can you? After the way 1 have stuck to you through thick and thin —particularly thin, you ought to be ashamed of yourself to make so light of a serious matter. I haven’t said a single word that won’t stand the truth, and you can’t deny it.” “Te you would give him a chance, perhaps Mr, Ferret would like to say something more.” ‘Sweet pertaters! what am J doin’? Mr. Ferret has got the floor, I’m sure, and can say whatever he likes,” ‘‘If you give bim the chance, you mean, Choke off and give your jaws a rest.” ‘*One would think you two fellows were on the point of fighting,” observed the detective. ** Tf you wert nearer of a size, I would really ex- pect to see you coming to blows, But I under- stand your play. By the way, anything new in that murder case, Mr. Weston?’ ‘‘ Nothing so far,” answered Billy. ‘‘If you strike anvtbing, I suppose you will take a hand in that, Mr. Ferret.” ‘*No, I think not, If anything should come my way, l’ll pass it along to you and let you make use of it. That will be fair for your hel) on my case,” ‘** Good enough, it’s a bargain. Skinny, we'll call this Broadway Billy’s double duty, or some- thin’ meaning the same, I would give it a more snappy name than that, but you might get of- fended,” ‘* Don’t expect me to ask what it would be,” said Skinny, ‘“‘ for I don’t want to hear any of your poor gags,” ‘* All right; but you’ve missed the best one Ab ever heard—rather didn’t hear, in your ife, ‘*T guess I can stand it. I’d rather take my chances of life without it than with it.” **He’s little, but oh, my!” exclaimed Billy, turning to Ferret, with a wave of the band at his thin partner. This was carried on for some minutes, and at length Mr, Ferret took his leave. ‘Well, what do you think, Skin?” Billy asked then, seriously, ‘*] think you have got your hands about full, if you tackle this double case,” was the re- sponse, ‘* Mebby 1 have, Skin, but we are equal to it, I imagine, you and me; and if we don’t yank the bun it will be because it is hung too high,” Next morning at the hour of tbe inquest the lads were on hand at the residence of Barrington Rentaway, where it was to be held. They found the main room of the house well filled, but were admitted, and made themselves as comfortable as possible in a corner where they were out of the way, but where they could see anc hear everything. The inquest opened in the usual form, and pro- ceeded ia the time-honored manner. The first witness was the Jandlord of the hotel where the crime had been done, who was re- quired to tell what he knew about it. This he did, and two others were called for about the same questions, as if it was necessary to prove that Harry Rentaway had really been shot, and that it was not a mistake. That fact established, and that was about all, too, for it was a mystery of the deepest sort; other witnesses were called. One was the man who had let out that be had overheard a quar- re} between Harry and Harrison Waldmar., After be was done, then came the witnesses who had seen Waldmar hastening from the vicinity of the hotel about the time of the crime, and who supported what they had previously made known. There was a dark look on the face of the evidence for the young man. Finally Harrison Waldmar was called to speak for himself. Broadway Billy and bis lean ldeutenant were eager to get asight of him, to form their own opinion of his character, They found him to be a young man, good look- ing, With a pair of honest eyes that won the New York delegates’ favor tu him immediately, “There’s no murderer abont that feller, an’ lll bet a gooseberry on it,” observed Billy to Skinny, aside, “T ‘gree with ye on that,” the thin partner whispered back. ‘‘If he is, Pll never judge a man by his face agein.” The prisoner was pale and worn in appearance, as though he had passed a sleepless night, but bis bearing was cool and firm, though sad, He his place with a firm step. Tbe preliminary inquiries were put and re- sponded to, and then the coroner came to the point with a vital question as to where he, the prisoner, was at the time of the crime. gps t ‘‘T suppose I passed the hotel a few minutes before,” was thereply. ‘*At the exfct time I think I wasat home, I can not be sure toa few minutes one way or the other.” | TA ey o « a - - a + =_— - A ? ¥, . - * Z rc 7 e's >| =F | s.com »