Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 720 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ri pet : <a c . a a ae ol) i. Sy een eS ' Se eee ee Ol ee ne ee 4 , 3 - eb. a a) Broadway Billy’s Full Hand", “Tg? we ambled right by, ’tendin’ to our own busi- ness, an’ mebby he wouldn’t think nothin’ of it, Anyhow, if our guess is right, he’s another sink- er on our line.” ‘But bow are we goin’ ter find out if it was Mrs. Lodgelaw we seen?” Why, we'll make it our business ter see the enuine article before long, and then we'll ow. “Allright, Where to now?” "Well, we have sized up this mansion, let’s amble around and call on Miss Wesselley. It will be gettin’ dark by the time we get there.” ‘*V’m with ye.” "Glad ye told me, I was just goin’ to feel fer ye. ‘Say, how old are you, Billy?” ‘“*Crowdin’ twenty. Why?’ “Do you think you'll be a man when you are twenty-one?” ““T’d smile if I wasn’t,” answered Billy, ‘if I meep on growin’, But what are you drivin’ ‘‘l’m hopin’ you will be. Mebby then you’ll stop your blame foolin’ all the time, You don’t know how tired it makes me,” Billy laughed heartily. “That reminds me that I have got to crowd a good deal of fun into a brief period of while,” he remarked, ‘“‘ The time is short, so you will have to prin and bear it a little longer, feather- weight. “That is accordin’ to how you spread it on,” retorted Skinny. “If you go to spreadin’ it on too thick, and then tryin’ to rub it in, the way ou have been doin’, [ll get a soft club and atter your head in with it. So you'd better taper off a little, I tell you.” his sort of talk was kept up until they had reackerl their destination. The Wesselley residence was a neat one, be- speaking wealth and station for the family, and when Billy pulled the bell, he and Skinny put on their best faces, The lads were still in their cowboy attire, but their appearance was rather more neat than rough. A servant answered the summons, and Billy inquired for Miss Wesselley and was allowed to enter the hall, he and his partner together. *“What name shall I say?” asked the girl,a rather pretty miss of about seventeen years, “You needn’t say any name, Miss Rosy- cheek,” answered Billy, favoring the girl witha smile, ‘‘ Just give her this note, if you please,” “And will you wait for an answer?” ** Yon bet!” pleasantly, and with a wink, The girl blushed to her hair, and turned away, evidently wondering what manner of young man this could be, When she returned, it was to show the lads into the parlor, where they made themselves at bome until Miss Wesselley came down. They had not long to wait, for presently a handsome, stately young lady ‘entered the room, She was pale, and her eyes showed a redness that told of weeping. Billy and Skinny arose as she came in, and were pleasantly greeted, and after the first ex- change of words, were told to resume their seats, the lady taking a chair quite near them. “I suppose Mr, Rentaway mentioned in his note the reason for our calling on you,” Billy re- marked, ‘Yes; but very briefly,” was the sad answer. ** You are trying to discover who murdered poor Harry, he tells me.” “That is what we want to do,” Billy assured. “And you want to make some inquiries of me?” “Yes; if you please,” * Well, ask anything you like, I will tell you ppp Mla I can.” — ** What do you think about the arrest that has ** You speak of Mr. Waldmar,” ““'Yes; has any other been made?” “Not that I know of. I wanted to be sure. why s cannot bring myself to believe that he is guilty. **Mr, Pog yy is of the opinion positively that he is not. ou know all about the reason ' been made?” | of his being suspected, of course.” Yes; and it is most unfortunate.” ‘No one will deny that, Now the question is, Miss Wesselley, is there any other man who might have ill will toward Mr. Rentaway for the same reason?” ‘* No, positively, so far as I know.” ‘In a matter like this there’s no getting around oy aap questions,” explained Billy, ‘I want to help clear Waidmar, if lie is innocent, and I '. want to bring the guilty man to face the music. * e Jj 1% 4% a Ti i a i a , « » ne SM - > — Sap: Oat PA cA’ A * ie - Noe r * - , hatte, he saw us, funny if he didn’t; but | | | Has any one been paying unwelcome attentions to you? Any person who might think he could win vour favor with Mr. Rentaway out of the way?” The young lady’s face was burning, but she met the question frankly, knowing its import- ance, ‘* No, no one, so far as I know,” she replied. 2< eee ‘*Mr. Rentaway and Mr. Waldmar are the only | gentlemen with whom I have been on really intimate terms. To Mr. Rentaway I was affianced.” ‘And there has been no one, one whom you would not notice socially, perhaps, who has an- noved you?” ‘* No one, sir.” ‘‘ And there is no one whom you can suspect of having done the crime?” ‘Positively no one. It is a mystery to me, If Waldmar is innocent, and I cannot believe him guilty, [do not know who the assassin can have been.” ** That settles that part of the matter, then,” declared Billy. ‘‘ Now, knowing Harry as well as you did, have you ever heard bim speak of | having any enemy? Or being at the outs with any one?” “Never. He was liked by everybody, and had not an enemy. That is what makes the crime so difficult to understand.” ‘* That’s another point settled,” Billy decided, as he mentally checked it off his list. ‘* Now here is another, and I want you to think well before you answer it. I have kept it till the last because I attach more importance to it.” ‘* Let me hear the question. It shall be fairly dealt with. You may be sure [ am anxious to have the guilty party found out.” ‘* T believe it. Now the question is this: Is there any woman, as far as you know,. who loved Harry, and would be your rival? One who might have become desperate enough to kill him to cheat you of his love?” The young woman had paled at this. It was clearly sometbing she had not thought of before, _ She hesitated some moments before ing. ‘*'No,” she finally answered, firmly, ‘“‘ none, There are some who undoubtedly regarded Harry with much favor, but not one whocan be thought guilty of anything of thissort. I will not mention their names,” ‘*T have to depend on what you choose ‘to tell me,” Billy reminded. ‘** And you ane depend on this, fully. No woman, so far as [am permitted to know, can be suspected of this crime.” “That settles it. Tha€ knocks out the last prop. Either Waldmar is guilty, it seems, or there is a dark horse in the race, [ mean to find out the truth of the matter, if it can be done.” * And I only hope you will be able toclear the mystery up.” ‘Might I be allowed to put in my oar?” Skinny asked, at this point. “Why, cert,” assented his pard. ‘Step out more in the light though, so we can see you while you talk,” Skinny paid no attention to this, but address. re pl y- ed Miss Wesselley. ‘*Have you any idea about the secret that Harrison Waldmar is holding back?—the secret concerning the empty chamber found in his re- volver when he was arrested?” ‘““Bully for you!” exclaimed Billy, giving Skinny a slap on the shoulder. ‘I bave been trying all along to tell you that you are the brains of our combination; but you wouldn’t be- lieve it.” ‘* No, I have not,” the young lady answered. ‘**T have been wondering about that a good deal, and it puzzles me,” ‘* And nobody else seems to know anything about it,” added Skinny, “It is plain that he fired at something, and that not a great while before bis arrest, but I can’t see what it was, if he didn’t kill Rentaway. And, if he did that, what would be easier than for bim to say he had shot at a dog, Or something of that kind?” “Allan Pinkerton Vidocq Skinny!” cried Billy, ‘‘ You reason like a veterap, and I’m proud of you. I’m going to promote you and raise your pay, sure,” In spite of her sadness, and the sadness of the occasion—or the interview, for her, the lady had to smile, “You mustn’t mind him, miss,” Skinny re- marked, apologetically, ‘‘ He is subject to such spells, and can’t help it,” ‘* But | mean it,” Billy persisted. ‘* You can’t imagin how proud I am of this attenuated atom of nothing, Miss Wesselley. I leave it to you if his question don’t show a brainy head.” - | | | | | | —— ‘Tt was certainly a question that ought to be answered,” was the response. ‘** And it must be answered,” Billy declared. ‘“’m going to learn where that missing bullet went to. ‘If it killed Harry Rentaway, so much the worse for Waldmar, that’s all,” ‘*T wish you all success. Indeed, I only hope that you will be able to sift the matter to the bottom. Now, is there anything further you vould like to ask me concerning the case?” ‘‘No, I guess not,” answered Billy. ‘ That seems to wind it up, and with your permission | will amble, taking my shadow with me.” There was no objection, and after some fur- ther remarks, they ‘‘ ambled.” -——_—- --— CHAPTER VIIL. A SPLENDID RUN OF RIPE LUCK. ** WELL, what next to be done?” asked Skinny, when they were once more upon the street of the quiet old town. ** We'll do some private thinking now I guess, my gay an’ festive tidbit,” was the response, ‘‘We have got a big thing on hand, if we only knew it.” ‘*T have an idea that you'll find it heavy be- fore you are done with it,” was Skinny’s com- ment. ‘‘ It wouldn’ts’prise me any if you found it too heavy to carry to the end of the stretch.” ‘*We, my gay an’ festive cherub, we,” Billy corrected, ‘‘ Remember you are in this thing with me. Don’t forget that. 1 know you won’t, if we happen to gobble that big reward, and Dll see that you don’t forget itif we fail. both in it, so please say we,” ‘* All right; anything to please you, wkere to now?” ‘* Back to the house, I guess,” ‘* What for?” ‘* lt’s a good place to get news,” ‘* Well, and what after that? plan?” ‘That brings us back to the beginstment of our observations, little one. We must do some thinking,” ‘* Well, think away, then, and when you have got your grip on the right idea, let me know. i’m no good at plannin’, and never was.” ‘** Modesty is a virtue, Skinny. I wish I had that virtue. I have got ’most alltherest of ‘em, but that one seems to be lacking in my compo- sish, That’s what you’ve told me, anybow.” Skinny was responding to that, somewbat at length, when Billy suddenly interrupted with his usual exclamation. ‘* Sweet pertaters!” he muttered, “ we are in for something more, Skin!” . ‘* W hat’s that?” demanded Skinny, ** Look jest ahead, other side,” “Ginger!” ‘** That’s our Mr, Clever-and-knows he-is Finck, sure,” ‘* Shall we follow him, and see what he’s up to” ‘You bet! It won’t do any barm even if it don’t,.do any good. Say, Skinny, I believe you are going to make a famous detective,” «What makes you say that? No more of your blame foolishness now, or 11] jump on ye.” ‘‘That wouldn't hurt, not a bit; you’re too light. But what I was going to say, you’re tound to be famous because you are such a splendid shadow-er,” Skinny made a motion as though he meant to draw a revolver and shoot Billy on the spot, and if it hadn’t been necessary for them to observe silence just then, he would perhaps have made it interesting, Mr. Finck was some distance ahead of them now, and they set out after him, the shades of night favoring them. They bad made out their man as he passed under a lamp, and believed tbat they had not been noticed by him in turn, The agent was a sprightly young man, well dressed always, and on this occasion seemed to be a little more than usually so, the brief glante Billy bad bad of him; and walked with a quick, nervous step. sap . The lads kept him in sight, and soon were in- terested to find that he was going in the direc- tion of the Lodgelaw residence, Little was said between them now, and they followed their man with all care not to be de tected. Finck held to his course, and presently was opposite the Lodgelaw dwelling. __ There he noticeably slackened his pace, and eré long stopped. Billy and Skinny did likewise. The next moment the young man stooped and struck a match on the ground, as it appeared, and proceeded to light a cigar. He was standing facing the house now, and But What’s your eo \ ah nm ii. ‘Cc : +, : - ™- ase aa Meet 7 a s ae tL” | 4 a ) 4 ES —_ = : = ‘ — . m We are | NA Sg Be edi a . we Vos ? 1. By e\~4j a = i rt , er’ r ‘ 4 , ” a e- one £ ooks.com