Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 720 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

aa 2 ns Rat eae ee oe A - a ns + —— ee ; “ “f er ’ ~~ ren © - ca a es osie aati mens, Dee aes a Broadway Billy’s Full Hand. take me for a wise man out of the East? What | particular, and then the Mexican, witha glance | think of me. Thank heaven I am well enough do I know about it, any more than anybody | at his watch, took leave of them and went out. else? If any clew happened to get in my way, of course l’d pick it up; but, asitis— Well, you know as much about the affair as I do.” “Then you admit that you don’t know any- thing about it.” ‘* That’s about the size of it.” ‘““My opinion is,” remarked the Mexican, “‘that the man who has been arrested is the rigbt one. No sane man would act as he does, if he wasn’t,” ‘*T have a notion that way myself,” confessed the New York lad, ‘* but then a fellow can’t al- ways tell,” “True enough; but it don’t stand to reason that a sane man would keep still in such a fix if he had any way of clearing himself,” “‘That’s what’s the matter. Here’s Skinny, f’rinstance. Do yousuppose he'd stay as thin as he is, if he had any way of pickin’ up meat an’ gettin’ fat? Not by a hatful!” ‘And do you suppose Billy would be the fool he is, if he could help that?” chipped in Skinny. **‘He was born so, an’ he can’t help it any more’n I can help bein’ a little thin.” “A little thin!” exclaimed Billy. “ Meg you’re the thinnest thin anybody ever seen, If you was any thinner, there wouldn’t be any- thing of you at all, A hairpin would be fat alongside of you.” The Mexican laughed heartily over their badinage, and changed the subject. ‘You were out walking, I take it,” he ob- served. ine You take it about right then,” acknowledged illy. *‘T have been out too, but 1 didn’t happen to fall in with you.” ‘“We walked about all over the town; which yi did you go?” he Mexican gave a general idea of the route he had taken, being particular, as Billy saw to mention the street upon which the lads had run across him, ‘* Why, we were through that street,” Billy admitted, ‘It must have been either before or after you was there, I suppose, Quite a pleas- ant old town at evening, isn’t it.” _ He was willing to drop the question as of no importance. lt was his idea to let the Mexican think he had not been seen at all. ‘Yes, it is indeed. By the way, did you meet a lady all in black in any of your wander- ings?” The man was evidently eager to push the mat- ter tothe last, to find out whether he had been recognized or not. He little knew that he was tampering with dynamite in this same Broadway Billy. That every word he uttered in this direction put the lad more keenly upon the scent of something, he knew not what, Billy was thoughtful a moment before reply- ing. He was debating how to auswer. It would not do to appear too » Pea about the matter, he decided. ‘*T have an eye out for the fair sex, always,” he replied, “It’s one of my worst failin’s. I believe I did see such a piece of calico as you mention.” ‘‘ Where was it you saw her?’ “ Why, it was down the south side a ways, and around a corner into the street next this oue. She was comin’ toward us, and stopped to speak to a gentleman just before we came up. ** Did you know the man?” ‘* Don’t think we looked at bim long enough. We went right on about our biz,” ‘*T thought you acted very cool about it,” was the rejoinder to that, ‘‘Jam the man the lady talked witb.” ‘*You! Get out,” ‘*TJa, ba, ha! You are not so wonderfully observing, after all.” ‘‘ Well, if you say it was you, of course we'll take your word for it,” said Billy, “but it's hard to swallow, for we would ’a’ knowed you, I should think, But then we didn’t hardly glanceatthe man.” —s_ ‘* No matter; I was just joking about not sev- ing you. I had my eyes more about me than you had, it seems,” “TI didn’t know but you had some at mystery to spring upon us,” remarked Biliy, _ OF some great story to tell us about a woman in black, ow you have knocked it all in the head,” __ Billy’s manner was so open and sincere, that if the Mexican had had any suspicion of any- thing, it was disarmed. They talked on for a time, upon nothing ia Billy and Skinny repaired to their room, where they bad a lengthy debate over the peculiar turn of affairs. It was their final decision that this Mexican had an ax of some sort to grind, though what it was they could not guess. That he was not just what he seemed, they ®had proof already, in the fact that the woman in black bad called him Miguel. CHAPTER X. PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE REWARDED. NEXT day a vailed woman, not over particu- lar in matters of dress, appeared at the lock-up to see Harrison Waldmar, She had a note of introduction to somebody in authority, and that note gained her admis- sion without much questioning, and without necessity of showing ber face, She was admitted into the presence of the Sosinps and left with him, the dcor being ocked upon them both, after the usual manner; the prisoner louking the amazement he felt at her appearance, The visitor did not speak until the door had been locked, and the man had gone away from 1b. Then she took another note from under the shawl she had around her, and handed it to Waldmar, with the remark that he was to read it. This the young man did, and looked at his vis- itor even more surprised than ever. ‘* What is the meaning Of all this?’ he asked, “Tt means that your friends want to help you,” was the answer, ‘* And you are here to question me?” ‘*To hear whatever you will teil.” ‘*Then you have come in vain.” ‘*'You don’t intend to talk, eh?” **T have nothing to say.” ‘Sweet pertaters! won’t you say enough to clear yourself, if you are innocent of the crime?” That exclamation reveals to us who the ‘*woman” was, It was Broadway Billy, in a disguise we have seen him assume beforein the preceding story. **T can say nothing now, and will say noth- ing,” was the response Billy got to his demand, ‘** It will be useless for you to question me, Ido not want your help at present.” ‘Well, you are going to have it whether you want it or not, that’s flat asa thin griddle-cake,” Billy assured, ‘*But I don’t want you to meddle with the case,” the prisoner urged. ‘‘I want it left alone. ‘*Can’t help what you want; if you are inno- cent, and won’t help yourself, then somebody must help you. Mr, Rentaway thinks you are innocent, and so du I.” ‘‘ There is plenty of time before my trial comes off.” ‘‘ Yes: and plenty of time for the real mur- derer to get away in, too,” The prisoner bit bis lip at this, ‘‘ That is so,” he observed, ‘* That is the only thing that worries me.” Billy was assured of this man’s innocence; in- deed, he had been almost from the first sure that he was not the guilty one, “Have you any suspicion who did kill Harry Rentaway?” Billy asked. ‘* No; not the Jeast,” was the straight answer. ‘It is more and more of a mystery to me, the more I think of it.” ‘ ft seem to have been the only enemy he a . ‘““{ was not his enemy!’ was the exclaimed correction. ‘I was his rival in love, as I have to admit, and we had some hot words; but I would never have done him a wrong like this.” ‘But you threatened him when you had the quarrel with him?” ‘* Perhaps I did; Ido not remember my words; if so, it was without any real meaning, I assure ‘* And still yourefuse to do what you can to- ward hunting down his murderer, but rather let the rascal have the chance to escape.” ‘‘Nothing of the kind, my young friend, I simply refuse to speak at this time to clear my- self, The whole field is open to you, and any one else who is willing to believe my word ana hunt further than me for the rascal.” ‘Yes; but with you a prisoner, under the charge, every eye is upon you, and folks Won’t look beyond, so Jong as you don’t make the ef- fort to clear yourself of the accusation, A good many believe that you must be the one, and you are in a bad place, ‘*T care not for what they are mean enough to known to Mr, Rentaway for him to believe in me, ‘* Well, there is no use trying to get anything out of you, I see,” ‘ . No; there is no use. 1 wiil not talk about it. ‘*Can you suggest anything that will maybe set me on the right track, or give mea clew to work on?” **No; if I could, I would have mentioned it long ago. I am anxious to see the right man captured, for that will clear me, of course,” ** Hasn’t the thought come to you that it may not have been a man, but a woman? These women are tough customers, some of them, and they’re none too good to do a deed of that sort.” The prisoner reflected, ‘*No; Ido not think of any person of either sex upon whom I can look with suspicion. Harry Rentaway was one of the squarest fel- lows in this place, and his record was clear and clean. He was never mixed up in any un- pleasant musses, and had a character as spotless as any one I ever knew or beard of.” **You certainly don’t speak like an enemy, but your action in theaffair is more than I am able to get through my thick head,” ‘*It is not necessary that you should under- stand it, I don’t want you to meddle with any of my affairs, young man, understand that. Do all you can toward finding the murderer, but leave my business alone,” ‘*That’s as plain as Latin, and a good deal more to the point,” observed Billy. ‘* If yousay so, of course I'll have to do it, though I am mighty curious to know whaé your revolver was fired at that time. There’s a bullet to be ac- counted for, Mr. Waldmar, before you will be out of ‘the toils,” ‘‘ Never mind; I will take care of that, You just leave that part of it alone, and don’t meddle with what don’t concern you. Now, is there anything elso that I can give you information on? ‘*T suppose I ought to be satisfied with what I’ve got already,” remarked Billy, sarcastically. ‘Don’t believe I could carry much more,” ‘* Well, I can’t belp not telling you more than Ihave. Goabhead and do all you can toward finding the assassin, and if you succeed in run- ning him down I will add to the reward. But leave my personal affairs alone,” ‘All right! If that’s the way of it, why I won’t kick any longer. Reckon 1 won’t trouble you again.” ‘‘T hope you are not offended, but really I cannot help my silence, my young friend,” ‘*No, ’m not ’fended, bit I am sorry fer you. I reckon you'll have to swing,” This shot was a final one, with the hope that it might draw out something by making the ie ia think that he, too, now believed him guilty. Buvit bad no effect, and Billy called for the attendant and was let out of the place, going away as he had come. After a long and roundabout course, he finally entered his hotel by the rear way, and was pres- ently in the room once more where he and his skinny partner were domiciled. He found his lean lieutenant occupied with a singular bit of work, and at first glance could not guess what he was doing. Before him on the table were a great number of tiny bits of paper, and Skinny was examin- ing them piece by piece. ‘Sweet pertaters!” Billy called out, ‘‘ what are you up to now, you young beggar?” ‘*Git out!” cried Skinny. ‘‘ No shemales al- lowed here, I’in too busy to be interrupted.” ‘But, what are you doin’? Billy insisted, stepping forward to the table and examining the mess, *‘ Trying to patch up a written docky- mint?” “You have hit it,” Skinny admitted, ‘I have got a note here that has been torn all to smithereens, and I have got to mend it if it takes all day. , There’s meat in it or ma sinner,” : ‘‘ Where did you get it, thin one?” ‘¢ Spent ten minutes fishing it out of every cor- ner of the back yard,” ‘‘ But who threw it away? That’s what I’m tryin’ to get at,” ‘Why, that Mexican fellow, Pablo Costo,” “Sweet pertaters! You don’t say 80! Skinny, you are worth your weight in sawdust, every day in the week. Let the good work go on, and as soon as I can get out of this toggery Pll help you.” *¢ What luck did you have?’ ‘‘ None at all. e’s mum as a Clam,” 7. * 4 ? i ; Tg ‘ ; y P —_ - -