Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 732 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

< em oe Daisy Dell, the Pavement Detective. 3 ad been the subject of a decoy, yet he could ot connect the woman he called Susan with the conspiracy. Meantime Major Manilla had fallen back out of bis reach and was ripping open the traveling sack with his knife. ‘* Who are you?” cried Caleb Pine. ‘“‘Didn’t I introduce myself as Lester?” was the retort. ‘‘'Yes, but you lied. You are not Lester,” ‘* Call me what you will,” smiled the major, as, thrusting a hand into the slit he had cut in the bag he pulled out a handful of papers. At sight of them Caleb Pine uttered a cry of agony. ‘‘T guess ve struck it rich,” the major ex- claimed. There was no answer, Again the hand dived into the bag and brought up another prize. ‘Is this all. you have?” he asked, looking up into his victim’s blanched face. ‘* You’ve got the apple of my eye,” was the re- sponse, ‘If you bave any mercy in your heart, restore those papers and let me go,” ‘*T’m no fool.” ‘*No, but you’re the head rascal of this infa- mous sg Major Manilla only laughed again. All at once Caleb Pine, despite bis years, eprung nimbly across the room and seized a ¢cbair. ‘** Give me back my papers or I.wiJl dash your brains out against the wall!” he shouted. ‘“‘T guess not,” retorted the major, coolly. ‘I am in no danger of losing my brains, for which just now I have more use than ever. Blossom?” At the call the door on the opposite side of the chamber flew open and there appeared on the threshold a man in whose hand glistened the bar- rel of a six-shooter. “Tf that old duck attempts to drop the chair upon my head, Blossom, you will drop him dead in his Pennsylvania boots,” commanded the ma- or. , The chair in Caleb Pine’sgrip was lowered to the floor. ‘‘What good can those papers do you?” he asked, ‘‘As muchas they would do you. I know what'they are worth, and the people whom they affect are in this city—” ‘* What, is the girl here?” ** She is.” ‘¢ And the boy too?” ‘¢f shouldn’t be surprised.” A groan escaped the old man’s lips. **T will give you all I am worth for those pa- pers. I will deed you one of the best farms in the Keystone State.” ‘You haven’t wealth enough to buy them back,”’ “Then, they shan’t do you any good. [ will go to the police and tell the story of your vil- lainy.” *¢'You will, eh¥’ smiled Manilla. ‘' You will give me away to the cops, will you? Now, Mr, Pine, don’t put yourself to all that trouble. I don’t believe in old men like you exerting them- selves so much.” Caleb saw the sarcasm in those words ana fell back, sinking into the chair he had lately raised over the major’s head with a deep groan. Manilla continued to examine the traveling sack, but found nothing more that seemed to re- ward his search, and at last he threw it at its owner’s feet. Old Caleb did not move, ‘‘ I believe the old man has fainted,” going up to bis victim. . He bent over the Pennsylvanian and touched his arm, ‘** Here, Blossom, bring me some water. He has fainted, sure enough! I'll bring him to, ina iffy. . Blossom disappeared and the major was alone with the old man. Suddenly he thrust one hand into old Caleb’s bosom, but the moment he touched the flesh the body stirred. In an instant the long hands of the old mau came up and fel] over the major’s head; the following second he was lifted from the floor with the strength of a Hercules and flung against the furtbest wall at the foot of which he sunk with a gasp. All this did not occupy 2 second of time. Caleb Pine then seized the papers Manilla had taken from the rip bag and was crowding them back into it when Blossom rushed into the apartment with a basin of water. ‘* Jerusalem!” cried the major’s man, falling back from before the flashing eyes of the man from Harrisburg. ‘I thought— ‘* That I had fainted, you rascal?” was the in- ee = 4 7 ke. ‘ : - ; Py f PULLS a. | et Ree ee , #5 terruption, ‘I was playing ’possum, that’s all, and now—” But, Blossom had dropped the basin and shut the door in Caleb’s face. The entrapped Pennsylvanian heard the key turn in the lock and knew that he was a pris- oner in the room with the victim of bis rage. He stood for a moment undecided how to act, when he ran to one of the curtained windows and was about to attempt an escape in that direction when he was struck on the head from behind and, staggering back, fell 1n a heap on the carpet. Blossom had opened a door at his back and, advancing, bad brought him down with the butt of the revolver. Caleb Pine was still in the trap. He layin a dead swoon On the floor while at that very min- ute a woman in another part of the city was wondering why he did not come, The chances were that they would never meet again. CHAPTER III. DAISY DELL STEPS INTO THE CASE, MOTHER Rockaway lived quite alone in the little house which she had inhabited for years. There were few who knew anything about ber ast, for she had no confidants. It was known y certain Ae gi however, that she bad one or two correspondents, and that now and then ske received letters over which she would shake her head and smile with satisfaction. This woman was the ‘*‘ Susan” of Caleb Pine’s anxiety, and if she had suspected that the stolen letter bad fallen into Major Manilla’s ‘hands, she would have been at the Jersey depot, and the wily major might not bave scored his infamous triumph. Tbe letter was from Caleb Pine, announcing that the old man expected to reach the city ata certain hour, and, knowing that he had been there before, she thought be knew enough to come to her house without being met by her at the ferry. Mother Rockaway had one friend whose ac- quaintance she had formed some time prior to the opening of our story. | It happened that one bright day, on the Bat- tery, she was saved the loss of her purse at the hand of some adroit crook, bya boy who had been watching the thief some time, and who came to her rescue, The boy had told her that his name was Daisy Dell Raymond, and that he sometimes did shad- owing for the police and detectives, and ended by saying that if ever she had any work in that direction to give him a call, at the same time giving ber his address, When Mother Rockaway found herself de- spoiled of the letter, she thought of the boy spot- ter, and the next day found ber bright and early in the vicinity of his humble home. ‘‘T may be a fool for running after this boy shadow,” thought the woman. ‘ But, I’ve seen a good deal of boys in my time, and some of them are as sharp as young foxes, This Daisy Dell has bright eyes, and is as quick as a kitten, and will do something for me if hecan, Be- sides, he seems to know everybody, and may be able to tell me something concerning that young weasel who called on me yesterday.” If the woman had called at the house ten minutes later she would not have found the ob- ject of her solicitude, but the young shadower was at home, and smiled his recognition when he saw her standing before him, ‘*l reckon there are very few people in the vicinity of Bleecker street who don’t know Andy Atom,” observed Daisy Dell, who was a good- looking, agile youth of seventeen. **T can’t say that I am on very good terms with him,*but we have met. I know something about his partner, too. ‘What, has he a partner?” asked Mother Rockaway, astonished, ‘“To be sure he has, and a nice fellow, too. You would hardly take them for pards, one is so tall and handsome, and the other the very re- verse,” ‘ ‘What does the boy’s partner call himself?” queried Mother Rockaway. *Oh, he bas more than one name, but to Andy he is known as Major Manilla.” ‘* That’s a queer name,” said the woman, ‘* Do you think he had anything to do with the miss- ing letter?” ‘‘ That is hard to tell, You say the gentleman — adie was to have reached the city ay?” — | ‘That ig what the letter said.” ‘‘ He aught to be met by some one,” mused the boy. ES Eee = . © = 0 ‘But I’m afraid it is too late now. I am likely to find him-at the house when I go back, If I don’t—" The woman paused and seemed to Jose color, ‘‘Look kere, Ican’t bear to think of any- thing happening him in this city the way things are working now. Youcan keep a secret, can’t you? “If you think I can’t, don’t trust me with one, ** Well, I shall tell you something, but not all, for that wouldn’t be right. Caleb Pine is my only brother; there are twenty years between us. A good many years'agu he adopted a little girl who grew up under his care, married and went away. It was not long before he got word of her death, and then in a very mys- terious manner he received some papers show- ing that the young woman’s husband was heir to a large estate in the South, The letter which told him of the death of his adopted daugbter said nothing about children, but we learned afterward that she bad a boy and a girl; but we have never found them, ‘‘Now, that estate, which really belongs to those children, is worth half a million and would be a good thing for some rascal to play a deep gamefor. We believe the father to be dead, as well as the mother; but what became of the children? If living, they are nearly grown and if they inherited any of their mother’s beauty, they are very bandsome, for May Pine, as we called her, was one of the prettiest girls'l ever saw. Ihave been living quietly in this city for years in hopes of discovering some clew to the children, while Caleb continued to dwell on the farm near Harrisburg, ‘¢ Several weeks ago I thought I bad made a startling discovery; that is, | saw on the street a face which reminded me of May’s, At once I wrote to Caleb and he replied saying that he wouldcome on and meet me this morning. It was that letter which I lost and which tells all about his coming, besides dropping something about the secret we have kept so well, I have known this boy, Andy, for some time. He thrust bis acquaintance upon me and every once in a while dropgin and chats with me, He is a shrewd little piece of humanity and played his game so well that until yesterday I did not suspect him of double dealing. But now that you tell me thathe bas a partner, and that that partner is a man who is not all he shculd be, you fill me with fears,” ‘‘ Andy Atom is a veritable weasel on two legs,” declared Daisy Dell. ‘* I once saw him do a little trick for which I could have sent him to the Island, but did not.” ‘* The young scamp,” cried Mother Rockaway, shutting her fist, ‘*T know how to treat him when he comes again.” Half an hour later the boy spotter stood on a corner not very far from the scene of the fore- going conversation and was watching a man whose figure was of those dimensions that at- tract attention, “That is Andy’s friend,” said he to himself, ‘That is the redoubtable Major Manilla.” The major had fully recovered from his collision with the wall against which we have seen him flung by the man from the Keystone State, and appeared to be enjoying the fresh air which came up from the Bay, making all New Roln expand its lungs for a breath of the need- ul, Major Manilla did not seem to bave very much business on his hands just then for he had seated himself on one of the benches in the City Hall Park and was enjoying a cigar, the smoke of which now and then hid his face from view, Presently there came across the thoroughfare, adroitly avoiding the morning crush of vehicles, a boy who, seeing the ntajor, limped to his side and took a seat on thesame bench, This person was no less a character than Andy Atom, and from the moment ke spied the major he became burdened with a desire to tell some- thing, Daisy Dell drew as near to the pair as he could witbout attracting attention, Ifhe could have gone close enough be would have beard the boy tell all he knew about the visit of Mother Rockaway to his room while he slept, It was plain that whatever he was saying bad a deep interest for Manilla, for he actually let his cigar go out and forgot to relight it when Andy finished. ; ‘‘Boy,” said the major, looking down into the face beside him, ‘‘do you know what way in that letter?” Andy solemnly shook his head. ‘** No lying!” said the major sternly. “Honest! Why should! tella story to you, for we are pards,” was the reply. JOO