Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 732 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

= ‘tries to get the best of him. Pennsylvanian had not showed up. The ster wasin a great deal of trouble concerning his absence, and Daisy Dell went off without any news. He had discovered before this that Andy Atom bad been going out a good deal of late, and he doubted not that he was meeting Major Manilla in the parks, as be bad seen bim do, The dwarf still inhabited the top floor of the tenement, and one evening the young shadower dragged himself up the steps and surprised Mr, Atom at tea. Andy professed himself glad to see his caller, and invited him to a seat at the small table, though his supper was not large enough for two. ‘You'll soon be a millionaire, Andy,” de- elared Daisy Dell, taking in two new cheap pic- tures which the boy had lately hung on the wall, *¢ You seem to be making a good deal of money ‘just now.” “Why shouldn’t I get rich?’ was the reply. *T’m no spendthrift, and what I get I don’t wo eM away.” ‘6 And, then, you’ve got a generous friend.” Andy looked surprised. ‘7 mean the major. Everybody knows that he is your good genius, and nearly every one en- vies you your good luck.” Andy did not speak for a moment, ‘¢*] wish 1 had a pard like the major,” con- tinued Daisy Dell. ‘© Why don’t you get one?” grinned Ana y “They're rather hard to pick up. Where in the world did you run across bim?” ‘‘Stumbled on him one day down-town, and he took a liking to me at sight.” ‘¢ Got lots of casb, ain’t be, Andy?” ‘‘T can’t. say as to that.” ‘* What does be do?” ‘¢ He don’t have to do anything, I guess,” ‘¢ But he bas a trade or business of some kind, hasn’t he?” “ Not that I knows of,” drawled Andy, and then he relapsed into silence, as if he had fathomed the motive for the shrewd questions that his visitor was putting. For sonie time Daisy Dell failed to get Andy back to the important subject. He did not want to return to it, and the young shadow found himself baffled at every olnt, r Ali at once Andy leaned toward Daisy Dell, and, transfixing him with his black eyes, said sharply: ‘¢ What are you after, anyhow? You seem to want to know all there might be to tell about my friend, the major, “Ain’t you a spy for the cops? Tve heard that you were,” Daisy Dell maintained his composure, ‘‘One hears a good many stories nowadays,” he answered with a smile calculated to disarm suspicion. “Bat I’ve seen some things with my own eyes,” pereinen the Atom, ‘I don’t go to sleep when get out andI take my eyes with me every time.” “Tf T am aspy for the police, do you think | would betrying to find out apything against your friend, the handsome major?” ‘* Tf you did you would soon wish you had kept your hands out of it,” was the quick retort, ‘‘ He mustn’t be fooled with—the major mustn't, He’s cooler than the coolest, and those eyes of his can see through a stone wall; I believe they can, anyhow.” “ A wonderful man,” Daisy admitted, ‘“ Wonderful enough to beat any man who You don’t want to make him your foe.” At this juncture footsteps came up the stairs and the two boys listened as they neared the room door, A strange expression had come to Andy Atom’s face and be wasall anxiety and fear while he looked toward the entrance, Presently the door swung open and there step- ped into the room the very man they were dis- eussing—Ma jor Manilla! . Andy and his friend excbanged quick and sig- nificant glances and the major, with his eyes fastened upon Daisy Bell, came forward with bis eat-like tread, ** Got a caller, I see,” remarked the man, with asmile for the boy detective. “‘! hope I don’t intrude,” “Of course you do not,” assured Daisy Dell, 66 T was about to leave when you dropped in and will gonow. Iwill see you some otber time, And ” Yes, of course. Don’t forget to drop in; you're always welcome, Dell.” On the first step among the shadows tbat lay outside the room Dell paused and listened to a : - 4 ~~ : - fan 4 a : Ri me ee - Daisy Dell, the Pavement Detective. 5 voice which came from the apartment he had just left, ** Did you mark him?” asked the man’s confed- erate. ‘*‘Heisaspy forthe cops and tried to pump me about you. He asked all sorts of ques- tions, but I was toosharp for him, and all the information he got out of me he can stow away in his eye.” ‘* What did you call him?’ ‘‘ Daisy Dell. He lives on W—— street, No. 238—up-stairs, first door to the right. It’s a quiet street, but he knows where to live while playing spy forthe police and I would advise you to keep an eye on him,” These were the words Daisy heard, and when he went down the steps he knew that he had a dangerous enemy to look after. If he could have lingered on the stairs he would have heard more, and bave seen Major Manilla take from his bosom some papers which he spread out before Andy, whose eyes got an eager glitter when he saw them, ‘‘ Andy, the time has come for you to be some- body,” explained the major. ‘‘I have every- thing about fixed for your re-entering the world as a long Jost heir. How does that strike you?” The boy fell back and threw up his hands in pretended amazement. ‘“ All you have to do will be to follow my instructions, These papers will fix the matter and I will see that there is no failure. You are the son of one Nolan Ferris who married the adopted child of Caleb Pine, a Pennsylvania farmer. Ferris died in the South some years ago leaving two ecbildren who mysteriously disappeared, and the will be left behind bas been found; is, in fact, in my bands at this very mo- ment,” Andy listened to these words like a person in a maze, ‘* How much will I be worth?” he managed to gasp. ‘*More money than you ever thought of,” was the reply. ‘The son of Nolan Ferris was a cripple from his birth—crippled just as you are. The girl is missing still, but we don’t care about that, you see, You must play your cards as [ instruct you and we can’t fail.” ‘* How long bave you known this, major?” ‘A long while. You see I didn’t want to break the news to you until I had the papers in my hands and I have them here,” ‘* What will Caleb Pine say?” “Very likely nothmg,” langbed the major, ‘*He needn’t appear in the matter at all, All we have to do is to prove that you are the missing heir and the pile is ours.” Andy Atom leaned forward and looked at the papers which the major had opened up, but from what he could see of them they were s© much Greek to bim. ‘*] will do anything to get the fortune,” he exclaimed, ‘But, as I’ve just told you, you want to look after the boy who left when you came in. He is a spy—one of those sidewalk foxes who see everything for the ! paee and then he was asking me a thousand and one questions about you—” ‘‘ He sha’n’t be overlooked,” put jin Manilla. ‘tT propose to bring you out to-morrow,” ‘* As the lost heir? «st Yes,” ‘t Who will I be from that time on?” ‘* Franklin Ferris.” ‘“That’s a better handle than Andy Atom. And I won’t live in this sky-scraper any longer. By Jove, I feel richer than Vanderbilt already. Bacon you’re a brick—worth your weight in old. ‘* Look here, Andy—” “Mr, Ferris, if you please,” broke in the boy. “T forgot. Now look here. I am going away and will not see you again till I come to bring you out, I intend to see why Daisy Dell wanted to know something about me, and if he is what you gay he is—a police spy with intentions against us, he will wish he bad never seen the light of day.” And, pocketing his papers, the conspirator walked out, leaving Andy alone once more, CHAPTER VI. THE FATE OF A FOX. DAIsy DELL soon found bimself some distance from the house where he had unexpectedly en- countered Major Manills and was about to enter a cheap restaurant to regale the inner man when he was suddenly accosted by young Lester, the supposed lover of Bella, the pretty lace- maker. ‘*f have news Of a startling nature for you,” the young man announced, ‘' Something very remarkable has happened Rella and I want you to know it while it is fresh,” The pair entered the restaurant and took a table in a quiet corner. : ‘* Bella was coming home this afternoon when she encountered a man who insisted on knowing who she was, She was frightened at first, but, seeing that no harm was intended, obliged him, by giving him her name and place of resi- dence,” ‘* What was the man like?” asked Daisy. In a few words Lester described the person re- ferred to and the boy, detective had a word picture of the man called Cad Capper!” ‘* He said to Bella on leaving her that she was worth her weight in gold if she only knew it,” continued Lester, ‘* Among other things he said that she was the living image of her mother,, which was very surprising to Bella, as you know. she bas never known a mother’s care—in fact, knows so little about her past life that it might be called a blank to her, She went bome half- frightened and sent for meas soon as pcssible, , The man told her he would see her again ere long and stated that she should be careful whom she met, as she had more enemies than she knew of; that a plot was afoot against her, but that he would baffle the plotters and see that she got her rights in the end. You may imagine how his words astonished the girl and how excited I found her when I arrived. It is the most singu- lar Lhing I ever heard of, enemies and being worth her weight in gold, just because a man whom she never saw before told her so on the street, What do you think?” ‘‘The whole thing is very strange,” declared , the boy detective, ‘Of course itis, Bella thinks the man meant that she was the long-lost heir to some estate, for he hinted as much; but how should he know that she was the rightful heir, even admitting for argument’s sake that she is?” The young shadower said nothing, but smiled in a manner that still further mystified Lester. One thing was pliin to him and that was that Cad Capper was the enemy of Major Manilla and was playing against him, but for bis own schemes,- He saw, too, that he was as much the fair Jace-maker’s foe as the major himself, and that if she fell into the clutches of either she would not be safe, ‘“T want you to hear the whole story from Bella’s lips,” continued Lester, ‘‘I was hoping I might run across you when all at once I saw you coming in here, Why, it was a piece of fool-luck—nothing Jess,” Del] promised to visit Bella the next day and hear all about the meeting on the street, and ad- vise ber as far as he was able, and’a few min- utes later he and Lester separated for the night, the young man going off to his boarding-house with his bead full of the story he had just told, The boy detective went from the restaurant to Mother Rockaway’s house, and found that wo- man in a state of excitement, entered the room during her absence and left a letter on the work-table, It purported to come from her brother, Caleb Pine, and when the boy spotter had read it, he exclaimed: ‘¢*Oaleb Pine never wrote that letter. base forgery!” ‘“ But it looks like his handwriting,” insisted Mother Rockaway, ‘That's the way he forms his e’s and makes his t’s, When I read that let- ter I almost fell to the floor,” The letter stated that the writer had reached New York, but had concluded to follow a clew to the lost children which be struck while on the road to the city, and having just returned, was now playing a game which he did not want ex- posed. He said be would tell Mother Rockaway everything in a few days, and wanted her to trust thé man who would call upon her and get some papers which were in her ands, “Have you such papers as this letter men- tions?” asked Daisy. “T have, They are safe where I placed them some time ago.” | ‘They must be very valuable,” “They are—almost as valuable as those Caleb has himself, and be has the Ferris will, which Gisposes of the estate that belongs to the two lost heirs. Iam surprised that Caleb should write me, being in the city. Why don’t he call in per- son? I am sure he could drop in here after dark without being seen.” é; Daisy Dell was still holding the letter his band, “Tsay if be wrote this letter, he did so under compulsion,” he went on, ‘It may be Caleh’s writing, as you say, but he never wrote it of his own free will.” ‘Then you think he is in the hands of some villains, do you?” It is a Think of Bella having ~ Some one bad ' . . , 4 ptt bagh .” a, a “ ~~ r 4 micbooks.c 3 = ~~ “ 2 « ~™s wre * 1 PA. 2) A wy - ; - ey .a4)2 » oe ~ om