Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 732 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

Soe 5) weal ~ wow pt ee Pm Oey ee Y _—~ ee er ~~ <s 2-9 Ane —_—— it iy te al rd <a eee e-em ge « ‘Sas sae * en 6 Daisy Dell, the Pavement Detective. ‘Tt has looked that way ali along, May I keep this, Mrs. Rockaway?” **Tt is yours,” ‘Are you sure that the papers which you have been keeping are safe where they are?” ‘*Tam, Noone knows where they are. I saw them this afternoon when no one was about,” ** You are to be visited by some one who will want those papers,” resumed the boy {detective. ** But you must not give them up?” “They pass out of my hands onl Caleb’s!” was the determined answer. ‘‘I don’t intend to be robbed. The Southern estate is large enough to attract half the thieves in New York.” Once more the young street scout was on the pave, and in a short time was in his humble Sas his head filled with the adventures jast ad, Several hours had passed since his interview with Andy, and his mind was reverting to the tenant of the tall house and his friend the major when steps came softly up the stairs just beyond the door. As he was not the only occupant of the house he did not think much of the sounds until they stopped at his door and a ligbt-rap startled him, The door was not locked. “*Come in!” called out Daisy, and immediate- ly the door swung open and a man entered, This personage was as tall as Major Manilla, but his face was covered with a brownish beard, which was different from the style of whiskers worn by the plotter. But there was something in the man’s eyes that held the boy detective’s gaze,"and he was looking atit when the stranger spoke, **DolI address Mr. Dell Raymond?” he asked, ** Dell Raymond is my name,” was the re- sponse. **That’s good, and I’m glad I’ve foun¢e you at home,” The man had halted near the boy shadower and was looking down into his face, ** Don’t make any noise,” he went on, at the same time grasping the boy’s wrist with a grip of iron. ‘I have business of importance with you but it cannot be transacted in this house,” “Why not, sir?” **Simply because it cannot; explanations are unnecessary. We will go to where we can speak with freedom, You will find a carriage at the door.” Daisy Dell, with fear at his heart drew back and stared at the man, He saw that he had been caught by the enemy, and the light which now filled the glowing eyes before him boded evil, >» “Oome! We can’t waste time here; it is too precious,” continued the caller, ‘“‘As [ have said, it will do you no good to make the slightest noise, I know what I am doing,” Once more Daisy drew back, but the menace of the eyes was enough to keep back the cry for help rising to his lips, In a short time the boy detective found him- self going down tbe stairs, still in the grip of the men, and sure enough, there stoed a cab at the gutter, and ready to carry him—whither? There was no one in the street, though the en- trapped bog looked in every direction. He knew there was a policeman just around the nearest corner, but a cry for assistance would only start the borses and he would be out of sight before belp could come, **Get in,” ordered the man, opening the door of tho cab and thrusting Daisy Dellin, ‘The wo trouble you cause us the better for your- self. The boy sunk upon the seat, and the next mo- ment the vehicle was rattling over the stones, This time he kad not fallen into Cad Capper’s hands, and could not feast himself on the idea that a mistake had been made, for he was sure none had, The cab continued on for some time, turning corner after corner, and almost crossing the city, from what Daisy Dell could make out, cooped up in the dark as he was, During the ride his captor did not utter a single word, nor did he speak at all until the vehicle stopped and the door was thrown open, At the same time a handkerchief was thrown over his face, and he was lifted out of thecab and carried across the sidewalk. In a moment he heard a door open, and then he was set down, The following minute he was led, still. blind- folded, into a room, and al! at once the handker- chief fell to the floor, and he was blinded by a flash of light. ‘““You will turn over to me everything you have on your person,” was the injunction, The boy detective turned toward the speaker, into and was about to utter a defiance, when the brownish beard fell to the floor, and— The sleek villain of a hundred plots—Major Manilla—stood before him! CHAPTER VII. MAJOR MANILLA IS SURPRISED, A MONTH sometimes makes great changes in peoples’ lives. ‘** How do you like it by this time?’ asked a good-looking man who was enjoying a cigar in a finely-furnished parlor in the very heart of New York. ‘*You ought to be able to see for yourself, I am as happy as a king, and sometimes wonder if the whole thing isn’t a dream from which I shall awaken some time.” ‘*You bave tested it long enough to know that it is nothing of the sort. This isn’t the old tenement, but a big, fine house, and you are liv- ing in clover, thanks to a little shrewd work by your best friends, The smoker looked at the well-dressed boy whom he addressed, and weat back to his cigar, There was something familiar about the boy who heard these words, He was somewhat de- formed, and bis eyes reminded those who saw him every day of a youth who bad dwelt in the topmost story of a tall tenement on Bleecker street. He had Andy Atom’s ways, despite the fact that he was no longer the tenant of the top floor. He had been acknowledged as one of the lost children of Nolan and May Ferris, and was en- joying the proceeds arising from the sale of one of the richest plantations in the South, which bad been sold for him by the man who had ‘‘ discovered” him—the well-known Major Ma- nilla, Andy’s good fortune had been the sensation of the hour. The newspapers had told all their re- porters could get hold of, and that was just what Major Manilla had seen fit for them to get, and the boy had been transferred from the tenement to the new home, where he had surrounded him- self with more wealth than he had ever dreamed of, What about Daisy Dell, the boy shadower, and the trail he was on when we saw him en- trapped by the cunning major? What had be- come of Mother Rockaway, and Caleb Pine, and Cad Capper, the bitter enemy of Major Manilla? Seemingly all had disappeared, leaving Andy and the major to the enjoymentof their wealth, and there was no one to say that the cripple was not the true heir, nor that Major Manilla was not a thoroughpaced rogue, If the reader could have knocked at Mother Rockaway’s door a week after the sudden change in Andy Atom’s fortune he would have learned that she had gone away and that some other people who knew her not occupied the premises, If he could have called at the farm owned by Caleb Pine he would have been told that the old man had gone to New York, and that since his departure nothing had been heard of him, The farm was being worked by a nephew, and it was believed that Caleb had been murdered by some sharpers who had first robbed him. Cad Capper must have gone South, for nothing was heard of him, and noone thought of ques- tioning the right of Andy Atom and Major Manilla to the fortune they were enjoying, Yes, a month, brief as it is, had worked great changes in the lives of those with whom we have been dealing. One night Major Manilla came out of the house inhabited by Andy Atom and himself, and lighting a cigar, as was his wont, when in good humor, strolled down the well-lighted street, The sly rascal looked at peace with the world and if he had been asked he would have told his questioner that he had not an enemy 10 the world, and that his skirts were clean of trickery. He was proud of one thing—yes he was—and that was that he had helped a _ poor boy to the enjoyment of great wealth. He had helped Andy Atom to his own, and he was wont to say that if the lost sister could be found he would see that she got her share. On this particular occasion the major seemed to have an objective point for he bent his steps toward one of the city parks which he en- tered, looking carefully about at the people who were already there enjoying the cool night air. 1t was evident that the major was keeping an engagement, Presently there came toward him a man who smiled as he came up and the two took one of the benches under the trees, ‘*Seems to me you are going it pretty freely of late,” said the major, looking sternly a man, who was still young, but with the signs ¢ dissipation on his face. ‘‘A fellow has to have his pleasures, you know,” was the reply. ‘* You have no right to growl. If I wasrolling in the clover that you enjoy, I wouldn’t saya word, [don’t want very much this time.” ‘‘See here. I’m no Vanderbilt,” retorted the major tartly. ‘‘I can’t afford to be bled all tae time.” ‘But you know what I did for the cause in the Ds and you don’t mind paying me, do ou : Major Manilla looked around and then thrust his hand into his pocket. ‘* How much do you want?” ‘¢ Fifty.” ** And you will keep your word this time—you will quit the city, never to return?” ‘*T’ve given you that promise.” Slowly and with evident sulkiness Major Manilla counted out some money which he thrust into the man’s hands and saw him get up, ‘‘ Remember, no coming back!” he said. The man dropped a curt bow, Half a minute later Major Manilla was alone on the bench and the man he had paid for his silence was sneaking off among the shadows, ‘‘ Tf he bothers me any more I will see that he is squelched in a manner he won’t like,” he hissed. ‘I don’t propose to have a fellow of his stripe bleeding us all the time.” He arose and went back, but not to the house he had left some time before, Suddenly he was accosted by a woman’s voice and turning to see who had spoken he found him- self face to face with a female whose features. seemed to recall something not very pleasant to his mind, ‘*'You must hear me, I don’t care what the courts have decided,” said the woman, who seemed past fifty. ‘‘I am sure you hold the secret of my brother’s disappearance; that you know more than bas been told and—” Major Manilla, with a sudden oath, brushed past the woman who threw out one of her bony hands and seized his arm, ‘*Hands off!” he cried, drawing back and raising his fist, ‘*I don’t propose to be dogged by a creature like you. There’s an asylum for women of your sort and if yeu obit in bothering,me about your mythical brother, I will. find a way to stop you,” The face of the woman grew a shade paler, and she seemed to stagger away. ‘‘No one will listen to my story, as if the authorities are in favor of villainy,” she said, ‘Major ‘Manilla, the time will come when all will be changed—” ‘¢ Pish! I’ve heard sach prophecies before now,” broke in the conspirator. ‘‘ Keep away from me,woman; that’s all I ask,” ‘You know I am Mrs, Rockaway and his sister. You know that Caleb Pine reached ‘this city with some very valuable papers in his valise: that he was tocome ata certain hour, for there is no doubt, judging from what bas bappened, that the letter I lost fell into your bands and that you met him at the depot—” ‘‘ Enough!” cried the major, ‘‘I don’t in- tend to listen another moment, If you follow me I will have you arrested and sent to the luna- tic asylum. Things bave come to a pretty pass when a gentleman must be insulted on the streets of New York by a woman with a hobby. If I know anything about that brother of yours, why don’t you have me arrested?’ Once more Manilla passed on, but this time the woman, who was our old acquaintance Mother Rockaway, but how changed in looks, did not attempt to bar bis progress, : Instead of doing s0, she stepped back and cov- ered him with a quivering finger. ‘*T call down upon your guilty head the ven- geance of Heaven!” she exclaimed. ‘* Where is Caleb Pine? Where is Daisy Dell, the boy de- tective, who was ferreting out his rascality ? Major Manilla, your wealth wil very long. fly away. Arrest me? You dare not and you know it! You don’t want to stand tefore the not last you © It will take unto itself wings and bar of justice and have me point the finger of - truth at you and tell all I know.” Every word of these burning sentences fell with terrible distinctness upon the rascal’s ears, but he did not seem to mind them. It was not the first time within the past few days that he bad been stopped on the streets by Mother Rock- away. The woman had suddenly turned up to plague him, and he had tried to avoid her, but oD sev- eral occasions had failed to do so, f / oO 2 7 2.7 | 2] ; © 4 " - te t ‘comic rie a Eat’ —«" v a « ht ‘ gs ‘.- ‘<5 7 P .