Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 742 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

PATER. PO Ee a : ~~" - 4 aa J + . to rea 10 ‘*No, I don’t. I always thought it queer that he didn’t turn up.” ‘“‘ You had sometbing to tell him, badn’t you?” ‘*T had,” ‘¢ How did you happen to know him?” *T can’t tell you just now, my head is so full of inventions; but I knew Chuck—knew him over in Jersey.” ‘¢ Did you ever live in Jersey, Pappy Pink?” ‘¢ T_T think I did once.” ‘*t want you to be sure of if.” rT Why?” ‘* Because it is important.” ‘‘Ha! important, is it?? and Pappy Pink bent forward till his nose almost touched the boy fer- ret’s face. ‘*Tt is very important, because it may help to throw light on a very dark case.” ** How’s that?” ‘‘T can’t stop to explain just now. You knew Chuck Holcomb over in Jersey? Did you ever hear of the Pettibone children?” For a moment the old man stared vacantly at Billy Winks, then reason seemed to dawn on him, and he looked at the boy with quite a dif- ferent expression. ‘The Pettibones, did you say?” be asked, ‘Yes, John Pettibone’s children.” ‘*T knew John Pettibone,” ** And Blake Belden?” This name seemed to throw Pappy Pink into arage. He fell back a pace and then sprung forward with more agility than the boy had ever seen him use, and the next moment Billy Winks felt a pair of hands at bis collar. ‘¢ Where is he?” he cried, ‘* Where is Blake Belden? Know him? Of course I do! That name sometimes comes between me and my in- ventions, and I can’t shake it off. Where is he, Isay? In the city?” ** Don’t fly off the handle like that,” protested the boy, in soothing tones. ‘‘I am working a lay myself, and I don’t want to be overheard in this house. When will your partner come to see you? ‘‘He drops in eyery now and then,” ‘¢ Will he come to night?” ** He is liable to.” ‘¢ Look here, Pappy Pink: you seem to have a very distinct recollection of Blake Belden; so have I, and if ‘en will come with me you wiil hear more of him, and have a chance to pay him back.” ** How do you know I want to pay bim back for anything?” ‘**That’s as plain as the nose on your face,” grinned Billy Winks. ‘‘I don’t want to meet cs partner here, and if h3 has promised to elp you on with your inventions, he is simply lying, and you are in a trap!” ‘*A trap, is it?’ said Pappy Pink. ‘*‘ Why, he wouldn’t set a trap for an old man like me,” “IT know bim; but if you want to gu back on Billy Winksand take the word of asmart rascal instead of his, all right. I sba’n’t argue the case. You recollect Josie? Well, she has fallen into a trap set by this same rascal, and he is the tool of a man who is working against the Pettibone children; he is simply Blake Belden’s right bower.” ‘My partner?” cried Pappy Pink, beginning lize the truth, ‘*Sam Spanker, your rascally partner, as he , Calls bimself just to hoodwink you. What are you going to do?/—remain here in one of Blake Belden’s trapsor go back with me—Billy Winks, a friend at all times?” It was evident that the boy’s last words carried ee weight with them, for no sooner had they n spoken than his hand was seized by Pappy Pink and warmly squeezed. ¢ “Go back with Billy Winks? Of course I will!” he cried, ‘‘ He’s the one I can trust.” ** Pack up then and off we are,” The little old man proceeded to get bis traps together at once, and when he stood ready with an old fashioned traveling sackin his hand, he said cunniugly to the waiting boy: ‘¢ How did you smoke me out?” ** Never mind; that’s one of my tricks,” was the reply. It did not take the pair long to reach the street. Billy Winks was anxious to quit the lace, for be did not want to encounter Sam panker, the sharp, who was Hable to come to the house at any moment, and when they were some distance from the place he bailed a cab and Pappy Pink was soon inside. ‘“* This is stealing a march on the Golden Coil,” said the boy to himself, “I thought I had struck it when 1 ran across the boy who saw a tall fellow escorting an old man down that street, I will hold on to Pappy Pink, for he’s worth something as a trump card, and, if I can Billy Winks, the Bell Boy Detective. a a ae help it, he wili make no more models under Sam Spanker’s eye.” Billy was cute enough to dismiss the cab some distance from the place he had picked out for the old man, and after awhile he sat before Pappy Pink, questioning him about his ac- quaintance with Blake Belden. By and by recollection resumed its throne and he was surprised to hear from Pappy Pink’s lips the whole inside history of that man’s life. 5 Billy Winks, it seems to me sometimes that I haven’t always been Pappy Pink,” he said. ‘*T don’t think you have been.” ‘“Every now and then I seem to hear the voices of children, and once or twice on the streets I have stopped little ones and taken them up in my arms, as though I used to have little tots of my own,” The boy detective was watching the old man and saw how his own words had affected him. ‘*] think there was a fire connected with my life, but just where it comes in is a mystery,” continued the old inventor. ‘‘I used to know a woman who fell out with me and threatened to work my ruin. That much is pretty distinct now since you have talked to me to-night.” Billy Winks leaned toward Pappy Pink in his eagerness, ‘* Was her name Betsy Snipe?” he asked, The name of the angular woman seemed to stagger the old inventor, ** That is it, Her name was Snipe!” he cried. For a moment Billy Winks sat spellbound be- fore the strange man. ‘** 'W hat sort of mystery am I about to unravel now?” he asked himself, ‘Pappy Pink says there is a fire connected with his existence and he once knew Betsy Snipe, He has been in the trap of the Golden Coil, and Blake Belden and Spanker know who the man is, Heavens! -I wonder—lI can’t help it—I wonder if this man I have known so long is John Pettibone bimsell ?” Billy looked once more at Pappy Pink and saw him dive one hand into the depths of the big carpet-sack, The next moment he fished up his latest invention and went to work on it without another word, ‘* 'W hoever he had been, he was ** Pappy ” Pink once more, CHAPTER XIII. A PLUCKY GIRL, THERE was some uneasiness at the office where Josie Jackson worked the type-writer when she did not appear as usual. A messenger was sent to her lodgings to come back with the information that the girl had gone olf, no one knew where, and another type- writer was secured in ber place. About the bour of Billy Winks’s adventure with Pappy Pink, a tall, good-looking man opened the door ot a well-to-do hoduse.on a quiet street and locked it after him. He went up stairs with cat-like tread and at the top of the flight knocked ona door which, after the moving of a bolt, was opened to him, He stood on the threshold of a neat room, and in the light stood a beautiful girl who looked at him with evident distrust. Without an invitation the man entered the apartment and quietly took a geat, all the while looking at the girl who had closed the door, ‘* Well, how are you getting along?” asked the man, In reply to his question there was a light smile, but the face of the gir] almost instantly paled. ‘This is not the oJd house,” she said. ‘* [t is not the old home by any means and I want to go back,” The man in the chair gave her a cold look, “You do, eh?’ he grinned, ‘: Why, I thought you promised to try to like this place.” ‘* But I can’t.” ‘You will-in time, Thereis a splendid future for you if you only knew it.” ‘J was happy enough as it was. I don’t want anything more than I had, I was earning my bread by the sweat of my brow, and no one ought to be afraid to Go that, so long as it is done honestly,” There was no reply, the man was looking at her sae if laying some mischievous plan in bis ead, ‘* We can make a pile if we would put our heads together and work in unison.” The girl—Josie Jackson—seemed to recoil, but she did net remove her gaze from the Man be- fore her. ‘* What do you mean sir?” she instantly de- manded, “IT say you’re worth your weight in gold if you only knew it,” he went on, ‘*T don’t want to know it then, for I see that you have sinister motives.” poowwn ie eo ‘* Ho, sinister motives?’ laughed the other, who was Spanker of the Golden Coil. ‘“* I know what you are worth, and all you have to dois to say that you will play fair with me and we will make it pay.” ‘* I will do nothing of the kind. I want to go back to my old rooms. I want to return to the type-writer. I was happy there; here you must know I am not.” ‘** You ought.to take advantage of the offer I am ready to make,” Josie seemed to look him through. ‘**Go on,” she commanded, sharply. All at once the eyes of Spanker glowed with anticipation. The girl was ** coming round,” ‘*T know a secret that will lft you o« the top wave of riches, and place you forever beyond want,” he went on, ‘ All you will bave to do will be to act under my instructions, and they will be easy to follow. The fortune is ready for your band, and besides, no one will ever dare to dispute your right to it.” He paused as if to note the effect of his words, and seeing that Josie was wuiting for him to go on, he proceeded: ‘*T know all the ropes of the case, which one to pull, and when. There is no danger, no failure. We have the gamein our hands. We can secure the prize by a sudden play, and you will be the richest young gir] in Jersey.” ‘‘ Why do you say Jersey?’ asked the young type-writer. ** Because there’s where the fortuneis, You see, it belongs in that State, but it is near enough to New York to let you live here in clover. It’s a big scheme, and can be worked so nicely.” ‘but [ was satisfied where 1 was. I don’t want to be burdened with wealth. I am con- tent to be plain Josie Juckson, type-writer for Naff & Fancy.” ! ‘**'You’re a queer creature,” laughed Spanker. ‘* But, see here: there is another phase of this matter, You are in danger unless you take hold of the matter with me,” 7 In an instant all color left the girl’s face. ‘“*T am in danger,am I? shecried, ‘‘t am to be thrown into the toils if I don’t come under the rules you have laid down in your mind?” He did not speak for a moment, ‘You ought to know how far this danger goes,” he said at last. ‘‘I say you are in im- minent peril.” ‘* In peril of what?” ‘*Of your life.” * From whom?” ** From the Golden Coil.” ‘* What is the Golden. Coil?” Jcsie was speaking with great coolness, and looking Sam Spanker squarely in the eye, ‘“You will discover very soon if you reject the propoetiay of safety which I have just made, ant your friend, girl; I don’t want to see you robbed of your just rights, but the only avenue to salvation is the one I have just men- tioned.” > The one which leads to the fortune through ou?’ sar That’s it, exactly.” The pretty type-writer looked away for a mo- ment. She was watched all the time like a bawk by the man in the room, ‘*T don’t want any notoriety, I won't fight even for what you say is mine by right. Why was I taken from my old rooms and brought to this house?” “To save you.” ** You can’t convince me that I was not safe where I was,” said the gir), ‘“‘ I was content there at any rate, and that was all I cared for. I tell you I want to go back.” ‘¢ And you won’t go in with me and get the fortune?” ‘Goin with you? Why, of course I will not. You must remember that if never saw you until a few daysago, I don’t know anything about you, and all [ do know is that you came to my home and, surprising me, caught hold of my wrist till I thought your hand was sinking to the bone, and brought me to this place, I want toreturn, You must take me back.” “You command,” smiled the villain, coolly ovonetaie his legs and looking up into the girl’s ace, ; “Tdo. I will not submit to this imprison- ment another hour, It is nothing else. You bave no fortune to offer me, you are in the pay of some one, and I will not acquiesce in anything you say.” \ The rascal fell back in the chair and laughed + in Josie’s face, ‘“‘T shall raise the alarm,” she cried, moving across the room, followed by his scrutiny. ** All right. There’s no one to hear.” \ | | | ee ———