Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 742 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

A. Billy Winks, the Bell Boy Detective. Billy looked at the man and saw that he was telling the truth, or at least he thought he was, ‘‘“We are liable to be crossed if our business becomes known to another party,” Phlox went on. ‘‘Itis a deep game of diamond cut dia- mond. A great injustice bas been done; but I am not at liberty to go back aad tell you all I know. If Chuck has fallen into bad hands through the decoy letter—” “If that letter actually came from Pappy Pink it was not a decoy,” broke in Billy Winks, **T’ll go the old man’s security for honesty. He don’t know how to be a rascal, As I have told ou, all he knows is how to put wheels and pul- eys together, and make the most wonderful machines you ever heard of.” ‘Tt may be as you say. I read the letter Chuck got, but I forget Pappy Pink’s address,” ‘* Tl give you that,” cried Billy, ‘‘ and if you’ll wait ten minutes, till ‘Jingle’ comes in, I'll go with you.” Mr, Phlox concluded to wait, and in a short time “ Jingle,” another bell boy, came in, and Billy got leave of absence, for the pa of ‘* oniding the gentleman to another part of the city;” but, in reality, to inaugurate the most thrilling adventures of his life, CHAPTER IV, PHLOX’S STORY, ‘¢ Mr, Curp, if you please, l’ve come to throw up my job.” The bediamonded young clerk who presided over the desk of the Metropolis Hotel looked at Billy Winks like one in a maze, “Throw up your job?” he cried, ‘* What, don’t it suit you?” ‘Oh, I haven’t anything to complain of, but the truth is, Mr. Chip, I’ve gone into other busi- ness, When Chip had recovered from his astonish- ment the proprietor was called in, Billy was paid off, and walked out with some money in his pocket, At the door he was joined by Flash Phlox, with whom he walked off, saying, while his face was lit up with a smile: ‘“('m at your service from now on, Mr, Phlox, I believe what you told me in Papp Pink’s deserted room to be the truth, the whole truth and nothing else, and the fact is, ’m in- terested in this mysterious affair as I’ve never been interested beforein my life. The question is not only what’s become of Chuck Holcomb, but, why bas Pappy Pink run off without leay- ing word behind? illy Winks and Phlox, whom we saw at the conclusion of the previous chapter on their way to the abodeof the old inventor known as Pappy Pink, was confronted by a genuine surp when the bell boy opened the door, The little room was quite deserted, and every- thing pointed to a hasty flight. ‘*T don’t think the old man intends to come back any more,” said Billy, looking round the room, while Phlox stared with open eyes and pale and speechless, ‘It’s very queer.” ‘* Hang it all, it’s amazing!” broke out Flash. ‘*T feel as though he knew we were coming, and went off just to beat us, ‘There may be more in this flight than you think. I still stick to it that Pappy Pink never intended that letter to decoy anybody. He is incapable of doing that.” “ But it seems to have gotten Chuck into trouble.” ‘‘1’m afraid so; but look here! we ought to be able to find Josie at home now.” ‘¢ Who's Josie?” asked Phlox. ‘* The best girl in the world, I don’t mind in- troducing you but I don’t think Nelse will like it very well, Nelse is somewhat sweet on Josie but no one can cut him out, so we will go and see her,” The pair went from the old man’s home to the room occupied by the pretty type-writer, and the moment Phlox entered the room and set eyes on Josie he fell back with a cry that drew illy’s attention to him, “Why, what’s the matter, Phlox?” he cried. “It’s only Josie, and she wouldn’t hurt any one. Josie, this is Mr. Phlox, and we have gone in partnership in a Jittle matter,” Josie looked first at the boy and then at his companion. She could not conjecture yy should form a partnership with Flash Phlox, who, while handsome and well dressed, did not very favorably impress her, hen the introduction bad been gone through with, Billy suddenly asked the type-writer when she had last seen Pappy Pink. ‘Not for some days,” was ‘the reply. ‘“‘He then dropped in to show me his new idea, and did not stay long as I was sick and he would not bother me,” All the time Phlox was looking most strangely at Josie, and when he and Billy had left the house he caught his companion’s arm, and ex- claimed: ‘* Who is that girl, Billy?” “Why, Josie.” ** Yes, yes; but Josie who?” ** Josie Jackson,” ‘* How long have you known her?” ‘* Nearly ever since I’ve knownanything. It’s kind o’ queer that Josie and I should be frionds, for there’s not much in common be- tween us; but somehow or other, we seem to have been drawn toward one another, and I think as much of her as I would of a sister, if I had one,” | Flash Phlox did not reply for a moment, and then looking again at the boy, he went on: “Pll bet a dollar that the fellow who gets Josie will get a fine one,” ‘‘ That girl’s finer than silk, Phlox,” declared the boy. “‘The other day she gave her last cent to an old man who had been robbed on a car. That’s Josie Jackson all over. She’s got pluck, too—could fight if she had to, I don’t know where she gets her blood from, but it’s the right kind.” ‘**T believe you, Billy.” ** Now, Mr, Phiox, if we could find Chuck—” ** Heavens! we must find him,” was the reply. ** There is to be no ifs and ands about this ques- tion, There is too much at stake. Chuck Hol- com!4nust turn up.” ‘ii tell you what TH do. Til resign my position at the hotel and devote my whole time to os hunt, You don’t want to employ a detec- tive Flash Phlox started violently. ‘*T don’t want to do anything of the kind,” he said, ‘*I would sooner go back and leave the whole thing unraveled than throw this case into the hands of the ferrets of this city. I have told you too much already, Billy—that is, more than I should have told you, ou know what brought Chuck and I to New York; you know that we are employed by a certain man to discover, if possible, what ever became of two children whose home was destroyed by fire over in Jersey, years and years ago when they were little more than babes. You know what awaits them if they still live. The fortune is simply enormous, though the man who is using it is spending a good deal of it, but there is enough left to enrich the young heirs.” ** But, Phlox, do you think the father of the children really perished in the fire?’ asked Billy who had not lost a word of Phlox’s story. ‘¢ The impression is that he did, You see that it is to the advantage of the man who is using the property not to have the children turn up, He is a cool rascal who will not spare means to keep himself in possession of the fortune—the ‘** Pettibone Fortune,” as it is called among the people there, The children disappeared the night of the fire and from that hour have never been beard of. The iron safe which stood in one corner of the Pettibone library was found in the ruins of the fire and when it was opened it was found to contain a will made in a singular manner, That wiil said: should the children die or ‘‘disappear” (that’s the very way it was worded) the property after a certain time should descend to the man who holds it now.” ** What claims had he to it?” ** He once saved John Pettibone’s life, and the old man was much attached to him. But, at the end of the will there was a clause that said a good deal in very few words. In substance, this was, that, should Blake Belden, the man now in possession of the fortue, Marry a certain woman, the children should have the fortune, no matter when they turned up. Don’t you see? Well, Belden married the very woman John Pettibone hated, and now he wants to make sure that the heirs of the estate don’t turn up.” Billy gave a whistle. ‘*T see. And the man who sent you to New York pays you and Chuck Holcomb for looking after the two children because he wants to beat Belden out of the estate?” **That’s it. More than this: it is believed that the fire which destroyed the house was not acci- dental—that the father, John Pettibone, if he did not perish in the flames, would tell the truth and so place Blake Belden in very tight quarters. We believe that Belden has kept in his employ in this city men who have been looking for the Pettibone children—not with any kind intentions either,” | **T should say not, Phlox, when one hears the story of the past. I hope the children, if they are alive, won’t fall into the hands of Blake Bel- den’s agents,” ‘If they do they are lost forever; thatis all there is of it,” was the confident assertion, ‘*This does settle it,” cried Billy Winks with emphasis. ‘‘I am going straight to the hotel and throw up the job.” The above is how the boy’s resignation came about and when he walked from the Metropolis Hotel, and looked up into Phlox’s face he smiled good-naturedly. “*T never thought I would become a little fer- ret, myself, Phlox; but, !m going to find the Pettibone children and baffle Blake Belden’s agents. I know this city as few boys know it, for before I went into the hotel I was a sort of gutter-snipe and nobody knew the dark places of New York better than Billy Winks, I guess we understand one another, Phlox. If I see any- thing suspicious about you I’!l drop you like a hot potato and you may do the same with me,” ‘**T don’t think I shall have occasion to do any- thing of the kind,” said the other, ‘‘Iam sure Chuck would not have made you his confidant, for Chuck is a queer chicken, but, just now, he isn’t in the bargain, and, in fact, I believe he is in a tight trap of some kind, or he would have put in appearance long before this.” The two went to Billy’s room where they had along talk, at the end of which the Bell Boy Detective thought he could trust the man to a certain extent. ** Now I have a little job on my hands for to- morrow morning,” observed Billy. ‘* I promised Josie to take a look at the man who has beer dogging her footsteps to and from her work,” ** W hat shall I do?” asked Phlox, Go back to the Metropolis and keep both eyes open. Flash promised to do this, and when he and the boy separated for the night he returned to the hotel, wondering what would come of the adventure. As for Billy Winks he glided from his room and went back to the little place once occupied by Pappy Pink in hopes of finding some trace of the old inventor. But, he found nothing, and as be came down the steps he stopped and looked at a man stand- ing in the shadow of the wall with his hat pulled over his eyes, CHAPTER V. BILLY HEARS SOMETHING. FROM the looks of the man, as the boy could see him, he thought at once that he was the per- son who had followed Josie Jackson to and from the office where she worked the type-writer. What had brought the man to old Pink’s house?” While the bell boy looked the figure moved, and allat once sprung outinto the street and vanished. a Billy stood awhile on the stair and then went own, He saw no one, but to make sure that the man had come to Pappy Pink’s den he watched the doorway for some time, but the fellow did not come back, ‘“‘That was a singular proceeding,” said the boy to himself, ‘I won’t go back and tell Josie, nor will [hunt up Phlox and say anything to him. Tl just keep my own counsel and see what comes of this adventure,” His earnest desire was to find some trace of Chuck Holcomb, but he had not forgotten the story of the lost children and the fire in Jersey. An hour later Billy almost ran into a man who looked very much like the person he saw on the stair, and the following moment he was surprised to see the man joinea by another who was much younger and rather dudish in appear- ance, ‘“‘The youngest one is the man Nelse saw with the watcher on Broadway,” Billy muttered, and then he fell to watching the twain as he would have watched a brace of tigers, The longer he looked at them the firmer grew his belief that one Was the person he had seen on the stairway leading to Pappy Pink’s room. He was well built and handsome, though. rather dark of face, and the boy noticed that he bad a springy Step like a cheetab. ‘A pretty pair, Pll be bound, Up to some sort of mischief too, and if I watch them long enough I will see something that may det some light in 2 the very thing I am looking after.” illy Winks was led after the pair toa street near the river, and while eying the taller one when they ha separa the dude having van- ished in another direction, he was astonished to have his arm seized from behind. 7 ad - i ‘ ys bs t , - ele) eee -— * => OS AE - = --— = 7 : em ————— eee a = . See eae = ei elie, Pee / i : “da %