Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 757 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 Detective Frank’s Sweep-Stake. ——————— ee + Frank as he was know in the New York Sacret Police Department—the listeners, Dick Wister and Joe Smith, detectives, Frank’s employers in that useful art. Frank—a well-grown and keen-faced boy, who bad already gained a reputation asa shrewd and successful apprentice in the art of crook-catch- ing—ended his remark with a yawn, that looked as if it would unbinge the upper half of his head. The two detectives laughed, and winked knowingly at one another, ‘* You're too deucedly spry, you young scamp,” said Dick Wister. ‘* lt is hard to keep you sup- plied. Most lambs of your size don’t care how long a holiday they have.” ‘“*T ain’t built that way,” answered Frank, ‘* T like best to take my holidays in work,” ‘‘[ believe you do, you pattern of industry,” laughed Joe Smith, **‘ And | think we can satisfy you keen-edged as you are, What say you, Dick? Shall we put him on that new job?” ‘“* He'll do to fill in the chinks,” answered Dick, indifferently. ‘‘ It’s confoundedly dark now, and he might hit on ascrapof daylight. It’s worth tryiag bim, I guess,” The boy, who had been lounging lazily ina chair, lifted his head on hearing the first of these words, and by the time the last were spoken he was sitting bolt upright, as wide-awake as a ter- rier with a rat in full sight. “ That’s your sort,” he cried gayly. ‘I smelt work in the wind. You bet your level dollar ('m primed for anything going, and when I put my foot down worms have got to wriggle. Let her out, old cronies!” The two detectives, who were lounging and smoking over the table in their office apartment, laughed again at the boy’s ardor. ‘* Don’t be too sure, my boy,” warned Joe, ‘“*Tt’s easy enough todrop in your line, but it isn’t so easy to pull out your fish, Tell him what itis. Dick.” He lit his pips again, it having gone out dur- ing their talk, and leaned back easily in his chair, Dick, who had been writing during the last few minutes, now folded the note he had writ ten, and thrust it into an envelope as he turned to the eager and expectant young detective. ‘*There have been mysterious robberies ina certain silk and lacestore on Broadway,” he ex- plained. ‘‘ During the lest three months three thousand dollars’ worth of valuable goods have disappeared, and no trace of them can be found, The proprietors bave set traps to discover the robbers, but in vain; they are tooshrewd to be caught. Detectives have been on the job these two months, but the rogues, so far, hold the reins,” ‘You and Joe been in it?” asked Frank, ‘‘ A trifle, lately.” ‘* Why didn’t you tell me?” “Why didn’t we give you a bit of the moon?” answered Dick, satirically. ‘‘See here, boy.” He wrote an address on the envelope he held in his haud. ‘* Here isa note introducing you to the firm of Dodge & Halfish, the robbed parties, You are to present it to them, and will be given the position of office messenger in the establish- ment. If you are diligent and industrious—” ‘I may get te be elevator boy; or some other rising position,” supplied Frank, with a wink. ‘* S'pose you jast drop that Sunday-School taffy, old man, and let out what you gotin your hand.” ‘*We uanta friend bebiad the scenes, Frank, that’s the long and sbort of it,” was the answer. ** Your duties as messenger won’t be very heavy. You will have plenty of time to use your eyes and hold your tongue about the store. This job is too deep to be worked from the outside. We want you to work it from the inside, and if you can pick up the shadow of a clew, to put us onit at once, ‘*Now you’re shouting!” cried Frank, spring- ing up and indulging in a breakdown, ‘* That’s the way to take the rust off my bide, I bet you acow ag’in’a pumpkin 1 get onit before the world is a month older.” ‘* There she blows!” cried Joe, with a genuine whaleman’s call. ‘Every boy thinks he has only got to stretch out bis hand to touch a gold-mine,” answered Dick. ‘* When you get older, Frank, you'll find tbat gold-mines aren’t so plenty, In this job, though, it is quite likely you may strike some clew to the silk-lifters, Caution, boy, is your rep card,” ‘** Maybe it’s the right bower,” rejoined Frank, “but wide-awakeness is the left,—I’m ready, Want me to streak down there ncw?” “Yes, Lose no time.—l’ll give you your in- structions; then you can be off.” The instructions were brief, and the self-satis- fied boy paid very little attention to them. He ‘Yes. Why?” was sbrewd enough to perceive that the job ‘*The safest way to get rid of gunpowder is to could not be laid out in advance, and that bis | set fire to it, that’s all,” averred Frank, as he action must depend on circumstances yet to ap- | thrust the note into the flames on the hearth. pear. | ‘* If your silk thief was to see this bit of paper, ‘‘You are wasting your eloquence on that | I might as well pull up stakes and emigrate.” boy,” observed Joe, seeing Frank squirming un- | The merchants looked at their visitor with easily in bis chair, growing respeci. They had been thoroughly ‘‘T am afraid so,” answered Dick. ‘*‘ Young | deceived at first by Frank’s demure manner, America is past taking advice from old experi- | This last act of caution showed them they were ence. Slide away then, youngster, and put in | dealing with a boy detective. your best licks, Don’t forget to report weekly, ‘* When are you ready to take hold?’ asked and oftener, if anything turns up.” Mr. Dodge. ** Ay, ay!” answered Frank, as he thrust the ‘* Now, if you say the word.—That would look letter into his coat-pocket, seized his hat, and | too sudden, though. Say Monday morning.— made for the door. ‘**Good-by, cronies! Ill | What’s to be my duties?” fetch that coon, or bu’st!” — ‘** Your visible ones will be to take messages In a moment more the quick patter of his feet | from us to other business houses; your invisible was heard on the stairs. ones—” ‘*To spot that silk-skinner!” supplied Frank. ‘**'You’ve got to give me some loafing time for that.—What’s the compensation?” Mr. Dodge looked at him questioningly. ‘* Four dollars a week—” he began. ‘‘ For messenger;—and four for detective;— that willdo,” broke in Frank; ‘‘and tips when the goose is cooked,” Mr. Halfish laughed. ‘* He has got you, Dodge,” he said, ‘* You're too steep,” answered Mr, Dodge, “ I don’t like to pay for chances. Suppose we say five dollars a week down, and one bundred in band if you put us on the track of the thief,” ‘‘Two hundred more if I make a scoop of the plunder?” asked Frank. ‘¢ We might venture that.” ‘¢Tt’s a bargain. Monday morning sharp I'll be on deck, I reckon you'll find me a handy messenger-boy. Good-by, gentlemen.” Frank resumed his hat, and with his shy and demure manner, walking through the store as quietly asif he was afraid of waking some sleeping echo, ‘* What do you think of that fellow?” asked Mr. Dodge, of his partuer. ‘‘The boy looks wide-awake.” ‘‘ May be worth trying,” answered Mr. Dodge, shaking his head, ‘‘ but I don’t take much stock in a boy on such work.” ; ‘* Think he'll do it?’ asked Dick, turning to his partner. ‘‘Shouldn’t wonder,” answered Joe briefly, blowing a cloud of smoke from bis pipe. ‘‘ He’s | young, but wary as a weasel,” In an hour after this conversation, the detec- tives’ deputy made his appearance in the Broad- way establishment of Dodge & Halfisb, dealers in silks and laces, Yet the lad who walked into this showy es- tablishment was a different looking person from the one who had but lately left the office of the detectives, He bad stopped at his home on his way, and changed bis clothes for a more sober suit, and now walked modestly and sedately up the long avenues of the stcre, looking as mild as if butter would not melt in his mouth, Accosting a salesman, he asked for the office | of the proprietors in a shy and subdued manner; | and entered it after a respectful knock at the | closed door, and a short ‘‘ Come in!” from with- | ili. Frank opened the door and entered, before bim a _ well-appointed office, fitted up neatly with desks, tables and chairs, while on a hearth at the rear burned a gas-jet imitation of a wood-fire, Two men sat within, one a handsome, full- faced gentleman, neatly dressed; the other small of frame and sharp of face, wearing a shabby coat, and with his bat thrust carelessly on the back of his head, : ‘‘Can I see the proprietors?’ asked Frank, respectfully, hat in hand, ‘*You see them now,” answered the short man. ‘“‘I am Mr. Dodge, and this is Mr, Hal- The speaker was Detective Frank, now mes- fish, What can we do for you?” | senger-at-large to Dodge & Halfisb; the party ‘* T was told you wanted a messenger-boy.” spoken to was a somewhat foppishly-dressed He saw CHAPTER IL. TRACKED TO A GAMBLING-DEN. ‘*T s’pose you can tell a chap o’ my size what sort of a boozing place that is?” ‘Were you? Then the man who told you that gentleman, with a cane the size of a club; the didn’t mind lying; or, he knew more about our | place indicated, was a house on one of the off business than we dv.” streets of New York, which looked very much ‘You are laboring under an error,” broke in | like those surrounding it, except that there was Mr, Halfish, blandly. a modest-looking drinking-saloou on its ground a messenger, my lad.” floor. ‘¢ Well, if you don’t wanta messenger, I don’t ‘‘ Aw, boy, did I hear want a job; so we’re square on that,” answered | foppish individual, “‘ Why, aw, did you put Frank, in so different a tone that the two mer- chants looked upinsurprise, ‘‘ I reckon, though, it is you who are mistaken,” ‘We?’ answered Mr, Dodge, sharply. ‘‘ What do you mean, boy?” ‘Please run your eyes over this letter,” re- joined Frank, producing the document Dick Wister had given him. ‘I think it will ex- plain my Greek.” He helped himself toa seat with an independent air, and laid bis hat on the table before him, Mr. Dodge tore open the envelope, and quickly He whistled ‘Weare not*in want of ou speak?” asked the tbat interrogation to me?” ‘**Cause I wanted to know, and I reckon Dick Wister is posted, if anybody in this town is,” ‘““Why, you thundering young cub!” ex- claimed the seeming fop, with a total change of manner; ‘‘are you on me that easy? And I thought I was got up rather clever.” ‘*So you are,” and Frank looked at him ad- miringly. ‘*l knew youlike adog does his mas- ter—by smell, not by shape, That loud scent you use on your bandkerchief gives you away.” ‘‘ The deuce it does!” answered Dick, loudly. ‘* By Jove, Inever thought of being run down by scent!—W hat are you on bere, Frank?” “Do you twig this ken?’ queried Frank, a eee took in the contents of the note, as he banded it to his partner. “That changes the situation,” be remarke?, fixing his eyes sharply on the boy. ‘ After all, maybe we do waut a messenger.” ‘‘Ts it on the square?” ‘*T thought you did,” answered Frank, de- “isa gambling den, boy. Thataleand chop- murely, house in front is only a blind. Inside the wild Mr. Halfish lifted his eyes from the letter after | tiger, faro, runsloose, What's in the wind?” a hasty perusal, and fixed them with a doubtful ‘*] tracked a Dodge & Halfish man in there look on the deputy, an hour ago. A married man; three kids; light salary; can’t afford to buck the tiger except he’s vot an extra income.” Frank shook his head knowingly. ‘© Who is it?” ‘‘Harry Brown, their bead salesman.” ‘Harry Brown!” ecboed the detective. ‘We dropped him as a quiet, orderly, bome-loving, religious cbaracter.—Are you sure of your man?” ** Dead sure, my chief!” ‘““Ah! That opens a new deal. Plays — eh? Then we must track him,—Let me see, I he knows you—” He looked at Frank chose ; and then, with quick bands, made certain changes in his ap- porsk which gave him a different ap ce, ext, taking a box from one pocket and a brush ‘‘ Messrs. Wister & Smith have sent you?” be queried. ‘* You hardly look like a person suit- able for the task we have in hand, though—” ‘*Do you want me to look like a person suit- able to the task?” asked Frank, with a sudden cnene? of expression and attitude, “1f you Oo=— ‘© No, no!” broke in Mr, Dodge, with a laugh. ‘¢ Tf you look as sharp as that, young man, you'll ut all the thieves in New York on their mettle. bes you know what you’re about,—After all, Halfish, perhaps we do need a messenger.” ‘¢ Perbaps we do,” answered Mr. Halfish. ‘¢ And I’m the boy you need,” assured Frank, as he rose and picked up the note that Mr. Hak fish bad laid on the table, ‘* Are you done with this, gentleman?” —_——_-———__ - -— =- - — -— -— —————_ — --—- J 4 w4