Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 767 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

- - . ~ i he < 12 had to take some mixture of wine—by orders of hier physician. ‘* | fell right into the trap, for when the ser- vant came, and, after bearing her give explicit directions to bring two particular bottles, she said: ‘Keep me in countenance, and drink a glass of claret, while we talk,” I willingly agreed, ‘‘ Well, the wine was brought. It wasdruggec, and I woke up in that den in the Bowery—but I was conscious before it was known, and—Mac!” Well?” ‘** The real Robert Barret’s in New York!” “Eb? What? ** The real Robert Barret is in New York,” re- peated Jack, adding: ‘*Your Miss Barret’s suspicions are well founded, and that’s one reason why I doubted if I had seen her. ** Now, we’ve got to divide up—how shall we manage?” Mac made no reply for several minutes, and, before he did, muttered: “There’s three—mebbe four, uv us:—Jack, the doctor, the b’y, an’ meself,” and aloud: ‘* Phere is he, Jack—Barret I m’ane?” ‘Ip some private lunatic asylum—lI couldn’t catch the name—and the orders are to kill him, or drive him crazy!” **Phew! Well, how much dividin’ is the’r t? do?” ‘‘{f this wan we sawis not th’ ginuine article —where is she? ‘* That's conundrubm number wan, ‘Thin ther’s Barret t’ be found—tbat’s num- ber two; an’ the pretinder t’ be caught an’ ex- posed—that’s number three, ** Now, the doctor ’n’ me, ’n’ the b’y, kin take eare 0’ any two—which wan d’ye want?” ‘*T look for Barret—that will include the ex- posure of that she-devil,” * All right, Jack; take your own choice, ** { believe—in fact, I’m sure, ye’r’ right about the girrul, an’ anyhow, I’m in it for spite, now.” “Very good. Now, if you don’t mind, I'll take pussession of the office for to-night, **'You can bet on ons thing, Mac, you’ll hear from me regularly, hereafter. Neither man or devil—or woman— will fool me, again.” There was a queer rivalry existing between the partners regarding their ‘‘ make up,” and taking the hint, Mac arose, saying: **Good enough, Jack! We’ll start our part t’-morra’ mornin’, an’ I'll look t’ hear from ye be night. Good-night,” CHAPTER XXII. SAM SHARP, MESSENGER-BOY, WHEN Mac arrived at the office next morn- ing—once more the “ hod-carrier,”—he found the messenger-boy in charge. ‘* Did ye have any callers?” asked Mac, ‘‘ Nix—I mean—no, sir,” The detective had already seen that the boy was bright, and pow determined to intrust him with some work that a boy could do bet- ter than a man, ** What’s your name?” be asked, **Sam Sharp, sir.” * Well, Sam, I’m goin’ t’ see how sharp ye are. Now, ye know, where—Madison avenue is? ‘* Barret’s house? Yes, sir!” ‘‘Humph! Well, ther'’s a b’y there that I want t’ see, All I know about him is, his name is Joe, and Miss Eunice Barret’s the key t’ un- lock bim with,” ‘All right, sir! When d’ye want him?” ** How d’ye know ye kin get. him at all?” asked Mac, surprised at the confident tone of the boy. ‘* Vl have him here whenever ye say, sir,” re- plied the boy, adding: “We've got wires in that house, so I won't have no trouble about gittin’ in, Mr. McVeigh.” sé Eh?’ * Well, I know ye, Mr. McVeigh—we general- ly know who’s who,” Tac could not repress a smile—the boy’s shrewdness amused as well as interested bir. “Well, then, I suppose ye know what kind uv business ye’r’ goin’ on?” he asked, confidently expecting a reply in the negative, for not even the lordly janitor knew the business of tbe late firm of “* McVeigh & Austin.” “Oh, yes. Some kind of detective work!” Erpepy replied the boy. ** Well, may the divil admire me!” exclaimed Mac. ‘An’ how—what d’ye know uv that?” ** Nothin’ much, sir, only I thought I’d learn what I could while I was on the furce, and that’s one of the things I learnt,” _ ** Who else knows fm Mac asked curiously. i rs > ‘i> > “- i | 7 r i j « wl we We a 4 iv z f, ' » et : i ye ie > mera = hus CTne? * > Pun * 5 eres, “> i) 1, Tre “% wy, 2 te ae ee iy Weg, ‘ #f; : AS I : Wie s 5a" ey") Vp ach 7 : ~~ oe on - : oe) ae . ou ! « ’ MJ A ’ As a e mak ~ weed “« it , — lt ’ . = ' * Mac and Jack. the Invincibles. ** Just me—that’s all,” ‘“‘Humpbh! Ye feel purty sure about gettin’ this b’y, Joe?” oy Mey oir. ‘* Very well, thin, go ahead! he mustn’t be seen comin’ in here. age that?” ** Oh, yes—certain’y! Comein on —— street— Pll give him me badge—say he’s after wires— come over the roof ’n’ down here, I kin let him in, when he raps on the roof door.” Mac expected to learn a great deal from ‘‘ Joe” when he got hold of bim, but he also expected a great deal of difficulty in doing that, and now this boy appeared able to take the burden off his shoulders, ‘* Very well,” he said; ‘have him here in two hours. Ye kin go now,” Snatching up his cap, Sam started off on bis mission, looking nearly as confident as he felt, and shortly after Mac took his departure. The latter was bound for Doctor Lewis’s, and, in accordance with his resolution to do nothing until Robert Barret was restored to liberty, the doctor was at home—reading, and impatiently awaiting a message from the ** hod-carrier,” “Ah! Good-morning, Mr. McVeigh!” ex- claimed Lewis, “ I’m heartily glad to see you, and, to be frank with you, it’s not for yourself, re pS, B: you may have something for me to Oo, ‘I have, sur,” replied Mac, ‘* Misther Barret is somewhere in New York—in some private asylum—and [ll give you a week t’ find him. ‘* Never mind how I know it,” continued Mac; ** he’s here, an’ he’s got t’ be found! ‘* Tf you can get a hint as t? where he is, let me know, an’ we'll consult,” Mac was afraid to tell the doctor that he be- lieved that Eunice Barret had been led away from home, if not kidnapped, and so said noth- ing about her, ‘Deeply obliged to you for giving me some- thing to do,” rejoined Lewis, ‘‘ Ill start to work at once, and report within a week,” ‘* Ye'll let me know, ez soon ez ye find him” **T will, and I’m going now,” Doctor Lewis accompanied Mac as far as the sidewalk, where they parted—one going up, and the other dowa-town, On returning to his « ffice, Mac found his mes- senger-boy, and a_ brigbt-looking,, dark-eyed, dark-complexioned boy of about fourteen, await- ing him, ‘ This is Joe,” said Sam, ‘‘Oho!t Well, Joe, when did ye see Miss Eunice?” ‘*Not in two days,” * “Eh? Are ye sure? looks like her?” ‘*Sure ? Of course I’m sure! Emily you saw yesterday.” But, look here, Kin ye man- Who’s the lady that That’s Miss CHAPTER XXIII. FIVE AT WORK. AS we know, Mac was not unprepared to learn that Eunice Barret was being personated by somebody not friendly to her interests, but it was the boy’s detection of his identity that was the most startling, ‘ ‘* Flow did ye get along?” he asked, turning to Ham, ‘Just as I said I would, sir, Went in t’ test our box—met the ‘kid,’ ’n’ told ye wanted t? see him, He waited for me two blocks away, an’ came through, over the roofs from —— street here—lI let him in,” Now, turning sharply on Joe, Mac asked: ‘* How ye know whether or not I called on Miss Barret vesterday ?”’ ‘*Heard Miss Emily and Mr. Fulton talkin’ about it,” replied the boy, adding: ‘She said as you got away they might as well jump the town, but he only laughed, and said he guessed they could take care of one man,” ** And Miss Barret—where is she?” ‘Went out with the new coachman, day be- fore yesterday, and didn’t come back, Report in the house is, that she’s gone to’ join her mother, who got a telegram t’ come t’ Mr, Robert the day before—but she ain’t done anything of the sort.” ‘* How do you know?” ‘‘ Because, just before she went out, she told me you were comin’, an’ t’ look out for ye and tell vou to wait outside—but ye didn’t come.” ‘Good reasoning,” mentally commented Mac, and aloud: “Then you think Miss Barret’s been carried off—kidnapped?” * Yes, sir, Mr, Fulton came back ’bout three in the afternoon, lookin’ tickled t’ death, ’n’ said 4 . .* +f - ys 4 as j 4 : oh eo eo” Se Le oe ets” * , “— *. } t’? Miss Emily; ‘ Well, she’s safe,’ an’ I’m sure meant Miss Eunice, ‘*I’m goin’ after him, next time he goes out at night,” ‘** That coachman goes into a place—a saloon, on Third avenue,” put in the messenger-boy, adding: ‘*T often see him ‘ full,’” ‘* What is bis name, and whatis he like?” asked the detective, Joe gave him a minute description of the new coachman, whose name was Ward, and dixpatcb- ing Sam with a letter informing Austin that Fulton had returned, Mac dismissed his youth- ful ally with a warning against exciting the sus- picions of the enemy. ‘So Fulton’s back,” mused Mac, while await- ing the return of Sam, ‘This trip out of town was only a blind to cover the abduction of the girl. Having just come from her, be won’t be apt to visit her for a day or two, anyhow, so I’!] devote myself to the coacbman, ‘*That messenger-boy is well named—in fact they’re both sbarp, and I'll make use of them. ‘*Sam cap watch Fulton outside, and Joe can watch bim and the others inside. I wish I had thought of telling bim to look out for addresses and post-marks on letters,” The messenger-boy now entered, and Mac in- structed him to take advantage of the first op- portunity to tell Joe to watch the letters, and notify him (Mac) the moment Wilson returned, ‘**And ye needn’t come back here,” he con- tinued, watching the gloom gather ov the boy’s face, followed by an immediate brightening up, as Mac added: ** Until night. ** Just keep yer eye open, an’ don’t let Misther Gecrge Fulton go out o’ the city, without ye know where he’s goin’, an’ see that ye don’t let bim know what ye’r’ alout, or yell never make ne it’s likely ye’ll die young, if ye do. ‘* Pil be careful, sir,” quietly replied Sam, “That’s number four unleashed—now to let loose the immortal hod-carrier!” soliloquized Mac (smiling at the conceit) as the messenger- boy siarted on bis mission, Av hour later a spruce-looking old fellow whose countenance, clothing and carriage said **coachman” as plainly as if the word were stamped upon him, entered a Third avenue saloon, He had had a quarrel with bis.‘t boss,” he copfidentially informed the barkeeper, and had come into the city to look for work, He had a little money saved, and was in no great burry, but didn’t like to be idle, Did the bookkeeper know any coachmen? Yes, several—one particularly, ‘a nice fellow named Ward, liable to come 1n at any minute.” Workin’?* Ob, yes, workin’ for some big gun on Madison avenya—don’t know who; he’s pretty close-mouthed.” ‘* We'll try how far whisky will open it,” mentally commented the listener, who, as the reader doubtless suspects, was the “immortal hod-carrier.” Shortly after this conversation, and while the barkeeper was still singing bis praises, Mr. Ward entered, Jooking very angry about something. ‘* Perhaps he’s bad a row with his ‘ boss’,” thought Mac—or Mr. Mulligan, as, at a sign from the gentleman bebind the counter, he came forward to be introduced to Mr. Ward. It was a wild thought—a stray shot, but it struck the bull’s-eye of the target of truth! Mr. Ward had been discharged, or as he phrased it “fired bodily,” and he was furious over it. —_—--- |r CHAPTER XXIV. WHAT THE COACHMAN KNEW, IT is the man with a grievance who can best appreciate an attentive, sympathizing listener, and Mr, Mulligan proving just such a man, he and Mr. Ward became quite friendly—also quite drunk, later on, } ‘* Ah, sir, ye should be like me—have a grip on him,” observed Mr. Mulligan, when the other bad finished his story, for the tenth time. ‘¢ You've been treated like a scoundrel! My old ‘boss’ wouldn’t dare treat me that way,” Le continued. ‘What d’ye mean?” asked Ward, looking at the speaker in surprise, ‘“ Just what I say; but there’s no use talkin’ t’ you young men; they know it all. ‘*Now, I’ve bad more than one boss, but I could always go back or make some o’ them keep me, when 1 wanted to—and how did I do it? Just by gettin’ hold o’ some little secret o’ the boss’s. CT eee «™ | = r Le ’ aha { 4 we ons r+ , 7% SL oat ie ria “by ay -) - | | i i | "i A _ a _- . > ‘sO . a . mM