Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 767 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

a ee — a RBA — a sy ea aaa eee: aaa, S aee n renee . tpt : sr—and besides, she’s a splendid girl—sharp a5 & Steel-trap, too, or she wouldn’t have noticed s0 many little points, ‘* As Jack says, it is a truly remarkable tale, but, I’ll be hanged if I don’t take a good deal of stock in that girl’s intuitive detective qualities.” Thus musing, Mac arrived at Doctor Lewis’s handsome residence, aud though the colored gentleman, who came to the door, viewed with contempt the bent figure, and old-fashioned clothing, he did not hesitate a moment, Doctor Lewis had many poor patients, and hesitation about admitting one of them, had cost his predecessor of the present colored gen- tleman his position, so Mac was instantly ad- mitted to the doctor’s study. Doctor Lewis was engaged with some writing, and requesting to be excused “fora few min- utes,” waved the visitor to a chair beside Lis desk , This was just what Mac wanted, for it gave him an opportunity to “size up” his man, be- fore talking to him, ‘* That man’s full of grit—thinks like thunder, and acts like lightning. ‘* A bad man for an enemy, but no better for a friend. ‘Straight as a string, too, and I’ll bet on it!” Such was the detective’s estimate of Doctor Frank Lewis, as he looked at the flashing black eyes, firm moutb, determined chin, and noble, thoughtful brow of the writer. In a few minutes, the doctor threw down bis pen, and, turning to his supposed poor patient, n a pleasant, cheery way, asked: ** Well, sir, what’s the trouble?” o A gr’ate d’ale, sur, a gr’ate d’ale,” replied ac, ‘* Well?” (a little impatiently.) ‘“* Well, sur, ’'d like t? know, if ye ever at- tinded Misthber Robert Barret?” ‘What has that to do with your trouble?” asked the surprised pbysician, adding: ** Are you troubled in the same way?” “Well, sur, I don’t know but I might be— some time.” Doctor Lewis’ looked perplexed—balf angry, but not wishing to hurt the feelings of his poor patient, said: ‘You will bave to be more explicit, sir, My time is entirely at your service, as far as neces- sary, but it is of value to me, and | cannotafford to waste it.” ‘* But ye did attind Misther Barret?” persisted ac, **T did!” ** Well, now, w’u’d ye pl’aze wv tell me, if ye thought ther’ was anythin’ wrong about that case?” If the physician was surprised before, he was amazed now, _ “Whatdo you mean?” he asked, slowly, and looking sharply at the detective, ss Well, suppose you wanted t? dbrive me mad —couldn’t ye do it be ticklin’ me feet?” Starting up, as though struck a sudden blow, the physician began: “By heavens! Could—” ‘* The girl is right!” decided Mac, and aloud: , * Ye think ye could, sur?” Lovking at the detective suspiciously, Lewis replied: “‘If you have come to me to discuss supposi- titious cases, | must beg to be excused, ‘I sup- posed you were @ poor person, here to ask for treatment, but as you appear to have come were- ly to talk of other people’s troubles, you will be kind enough to CLEAR OUT!” The last words were fairly shouted, and Mac arose, saying, very meekly: ** 'Yis, sur, but Miss Eunice ’ll be sorry—” “Miss who?” interrupted the other, ‘*Phy, I thought ye knew,” innocently replied Mac. ‘ Miss Eunice Barret wanted me t? talk ¢’ ye about ber uncle,” ‘* Why didn’t you say so at once?” demanded Lewis, irately, ‘* Oh, it’s a way I have, an’ sare I can’t help it —it wuz born in me,” (Mac spoke the truth, and though be had not acted as was usual with him in dealing with Eunice Barret, it was fear of bis ‘* way,” that caused Mr. Hamilton to recommend Austin a, the man to confer with,) ‘* Well, it's a mighty poor way, I can assure you,” remarked Lewis, an! then growing suspi- cious as he gazed at the queer-looking character before him, asked: ‘““How do I know that you come from Miss Barret?” ‘* Faith, I dunno, onliss yell take me word for it,” replied Mac with a grin; and then, seeing that the young physician was firing up again, ‘continued: —-- ‘*She kam t’ consult me t’-day, an’ said I migiit ax you some queskins,” ‘“Came to consult you?” repeated Lewis, in- credulously. ‘* Who are you?” | Mac and Jack, the Invincibles. 2 Mac bad a holy borror of amateur assis- tance, but remembering Eunice’s remark about a private asylum, siid: ‘*No wan very pertic'ler, sir, but me name is | ginerally McVeigh,” ‘“Whuat! The hod—” began the doctor, and then with one sbarp glance at Mac’s famuus fuotwear, burst out laughing, “lve no apology to offer; the case demands nune,” he said, when his mirth had subsided, ‘* Indeed,” continued Lewis, ‘‘l think you | should make the apology for springing yourself on me without warning.” The “* hod-carrier” grinned at the compliment, and returning to the object of his visit, asked: ** An’ now, will ye pl’aze tell me if ye saw any- thin’ suspicious about that case?” Doctor Lewis instantly became grave, and looked a little perplexed by the question, ‘* As one of those who signed the medical cer- tificate, I should be the last tosay that I thougbt there was anything suspicious about that case,” he replied, after several minutes’ deep thought, ‘* But was ther’?” ‘* Certainly not to be seen, or I should not bave signed the papers, nor would those with whom I was called in; but you have awakened a queer idea that has been slumtering since it flashed terough my brain, on the day the papers were signed,” he doctor paused irresolutely, and then sud- denly usked: ‘*'You know the delusion under which Mr, Barret suffered, I suppose?” ** Faith, I don’t!” ‘**'You must excuse my asking you to solemnly assure me that that is true.” Doctor Lewis spoke earnestly, and evidently attached great importance to the detective’s an- swer, but there was nothing solemm about it. ‘*Arrah, go an wud yer solemn assurances! Sore sbe didn’t, an’ thin how th’ divil c’u’d I know?” ‘* Miss Barret does not know of it?” ** Well, if she does, Ill take me book oath nayther she nor any one else tould me!” ‘*Strange! Tell me why you stated that sup- posititious case about tickling a man’s feet?” Mac related what the boy thought he saw through the Keyhole, From the doctor’s manner and question the detective already susp cted that there was more in the boy’s story than was at first sup- posed, but he was hardly prepared to hear Lewis exclaim: ‘* Great Heavens! Can it be possible!” He sprung up, and began nervously pacing the floor, exbibiting a great deal of agitation, bnt after a few minutes grew caimer, and stopping in front of Mag, said: ‘*From what you tell me, I fear a great wrong has been committed, and partly through my fault—but, of that you shall judge. ‘Have 1 your word, that what you are about to hear, will not be repeated?” Mac had been doing some tall thinking him- self, and bad ccncluded that the doctor would be a valuable, and willing ally in undoing the terrible wrong, which he now felt sure had been committed, and he replied: **Until we kin prove our case, I'll never sp’ake of it,” ‘“Good! Mr, Barret’s supposed delusion was es a devil was tormenting, burning, his eet! ‘“I say supposed, because I now believe there was a devil—a fiend in human form—doing so. ‘““Only recently in France, through a dying confession, it was learned that a man had been driven mad, by having the soles of his feet tickled with a feather dipped in oil.” ‘** Yes, 1 heard of it,” calmly put in Mac, ‘You dil! Well—the boy only thought he saw something, but I saw the oil!’ ‘Saw the oil,” repeated Mac, a little puzzled, “Yes, the day the papers were signed, I saw something glistening on the sole of Mr, Barret’s foot!” The doctor then went on to tell what occur- red after that, and when he had finished, said; ‘* It was your supposititious case, that brought tomy mind the French case, which flashed across me when I saw the oil, but the reputa- tion of my colleagues, and the fact that the man was undoubtely niad at the time, caused me to dismiss the idea,’ ** And now?" ‘* Now, I am satisfied that I was criminally negligent, in not refusing to sign them, until I ad an opportunity of staying awhile with the patient—that is, after what I had seen, but I will join you in this work, and drop everything until the wrong is righted 1? ** Well, tt’ first thing t’ do is—notbin’ at all. “Tf ye stir, or sp’ake, before ye’r’ tould to, Pll give up th’ case. [ll dhrop in on’ ye t’-morra, Good-night, sir, an’ I’m much obliged t’ ye.” CHAPTER XII. SHADOWED. HE would be a clever man indeed, who could, ' undetected, shadow the ‘ bod-carrier” for any ES distance, and, now, on his way bome to “‘ think it over,” the detective was less preoccupied, than when on his way to visit Doctor Lewis, ‘* Mac’s shadow on the other hand, embolden- ed by bis success became less cautious, and soon the detective became aware that he was being followed, ‘‘What the deuce does it mean?” muttered Mac, much puzzled, Having taken up the Barret matter only a few hours before, he could hardly bring biinself to believe, that that was the cause of the atten- tion he was receiving. ‘* But it must be,” mused Mac, for, when Jack arrived this afternoon, that cleared the calender of all the old cases, and this 1s the ooly new one, ‘*T wonder where he picked me up? Well, I'll find out who he is, anyhow,” After leaving Doctur Lewis, the detective bad crossed to Madison avenue, down which he was walking, at a gait suited to bis age and character, when he discovered the ‘‘ shadow,” He was now close to the house of Harry Hamilton, (a man whom he and his partner bad cleared of a charge of mur.ier,) and, as this oc- curred to him, the fertile brain of Mac suggest- ed a plan, which was immediately executed. Mr. Hamilton’s residence adjoined the avenue, and by turning the corner quickly, Mac could have darted into the bouse, and thus ‘ lose” his shadow, for as it was still early in the night, some of the servants—and all knew hin.—would be about the door, and the lattice gate at the base- ment open. But Mac’s purpose was to “ find” his shadow —not *‘ lose” him. Accordingly, as he approached the corner, the ‘* hod-carrier” slackened bis already slow gait, and, as be turned, saw two of the Hamuliton servants at the gate, “Don’t seem tv? know me,” warned Mac, as he approached the girls, and then stopping when a yard away, as if to ask a question, continued: ‘“You, Mary, tell me t’ come inside an’ Pade the way. You, Maggie, come right afther us,” The quick-witted girls instantly comprebend- ed that Mac was ‘ton business,” and followed his instructions to the levter, Once inside, the detective continued: ** Now, Mary, there’s a chap acrass the sthreet that’s follyin’ me, an’ I want t’ have a chance t? folly him. So, take this inviloop, an’ go down th’ sthreet wud it. Walk fast, an’ carry it in yer hand, ‘This chap "ll be afther biddin’ ye good- evenin’ purty soon, an’ thin sthick th’ inviloop in yer pocket. ‘* He'll offer ye somethin’ for it, but don’t give it to him—though divil a thiug’s in it. “Thin be’ll ax ye about me, an’ ye kin tell him, innocent-like, that I brought a message from Doctor Lewis t’? Maggie, an’ that’s all ye know about it,” ‘“* But, maybe he might follow me, an’ then be’d know ’twas a story I was tellin’ bim, ‘* Couldn’t I say, after a bit, that I was goin to the station- ery store, t’? match this?” ‘*“Begob, ye’r’ a jewel, Mary! Do just that, an’ ye’ll find somethin’ here for ye, when ye get back. Be off,wud ye, now!” Mary obeyed, carrying the empty envelope conspicuously thrust a little in front, and walk- ing rapidly. The family were away in tbe country, and Mac hurried to the parlor window, from which he quickly bad the satisfaction of seeing his “shadow” following Mary. ‘* Now, me bucko, I’ve got ye!”; he exclaimed, full of glee over his easy success, and began using the parlor as an (un)dressing room. Hat, coat, trowsers, even the famous brogans were removed, and, of course, replaced—and witi the rapidity of a “ lightning-change artist.” Underneath the ‘Sunda’ coat” was a short, close-fitting sack; alsoa pair of low-cut patent- leather shoes, which, when not in use, served to give Mac a slightly humped-back appear- ance, The ‘‘ Sunda’ pants,”"—a string at the pocket