Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee — - ee ee — a _ ae r “We'll live to fix you fer this,” growled Brand. ‘*Who in blazes are you?” -demanded Jake Washers, ‘*T used to be known as Broadway Billy, and [ guess the name will always hang tome,” was Billy’s response. ‘* Well, curse you, we’ll remember the name, and you will hear from us later, so don’t forget that. We will fix you out for this dirty trick,” ‘That’s all right. You arelikely to takea vacation first, however.” The officers had them, now, and Billy giving them some directions they took the ruffians off and away. W hen they had gone, Billy and the others sat down for a consultation. It lasted for a considerable time, and ended only when some of the officers returned. ‘Leaving the house in their carriage, and the irl still in the room, as though yet a prisoner, illy, Skinny, and Pender went away, It was some time later on, when the chief rascal, the so-called parson, and his wife, made their appearance at the house where they sup- posed the girl to be in the power of their tools, They were partly in disguise, the man havin laid off his shiny silk bat for a slouch one, an the woman having a shawl over head and shoul- ders. They came in a cab, and ordered it to wait for them. They were met at the door by Burke Wedger, who at once conducted them above, When they entered the room Green demanded: ‘* Well, where's the gifl? How does she feel about it by this time?” ‘‘ Before we talk about tbat,” said Wedger, **T want to talk a little business to you.” ‘“* Business to me! What do you mean, sir?” ‘* Well, I means business, I reckon,” ‘** Out with it, then.” ‘We have come to the ’clusion that we ain’t gettin’ enough fer our share in this nasty work.” “The deuce you bave! You will get.no more than I agreed to pay, you can be sure of that. Where is the girl, | demand?” ** Well, she ain’t here, and you won’t see her till you come down witb an extra five hundred. Oh! we mean it, so you needn’t turn so blue around ther gills.” The * parson” was turning blue indeed. He ripped out a mighty oath, and paced the floor like a raving beast, ‘** Curses on you!” hecried. ‘* You have played me false! You bave let that girl get away, and all my plans are blocked,” **Oh, no, it ain’t half as bad as that,” was the calm return, ‘'I know where the gal is, and if oa come down with the ducats you shall have er back again all in good order.” ‘* But, where is she, { demand?” *That’s tellin’: 7 know, and that’s enough.” ‘Burke, I ought to shoot you for this trick. I’ve a notion to do it, too.” “*Shoot away if you want to; if you do you ern never find the gal in this world, be sure of that. ‘** Where is she?” “*Come down, and Ill tell ye. I'll take ye to her, and the plot will go right on as in- tended.” ** T'll give you one hundred more.” ‘¢ Five or nothin’.” ‘Then if will be nothing, and if you don’t produce that girl in ten minutes I'll turn you over to the police on that old charge,” ‘‘Ha, ha! I don’t feel a heap afraid of that, Mr. Green. I guess my hand is about as good as yours, now, You will have to come down with the money, or it is no gal.” “But, I did double once, when you said my first offer wasn’t big enough.” “That was where I made a mistake, [ only asked half enough. Now you will have to come to time or it is no deal.” ‘*Curse you!” ‘‘Oh! you may do that if you want to: that don’t hurt any. But it does hurt to shell out the scads, don’t it? Come down with them, if yon want the gal; and I am of tbe mind you do,” “** How far from here is she?” “Far enough for safe keepin’.” ‘**] must have ber within half an bour, or it Will he too late.” . All right; you plank down the money and I'll bave her here in that time, or less.” At that moment there came a rap at the door. The “parson” was standing nearest it, and opened it at once, A ragged, dirty youth of perhaps eighteen years of age, to judge hastily, entered. ‘Say, be you Tomkins Green, mister!” he de- manded of the ‘ parson,” ‘Who are you, and why do you ask that question?” was the counter-question at once. ‘*T want ter know who i’m talkin’ to, ’fore I tell all I know,” was the rejoinder. ‘‘I was sent here by a fellow what said bis name was How- mark, and he told me ter deal with nobody but Mr. Green.” ** Well, then, lam Green. Now, what is it?” ** And this other man is Burke Wedger, I take it?” ‘Yes, yes. Goon,” ‘** And this is Sally Ann— No, I mean Mary Ann,” ‘* Yes, yes, yes.” ** And this other is Mrs. Green—” ** Confound you, yes. Now say what you have to say and be done with it,” ‘* All right. Yesee, Robsaid as howI mustn’t talk afore any one else, and I wanted to be sure,” “Tt is all right, then, so new tell us what you have got to tell.” ; Well, this Rod he has got on track of the gal, he told me to tell ye, and said for you to foller me and 1’d bring ye to the place where she is.” ** Thunder!” ejaculated Burke, ** Oh! you ain't in jt this time, Mr. Wedger,” the youth declared. ‘‘ You are out altogether now, so Robert said,” “Where is be?” asked Green, ‘** That’s what I’m ter show ye, sir; but Rob said not bring Burke nor Mary Ann, as they was out of it, and they had tried ter dump you }.. fer rotten pertaters but had got left bad. Are yeready? If ye are, why come right along and we'll trot back soon, fer Rob seemed to be ina sweat about somethin’,” CHAPTER XV. PREPARING FOR THE LAST ACT. BURKE WEDGER and his better half were looking at each other in dismay. Here was something they had not counted on, and ae knew not how to understand it. How had Rob Howmark been able to discover what had been done with the girl? How had he been able to outwit Gil Brand and his wife? **) want to know all about this thing before I take a step. I want to know all you know, as man, and all you were told to tell me, here is this young lady, sir?” ‘* Sbe’s at a house on —— street—” ares lie!” cried Burke. ‘‘She ain’t there at all, ‘All right, if you know best; but that’s what Rob Howmark told me to say.” ‘* What else did he tell you tosay? Come, out with it, for there is scant time now for talk,” ‘Well, ter sum it all up im a lump, kere is what I was-told ter tell ye, in case ye pinued me down toit, as ye have done, This man Burke Wedger, he laid a skeem with a pard of his, Gil Brand, ter take the gal away from here and make you pay double. That was what they done, and that’s all this man knows about it, so Rob told me to say. But, Gil had another pard, and they took the gal to another place, and they was goin’ ter dump this man, Wedger, and deal with you themselves, There, ye have it.” ‘*Curse him!” cried Wedger. “If I find out that’s so Pll kill him,” ** Well, let’s go, at once,” said the ‘ parson.” ‘** Your words admit the truth of it, Burke, and you are out of it, indeed. Now you will whistle for your money. You made a fool of yourself.” ‘* We'll see how much of a fool I made of myself, I don’t believe this yarn, and I’m goin’ ter see Gil Brand myself. If i find this is false, ll make you pony upaclean thousand,” ‘The story speaks for its own truth,” re- torted the ‘‘ parson.” ‘I am going to get the girl now.” The ragged young man had already backed out of the room, and now Green and bis wife fol- lowed, closing the door after them, ‘‘TIs that your cab down by the door?’ the guide asked, ** Yes, and we'll go in that,” was the answer, “That is jest what I was goin’ ter say, as it will save time. I kin ride on the top with the driver.” ‘‘ Yes: and have him hurry up a little, too, for time is precious,” ** You bet I will, fer Robert told me ter hump myself.” They left the house, entered the cab, and the ragged guide mounted to the box with the driver and directed him where to go. Their destination was the place where we last saw the fair prisoner, and where she had been left by Broadway Billy and ber lover, in the care of others, seemingly a prisoner still. knocking at the door caused it to be opened by an old man with mixed gray hair and beard, Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective. 13 ** Wull, what do ye want hyer?” he asked, with a Western twang. It was no other than Roger the Rover. ‘“*This is the gent and lady what the youn; man sent fer,” answered the ragged youth, ** I'l} show ’em right up.” ‘* All right; up with ’em!” Broadway Billy—the reader has guessed it was he, of course;—led the way, and conducted the man and woman to the room where Laura Wardley was, A knock at the door caused it to be opened by the young man, Robert Howmark, who was now a rather battered-looking gentleman, He had a bandage over one eye, and a red mark was across one cheek, ‘** What on earth’s the matter?’ cried Green, at sight of him. ‘* Nothing, only I almost got killed in rescuing Laura from the hands of a couple of ruffians,” was the answer, ‘I should think so, by the looks of you. A fine-looking groom you will make now. Well, my young lady,” turning to Laura, “‘ what do you think of it now?” ** Oh, Mr. Green!” the girl cried, ‘‘ I am ready to do anything you want me to do now, only take me out of these horrible holes and let me get back again to Philadelphia.” ‘*‘ Ha! 1 thought we should bring you to terms, Are tyes ready to marry Robert, then?” ** Yes, yes; I will do anything.” ** Well, now, this is something like!” the de— lighted rascal cried, rubbing his hands, ‘I told you how it would be, wife, Now we can go ahead at once. Everything bas been arranged for a nice little wedding at our hotel, and you will never regret the step, Laura, dear,” ‘*T begin to see it in that light, sir,” ‘* When she saw me fighting for her,” spoke up Robert, ‘‘it evidently made her realize that E do care for her, and when I asked her the ques- tion she said yes.” “* Well, well, that is nice. Now we will all go to the hotel as soon as we can, and there you will find better clothes which you can put on at once,” **T am rather a sad-looking subject for a hotel wedding,” said Robert. ‘‘ Hadn’t we better put it off till we get home?” ‘*Never mind your looks, sir. That can be explained, and as everything has been arranged it will not do to put itoff. No; it must take place at ten o’clock.” ‘** Well, sir, I will be there about that hour. I cannot go with you now. I will try and get myself up to look a little better than this, any- how. You will take Laura with you, of course.” ** Certainly. And you mustn’t fail us.” ‘*No fear of that; 1 will be on time to the minute,” The girl had put on her hat and shaw! now, and was ready to go with her much beloved guardian. ** Don’t forget your promise,” reminded How- mark, as she was leaving the room in company with her guardian and his wife, ‘* 1 won't,” was her answer, ‘“‘I will marry you now, and so do as Mr. Green has wanted me to do all along. I have been foolish long enough.” She passed out, leaning on the arm of Mrs, Green, ber guardian coming after them rubbin his hands in a highly satisfied manner. He ha broken the will of this bhigh-strung beauty at last. Ah. had he? When they had gone, fat Skinny went out, took another cab, and did not lose sight of them until they were safely lodged in their hotel apartments, ‘‘Sweet pertaters!” cried Broadway Billy, when he had watched them from the window until out of sight, ‘‘ but this is working fine! What do you think of it, Roger, old boy?’ And without waiting for any response he pro- ceeded to cut a pigeon wing in his old time boy- ish way. abe | think you have got ther game in a corner, now,” was the old ranger's comment, ‘* Bet your life we have!” Billy cried. ‘‘ There will be fun before long, now, and you shall be on hand toseeit. This is the way we do it in New York.” ‘*And you are a young terror,” remarked Robert Howmark, with his bandaged eye and marked cheek, “That's all right, Robert, old hoss!” Billy re- turned. ‘* You see that you do your part in this business all right, or you may get sent up yet.” They all laugbed, and ere long went out, lock- ing up the house after them, or rather the rooms, In the mean time sometbing had happened at