Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

‘gett the other bouse; that is, the house where Wedger apr his wife kad had the girl imprisoned. Only a few minutes after the departure of the ** parson” and his worthy consort, and just as Burke was about leaving the room to go in search of Gil Brand, three policemen entered, The rascal and bis wife were filled with con- sternation at sight of them, and looked for means of escape, ‘** Don’t think you can get away,” the fore- most officer said, ‘*‘ We have got you, and you are our prisoners,” ‘“What do you arrest us for?” demanded Burke, fiercely. ‘* You know well enough what for,” was the response, **| demand to know, and I demand to see your warrant, too.” ‘* Well, here is the document, then. You bad better come along quietly, or it will be the worse for you.” The warrant was all straight, and was gotten out by Bronson Pender, the charge being that of abduction, and so forth, set forth in full as known to the reader, A great deal of fuss was made by the rascally pair, but it amounted. to notbing with the grin officers, and they were marched off to the station with little ceremony and less politeness, To return to Billy, Leaving the house as shown, they repaired at once to Billy’s home, There they found some supper awaiting them, of which they had uot ey partaken; and they made a hasty disposal of W hile they were eating, Fatty-Skinny came in, reporting all right regarding the matter he had just been attending to, and now the case was ripe for the final act, Billy laid off his disguise, dressed himself up in respectable manner once more, takin; care to have his new badge under his coat lapel, and finally they all set out from the house. The man with the bandaged eye and scarred cheek was with them, Their first business was to- visit one of the police stations, where they found a detective costumer awaiting them. This man was one who was a favorite with detectives, and on whom they frequently called when it was desirable to ‘‘make up” in any special manner with great care. He could do anything in his line. When he had greeted Billy, whom he had known as & boy, he set about the business that was required of him. A prisoner was brought out, and the man with the bandaged eye removed the bandage and wiped the mark from his cheek, The first, the prisoner, was the real Robert Howmark, while the latter was no other than Bronson Pender{ This the reader has guessed, of course, The artist set to work, and as the size and general appearance of the men were about the same, his task was not difficult, In half an hour no one, without some suspicion, could have uessed that Bronson Pender was not Robert owmark, ‘You have got a pretty good double, Rob, old boy,” remarked Broadway Billy, then. ‘*And you will bave your trouble for your pains,” the rascal snarled, ‘You may think you can fool the old man, but you ean’t,” ‘“‘Sweet pertaters! We have fooled him al- ready, without any disguise at all, except your clothes, and it will be funny if wecan’t do it now. You rest easy on that score, Robby, me gander!” The prisoner was taken back to his cell, and after a few finishing touches, his double was ready for his part. His eye was discolored artistically, and the mark was left on his cheek toa certain extent, and no one could have guessed the deception without some knowledge to guide him to the truth of it all, They were now ready for the denouement, or nearly so, CHAPTER XV, WINDING UP THE RASCALLY GAME, THE next thing on the programme was a visit to the minister whom the rascally Green had onga ed to perform the marriage ceremony. illy and Bronson Pender went to see him, while fat Skinny and the old ranger went to the hotel, together with two officers, to have an eye upon things there, To the minister a full disclosure of the matter was made, and he was put in possession of all the facts. His service was still required, and when he bad learned all be was willing to go, ‘*My suspicion bas been aroused,” he said» ‘for in looking over a list of the clergymen where this man claims to belong, I have failed to find such a name as Graceaway.” ‘*IT guess not,” said Billy, ‘*‘He is about as far away from Grace as a rascal] can get. He is a humbug of the first water, but be is going to be brougbt up with a round turn, Please do not fail us, now, will you?” ‘*Oh, no; since my presence is necessary to the success of the scheme you have laid, I will be on hand todo my part. Itis right I sbould do so, to make the rascal fee] the full weightof ven- geance thatis hisdue, The hand of Providence is in this,” ‘* Yes; and so is mine,” Billy declared. They went away, and now their business was at the hotel, Parting before they reached there, Billy went on eg and learned that everything was all right, Finding it so, he reported to Pender, and noth- ing more remained to be done until the hour of ten rolled around; and it was not far away now. Meanwhile, in their rooms at the hotel, the Greens bad been pushing forward rapid prepa- rations for the carrying out of their infamous scheme. Mrs. Green had brought some of Miss Wardley’s best clothes with her, and the young lady was now richly attired, and looked far dif- ferent from what she bad appeared so shortly before, She bad brightened up, too, her eyes were sparkling, and she was like another person. The rascally pair could not understand it, but had to be satisfied with her explanation that since she had made up her mind to obey them, she felt really happy. As the hour of ten drew near, Sbyster Fudg- ley put in an appearance, smiling broadly and washing his hands vigorously. He had high ex- pectations which were soon to be dashed to the ground, He had a paper prepared, which he handed to Green for inspection. It seemed to be all satisfactory, and the two appeared to take a good deal of quiet satisfac- tion ont of it. In due time the minister came, and was cor- dially received, He tried to act naturally, but it was not easy work, though he did not arouse any suspicion, Finally came Robert, the proposed bride- groom, Now he looked more like himself. The ban- dage bad been removed from his eye, the disfig- urement looked to have been painted, and the mark on his cheek was only about baltf as bold as it had been. He was greeted cordially by Green and his wife, who were smiling, sleek and eminently re- spectable; and was introduced to the minister and the lawyer, After some remarks all around, it was sug- gested that the ceremony had better be per- formed at once, as the hour was late. No one was unwilling, and the happy couple stood up to be made one, Mr, and Mrs. Graceaway stood up with them. ‘This is a proud and happy moment for me,” the rascally *‘ parson ” remarked. ‘** And for me, too,” echoed his wife. ‘*Tamso glad lam going to obey you,” re- marked the smiling bride. ** We had to be a little cruel only to be kind, my dear,” remarked Mrs. Graceaway, witb smiles, The minister began the ceremony, and it was soon noticed that he was proceeding without asking or mentioning names, No one interrupted him, though the sleek ras- cal Green noticed it, and it went on until the couple were pronounced man and wife, when he said: **'You did not mention vames, I noticed, my brother,” “Really, I could have done so,” was the re- sponse, ‘‘ and perbaps should have done so, but a sbort ceremony was requested, you know. Then, it was not really necessary, for the per- sons are married as fast as the law can bind them,” ‘‘Then we are surely man and wife?” asked the groom, ‘** Positively,” was the assurance. The groom turned and kissed his smiling bride, who clung fondly to his arms, Green and wife congratulated them, warmly and heartily, and evidently in all sincerity. After that the sleek rascal turned to the shys- ter lawyer. ‘* Now, Mr. Fudgley,” he said, ‘‘ Mrs. How- mark will sign the paper you have prepared.” ‘One moment before you proceed to that,” Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective. | interrupted the new-made husband. = — a “eT see the paper, if you please.” ‘‘Why, it 1s all right, Robert,” Green as- sured, ‘‘T don’t doubt that, but I desire to see it,” The paper was given into bis band, and after a glance at it be folded it and put it in his pocket, ‘Why, what are you doing?’ demanded the “parson.” ‘* Are you crazy?” ‘“*Not exactly crazy, I guess,” was the re- sponse. ‘*I do not mean to allow my wife to sign such a document as this, however,” Green began to show signs of rising color. ‘‘T want to know what you mean by this?” he demanded, ‘‘ You know what that paper is, and it was well understood that it was to be signed immediately after the ceremony, She must sign it!” ‘She shall not sign it, sir. Do not forget that your guardiansbip over this Jady is at an end, and that she has now a busbanid to look out for her interest. Sbe bas one who intends to do it, too, Perbaps you do not recognize me, fully.” | ith a sweep of his hand he tore off a wig of curly hair, and a pair of tender whiskers, and there stood—not Robert Howmark, but Bronson Pender! A quick wiping of his face with a wet rag which he had bandy for the purpose, and the charge was complete! Green and his wife had reeled back, both pale and very much dismayed, ‘* You scoundrel!” cried Pender, then, shaking his finger at the miserable wretch. *‘ You bave been outwitted, and your villainous scheme foiled !” The folding doors between the connecting rooms at that moment rolled open, and into the room stepped Broadway Billy, Fatry-Skinny, the old ranger, and two policemen. At the same moment another man entered from tbe ball. The latter was one well kvown to every detec- tive and almost every policeman in the city, ‘* Well done, Broadway Billy!” be exclaimed, ‘*You have won my confidence, fully. This thing has been handled about as neatly as any- thing I ever saw in my life.” Billy could not belp blushing as he took the offered hand for a shake, | The pretending ‘* parson” and his wife were too surprised to speak, but stood apart from the others, quaking. As soon as Billy was done receiving congratu- lations, be turned upon them, and in a tone of keenest irony and sarcasm gave vent to his feelings, ‘‘Well, Reverend B. Greene Graceaway, and angelic wife, what seems to be the matter? You are not so smiling and full of confidence as you were awhile ago, Is anything wrong?” Green had been making an effort to regain his self-possession, and now be blurted out: ‘* What is the meaning of all this anyhow? What is this cheat? I demand some explanation, and at once, This marriage was contracted un- der a fraud, and it is null and void, It is no marriage at all. Miss Wardley, leave that man’s side at once, or I shall remove you forcibly.” ‘‘You had better not try it, you scoundrel,” warned Pender. ‘‘The marriage, sir, is as binding as it can be made,” declared the minister who bad perform- ed the ceremony. “It was not contracted un- der fraud at all, except so far as your part in it was concerned, I bad some suspicion of your not being what yon pretended, after I left you, and was made aware of the whole vile scheme before I came here, You are a villain with whom the law cannot deal too severely.” Shyster was taking advantage of the moment to sneak out of the room. **No you don’t!” suddenly cried Lieutenant Skinny, and he laid hold upon his collar. ‘I can take care of you,” And he could. The shyster was a little man, and Skinny’s weight anchored him as fast as though he had been taken hold of by a giant, “That's right, Skinny, hold him fast,” or- dered Billy. ‘Not much danger of his getting away, though, with your weight hanging tq him, Officer, take charge of the rascal,” — The shyster protested, and declared bimsel¢ innocent of all evil intentions, but he was held on to ‘** just the same.” ‘‘ And now, Mr. Green, too green to bea ‘ par. son,’ let me have one word more with you,” Billy remarked. ‘‘ I bave had my eye on you ever since you left your native stamping-ground this morning. I suspected something was wron when I saw you in the train, and meant to fin out something about you. I have got there fine ly. All of tbe rascals who were witb you in the | a ‘ 7 9 f « CO) 4 ler — fe " | . . , > Ko / wv TpDOOKS. com ~—