Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

~_ — engine stood still; then out poured the passen- gers, everybody in haste to get somewhere, Billy and bis companions were sluwer than the others, making a show of getting their effects fished up from under their seats at the last mo- ment, but really killing time to let the suspected ones go out of the car abead of them, They, however, were in no hurry either, and it was not until the car was getting emptied that they rose to go out, Billy had his eyes on them, while pretending not to look their way at all. He saw the hard-visaged woman give a jerk at the arm of the girl, while the man caught hold of ber other arm and lifted ber to her feet with no gentle effort. At this the girl broke into tears, sobbing aloud. ‘Shut up that, now!” Billy heard the map hiss at her. ‘*[f ye don’t, you'll be sorry, that’s all.’ At the same time the elegantly dressed couple glanced around to see if any one was paying at- tention to the scene, No one appeared to be, and, in fact, no one was, save Billy. The girl gave another stifled sob or two, and all went forward and passed out of the car be- hind the crowd, Billy and bis partners sought the opposite door, and stepped down to the long platform about the same time the suspects were getting out, Hence, the detective trio were behind the sad-faced girl’s keepers as they made their way to the ferry, and did not put themselves in the way of being seen at all, though Billy did not — sight of any of the party while crossing the erry, On the New York side the usual rush was mude, and bere Billy and his ** pards” were in the front ranks, Billy bad a reason for wanting to be the first off, if he could, for there was no chance for the party to escape bim now until eT had emerged to the street, aking their way out tothe line of howling cabmen, Billy quickly selected one and hustled the ranger, Skinny and their bundles into his vehicle, but paused himself to talk with the dehu. ** Well, what’s your terms these days he asked, ‘‘ Do you sock it on as largel when you get a chance?” The cabby looked at Billy in amazement, ‘“* ‘You have got the best of me,” he declared, “* You seem to know me, but hang me if I know you. No;I never sock it on; only the regular rates, you know, But, where to?” ‘* Yes, I know you, you bet!” Billy laughed. **1 know you skip a hayseed every time you get hol-i of one, if be will let you. But, be easv, for Pll pay yon well enough, You see, Patsey, old socks, I’ve got a diffikilty on hand—” **Great mackerel!” cried the astounded cab- man, ‘‘if it ain't Broadway Billy!” ‘** Nobody else,” Billy assured, ‘* But, keep it still now!” The cabmavu aad made a grab at Billy’s band and was trying to wring it off, or seerned to be, ** Easy, now,” cautioned Billy, and he spoke in tones of caution. “I want you to follow a certain party who are coming off this boat, Don’t let them suspect it, but don’t lose them. Let’s step around to the other side, and I’) put you onto them,” ‘* Still up to your old tricks, I see, Billy,” tbe cabman remarked, grinning, as he followed Billy’s lead around the rear of his vehicle. *‘ But, you know Patsey, and be’ll follow them if they go to the moon,” Partly out of sight, Billy watched, and pres- ently the party caine off and out upon the street. The well-dressed couple were ahead, while the other man and woman, with the girl, were fol- lowing a few steps bebind. Billy indicated them carefully to the cabman, and together they watched to see what they in- tended doing. They had not long to remain in unc: rtainty. Tie man of the clerical appearance pushed right forward to a carriage, one of the larger sort, and as soon as the driver sprung to his call he hurried the woman, the man, and the girl into it. He closed the door upon them instantly, and made terms with the driver, paying him in ad- vence for the services he was to render. “That done, he and his woman companion crossed the street, arm in arm, and went up to- wari Groad way. _ “Sweet pertaters!” exclaimed Billy, ‘this means a division of force, right off, quick. Patsey, you follow the carriage, and be sure you don’t miss the place the game gets out at. Skin- ny isinside— Don’t faint; no time to explain Patsey ?” y as ever Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective. oe now; he bas got fat. He is inside, and he will take note of things. See that there’s no mistake, No time to waste. Youtell him, Ta-ta!” And with a wave of the hand Billy was gone, leaving the cabman and Fatty-Skinny to follow the other trail, But, Billy knew his man, and knew it would be all right, Hastening forward, Billy soon came within good uistance of the man and woman he must follow, They were going along arm in arm, models of propriety and goodness, and had he seen them thus for the first time he could not have doubted their priestly calling and goodly walk in life, As it was, he could not help looking upon them as the sleekest pair of hypocrites he had ever seen in bis life, and their every motion was in itself a declaration of their true characters. Billy was firm in his suspicion of them, and it would be hard to shake bis faith, When they reached Broadway they turned up that great thoroughfare, and ere very long en- tered a leading hote). “This is all right,” said Billy to himself. ** Now, if Skinny and Patsey don’t make a mess of their part of it we will have them where the bair is short, and not a great deal of time lost either,” Giving them a little start, Billy entered the hotel too, and was at the right moment to see the man entering his name on the register, Billy was well dressed, as we know, and looked what he really was, now, a young gentleman of our model nation, of sturdy, self-made men of every walk in life, As the man had had his back to hi=z all the way ip the train, Billy bad no fear of being recognized, 80 went boldly forward to theclerk’s desk, and stood waiting, as if to be served next with hotel accommodations, The man finished, exchanged some remarks with the clerk, and went away with one of the porters. The moment he had gone Billy stepped to the register and read what he had putdown, The entry was as follows: “ Rev. B, GREENE GRACEAWAY, AND WIFE, ‘* Washington, D. C.” Billy had done well, and knew it. Whatever was to come of it, he bad followed this pair to their present stopping-place, and was accord- ingly- satisfied. CHAPTER IV. AT THE THRESHOLD OF HOME, ‘* WELL, what can I do for you?” the hotel clerk politely asked. ‘*] guess my uncle hasn’t got here yet,” Billy observed, taking another look up and down the page. “Your uncle?” said the clerk, ‘* What is his name?” ‘* Horace Hamperton, sir.” ‘* No; no such name as that here, sir, the polite information, ** Maybe he will be here before night, If he stops here, here is where I will put up, too, Good day, and thank you, sir.” ** Good-day, sir,” Billy knew the fact that the hotel clerk is a power io the land, and was as polite to this one asa French cook to a liberal marketman. He might bave occasion to call there again, Going out, he sauntered up the street, {t was useless for him to think of finding Skinny and the old ranger now, and he could only await their arrival at the final destination, Billy’s home, ‘‘Sweet pertaters!” he said to himself, as he sauntered up the familiar street, ‘the fellow that said there is no place like home knew what he was talking about. There is only one city in the world, and its name is New York!” He noted many changes, of course, When one goes away from home it is a signal for the place to take on changes as fast as possible until bis return, Suddenly he thought of the old corner where the old stand stood, and he was all eagerness to get there and see it again, Perbaps it was open, and either his mother or Mrs, Callahan would be there, Pushing forward with eager haste he presently came in sight of it, and found it open for busi- ness as of old, with a lad in charge who was almost the counterpart of what Skinny had been about the time he first made his acquaintance, It was a brother of the ‘‘ Lean” Lieutenant, as Billy quickly recognized, who had been was : / - 7 ‘' - : - - | ‘ 4 » ptrsd '<. fuss Dies ont att. oe f 18 pape snes Feit Lv SIL © nn ee” . aes - 34 . i alehd hed e' Sb 3 Bie MS St pressed into service during the absence of partners, Billy knew bim more by his resem- blance to Skinny than from any knowledge he had ever had of the boy, and knew he would never recognize him, Stopping a little distance off, he took a sur- vey of the stand before approaching nearer, ‘‘ Sweet pertaters!” he exclaimed under his breatb, ‘‘1 have been growing scme sure enough. The place that knew me once will know me no more forever, by crackey! I have outgrown my small clothes as sure as I’m alive. I’m too big fer the business, no use talking. But, I’m not sorry, for I’m edging on to twenty-one, now, and meant to drop out of it. Sweet per- taters!” he ejaculated again, ‘‘how little and mean it does look, anyhow! Ha, ha, ha! Why, when I had my eye on this stand, and the one ambition of my soul was to possess it, it looked as big in my eye as Stewart's big store. That is natural, I suppose.” Natural or not, Billy spent a moment in sad reflection. He saw himself as he was now, and realized that his boyhood days had gone for- ever. It might yet be possible for bim to play boy a little longer, but the fact remained that he was a@ man, or very near it. While he stood there he saw some familiar faces, men who had been bis customers, some of them, and was startled to find that be was as big in stature as most of them, and larger than some, ’ ‘Its no use, William,” he said to himself. ‘* You may kick up your heels and be frisky for a little while longer if you want to, but the grim fact is here that you are a pretty old boy, and your days of lugging a leather pol- isher’s kit around on your shoulder are gone forever. No use your spilling any salt, sad tears over it, either, Sweet pertaters! I wonder if I am any nearer to gaining the confidence of In- spector Br—— Ha, ha, ba! That bas been the dream of my life, so far, but I guess I have almost graduated in my special line, and per- haps he would nod his bead at me if I called around to see him, But, no more of this,” Bidding adieu to his dreams, he went forward to the stand. Skinny’s brother was on the alert for business at once, and made ready to display any of the articles in stock that might be called for. ‘Is this the stand that used to be run by a lad named Broadway Billy?’ the ex-gamin asked, ‘Yes, sir,” was the answer; ‘‘this is the ” ‘* Where is Billy now, do you know?” ‘*He has been away a jong time, sir, but is ’spected home ter-day.” “The reason I ask,” Billy explained, ‘‘ I used to know his mother, and wanted to inquire where she lives. Can you tell me that?” Yes, the lad could, and he did, ‘¢Do you know whether she is well or not?” Billy next asked, and with some eagerness, ‘*Oh, yes, she is well, sir,” was the assuring report. ‘* She was sick a few days ago, but she is all right again now. You will! find ’em mak- in’ a great time over tbere to welcome Billy and. my brother bome.,”’ ‘* Your brother? Ob, yes, be was the shadow who used to be seen here when the day was clear and light strong enough. Oh! yes, l remember Skinny. ‘Ha, ha, ba! How is be?” The lad was looking at Billy curiously now. **Ob, he was well the last we beard,” he an swered. ** And as thin as ever?” ‘‘Thinner,” tre latter declared. ‘‘ Mom is real worried about him, sir.” ‘*Ha, ba, hal” Jaughed Billy. ‘‘Oh! sweet pertaters! but this is too rich, or it will be when that dear skeleton falls upon his mother’s collar bone and weeps his tears of joy all over her breastpin! Ha, ha, ha! Say, Jerry, you little rat, you don’t know me, do you?’ ‘‘ Tt must be Billy himself!” the lad gasped, ‘‘ Billy it is, bless your little heart! could almost hug you for your brother’s sake, for you look lke he used to, I'll have to hug you, if I want to hug anybody, too, I guess, for he is past hugging now,” Billy had taken the little fellow’s hand and shaken it warmly. “ Why, what’s the matter with Skinny?” the lad asked, with a little of alarm in his tone, ‘* Ob, nothing, only he’s got so awfu! thin now that there is nothing to hug,” explained Billy; and then he went off into another fit, ‘*Come, you little terrapin,” Billy presently ordered, ‘‘shut up shop and come along home with me and get a share of the good things you were telling meabout. This is a holiday for the firm of Weston and CalJaban,” - =) a ira! y! , t ‘ve A, Wee 7 i - se " ce. MA AaD vii ig u ey > _- = ee a te 4 fe 7 mere of 7 ‘ mM % ;