Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 769 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 Broadway Billy, the Retriever Detective. i “ —— ‘* Sweet pertaters!” he exclaimed, on seeing this, ‘* here is good Juck or bad, one or the other, and hang me if I know which it is going to be. If I could only talk Chinese now I would be all hunk, But, 1 can’t. I can talk considerable of U. §., however, and I'll have to make that an- swer the purpose,” He was about crossing the street to the house, when something caused him to stop. That something was the sudden appearance around the corner of the man Jake, ‘** Hello!” Billy said to bimself, ‘‘T’ll bet my hat against your boots,, Willyum, that Skinny ain’t far behind,” He waited, and sure enough Skinny soon put in an appearance, Watching bim for a moment, Billy wanted to see what kind of detective shadowing he was a of doing. Skinny appeared to be looking neither to the right nor the left, nor in any other direction in particular. He strolled abead as though aim- lessly. The man Jake had stopped opposite the house, and only a few steps from where Billy was standing, and was taking a leisurely survey of the premises as tbough he had some idea of buy- ing the house, Skinny crossed the street, and disappeared behind the next corner, and Billy wondered whetber he hadn’t Jost the trail. In a few seconds he was reassured, There was a saloon on that corner, the corner furthest from Billy, andina moment Billy saw his ally looking out the window of that delectable ‘‘ shebang.” ‘* He is a jewel, and no discount,” Billy said to himself, ‘* He had his eve on his man all the time, and seeing bim stop here, dodged into that place to watch bim out of the window, That wasn’t slow, Skinny, and I’m going to promote you, Pll make you acaptain, just as sure as your name is Jim. Wonder if he recognizes me? Anyhow, I won’t give him the tip, for it might make him careless,” Billy stopped short in his reflections, for the man Jake had stepped up to him. ** You live ’round here, John?’ he asked. ** Me live ovel on Mott stleet,” was Billy’s an- swer. **Oh! ye do, hey? Darn meif you ain’t the best-lookin’ Chinee I ever seen in New York, W hat’s yer name?” ‘** Name Sam Kee,” was the prompt response, ‘*Got any friends around here?” ‘* None light here,” answered Billy, ‘‘ Fliends - Mott stleet. Me not long ’go comee flom San lisco,” **Ob! that’s it, is it? Then you don’t know who lives in that house over there where the Chinese sign is, of course.” ri me don’t know, me just out lookee ’lound ittle. “Ob, allright. I only wanted to know, that’s all. Much ’bliged to ye, John; you are a purty decent sort of Chinee,” With that Mr, Jake turned and walked away afew paces, took another survey of the house, and passed on up the street. Billy looked to see if Skinny was going to fol- low him further, and presently saw his fat lieu- tenant put in an appearance and saunter off in the same direction, ** He’s good for him,” thought Billy. ‘‘ I’ll bet he will track him to his lodging place, or wher- ever he roosts, and find out all about bim that is to be learned, Iam proud of you, Skinny, and some day I’}l tell you so.” The coast all clear now, Billy had to act. So far he bad learned no more than had the man Jake. And what he had gained very evi- dently could not have been much. Taking only a look at the outside of the house was not going to reveal what might be within, any more than studying the outside of a prize- package would yive knowledge of its contents, Of course both Billy and the man had the general information that here the girl was im- prisoned, guarded by the man and woman— Burke Wedger and his wife, Mary Aun, And in respect to this Billy had the advantage of Jake, He knew Burke wus not now within, Without long puzzling his head concerning what good Jake’s visit to the place could have done him, Billy crossed the street and boldly entered the ball door of the barracks, The smell of all that was evil greeted him immediately, but he meant to face the music and so did not Jet that deter him from going further. Tbe hall was somewhat dark, but Billy made out the stairs, and proceeded up them as though he was quite at home there, He heard talking above, and knew some Chinamen had their home somewhere in tbat direction, This was to his liking, for his presence in the hall would not be so likely to arouse suspicion, At the first landing he stopped to listen. Some talking in the nearest room proclaimed Italian tenants there, proof, he concluded, that that was not the place he wanted to find. Going further he fared better, When he reached the next landing he heard a woman talking in tones more forcible than polite, and ina louder tone than caution would have sug- gested, ‘*You want to shut right up this sniveling, now,” she was saying, *‘ or it will be the worse for you. ‘‘I’ll give ye somethin’ to remember, if ye don’t.” ‘Oh! please have mercy on me and let me get away!” pleaded a different voice. ‘‘I will do anythirg in the world for you, afterward, whenilam able. I will give youa good deal more money than you will ever get out of my guardian.” ‘Oh, now, you have said that before, and you haven’t a dollar to your name, All you have got is the duds on your back, and they ain’t any toomany. Besides, we are not waiting for dol- lars to grow.” A sob was plainly heard. ‘*Sbut up, I say!” the woman growled. “If you do that again, Ill give you something tocry about, If you try to make a noise to draw at- tention, Vl lick ye within aninch of your life, ahd if you holler for help, I'll spoil your beauty if | have to poke one of your eyes out!” The fierceress with which this was said told Billy she meant it,and he knew the prisoner was cowed to silence, ** You bave got to do as your guardian wants you to this time, young miss, and no more fool- in’ about it,” the woman went on. ‘* You are makin’ a fool of yourself, if you only knowed it, He has done his duty by you all these years, and now for you to defy him at last is the worst thing you could do, I don’t blame him, nota bit I don’t.” ‘* But, Mrs, Wedger, you know how I hate Robert Howmark, and I never can give willing consent to marry bim.” ‘**'You are a fool!” cried the woman. ‘‘ He is a fine young gentleman in every way, and it is only because you have got your head full of fool ideas about Bronson Pender that you are so stubborn, He is worth a dozen of that poor up- start, and if you have not the sense to know it, your guardian is going to see to it for you. Now I don’t want another word with you, and it won’t be well for you if I have to come in here again. I warn you of that,” After that there was the slamming of a door, and Billy beard a sigh from tbe fair prisoner. ‘‘Here’s another notch in my stick,” Billy thought, ‘* There is another lover in the case, it seems, whose nameis Bronson Pender. I must remember names, Then, too, the so-called par- son is the young lady’s guardian, I have got that. much down fine as a crowbar, anyhow. Well, here I am; what am I going to do?” He reflected. What be desired was, to see the young lady and talk with her. If be could do that, by any means, and inspire her with some hope, then it might be more easy for her to hold out against her foes, He was at the front of the hall, on the third floor of the house, and the room in which the young woman was seemed to be a small hail bedroom, opening into the larger room adjoin- ing. I'hese facts he had gathered from hearing the woman go out and close a door after her, There was, as the reader will understand, a door from the hall into the room where the pris- oner was, but that, as Billy knew well enough without trying it, was secured. He thought it all over well, and decided that if he expected to be of any help to the girl he must not let the woman find out he was there, Hence, if was useless for him to try and see her, But, could he not talk with her through the door. This he decided to try, at all risks, His first proceeding was to tap gently with his finger-nails a sort of tattoo on one of the panels, He listened, and the low sobbing he had heard had now ceased, Again he tapped, and after that, putting his lips to the keyhole he whispered, as loudly as he dared: ‘**Do you hear me, young lady?” Billy beard her move and come to the door. ‘*Be careful not to make a noise,” he cau- tioned. ‘ Do—you—hear—me?” ‘Yes, sir, I hear you,” came the whispered answer, in excited breaths, ‘‘ Who are you?” ‘**T ama friend,” Billy made known, ‘I am a here to help you, but I cannot do anything yet, further than talk with you a minute. be afraid to tell me,” CHAPTER IX. A FINAL HOME CONSULTATION, ‘THanK God! My prayers are answered So Buly heard the girl exclaim in yet lower tone, to herself. , ‘* You must tell me who you are,” she said a little louder. ‘‘It seems to me I have no friend in all the world, and I must know you before I tell you much,” “And I can’t tell you who I am, any further than that fam a friend,” Billy made response, ‘‘T am here to heJp you if I can.” ‘‘How did you know I was here, and that I am a prisoner?” ‘‘T have just heard enough to tell mea good deal. I have made up my mind to help you out of here if I can.” ‘* Well, I must trust you.” ‘¢] assure you I mean just what I say.” ‘“ What do you want to know?” ‘* Will you answer some questions?” ‘‘- Yes, willingly. I am hopeless, and I be- lieve you have been sent to help me, What can I tell vou?” ‘* What is your name?” ‘‘Taura Wardley.” ‘¢ Where are you from?” ** Philadelphia,” ‘1s the Reverend B, Greene Graceaway your guardian?” a ‘*T never heard of such a person, SIT.” _ ‘‘That so? Then there must be some mistake, What is your guardian’s real name?” ‘¢ His name is Tomkins Green.” ‘* Does he look something like a preacher?” ‘‘- Yes, if you don’t know what heis, perhaps he does.” ; ‘* He is the man who brought you from Phila- delphia this morning?” ‘“ Yes: he and his wife, and their two misera- ble birelings,” : ‘¢ Why did they bring you from there to New York?” ‘* Bechuse they are afraid of the only friend I have in the world, and want to force me to marry a man of their selecting.” \”” ‘‘ Who is your friend, this Bronson Pender, whose name I heard mentioned?” “sé Yes ” “‘1s there money at stake somewhere? Are you worth a fortune in your own name, or something of that sort?” ‘* Yes, | have always understood that I should have a considerable fortune when I marry or come to legal age.” “That is about what I thought was in the wind. But, re keep a stiff upper lip, Miss Wardley,and if we don’t fix them out, it won’t be my fault.” ‘* How are you going to help me?” ‘‘Dm going to make out a case against them, and then I’)I bring the police, if necessary, and get you out of their bands that way and make them sick of their undertaking.” ‘Ob! if you can only do that!” “T can, and will, Now, pay attention to what I am goiug to tell you, Are you listen- ing?” ‘Yas, yes,” eagerly, “Well, it is this:, Perhaps you will get a chance to escape to-night. Perbaps they will leave a door unfastened, or something of that kind, andif they do that you must—”—~ Billy heard a heavy step on the stairs, and had to stop, There was considerable noise in the old bar- racks all the time, and this step bad not caught his attention until quite near. He bad been on the point of telling the girl what he had heard between Burke Wedger and Gil Brand, and so put her on her guard, but be had to spring back in order not to be detected there, The person who was coming was so close that Billy bad to beat a hasty retreat up the next flight of stairs, but he did not go all the way. Tbe hall was not very light, and he stopped and looked down over the railing. A man was striding slong toward the front door, and Billy recognized the man whuse name he had learned to be Burke Wedger. Stopping at the door near the front, he opened it and went in. With two or three basty strides Billy was at that door, his felt shoes having permitted him to move almost silently. ‘‘ Well, what of it, Burke?” he heard the wo- man greet, ‘ at " ¥ es 5 wy ~ i - ty = 4’, > ies A cy. oe &%e > c > 4 ; wl Lies # a oe Ne oe ree eel a Who are you, and why are you here asa prisoner? 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