Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 771 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

- wae or. ss > 2 ee surprised, an’ you came in like a ghost, but you're welcome, You're just in time, too, ter advise me erbout my flyin’-machine, I’ve got the frame o’ the thing planned out, an‘ all that’s necessary, now, is ter know how ter fly it. Have you any idee as ter the best way o’ doin’ that?” He addressed a lady who bad just come in, and if Mrs. Harding Otis had been there she would have recognized the employee who had been taken ill, though Mrs. Stannard did not look especially outof health at that moment. Ignoring the last question, she replied: ‘* Tt has come!” * What?—the motive power?” ‘¢ The blow from Percy Berthrong.” Down went the boy’s handful cf metal. ‘Say! you don’t mean it?” **But Ido. ILtold you when he escaped from the bands of law that I should hear from bim again—” ‘*Then you've seen bim?” ‘*No. IfI had I should not be here, Fred, you will find it hard to believe, but his tools, with or without him—probably the latter—in- vaded Harding Otis’s house, last night, to steal me, but through some mischance they. got the wrong woman, They carried ber away and left nosigo. lt wasa complete success, except that I was not their victim,” ‘* Who see them?” ** Nobody, except when they were masked.” ** Then how d’ye know it was Perce Berthrong, or his hired crooks?’ Fred asked. ** Who else should it be?” ‘*Mebbe tuey really got the one they was after.” “No,” Mrs Stannard answered, in a con- fidant manner. “At the first I was sure the abduction was intended for me, and I never have changed my mind, Percy Berthrong is seeking for revenge. He has started off with a mistake, but he will try again, | It isa fight to the death between him and me” CHAPTER III. TAKING BIG RISKS, A GRAY-BEARDED man of rather fine appear- ance stood at the corner of Broadway and Great Jones stress. He was in a meditative mood, but he suddenly aroused, crossed the latter street and accosted a boy who was passing. ‘*Say, my lad, what’s your name?” he asked. The boy ——_ arded him doubtfully. ° ‘* Et might be Washington Adams Bonaparte,” he replied, after a pause, ‘*But it is not. Ain’t you Fred Walsing- ham?" “Ter be frank, you’ve guessed it, in part. Frederick Walsingham Mather is my handle; commonly called Foxy Fred. Now, how’d you git onto it?” ** 1 saw you in court, during the trial of a man named Percy Berthrong. You were instru- mental in bringing bim to justice.” ‘*T was, a few.” “He had a wife who figured in the case, also. Can you tell me where she is?” ** Dead!” ** Indeed! that’s bad!” The sudden gravity of the man’s face attested to his sincerity in making the exclamation, Foxy Fred bad been eying him with attention, which was a good deal tinctured with sus- ap but this disappeared visibly as he noted is companion’s change of expression. “Et wight be worse, mister, fer the dead sometimes rise, Ef you kin give good reasons fer it, I reckon she might rise from her shroud.” ‘* Don’t trifle with me.” ** 1 ain’t goin’ ter.” “Then your words must mean that she is living.” ‘*That’s erbout the size of it.” ‘*'You doubtless had your motive in keeping back the fact, at first, so we will let that pass, I want to see this lady— Ber throng’s wife,” “Why?” ‘*'You seem determined to get information, rather than give it, but I will be frank, You are aware, of course, that he was sentenced to State Prison for a long term of years, but that he escaped before they could get bim to the doors of Sing Sing, Since then no trace of him has been found, The police bave been duly active, but be has not been located. Now, I am a detective—Jethro Warden, is my name —and I have been following the clew patiently, At last I think I have the clew, and I want Mrs, Berthrong to see a certain man and decide whether it is he.” Do you want ber ter ,Sit done up?” ** ‘What do you mean?” “Perce Berthrong would kill her at sight, J ey RE BE RG BES ET EIR ES AA, 9 oT UNE peel i ER eh eh in AE Ril al harry rr ee ee ORY S Fred’s Odd Pard. think, ef he gotachance. His cruelty, crimes an’ desertion put her ag’inst him, an’ of course he is p’izou mad ag’ inst her fer the share she had in bringin’ bim ter justice, before, Sbe would be runnin’ a big risk ter go near bim, or the man s’posed ter “be him,” ‘*But it would mean her final safety, as he would be unmasked, recaptured and sent to prison.” ‘* Now, see here, general: ef you reelly mean w’ot you say there ain’t no need of callin’ her in. I kin identify Perce Bertbrong as wal as any- body else. See?” Warden looked thoughtfully at the speaker, and did not answer for some time, Finally he returned: ‘Perhaps it is just as well so; perbaps it is better. I had not thought of you in connec- tion with the identification, for my mind naturally turned to the one who knew him best, but your claim gives me a new idea, Are you a boy of nerve?” “Try me!” ‘‘ By entering a certain place we can see the object of my suspicions at once, perhaps, and I should be glad'‘to have it so. Will you go?” ‘* Where is it?” “A man named Berlong keeps a printing office not far away, but bis place is more than that. He bas a good deal of space, including a small hall and several smaller rooms. It is a resort for men who have no love for the law, Crooks go there and are welcome, for Berlong is no angel, He prints ‘ green- goods, ? and circu- lars which would not be approved of by the police. I have only lately learned of the place and its character, and by a lucky strokeI have been introduced to Berlong as onesof the fly fraternity. Ihave his promise to print me some documents, and can make this an excuse for going there.” ‘*But where does Perce Berthrong come in?” ‘*T think he’s the foreman, there.” sé Ah!” ‘*He is flying very light, if it is Berthrong, but that is natural. Now, I would like you to see him,” ‘* Has it occurred ter you that be will see me, too?” asked Foxy Fred, dryly. ‘* He is not likely to take much notice of you, and even if he does, what then? I shall arrest him on the spot, and he will have no chance to do you harm,” Fred meditated, It was not pleasant to think of going into a place avowedly the resort of law- breakers, where many u.en migbt chance to be present, with one among them who had reason ty hate him bitterly, and was desperate enough to do any evil deed, but, from the time when Berthrong escaped, Fred bad been anxious to see him recaptured, There could be no safety for the crook’s wife while he was at liberty. The boy suddenly arrived at a decision, ‘** Heave ahead!” he directed. **Good! Come with me; but let me observe as we go that you must be careful, Don’t at- tract attention to yourself by staring fixedly at the foreman, Take your survey secretly and casually, as it were; and be sure to act as if wholly at your ease, » * Allright; Pll be ez cunnin’ ez a fox, fer my name comes from that beast. Foxy Fred, the Keener, is my full handle. I ought ter do some- thin’ on that, but mebbe I can’t. The Fifv’ avenoo dudes travel on their shape, but they look like umbrella-sticks,” Warden was pleased to find his companion so cool and nonchalant, and much of bis fear bad abated by the time the place of trial wes reached. He expected Berlong, the printer, to receive him as a full-fledged crook, and he hoped he could work ‘the Keener ” through satisfac- torily, if the latter kept his nerve. On the otber hand they were going among desperate men, and any little mistake might cost them dear. The printing-office was on the second floor of a plain brick building, and when they bad as- cended the stairs and entered the rooms thus used, there was nothing to distinguish it from an ordinary printing-office, The main room was larger than seemed neces- sary, for the equipments did not fill it, and, for that matter, only one press was busy and but three compusitors at work, Warden gave them a sweeping glance, and a, turned to the right and entered the “ of- ce,’ Evidently they went on style but little at Ber- long’s, The office was long and rude, and boxes and barrels, dirt and confusion, and other things, attested to the fact that order was nota feature of the business, ee. wee a 7 a au “ : ad “ = - ii ‘ y ro a) es J bss pea Oe, A tts, Ps * « ft : s 3 A stout, florid-faced man sat at the desk. ‘‘ Good-morning, Mr. Beriong,” spoke the de- tective, politely. “Ab! is it you, Mr, Nash? Glad to see you. Sit down! Anything I can do for you?” ‘* Are you very busy?” sé No ” ** Well, I’ve got a job of printing, and I don’t know just how to make up the blanks thereof. I wanted your advice.” ‘* Allright. Heave ahead!” ‘Well, then, I’ve got a scheme for making an honest dollar out of ministers. I want cir- culars printed which will inform them I am compiling what I term ‘The Year Book of Preachers,’ lt will give, my circular will say, the year of each preacher’s birth; year of bis graduation from college, if at all; year of his ordination; each pulpit he has filled, and a lot of other statistics, To get this I want a big neat-looking blank, a copy of which I shall send to every minister in the United States.” ‘‘With an invitation to pony up?” suggested Berlong, smiling. ‘‘ Yes: it costs ten dollars a head to go in.” ‘© And the book will be issued— when?” ‘* About the year 2500!” ‘*T thought so. Well, Pll help you on the blank, and I hope your honest endeavor will be rewarded. I see you have a draft of what you want. Let me look it over, and I will soon de cide,” They began to confer. All this while Foxy Fred had been sitting in silence, and no attention being paid bim. He had kept his eyes open, hoping the foreman would cross the space of which he had view through the open door, but no one appeared. The compositors in the next room dawdled over their work, and it was clear that they were not genuine, honest type-setters. They had faces like sneak-thieves, and an air which bespoke their lawless nature, Warden and Berlong did not agree upon the circular, avd their discussion was prolonged, Warden insisted upon a system which the other man claimed was almost impossible, and the lat- ter finally said: ‘Let me call my foreman in, He is a prac- tical , printer, and will tell you just what is best.” ‘‘ All right; call him,” the detective agreed, Berlong whistled through a tube, Warden exchanged glances with Foxy Fred, The crisis was at hand, and the man believed to be the escaped convict would soon be at hand, too. Jt was a striking and momentous period. The ‘‘ Keener” sat well back and hoped to get the first view, but Percy Bertbrong surely would recognize him as soon as he saw him. Then—what then? The Keener and Warden were alone. Five men would be opposed to them; all law-breakers and criminals; men, perhaps, wbo would not hesitate to do murder, if necessary. A step sounded at the door. A coatless man, unshaven and ink-smeared, walked in, Foxy Fred recognized Percy, the convict, CHAPTER IV, THE RULE OF THE REVOLVERS, Ir was evening. Harding Otis was walking slowly along the street, his head bent in thought, During the day, when in the company of an member of bis bousehold, he bad preserved bis air of being indifferent to the disappearance of Clarice Walbridge, but, nevertheless, the mat- ter had set heavily upon bis mind, He was now returning from an errand, which, if known to others, would have surprised those who thought him so indifferent. The street wes lonely and nearly deserted, it seemed, and the locality one not noted for devo- tion to the precepts of law, but be could not have told, if asked suddenly, whether he was on that street or Fifth avenue, A footstep sounded behind him, his bead suddenly. In bis present mood almost anything might have occurred in front of bim without attract- ing any real attention, but a footfall in the rear, never a thing pleasant to the ear, meant a good deal to him. There were reasons why he had cause to fear anything secret. He tried to turn, but, as he did so,a blanket of some sort was ‘thrown over his head, Then an erm encircled his neck, and be was pulled off from his feet, He tried to call for help, to escape. He strug- gled fiercely, but the power against him was too strong. He was borne intoa doorway, and held by more than one pair of hands. Every moment he expected a stroke which would end his career; perhaps the thrust of a He raised