Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 793 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

- > ~ - ee ~~ me — —S, i te i et = _ Be = 14 ‘+ Ob, yes, of course,” ‘t And I gets forty a month now, sir.” ** As Crumbs speaks of you so highly, [ll give ‘you fifty.” ‘* Now, I have a ‘young man that I wish to get a place for as butler, and lll give you fifty Sollars in cash if you can put him in your po- sition.” ‘¢) can do it, sir, I know.” * All right. Simply say you are going away, and have a friend to put in your place.” “* Yes, sir; it will be all right, sir, for I en- gages the help, and I'll tell the master I puts the man in my place until my return. ‘* Where is he, sir?” ** T}] send-him to your address this afternoon, and you can see how: he does about the house, and the table.” ‘* Yes, sir, just: send him to me, sir, James - Belt, butler at»Carroll mansion, —— avenue, Hyde Park,” ‘* All right, and bere are your fifty dollars, so you had better come with me now. to the hotel ‘to see how things are, as I will be away when you arrive to-morrow,” * Yes, sir.” Getting upon the box with the driver of the carriage, while his employer got inside, the-but- ler found himself in a short while at the Grand Pacific Hotel. The detective had engaged a parlor and bed- room, with a small room next for his valet, and James Bel was presented at the office as his valet who would come and take charge the next day. ! Then the butler Hastened home again and let ‘it be known in the servants’ hall that he was called away by serious illness in his family, but thad secured a man in his place, : At luncheon he made bold, he said, to tell Mr. Leo Carrollof his going, and bis having secured even a better man than himself. ‘All rigbt, Belt, 80 long as he is a good man; ae if he is worthless out he goes,” said Leo Car- roll, ‘*T wish we could have Crumbs back again, my son, for be was such an able man, and’ so kindly in bis way,” said Mr. Samuel Carroll, who had greatly changed since his daughter’s suicide, in spite.of his son’s devoted attention.” ‘* If you wish bim, father, all right, I will look him up; but I never liked the man,” , ‘‘Taen we won't have bim, Leo, no, indeed,” ‘was ths answer, At four o’clock the new butler arrived. He had a livery similar to that of Belt, and ‘was a slender, sprightly fellow with small side whiskers, glasses, and hair parted in the middle, while his accent was English enough to please ithe greatest of American Anglomaniacs. ‘* My name is Pry, sir, Silas Pry,” he said, to Belt, who was delighted with him, He found the new man ready to learn, quick as lightning, and he brougbt the very best of recommendations as to bis honesty and ability. The .old butler took great delight in intro ducing the new one to the servants, and saw that he made a good impression on them, To Leo Carroll he said: ‘t He’s most thorough, sir, and his only objec- ‘tion is his glasses,” ‘* 1m delighted to know that he wears glasses. ‘* It is a new fad in butlers, ‘* What is his name, Belt?” ** Silas Pry, sir.” ‘** What aname, yet what’s in a name,” laugh- od Mr, Carroll, and soon after Pry came in with the soup, Belt. stood watching him with eagle eye, but mot. a fault could he find in the new man’s ser- vice, ‘* He is simply perfect, father,” said Leo Car- roll after dinner, ** Yes, I like bim, my son, ‘‘ He is so gentle with me,” wa: the answer, After dinner Belt said to the new man: ‘* You area good one. [ll drink your very good health, Mr. Pry.” ‘¢ Thank you, sir, but I never indulge,” “‘A butler who never drinks,” cried Belt in rise, ben. he showed Pry to his room, and gave him further instructions, after which he went in to tay good-by to the two masters, 9 ell, my man, good-by and succegs to you, ‘‘ Here’s alittle change for you,” and Mr. Carroll handed him several five-dollar bills. ‘* Good-by, Belt, and let me say that you won't det. us miss you as your friend is such a good man. ‘*Let me see; there ig a, month and two days to. yout? ts es ‘T'll make it two months,” and the money Dick Doom in Chicago. was handed over to the delighted butler, who ey it over when he got into the hall and said: “ Fifty for getting Pry the place; twenty from the old man, and forty from the young one one hundred and ten in all, and ten dollars more a month and nothing to do but to travel. ‘* James Belt, you are in great luck.” CHAPTER XXVII. THE UNTIRING FERRET. THE new butler had not been long in his place before he won his way to the hearts of all those who dwelt at the Carroll mansion, The cook was delighted with him, the house girl thought him ‘just charming,” the kitchen girl said that he even» treated her with marked respect, and the gardener, coachmun and stable boy voted him a trump, while Brush, the valet who acted for both Mr. Samuel Carroll and his son, said he was ‘‘a very nice man,” But better than these opinions were those expressed by the. old gentleman and Leo Carroll, They were more than pleased with him, for he was devoted to the comforts of Mrs Samuel Varroll, and no anatter what hour he came home, Leo Carroll found him ready to receive him, Some few weeks after his arrival at. the mansion Brush was taken, ill, but instead of allowing a new valet to be secured Silas Pry at once said he could and would do the work until the sick man recovered. In this work he proved himself just as able as he was asa butler, and bis care of the old gentleman was really touching, His devotion to the son was equally as great also, and Leo said one day: ‘¢ We bave a gem in that man, father.” ** We have indeed, my son, **T have been better ever since he came, 1 do believe,” was the answer. ‘* Yes, it is his eure of you, father,” Just six weeks after the arrival of the new butler he was taken seriously ill one day. Brush was able to resume his duties, and so helped out as butler for a day or two, hen a letter came from adoctor that Silas Pry was too ill to return, and was going to his bome in Michigan, but to keep his place open for him if posssible, _ The very day that Silas Pry was taken ill and had to leave the Carroll mansion Dick Doom re- turned to the Grand Pacific Hotel, He found Belt there enjoying his idleness and flirting with the chambermaids, and startled him by saying: ‘Pack up your traps, Belt, and go out to board with Crumbs until my return, for Iam again called away. | ‘“‘ But let me give you a piece of good advice, and that is to keep away from the Carroll man- sion, and avoid being seen by the servants, for that butler has left there, and until I can come back to prove your innocencein certain matters, you bad best remain in hiding.” “Pll do it, sir, Pll do it,” cried the terrified Belt, perhaps hurt by a guilty conscience of some uct of guilt in the past. To alarm him tbe more Dick Doom put him in a carriage, to drive up to the cottage of Crumbs, and Belt pulled down the curtains while en route, considering himself a marked man, from all that Dick Doom had given him to understand about his having met Mr, Leo Car- roll, whom he knew well, and inferring that what he had beard came from that gentleman, Among Jule’s accomplishments was reading French, and Belt carried a note to her in that language from Dick Doom. Its contents were: i. er Belt at your home until my return. Do not let him go out, or see any one, I will pay liberally all expenses,” Just as’ soon as the vehicle rolled away, with the frightened Belt inside, another departed for the depot, with Dick Doom. His ticket was purchased to Santa Fe, New Mexico, via St. Louis, and he took a sleeper through as far as it went. It was a long ride, but in due time Santa Fe was reached, and after’a short rest at the hotel the oer detective started out upon another trail. This time his trail’ was'to find Leo Leffing- well, after he hadleft Denver on his way South, {t was no wert task, but money makés men energetic, and after two days’ hard work Dick Doom struck a clew, The clew which Dick Doom found was that on @ certain date, which about. compared witb his idea of the time it should have been, aman by . to the name of Leffingwell had arrived in Santa Fe and came in company with a wagon-train. He had ‘stayed but one day in town and the hotel was named, Thither Dick Doom went and there was the name he sought upon the books, The landlord told’ him that Mr. Leffingwell bad taken a guide there to go toacertain part of the mining country, and be would find the man for him, He was soon found, a Mexican guide by the name of Juan, and who spoke English well. ** You guided Mr, Leffingwell from here upon such and such a date?’ ‘** Yes, senor.” : “Where did you take him?’ ‘*To the mining country, senor.” ** You know the place?” ** Well, senor,” ‘‘Did Mr, Leffingwell find the place he sought?’ ‘*Ob yes. senor, and he said a friend of his would come along some day and he would write him to look up Juan’ the guide,” a) Yes,” . ‘* Are you his friend, ‘senor?” - [ am, and I will pay you well to guide me te him,’ ‘*T will be glad to, senor, *¢ ‘When do you start?” ** At once,” was the decided response. CHAPTER XXVIII FOUND, In a wild partof the mining country of New Mexico, a man sat in frontof an humble cabin one pleasant Sunday afternoon, apparently en- joying the beautiful scenery about him, for a book lay near him |where he’ had cast it aside some time before. | The book was in German and was a copy of Schiller. A violin’was upon a bench near, and upon a rude table were pen, ink anc paper. The man was of striking appearance, Tall, splendidly formed, darkly bronzed but with strikingly handsome face, and with dark- blue eyes full of expression. His hair was worn long, hanging upon his broad shoulders, and bis beard fell to his waist, both hair and .beard being of a rich brown in hue, About his waist wasa belt of arms; his pants were stuck in the tops of high boots, bé wore a blue woolen shirt, and upon his head was a sombrero. ! The appearance of the man, in spite of his rude surroundings, indicated refinement and ove who knew the world. ‘*T must write to my pard again and know why he does not not’come, for though the mine pans out far less than he expected, it certainly will give us a good: Start and pays better than a cattle ranch with few hoofs upon it. ‘¢‘T cannot understand his saying that I must keep the mine a8 My own, as he has struck it rich North, ‘*) must understand him better, for [ have no claim upon this mine other than what he gives me, and I don’t like the hints of some of the miners that he got it’ by killing one who was his ard, arr He told me a friend of his had died and left it to him, and that he had placed a man in charge, who was to work it, ‘‘Then came news that the man had found gold in paying quantities, for hé met some one who told him so, and so we started togetber and he now leaves me in full possession, | ‘**T dont exactly like it either. ‘* He saved my life that day in Abileno, and I have stuck to him ever since; but there is something very mysterious about my pard, be- yond sch finding out. ‘*T will write him again and see what he says, for I do not wish always to dwell in the wilder- ness, ‘* Ah! there comes some one up the trail, ** Yes, two horsemen,” He glanced down into the valley and beheld two horsemen, and'saw them turn into a trail which led tohiscabin, ~ As they drew nearer the miner recognized one of the men and Called out: ‘* Ho, Juan, how are you, old man? ‘ 4 thought at first you had my pard with ou. ‘‘ { have, senor.” : ** Pardon me, sir, but Juan was so told by me, t him to guide me here, * You are Mr. Leffingwell?” ** Yes, sir.” | i ‘Leo Leffingwell?” | ** That is the name I jay claim to, sir, ‘* How can'I serve you?” ~) oo =«~ ~ a A a ay ye <I — - — - ’ | ee eee ees et —e ~<. 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