Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 810 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

man in the hall, who bad steppe —_— oe _—_— ++ ee ee window, and at sight of whom Mrs, Rohnwald | lighter, so you could bear it more easier, It’s an wildly cried: awful thing.” ‘‘Carlotta! My child! ‘* Tell we how it happened, Mr. Parkerburg,” has killed her!” the woman asked, ‘* Nobody knows jest how it did happen, Mrs, CHAPTER VII, Rohnwald,” was thé coroner’s reply. ‘‘ He was ATTENDING INCIDENTS, found tied fast to the railroad track, and the train came along and run right over him,” Some thoughts ran like lightning through Ont: On Broadway Billy’s mind. In a brief Momenta ‘* But, he was dead ’fore that, ma’m, for the good deal of thinking can be done, body was stone cold, almost, and I have found First, be questioned, why, if this young Jaly | a dent in his head where he was hit witha and her mother were agreed that Robert Robn- | bludgeon or somethin’, It is a case of murder, wald was innocent of the crime of stealing the will, had the young woman played the y;art of Mrs, Rohnwald; seein’ that you know this much you may as well know the worst of it, He was eavesdropper? Why had she not come boldly into the room? murdered, and his murderer tied him to the Then, too, if she loved Robert so much m: rea | rails,” Mrs, Rohnwald had staggered back as though than Gustav, why should the news of his death | she had been struck a blow, and her face was affect her so? But, for that, there was the ac- | the hue of death itself. ceptable explanation that perhaps she was very | ‘‘ Murdered!’ she gasped. ‘* Murdered !” nervous, and the same news regarding one of ‘*'There don’t seem to be no doubt alout it, the servants might have produced the same ef- fect upon her, ma’in,” ‘* But, who can have done so cowardly a deed? These thoughts, and others besides, flashed through his mind in a brief moment, yet with- And for what purpose?” ‘* We don’t know, ma’m, but we are going to out any apparent hesitation or loss of time he | the place where he was found to look around,” said: ‘* No, she’s not dead, Mrs, Rohnwald; the ‘* Yes, yes, you must do that; you must not leave a stone unturned till you have learned the shock has only caused her to faint. Here, sir,” to the man-servant, ‘‘ help me to lift her and we truth—till you have discovered the wretch who will carry her into the roor here,” has done this deed, “Mr. Weston?” The servant sprung quickly to obey, and tak- She looked around suddenly seeking him. ing the insensible girl up, he and Billy carried ‘‘Here I am, Mrs, Rohnwald,” Broadway her into the room and laid ber on a lounge, | Billy responded, stepping forward, where Mrs. Rohnwald and some of the women ‘*That other matter pales into insignificance in servants, who bad come running quickly to the | the face of this terrible crime, Here is work scene, set about applying restoratives, for you indeed. Do not stop at anything till Broadway Billy, as soon as he had disposed | you have discovered the fiend who has done this of the fainted girl, stepped out again into the hall to learn what be could about the tragedy work,” ‘*T have already made up my mind to do that had just been announced, He had the | that,” Billy said modestly. thought in mind that perhaps this was the **Migbt I ask who the gentleman is, Mrs, young man who had been found dead on the | Robnwald?” said the coroner, as all eyes were railroad and run over by the Ilyer. He had!) fixed upon Billy. noted that person bad been a young man and ‘** This is Mr, Weston the detective, from New well dressed. York,” the woman hurrielly introduced, ‘‘ Mr, One of the men who had brought the body | Weston, this man is Mr. Parkerburg, the home was standing in the ball, turning his bat | coroner here, Lend him all the help in your in his bands nervously, while several others | power t> get at the truth.” were outside on the piazza in a group around ‘* You ain’t the Mr. Weston, detective, I hear a dark, dread something which lay on a rude} 80 much about in the papers, be ye?’ Mr. stretcher at their feet, and stepping to the door | Parkerburg cried; ‘‘him they call Broadway Billy quickly recognized, by the light of a | Billy?” lantern and that of the moon togethar, that ‘* The same,” Billy acknowledged, his hasty guess had been correct, It was the At that moment another personage came body of the victim of the railroad tragedy, hurriedly up the flag walk, pantingly demanding The young detective said nothing for a mo- | as he came: ment, whilo he considered what stand to take ‘‘ What's this I hear? What’s this I hear? in the matter; whether to let it be known that | Gus Robnwald run over by the cars! Is he he bad seen the body before, or to say nothing | dead, gentlemen? is he dead?” Aeon any previous knowledge of the awful ‘Yes, be is dead, Doctor Graves,” said Mrs, affair, He quickly decided to pursue the latter course. Rohnwald, sorrowfully. ‘* This isasad blow, indeed for this house, And, worst of all, they ‘* How did this happen, sir?” he questioned tbe with him to Tnis terrible shock say it is a case of murder,” ‘* Murder !” ‘* Yes, Mr. Parkerburg says be was dead be- fore he was put on tiie track, and he was found bound fast to the rail,” ‘Good beaven:! this is terrible!” ‘And I sent for you, Doctor Graves,” said the coroner, “for you to examine the body thoroughly and find out jest what the cause of death was. The poor fellow never broke his own head in and tied his own self to the track, that is sure,” “Of course not, Parkerburg, of course not, Where shall we take the body, Mrs. Robnwald? The outside kitchen will be the best, I should say, seeing how terribly itis mangled. Lend a hand here, men, and carry it around this way. I'll see to it, Mrs. Rohnwald, I'l) see to it.” And in that way the old village doctor took the matter upon his own shoulders for the time being, relieving Mrs, Rohnwald of it all, Of that she was glad enough, and a sigh of re- lief escaped her as she turned and went back to the room where she had left her daughter; Breadway Billy following ber there, As they entered the room the girl was just coming to, ‘* Ha did not doit, ob! he did not do it!” she cried, looking around ber in a bewildered man- ner, Broadway Billy caught the words, and imme- diately a new thought came to his mind, Had this girl some knowledge of the affair more than the door, ** Why, sir, he was run’d over on the railroad, sir,” the man explained. ‘It is a case wuss’n that, though, fer he was was found tied to the rails, so they tcl,” ‘‘Indesi! ‘Then it looks likea case of murder. Has any examination of the body been made et?” ‘*Yes, [ have given it some examination— I’m the corouer here, you know} and I find tuat his head has been cracked, as if with a bludgeon, I have sent for the doctor to come and look inter it more closter,” ‘* You bave doneright. It is a matter that must be sifted. If murder has been cione, and that is hardly to be doubted, under the cir- cumstances, the guilty-man must be brought to account for it. Have you any suspicions as to who can hve done the dreadful deed?” ‘* Well, there’s < hint afloat, sir, a hint, but not knowin’ you I won’t mention it here and now. You area stranger to me, I believe, sir.” Billy would have responded, but just then Mrs, Robnwald came hastily out and passed be- tween him and the coroner, and he took ad- vantage of the interruption and said nothing further then. ** My God! this is terrible!” the woman cried, wringing ber hands. ‘* How did it happen, men? how did it happen? Where was he found? Heavens! he bas been run over on the railroad! Ob! this is too horrible to bear! Povcr Gustav! | would appear possible for her to | ossess# Poor boy, poor boy!” _ Her eie3 wandered from face to face, and ** We hated to bring him here, Mrs, Rohnwald,” | gradually she seemed to realize where she was the coroner said, ‘‘ but we thought it was best | and what had happened, She said no more, and to do so, for we knowed you wouldn’t want him | already Billy had found an explanation for the taken nowheres else; but I kin see now that we’d | words she had spoken. The case against Robert orter ’a’ come and sort of broke it to you more’ Rohnwald had been uppermost in her mind, af- ’ ; TTT $C “tet ttt aes # ae | Broadway Biliy’s Wipe-Out. 7 ter the talk to which she had been listening, and no doubt that was what her words had reference to, ** My child, my child, try to be calm,” the mo- ther said, stroking her hair in a gentle manner, * You will need.all your strength, Try to be calm. You fainted, and have just recovered from it.” ‘*'Yes, I know, mamma; I remember now. Poor Gustav! Yes, I must bear up, for I will need all my strength, as you say.” This last was said with such firmness and calm- ness that Broadway Billy could not belp taking particular notice of it, ‘* You wanted to seo me further, sir?’ asked Mrs, Rohnwald, as she just then noted Billy’s presence, ‘* Wor nothing in particular,” Billy answered. ** As soon as the coroner is ready I will go with him to the scene of the crime,” ‘* Mamma, who is this person, please?” asked the young lady, quite eagerly. ‘** He is a detective, dear—” **Oh! yes; now I remember—” ‘** You remem! er?” “Oh! I hardly know what I am talkiug about, mamma; my head is strange yet, from my faint.” Tke mother accepted this ¢«xplanation readily enough, but not so Broadway Billy. He saw more in the girl’s words and toanner than ap- peared on the surface, he believed, ‘* Then do not try to think, dear,” the mother said, soothingly. ‘Just rest where you are till you are fully recovered. And you, Mr. Weston, when you return from the scene of the crime you must come directiy here and tell mo what you have been able to discover, I will re- main waiting for you.” .** Very well, Mrs, Robnwald, I will do so.” ** And, not only so, but you will remain here all night, since the hour will be so very late, perhars.’ ‘*That will suit me, if it is convenient for you, madam, At any rate I will come in and tell you what we are able to learn, IL only hope we can find a clue to the agsassin there,” The coroner and some of his men were pres ently rvady, some remaining behind to assist the doctor; and under the leadership of Broa’ way Billy they set out for the place where the body had been discovered in quest of a clue to the beinous crime, ni CHAPTER VIIL. MAKING AN ARREST, LET a Cetctive from the city put in bis ap- pearance at any country village, and be known as such, and he is looked upon as notbing less than a little god, At the gate, as they came out of the grounds of Woodlawn Manor, was quite a crowd, and as the word was quietly passed that Broadway Billy, the detective, from New York, was with them, Billy became tke object of all attention, and was looked upon with a reverence akin to awe, ‘What isthisI hear?’ asked one man, a man past middle age, who bad just come up. ‘* Gus Robnuwald killed!” ‘Yes, Daddy Goodluck,” the coroner made answer, ‘‘and we are just goin’ to seeif we can’t find some clue to the crime. Come along with us: we want vou,” Broadway Billy guessed at once, and correct- ly, that this was the old station-agent, re mem- bering the name Mrs, Robnwald bad menti>ned. ‘‘ This is awful news,” the old man remarked. ‘‘T couldn’t believe it when I heardit, And they say the body was found on the railroad, too, and that if had been run over,” *¢ Yes; it was run over by the Flyer, and they stopped and took it up and carried it to the sta- tion, The pcor fellow bad been killed and then tied fast to the track, and—” ‘Hello! what’s all this crowd for? What’s the matter, boys?” So exclaimed and inquired a young man who just then met them as they were moving up the street. ‘* Haven't ye heard, Dolph?” one man of the party asked, ‘*No; whatis it? Must be something serious, by the looks of things, What, you iu it, Coro- ner Parkerburg?”’ ‘‘ Yes; there’s been a murder done, Dolph—” ‘Murder! Who’s been killed?” ‘Gus Robpwald,” ‘*Good heavens! you don’t mean to tell me that, Where—when was he killed? Isaw him late this afternoon, and— But, where was the body found?” ‘It was found tied to the railroad track com choo ~_ fe