Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 813 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 Dick Doom’s Diamond Deal. for you to fell that I can get at the bottom facts, but which you can help me to arrive at much sooner?” ‘* Well, I will try to help you. * What would you know?” ‘* Whose photograph is this?” The detective held out the likeness of Antonio Aquerv as he spoke, the one he had taken from Dixey’s album, : ‘* It is the photograph of Senor Aquero.” ‘* You are sure?’ ' “Yes, for my son has one from the same plate.” ‘* When did your son meet Aquero?” ‘* Nearly two years ago.” ‘* May I ask where they met?” ** At a ball given at Long Branch,” ** Then Aquero bas been here?” ‘* ‘Yes, several times,” ** When did your son last see Aquero?” ‘* About a year ago?” ** Where?” **In Sante Fe, New Mexico,” and some memory evidently moved Mrs, Hartwell greatly, for she trembled violently. ‘* He has not seen him since?” ‘‘He has not.” * ‘* But to find him went to New York and took the lace of bell-boy in 4 fashionable hotel.” “Then he has some grievance against uero?” ‘ Yes, as I bave,” **'You have a daughter, Mrs. Hartwell?” The answer came faintly: sé Yes,” ** Where is she now?” **T sent her to Boston to boarding-school.” ** Then she is away from home now?” ** She is,”’ ‘* Mrs, Hartwell, do you mind telling me if and how, Antonio Aquero has wronged you and yours?” . ‘* No! no! I cannot do that, for that is not my secret, ‘*It¢ belongs to another who may some day tell you, but [ cannot do so,” and Mrs. Hartwell oo deeply affected by some little remem- rance, CPAPTER XXX, ANOTHER DEAL IN DIAMONDS, | Dick Doom left the Hartwell mansion tho oughly convinced that there was a skeleton in the family closet that Mrs, Hartwell would not reveal to him, He had gained at least the confidence of Mrs, Hartwell, and he carried from her a letter to her son, telling him that she felt toat the bearer, Dick Doom, for the detective had given her his real name, and shown ber his badges of cffice, was their friend and could be trusted fully. With this she left it for her son to act, as to placing confidence or not, in the detective. Dick Doom saw that Mrs. Hartwell held some peep sorrow, that she was bearing up Stokoe under an aftliction, which she would not reveal; - But he bad gained a point in finding out that Billy, the Bell-Boy was secretly a detective awaiting at the hotel for the coming back o Antonio Aquero, for a purpose which Dick Doom as yet to find out, That Aquero bad wronged the Hartwells in some way Dick Doom felt assured, and this ‘went far toward convincing him that he having been guilty of one crime might also be guilty of having stolen his own jewels, both from Miss Marsden and Henry Dixey. It then remained for Dick Doom to await the return to New York of Antonio Aquero and abide the result. ‘“‘Tf he has taken those jewe!s the natural be- lief would be that he would not return; but then he left no debts bebind him, and he did leave a prize in Miss Marsden, which he will not give up, so he will return. ‘*Then, too, he has the chance of getting the value of the jewels from Dixey, and yet having possession of them too, ‘* Yes, Antonio Aquero, in spite of his strange wanderings, after leaving New York for Peru, apparently, will return, and then will be my time to play my trump cards. ‘He will suspect no plot against himself, I am certain.” , , So mused Dick Doom on his way back to New York upon the train. To relieve Mrs, Hartwell’s mind, he had prom- ised to write her daily, and though he had asked the letter from her to her son, be had requested to be the Be of whether be should present it or not, and had begged the mother not to speak to Billy of his visit to her, or that she knew of him, and this Mrs, Hartwell had promised, * . - ’ * - 7 ~ , A ‘| 7 : ‘ ; tS 2s, te 4 . ri =e ~~ , ati 54 os) ae a FU PPR SG Cor, MELE eee < aa 4 +4 aroused - a> oo a * “ : 1 7 « ¢ wet? t+ Im 3 ath, yt s rr wee Ot Oe ee oe oe ——-- = Upon reaching New York, Dick Doom, having gives up his room as Mackent Mackintosh at the otel where Dixey dwelt, went to his own quar- ters direct, and begau to look over the mail that had arrived for bim, He had reports from the chief of the men set to watch the incoming steamers from foreign ports, and a man who had been detailed to visit daily every hotel in the city and see just who had arrived each twenty-four hours, But one note particularly attracted his atten- tion, and it was as follows: ““My Dear Doom:— “Come to see me the moment you get this, at hotel or theater, wherever I may be. Ten minutes after, Dick Doom was on his wer to the hotel, hoping to find Dixey there, ut the man told him the actor had dived and gone to the theater, for it was after seven o’clock, ‘* Mr. Dixey told me if I saw you, Mr. Rich- ards, to tell you to hurry to the theater, for it was important,” said Bill y the Bell-Boy,. ** All right, Billy, I will go there at once, ‘* Have you any news?” ** No, sir, nothing; but Isaw a man on Mr, Dixey’s floor, coming out of his room last night, and he told me he had been sent for a costume left there, ‘*T told Mr, Dixey of it this morning when I came on at noon, and he said that be had sent for no costume, and half an hour after he rung for a messenger and sent a note to you,” ** All right, riper - oe kind of a looking man was it you RAW OA rougbly-dressed man, sir, who said he was one of the stage hands from the theater. **He had Mr, Dixey’s card and keys, to get the costume; but I am sure there was something wrong about it all,” Dick ,.Doom said something to Billy about keeping§a close watch on Dixey’s rooms, and then hastened away to the theater. He was at once admitted to the actor’s dress- Henry Dixey grasped his hand warmly, sent his valet out of the room and said: ‘*There is more work for you, Dick Doom,” ‘*T am ready,” **T have been robbed,” * Well?” ‘My own box of jewelry was taken laat night. r . ‘ What?” ‘* This time it is the Dixey diamonds,” “You mean tbat your room was entered again, and your diamonds taken from your trunk?” | * Dido.” ** Good! now the thief bas sprung the trap upon bimself,” was Dick Doom’s response, CHAPTER XXXTI. THE LOSS A _ GAIN, “‘T FAIL to see, Doom, just how you consider the loss of my diamonds a good thing,” said Dixey with a smile, as he put some paint upon his face to make up as “* Adonis,” ** Tn just this way. ‘*four keys such as you have are not readily found—” ** ‘You have a set?” , ‘**Oh, yes, it is my business to be able to open locks; but there can be but one other set than rours,”’ **One would think so,” ‘Now, the one who got the Aquero jewels did so with duplicate keys, and that same one has now A iets the Dixey diamonds.” es ‘*Since the stealing of the Aquero jewels the thief bas either been in hiding, cr away. ** He has now returned, or come out of his hid- ing lace, so can catch him, | | .% oy made no bue eve ery about the other lugs, tlie public «lo nut know it, fand the thief trusts it will be the same now, and must be,” ‘*T must keep it a secret?” ‘*-Yes, for 1 can work the better for its not be- ing known,” 5. ** ‘You are the doctor, Dick Doom, so prescribe and [ll take the medicine.” ‘* And the medicine will cure the disease, ‘*]’ll see you later, but now I go to take a look at your rooms,” _ * Here are my keys,” ‘*Thank you, I have my own,” and the detec- tive left as the actor was called to the stage, Straight to the hotel went Dick Doom, and Billy showed bim up to the actor’s rooms, The detective opened the outer door and en- tered, telling Billy he would see him later, and to give a note, which he had hastily written, to a& messenger to take at once for him to the one to whom it was addressed, finding him where he was, and for the angwer to be brought to the bell-boy. The note was addressed to the chief of police, After Billy had left, the detective went into the inner-room, unlocked the closet, then the large trunk, and next the lower compartment in the bottom, It was empty, for the jewelry-box of the actor had been taken, For some time the detective stood regarding the situation, lost in deep meditation. ‘*The man who stole the Aquero jewels rob- bed Dixey of his own diamonds, ‘* There is no doubt of that. ‘Now to find that man,” and thus musin Dick Doom relocked the trunk ard closet’ an returning to the parlor took a seat and be- came buried in thought, A tap at the door about ten o’clock aroused im, It was Billy the Bell-Boy, and he was accom- panied by the chief of police. ‘‘ Ah, chief, my messenger found you.” ‘‘ Yes; and I camewith him to Billy here, who brought me to you.” The bell-boy disappeared and the chief threw off his coat and hat and took a seat. ** ‘You have news, Dick,” ‘* Dixey bas been robbed.” ‘‘ That is ancient history, Dick.” ‘*T mean a second time.” “ What?” ‘*He has been rubbed of his own valuables, for this time it is the Dixey diamonds,” ‘*'You astound me,” =» ‘¢T was not so much surprised, chief,” ‘* When was it?” ‘* Last night when he was at the theater.” ‘* How did it happen?” ‘The thief came here, Billy saw him, armed with Dixey’s card and keys, pretending to come for a costume, ‘* It was the same one who took the Aquero jewels, for he got the Dixey diamonds from just where he ha’ taken the Aquero jewels.” ‘* This is remarkable,” ‘* Oh, no, he intends to make a clean sweep.” ‘* Ts there no clue?” ** Yes, chief.”' ** What is it?” | ‘*Ié was the same one who took the jewels of Aquero,” ‘** That one has not been found,” ‘* Not yet, but be will be,” ** He’s awful clever.” | , ‘*Have any reports come in from the steamer lines?” ‘* Nothing new.” “Then I wanta score of your best men to start early to-morrow and discover any stranger in the city at hotel or boarding house, yes I want fifty men to do the work and do it well, ‘‘ Let them bring their reports to you, chief, as scon as made, and please send them to me, for I may find the man I want among the very first reported,” ‘* You shall have the men, Dick, ‘* But about the steamship lines?” ““Take the men off, there, and only request list of arrivals to be sent you the moment they can be obtained, if you please, chief.” ‘**T will do 80; his loss?” ’ i“ Takes it in his usual matter-of-fact way, sir, ! ‘Well, he has certainly been hit bard in the two robberies, and I hope you can help him out, as I believe you can,” ‘‘T am more than ever convinced, chief, that all wili come our way in the end, ‘*To-morrow I will be in my rooms all day, should you get any news, and now I will leave you to await Mr. Dixey’s return, while I take my departure,” and Dick Doom left the chief in possession of the actor’s rooms, } CHAPTER XXXITl,: TRACKED, THE detective went through the corridor of the hotel upon leaving Dixey’s rooms, and came upon Billy, the Bell Boy, to whom he said: ** You go off duty at twelve, Billy?” ‘‘ Yes, sir.” ¢ | ‘‘Then go straight home, for I have work ahead for you.” é Yes, sir, I will,” . Passing on Dick Doom sprang upon @ passing ~ car, and soon after was at his own hotel, if He wrote several letters, went down to the 7 { . s% . ‘ ‘ «- be . : . . a * a 4 - >» * “< 7 : i +» “ey o* it r A) Bere dies Mod ide eb) = EQMmicvooc a a \ é ) a | y } but what does Dixey say about ~ : ¥ » fay , J - ° 9 P ¥ * b> Fgh Ma PAs bh \ Ss; (¢ : i . a neo on ’ 4 © o nd ’ -* ” rt sf?