Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 813 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

4 . > ~ | > ) 4s | } , : yy \ ag? \ai2 | > ab ’ a4 ra ) “, * ad | i. Re 8 os * ~ ™ 4 x - * “sh | ee ee el . ? * & oe ; '§ be - ae , cS x 4 * h | Me Mg oe, J ae 2 4 , y & ® - " ' eH 2 oo =. ser Ss . _ eyes flashed fire as he spoke, office of the hotel and mailed them, after which he walked off up the street. lt was half-past twelve o’clock when he halted at the door of Billy, the Bell-Boy’s quarters. Billy bad already arrived, for a light was visible in his parlor windows, so the detective let himself in and went noiselessly up-stairs, to the top floor. He knocked lightly upon the parlor door, and at once beard a movement within, then, after a short delay a step, and the door was opened by Billy, who evidently expected to see the janitor, for no other visitor was expect-d there. He started back, and his face paled as he recognized the man whom he knew as Mr, Richards. ‘Mr, Richards!” he almost gasped. “Yes, Billy, and I have come to have a talk with you,” and the detective pushed his way into the room, closing the door behind him, ** How did you find me, sir?” **Ob, I bave known where you lived ever since [ met you!” ; ‘ Mr, Richards!” and Billy spoke reproach- ully. | ‘* Sit down there, Billy, before the fire, and let us have a long, serious talk together.” ‘“‘ Well, sir?” and Billy dropped into a chair. ‘“ Billy, have you ever beard of Dick Doom, the Ferret of the Golden Fetters?” ‘¢ Oh, yes, sir!” ‘* What bave you heard of him?” ‘‘ Well, sir, there have been books written of him, and he is so mysterious no one knows any- thing about him, “They say that the police and detectives do not know him even by sight, and it is reported that he isa young lad, a girl and a man,” ** Anything else?” J ‘Yes; they say that he never loses a case he undertakes,” ‘* And I do not intend to lose this case, Billy!” ‘6 You, sir?” . ‘¢- Yes, for I am Dick Doom!” “Oh!” cried Billy, in amazement, ‘¢ You saw me as the Woman in Black, as the Quakeress, as Mr. Richards, as Mackent Mackin- tosh, and now [’ll tell you the secret that I am Dick Doom, the Ferret of the Golden Fetters, ‘* See here, Billy,” and Dick Doom threw open his coat and showed to the amazed bell-boy his badges of office, ** Now, Billy, you have been helping me in this Dixey diamond hunt more than you bave any idea, and you can help me still more. : **T wished to know who it was that I was trusting, and so I had you shadowed, and know- ing your address, I came to your rcoms before to-nigbt.” ! ‘¢On! I am lost!” “No; you are found, Billy. i ‘¢ But let me tell an that I had you shadowed to your home, andI then went there and saw our mother.” ‘My mother?” gasped Billy. | “Yes; and here is a letter she gave me for you.” The boy’s hands trembled as he read the letter, and his vot Ei, no a inaudible as he said: ® to do ‘¢ Tell the truth,” ¢ net 6 7 will !” : The words were mainly uttered, and the boy’s “That is right, Billy, and you wil! your friend and your mother’s,” pity and. me ‘“‘T believe you, sir, for from the first I have held perfect confidence in you,” SZ , ‘* Well, Billy, when I came to your room it was for a purpose, as you may know,” ** Ves, sir,” ‘I brought with me my skeleton keys, go that gave me access to your rooms, ** I saw that you lived here alone, | ‘*] discovered that you were an artist of real talent, and amused yourself in your leisure time with painting. , ‘‘T saw your piano, with music upon it, and that it was the home of one reared in refinement and with expensive tastes,. ‘* | saw that you did not take your meals here, that everything about your little flat was neat and in order. _“ Tho janitor told one of my shadowers that you cared for your own quarters, and that you were a young artist, and lived alone until your mother came to join you. ‘* He said that you paid your rent in advance had been generous toward him and his wife, an that you were the best tenant they had, “T with my skeleton keys, then went on a Yoyauares discovery, and shall I tell you that I found here a photograph of Antonio Aquero, the Peruvian friond of Mr. Dixey?’ ? sss Dick Doom’s Diamond Deal, At the words Billy’s head dropped and he buried his face in his hands and burst into tears, CHAPTER XXXIII, THE MASK REMOVED, For some minutes the detective did not speak, but allowed the boy to weep uncomforted, Then he said: ‘ ‘‘ Shall I tell you, Billy, another discovery that I made?” ‘‘Say anything,” was the low response, ‘* Well, I found every evidence that you were not the sole occupant of these rooms, for there were tiny slippers and the wearing apparel of— not your mother—but a young girl,” ‘6 Yes, sir.” ‘* After mature deliberation and closest search, I came to the conclusion that you were the sole occupant of the flat, in other words, that Billy the Bell-Boy was none other than a girl,” sé Ab 1” ‘This secret I did not tell to your mother, and she does not know that I am cognizant of the fact, while she would not betray you, would not tell me that which she left for you to make known to me,” ** And I will! ‘I will tell you every word of the truth and by it you shall judge me,” and the disguised wo- man sprung to her feet and confronted Dick Doom with flashing eyes, After an effort at self-control she said: **T do not wonder that you win your cases, Mr. Doom, for you leave nothing undone, and ‘tot have tracked me down, driven me to the wall. “T am not a boy, buta woman, forI am eighteen years of age, and a wife, *My name is Helen Hartwell, and I bave a twin brotber, Harold Hartwell, ‘‘He is now absent, having gone to Peru for my sake,” | ** And Aquero?” **T do know Antonio Aquero well, *““T know him so well that ran away from boarding school and married him, or rather I should say that I knew him so little that I did so, ‘*T was just sixteen, and [ was a romantic fool, worse than most girls are at my age, ‘*T met him at Long Branch, heard him sin love songs, saw him ride horseback and hear that he had traveled the world over and killed a fellow student in a duel, ‘*That was enough to turn my silly, romantic head, and it did, ‘** He came to Boston, visited me at the school, and fascinated, infatuated with him, I ran away with him and we were married, “My mother told not of my sinful act, but let it be thought that I was still at boarding-school, ‘I went West with Aquero, after telling my mother all by letter, and asking her to send me my apt and other things, ‘She did so, and simply wrote: *** May God forgive you, and only happiness yours, ; Me Should sorrow come to you, come back to me, “‘T had some money in my own name in bank, and Aquero had me draw it out, just two thou- sand dollars in all, ‘‘ He took me West to Denver and there left me for several weeks, while he looked up a homa, “Then he returned and we went to Santa Fe, near which place be had purchased a ranch, he told me, ‘‘T went willingly; but I soon learned from a Mexican womun to whom I had been kind, that my busband was playing me false, and intended to have me put to death, | ‘*She was to do the work, for pay, he was to rob the ranch, and it was to be set down as the work of Apaches, while he went his Niel § ‘*He carried out his plot, except that I did not die, for the plotting of the Mexican woman saved me, and I escaped. : Lem ‘*T rewarded her well for saving my life, and in disguise left the country. ““I came to my home and told her and my brother all, ‘“‘My brother had seen when Antonio Aquero had sailed for Peru from San Francisco, and he at once took the train West and left in the next steamer to follow him, ‘‘ But I did not believe that he had gone out of the country, and soon after saw a notice in the, New York Herald where Antonio Aquero had given Dixey the actor a supper as he in- tended starting soon for Peru. Tat once decided upon my course and my mother could not argue me out of it. ‘*T went to New ork and found that Aquero had sailed: . but I did not believe it, for why had 15 he published his departure from San Francisco, and not gone? “IT felt that the place to see Aquero was at the hotel where Mr, Dixey lived, and so I de- cided to act, ‘*T went to the proprietor and asked for a place for my brother, and it was granted, ‘** Then [secured these rooms, furnished them, and, amply supplied with money by my mo- ther, I turned detective to await the coming of “ | Antonio Aquero, for I felt sure that we should meet again, ‘* And your purpose when you meet him?” “He is at heart my murderer, he robbed me of all 1 had, except what I had bidden away, after learning what the Mexican woman bad to tell me, and my purpose was to send him to prison for his treachery to me, for I now hate more than I ever loved bim,” was the low, earn- est response, ‘“1¢ would be better for me to bring him to justice, and thus save your good name, while you will at least get your revenge, ‘** Will you be governed by me in this?” ‘* Yes,” was the prompt response of the un- fortunate wife of a cruel adventurer, CHAPTER XXXIV, ; THE RETURN, | ‘WELL, Billy, I wish you to give up your position as bell-boy, and, once more resuming your feminine garb, to return to your mother, for she is most anxious reperding yom! ‘“T will, and let me tell you, Mr. Doom, that it bas cut me deeply every time I have taken a ee. ‘‘T have given all from strangers to the boys who were my comrades at the hotel, and what Mr, Dixey gave me, and you, as Mr. Mackintosh, I have a list of, to return to be but for a bell- boy to receive pay would be 10 betray me,” and the Poane girl smiled faintly, ‘* Well, go inthe morning and square your account at the hotel, give Mr. Dixey’s fees and mine to those who were your fellow bell-boys, and pack up your things, resume your skirts and return home, for I will take your flat and furniture off your bands for I rather like these quarters.” ~ ** You are very kind,” ‘Not in the least; but Iam anxious to have you once more your natural self, though I must admit that you make a splendid Jad, and no one would ever suspect you of being other than you represented yourself to be, except that bell-boys are never so good-looking and refined in manner as you, **Tbat alone caused me to suspect you, anid the more I studied you the more suspicious [ grew, uotil I solved the secret by a visit to your rooms here,” : ‘*T will be guided by you, Mr, Doom, in all things, for yan have proven yourself my friend, and I am glad to go back to my mother, who I know: is most anxious about me, as well as my brother Harold,” ‘*That is the wise course to pursué, and you will be happier for it, ‘Now I will say good-night,” and having said that he would be still found at his hotel, as Mr. Richards, the detective took his leave. He was up bright and early the next morning, . and by the time he had finished. breakfast al lig began to come in sent by the chief of police, One of these was to the effect that a man b the name A, Antonio bad arrived at a § 8 hotel on the west side, a week before, registered as from Cuba, and a description of him was given. Dick Doom at once disguised himself and went to the Spanish hotel, . He weut as a peddler of diamonds, spoke with the accent of a Spanish Jew, and wished to sell gems to those who cared to buy cheap for cash, half admitting that those he sold had come in without paying duty. He bad quite a long conversation in his room with A, Antonio, but could not persuade him to buy any diamonds, so left in apparent disgust, and returned to his hotel. What discovery he made he kept to bimself but from that hour A. Antonio was a shadowed man, for Gordon, Barney, and Brewer were put upon his track, The search among the hotels and boarding- houses by the detectives was also stopped by a note to the chief from Dick Doom, who seemed to feel satisfied with what he had already done, That afternoon he strolled up to the hotel where Dixey lived, and wag told that Billy the Bell-Boy had left, and bitterly his comrades mourned his going, after all his generosity to them.,; em it ; q | ree ae af