Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 813 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 ee ee ee He did not call upon the actor, but wrote upon a card as follows: * Expect an old friend back from a voyage soon, and be ready to draw heavily upon your bank ac- count to satisfy his demands. . D. D.” * All goes well. This he put in a sealed envelope and sent up to Dixay’s rooms, where he was dining with some friends, The next morning the Herald had a notice of the return of Mr. Antonio Aquero from Peru, and gave his address as a fashionable up-town hotel, It was just noon when a card came up to Henry Dixsy, the name on it cau-iog him for once to be startled out of his usual ‘serenity of manner, “Show the gentleman up,” he gaid in a less cheery voice than was his wont, and as the boy left, he gave a sigh. Soon after, the door opened, and a dark-faced, handsome man entered, and extending his band, said cordially: ‘* My dear friend Dix»y, I am back again, you see, in dear New York.” He spoke with a foreign accent, and seemed really delighted at meeting the actor, ‘Tl am glad to see you back again, Aquero, but I have bad news for you,” ‘* Bad news! surely Miss Marsden is not—” ‘* No, it is about your jewels,” * Ah! what of them?” “* What value do you place upoa them?” ‘Why?’ ‘*T wish to know,” ‘*Their intrinsic value is all of—well, sixty thousand dollars, but as they are heirlooms, uo money can buy them.” ** Well, Aquero, I can only say that I can give you my checks, on the three banks where I deposit my money, for sixty thousand dollars, for your jewels have been stolen from me,” ‘*Stolen! Nombre de Dios! Stolen!” sé Yes,” ** And the thief?” ‘*I have bopes of catching the thief and se- curing the diamonds; but 1 wish you to take their equivalent, which you can return if they are recovered.” ** My dear Dixey, I feel for you deeply, and I appreciate your noble conduct in paying me, while I am very sorry to say I must accept your checks, ‘The truth is my fortune in Peru has been swept away by the speculation of my bankers, and the money for those j-wels is all | now pos- sess, and [am engaged to a lovely girl whom I am to marry soon, as you Know, so cannot ask her to wed a pauper, ‘* Had I the jewels I could really have gotten more for them, but—” **T am sorry, but you said sixty thousand dol- lars, and that is the extreme limit of my fortune just now,” Let it go at that, then; but for your sake, Dixey, I hope the jewels will be recovered.” ‘*T' certainly most sincerely hope so, Aquero, and I will hunt hard for them I assure you. ‘*‘ Here are the checks,” Henry Dixey took up one check-book after another and in each wrote out the sums needed to make up the whole, Never in his life did he sign his name more boldly, and there was not the change of a muscle in bis face as he handed over his fortune to the Peruvian, ** Thank you, my dear Dixey, ** Now, tell me of the robbers, and if you have the slightest clue to the thief?” **T have not, but— Come in!” The door opened and in stepped three persons, | One was Dick Doom, the other the chief of police and the third was a lady heavily vailed, CHAPTER XXXY. FACE TO FACB, Henry Dixey and Senor Aquero both looked up ip np hoe at the coming in of visitors, but before either could say a word Dick Doom step quickly forward and a revolver covered the Peruvian. ““Antonio Aquero, I arrest you in the name of the United States, and resistance means death, ** Hold out your hands!” The man turned to the hue of death, and his teeth clattered together like castanets, But he beld out first one hand, then the other, and Dick Doom slipped about his wrists his famous golden fetters, ‘Mr. Dixey, the chief here has something to present you with, namely, the Aquero jewels Dick Doom’s Diamond Deal. —— ee Cee ee } | and the Dixey diamonds, which we took from | this man’s baggage. | ‘* As A, Antonio he arrived in New York several days ago and put up at a Spanish hotel. ‘* His beard and long hair grown in bis absence witha different style of dress, disguised him, but shadowed he turned out be Antonio Aquero, ** As A, Antonio he robbed you of your dia- monds, for here are bis keys, just as he had of the jewels left in bis keeping. ‘‘ fe has an aecomplice who has confessed all, and this man came here to get your money for thoge jewels, having them in his keeping, as well as your own Valuables, and then to marry Miss Marsden the heiress, ‘** But he is a black-hearted fraud, for instead of being Autonio Aquero, he is the twin brother of that gentlemav, and one who became a criminal when a mere youth, ‘“*He was supposed to have been killed in Mexico, but instead was in this country as an adventurer and clever scamp generally. ‘‘ He is net the one whose life you saved at Long Branch, nor the one who is engaged to Miss Marsien; but, meeting bis brother, be pro- fessed repentance, played upon his noble heart, gained his sympathy, aud then led that brother into a trap to kill him, ** He believed that he bad done so, but Antonio Aquero survived the knife wound this Cain gave him, and is now able to appear against im, ‘* The atriking resemblance, even in size and voice, between the two, with all his brother’s papersin his ke-ping, enabled this man to im- personate him, visit Miss Marsden’s home as a burglar at night, and with the combination of the safe, in her father’s library, which Antonio had written down, he went there and stole those jewels, for among his brother’s «ffeets he found but little money. ‘* The idea seized him to impose upon you, and he did so, leavimg the jewels with you, stealing them from you and now coning for his pay. ‘“*His brother went to the chief of police to- day to report what had been done, and so I met him, just now able to be about, and 1 urged him to at once go to see Miss Marsden, for whose sake, as wellas for the sake of others, 1 vavea desire to keep this matter secret, and hence offer this man terms,” “Namo yeur terms,” quickly said the accused man, gaining courage with hope of escape. 2 terms are that you confess the theft of Mr, Dixey's diamonds and go to prison Om no other charge.” “*T confess wotniege ‘*Them 1 shall see that you are tried for an at- tempt to murder your brotber, and again for plotting wit Mexicans in New Mexico, to kill your wife, for which crimes you can be sent to priaon for life,” ‘Tt is false! whe accuses me?” “T do!” The woman, whe had stood by in silence, now raised her heavy vail, and the face was that known as belonging to Billy the Bell-Boy. A cry broke from the man’s lips and stagger- ing backward ke fell upon a lounge. hem he could speak be said: ‘‘T took Dixey’s diamonds, so send me to prison om that plea. “‘T will see that it is done,” said the chief, and all sean pledged themselves to keep the secret, which, if known, must cause innocent parties to feel its shame, CONCLUSION. AFTER having told the young wife to return home, Dick Doom had changed his mind and begged her to remain in the city, and it was she who, in disguise, recognized her busband in A, Antonio, She also recognized with him a Mexican who bad been his confederate in crime in New Mexico, Audrea Aquero was tracked to a fashionable up-town hotel where, shaved and stylishly dressed, be registered under his brother’s name of Antonio Aqnero, His pal was arrested and frightened into con- fessing how the evil brother bad killed Antonio, as he su , and yet he added: ‘*T do not believe the blow was fatal, for not two hours ago I am confident 1 saw Antonio Aquero go into the Hotel Viano, having just alighted from a cab, ** He looked ill and feeble, but I cannot be mis- taken, and I was going to tell Senor Andrea wben you arrested me,” Upon this testimony Dick Doom went to the ' Hotel Viano and found Antonio Aquero, when = 6 I rE ee a ee en SS SP Se ee ee ES TT A ee ~- _ oe the whole story came out, and the bringing of the real thief to bay quickly followed, The prisoner, enveloped in a coarsé ulster and wearing a slouch hat, was removed at once to prison, where he found bis comrade in crime, while Dick Doom escorted the young wife out to her bome, where it was found that her brother Harold had just arrived, bringing information that showed Antonio Aquero to have had a brother, Andrea, a villain then under life sen- tence for crimes committed in Peru. He had escaped from prison by killing a guard, and had taken with him a fellow-pris- oner, who, from the description and name, Dick oom was sure was the man who claimed tobe a New Mexican. The two bad been thought to have been killed in Mexico, but convinced that they were not, requisition papers had heen sent by a special officer to take them back to Peru, and he bad accompanied Harold Hartwell on to New York, ‘*If that pretended Mexican is the Peruvian friend of Andrea Aqurro, then back to Peru they go, and there will be no trial here, which will be best for all,” said Dick Doom, The next day Dick Doom was accompanied to the city by Harold Hartwell, and when they met the Peruvian officer and be saw the two prisoners he said at once they were the ones he was after, " The result was that the Peruvian officer sailed in the first steamer for South America witb bis two prisoners, and no trial being held in New York, the story of Dick Doom’s Diamond Deal never leaked out, Antonio Aquero recovered his streugth rapidly under the care of the lovely gir] whom he so dearly loved, and a few months after they were married, and Myrtle received as her bridal gift the Aquero jéwels, not to speak of other pres- ents, one from Henry Dixey being especially nrpreci avert me months after the departure of the Peruvian cfficer and bis prisorers, word came to Dick Doom of their execution there, and with the official announcement he went oui to Jersey and broke the news to Helen Hartwell, whose secret no one knew, ‘Tt is better so,” she said, sadly. ‘‘ From to-day I can forget my sad past, as I hope you will, my good friend, that you ever knew me as Billy the Bell-Boy.” ‘‘TIt is already forgotten,” was the reply, and Dick Doom returned to New York, for he had an engagement that night to have supper with Henry Dixey. The two met just at midnight in the actor’s rooms, and the sun was rising when they parted, Henry Dixey eaying: ee Remember, Dick Doom, we are friends for e. THE END, Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. RY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, Detective Dick Doom. Dick Deom’s Death-Grip; or, The Detective by Destiny, Dick Deom’s Destiny; or, The River Blackleg’s Terror, Dick Doomy or, The Sharps and Sharks of New York, 88 Dick Deom in Bouton; or, A Men of Many Masks, 98 Dick Deem iu Chicago. _ 98 Dick Deem in the Wild Weat. & Dick Deem’s Clean Sweep} or, Five Links in a Clue. 865 Dick Deom’s Death Cluc, Dashing Charle. 749 Dashing Charlies or, The Kentucky Tenderfoot’s Fivet Trail T5¢ Dashing Charlie’s Destinys or, The Renegade's Captive 760 Darhing Charlie’ Pawnee Pard. 766 Dashing Charlle, the Rescuer. Reck Taylor, (Buffalo Bill’a Cowboy Chief.) 97 Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. B7 Back Taylor, the Comanche’s Captive, _ 48 Back Taylor’s Boys; ot, The Red Riders of the Rio Grand Pawnee Bill. 60 Pawnee Bll, the Priirie Shadower. 18 Pawnee Bill: or, Carl, the Mad Cowboy. 19 Pawnee Bills Pledges or, The Cowboy's Doom. 26 Pawnee Bills or, Daring Dick, Detective Redfern, fern’s Curious Case; 01, The Rival Sharpe. E97 Redrern at Devil’s Ranch; or, The Sharp from Texas. 702 Redtfern’s High Hand; or, Blue Jacket. 207 Redfern’s Last Trail; or, The Red Sombrero Rangers, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 811 Duke Derby, the Tromp Curd; or, Headlight Harry’s Flye y Cel. A. F Holt. B : 812 Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, HWead-off; or, The Round-up Roundabout. By Kdward L. Wheeler, : 818 Dick Doowm’s Diamond Deal, By Col. P. Ingra jam. 814 Ace High, the Frisco Detective. By CF. Tripp. %15 Broadway Billy’s Bank Rackets or, The City Dete tive’s Big Haul, By J. C. Cowdrick, The Half- Dime Library \s for aste by all newsdealera, fi centa per copy, or sent by mall op receipt of six cents each, BEADLE AND ADAMB, Publishers, 98 William Street, New Yorks q= Uh, t% 84 900 m G co