Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 815 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

, Fae wi, for, finding Robiston here, he knew the _dilent Shadower could not be far away, unless ~ be had missed his game, Seth was nct to be seen then, however, as we know, 80 he looked in vain, and not seeing him, gave his attention quietly to the suspect, who was now upon him but who did not notice him. They had almost met when Robiston stopped short, as though he had forgotten something, aud retraced his steps, thus bringing Harry in, following close upon his heels, The man turned into the store again, and there was nothing for Harry to do but to keep straight on, which he did, When be had gone a little distance he looked back, The man was out of sight, ** Well, guess he didn’t tumble to me, any- how,” the fad told himself, ‘‘ And I don’t see how be could, eitner, for I hardly know who [ am. Crackers an’ cheese! wonder where that deaf and dumb pard of mine is? Should think he’d orter be’round here some’rs, But mebbe he has failed to connect, soI reckon I’d better take hold and see what’s to be found out, Reckon Til ’ply for that position; [ see they want a clerk of some sort.” With that in mind he turned and went back to the store and entered. This was about the time when Seth stood forth unmasked before the two men in the pri- vata office, ‘*Who would have dreamed it?’ exclaimed young Shyrock, ‘* W hat did I tell you?” demanded Robiston. ** Tt looks like it now, sure enough,” . ** And what’s to be done?” ** Give it up.” Silent Seth stood calmly by awaiting their decision in his case, “Curse you!’ and Robiston turned upon him fiercely; ‘‘ what do you mean by it, anyhow?” ** Mean by what?” Seth quietly asked, **' You know well enough what. What do you mean by playing the spy upon me?” ** (Can you prove that I have been doing that? “Prove it, hang you! what more proof is wanted?” **T don’t know; how much have you got?” _ “But you areacool one, Wasn't you at the bank when I was there? and now are you not here? I wasn’t at the bank ten minutes, and came from there here—yes, I came from there here.” **T didn’t, and that’s the difference,” ** Where did you go first, then?” ** Don’t know that I need to tell that; I made a change of disguise and took up anew thread,” Then you mean to say you met here by chance?” ‘* Looks so, don't it?” ** No, Pll be hanged if it does, I believe you have been following me, and I am going to pun- ish you as you deserve,’ ‘* Better go slow till you are sure you are right,” Seth quietly warned, ‘ You might put your footin it if. you don’t watch out where you step. When you punish me you strike roadway Billy.” ‘Well, then, if you didn’t follow me here, what brought you here?” : ‘Don’t see that I’m bound to answer your questions,” * You'll see something you won’t want to see, if you don’t answer them, mind you that.” “If you have so much suspicion that I’m af- ter you, youcan come along with me to the oifice, and the boss will tell you what l’m here for, You must have some reason to fear a de- tective, haven’t you?” Robiston lifted bis fist as if he would strike the lad to the floor, but he thought better of *T ought to knock you down for such an in- sult to a gentleman, And, ist me warn you here and now, if I meet you again under sus- picious circumstances, [ will do it, too,” ** Then I hope we won’t meet, sir,” At that juncture some one tri«d the door. Shvrock opened it, and into the office stepped Happy Harry in his disguise, Of course Silent Seth recognized bim immedi- yuely, having seen the same disguise often be- ore, ** Well?’ young Shyrock sharply interrogated. ** Guess I’m too late for the job, by the looks of things,” Harry observed, as he looked around, * What do you mean?” “Why, you have a card up that a clerk’s wanted here, but I s’pose this chap has got the job. He looks sort o’ guilty.” With a sudden movement Robiston stepped forward and made a = at Harry’s head, snatching off the wig be had on, hat and all, un- 0 tee ——_— -- = re him as completely as he had done for Seth, ** Cbristopber Columbia!” cried Harry. ‘‘ Don’t you know any better’n that? I guess you don’t know what good manners are, do ye? Where was you brought up, anybow? How would you like for me to do that ter you? Don’t you do the same with my other hair, or somethin’ will drop, The jeabeeb hath spoken, Selah!” ** You see,” cried Robiston, turning to Shy- rock, ‘* here are both of them, and I know there is something in the wind. I'd like to know what itis, If they are following me for any purpose they are playing on the wrong harp, that is a dead open-and-shut, And I want to tell you as I have just told your partner, young fellow,” to Harry, ‘if [runup against youagain something is going to happen,” ‘*Crackers an’ cheese!” cried Harry, ‘‘ Ain't somethin’ allus happecin’? That is what makes the world jog along the way it does, <You once let things stop bappenin’, and seo where we'll come to, Itis the unexpected that’s allus hap- penin’, too, Who'd ’a’ thought when I came in here to ply for a job that I was going to lose my scalp? I didn’t, youbet, Thereare morestrange things in the world than you ever dreamed of, and this wasone, But, say, what has got it into your head so hard that we are follering you?” ‘‘You have no need to ask that; it shows for itself, Don’t let this happen again, that’s all.” ‘‘ Christopher Columbia! as if 1 could help what buppens,” ‘* See bere,” spoke up Horace, Well?” ‘You both say you didn’t follow Mr. Robis- ; that sealed-up head of yours, ton?” Broadway Billy’s Bank Racket. 9 If he can’t do any better he might as well give the case up first as last.” , ‘‘ And teil him for me,” added Robiston, ‘that if bis two cubs cross my path again he will have to lay them up for repairs, Don’t for- get it,” Pamsin:. CHAPTER XI, SEALED GUESSES, Happy HARRY and Silent Seth took their de- parture in something of a crestfallen manner. Treir detective pride had suffered a fall, and they felt correspondingly dejected, though there was nothing in the manner of phlegmatic Seth to betray it. ‘** Christopher Columbia!” cried Happy Harry in anything but a happy tone, as soon asthey . bad shaken the dust of the office from their fest, so to express it; ‘‘ but that was a drop. What happened us, anyhow?” ‘There is nothing the matter,” Seth declared. ‘*Crackers an’ cheese! Nothin’ the matter? Why, we have been picked up for a pair of the most gushing gillies you ever beard of, and the case proved against us. I tell you whatit is, Seth, I’m going to ’ply for a posish on the street-cleaning brigade. I think the caliber of my brain will just fit such a job as that.” Seth, with nothing to say, said nothing, Harry always had to draw him out by main force, when no vital point was under considera- tion. ‘Why don’t ye say somethin’?” he now de- manded. ‘If you don’t talk, bless me if I don’t take up a pavin’ stone and see what’s in You say there is nothing the matter, yet here we are going “That's what I say, anyhow,” Harry de-! back to the office like a pair of kicked kioodles, clared. ‘' S’pose Seth has spoke for himself,” ‘‘ Well, if you did not follow him, and have not been following him, what has brought you here in this manner? It looks as though you are shadowing me,” ‘* Pretty good guess,” said Harry, cheerfully. ‘‘ What! you mean to say you are?” ‘‘We came here to look around your store, anyhow; next thing to it.” ‘* And what was that for? Seems tome you are inaking yourselves pretty fresh, don’t you?” ‘“ We are only carrying out orders, that’s all. But, maybe you wouldn’t want me to speak rizht out before this gentleman here,” ‘‘ Yes, you can speak right cut before him, [ am bound to know what has brought you here, now that he is done with you. Give me your story, and give me it straight as a stick, too.” ** Well, you’ve got it.” ‘*' No, I haven’t; I want to know why you are here,” Harry had exchanged a signal with Seth, and knew the way was all clear for him to forge ahead. “Well, if you want it told out, all right, We aro trying to get some clew to your missing dad, that’s al),” ‘*Thunder} Do you think you will learn any- thing bere?” ** Woe don’t think anything about that, we are here to pick up snything that may turn up, that’s all. What weare after is clows, bard and fast; see?” Harry’s grammar was faulty but his meaning Was plain enough. ** And your chief sent you here?” ‘Sure Mile,” ‘* Well, you can go back to him and tell bim for me that he is taking a mighty poor course for finding out anything about my missing father, I don’t see what he is thinking about; do you, Beau?” **No, hang me if I do, but it looks straighter than it did,” ‘* And you think they have told the truth?” ** Yes, [ think so, now.” ‘* Well, youngsters, have you found out any- thing?” turning to Harry and Seth, ** Crackers an’ cheese!” cried Harry. ** Gaven’t you yanked me up so quick that J couldn’t learn anything? Now if you had given me that job and allowed me to nose around for six months or a year, then I'd been better able to report.” ** Six months or a year?” “Yes; not a day less, If I had brain, you see, it would be different, but I baven’t. Here is Seth, now, he could have done itina minute, I suppose he has got onto the facts, if you gave him half a show,” : Seth smiled in a weakly way, and shook his ead. ** Well, you may go back to your chief,” said Shyrock, ‘‘and tell him for me that he has done a foolish thing. I know nothing about my father, and he will never be able to solve the mystery if he fools away time in this fashion, » knocked out in the first round, Ym ‘shamed to face the boss, and that’s the truth in a solid chunk, He'll take away our badges, sure,” ‘You needn't worry, you are safe,” ‘Hello! can talk, can’t you? What do you ‘mean, though?” eee ee “Why, you would have been all right, if I hadn’t been in for it when you got there,” ‘Don’t know "bout that; seems to me I am always getting into it, whetber I want to or not. But bow did you come to fall over your- self so bad?” ‘*Basy enough, Robiston suspected me, and made up his mind to find out whether his suspi- cion was well grounded or not, If he had been mistaken and pulled a sure-enough mustache like he yanked my false one, somebody would have yelled, you bet!” ** And having got onto your graft, they were ready for me when I came along, I see, Then it was your fault, eh? I’ve a notion to take you out there in the middle of the street and scour your buttons for you, Seth,” “T's a question whether you could do it or not, Harry.” ° ‘* We'll settle that question some time,” So they talked on,*bringing out the points of the case as it now appeared to them, and in due time were at the oflice, They were about to enter, when Harry caught sight of a person whom he recognized, and to whom he called Seth’s attentiop. It was Jack, the junior clerk at the bank, He was passing up the street on the opposite side, and seemed to be in a burry. ‘‘ Where’s he going to?’ questioned Harry, ‘One way to find out,” Seth suggested, ** By following bim, eh?” ** Exactly.” ‘* Well, which does it fall to?” ‘*[P’d like to report to the boss what I heard between Robiston and Sbhyrock,” ‘*A wink is just as good as a nod toa blind eat eae Isavvy. Till try to hunt bis baze for im, Harry was off at once, and Seth entered the building and mounted the steps to the office, where he found their chief, who had come in just a little abead of bim, ‘* Back again, eh?” greeted Billy. “ve got a point or two,” said Seth, wasting no words idly. “ That’s good; what aro they?” Seth reported, ‘* Hal now we are coming at something,” cried Billy. “ Youand Harry are right in your sus- picions, Where is Harry?” Just saw that fellow Jack, and followed im, ‘*Good again. I think that chap is in this thing deeper than will be wholesome for him,” ** Well, what is going to be done?” ‘*Can’t do anything yet, Must get the proofs, you know.” ‘And how are.we going to do that? Robise t:n has his eyes wide open now,” com foe “ aa --* - ee Re ee ~~ in me ee