Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 819 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4. 4 - 4 Dick Doom smiled at the complimentary slang used by the boy, and opened the note. It had been written in the messenger call of- ‘ fice, and upon the paper found there. It was as follows, and the hand was evidently disguised : **Dick Doom, Dy lective:— * Srr:—Though unknown to many of those whom you employ, you are yet known toa number of those who are your foes. ‘** You are fearless, I know, yet your life is as easily taken asthe life of an iofant, if the lead or steel strikes right. ‘You have entered upon a task that will cost you your life, and gain nothing, for the Gold Ghouls will still continue to kill and to rob their victims at will. ‘They belong to a hardened class of beings who believe that there is nothing true and good, that the world owes them a living, and they have a right to get it at any sacrifice. ‘Those who bave attempted to bunt them down have met only with death, and such was very nearly your fate to-night. “That they can strike a death-blow and secure gold, to-morrow will reveal, while even the hounds __ of the law are upon their track. ‘‘Be warned therefore and give up this rad trail you are following, for it leads but to your grave, ‘*Obey me inthis and you will flud thatI have been, * Your ** Mascor.”” Dick Doom read this strange w»raing twice over, and then turned to the messenger, who appeared wholly oblivious of his presence, the moment the eves of the detective were upon him, and asked: _ * Who did you say gave you this letter?” y. ‘* At the office where I work.” ‘* Wait and I will return there with you,” and Dick Doom passed into the adjoining room to | prepare to go out 4 re and face the storm. Litt e was absent but a moment, but when he returned he found that the messenger had skipped, CHAPTER V. THE GOLD GHOULS’ MOTTO, of the messenger, yet when he reached the office he was told by the night clerk that the boy had out a minute in advance of hira, Dick Doom went out into the street, but in neither direetion saw any trace of him, The stamp of the messenger office was upon the envelope and paper sent him, and so he de- _ cided to go there at once, This he did, and the sleepy clerk on duty there told him that no call bad come in, no boy been sent out since twelve o’clock. Dick Doom then asked if a lady had not come in there for a messenger, and showed the envel- ope he had received, and the time-mark upon it, “There was a “gris lady in here, sir, and _ she came in meray for { saw her get into it, ‘She asked only for paper and envelope, and she wrote a letter over at the desk there, then thanked me and left.” ** Describe her, please.” } ‘Well, sir, the glimpse I had of her face | eta that she was very young and very pretty. __ ** And she sent no message from here?” “ oe No, sir,” ‘ rt 7 there another messenger-call office near ere None nearer than Twenty-third street, sir.” . Diek Doom thanked the clerk and returned to his hotel, where he again sat down to muse be- ‘* Well, this is getting decidedly interesting, I _ Must say, . _ ** Now who was the girl who wrote me that _ warning? _ _ * Was it the one I saw in the doorway of that house ** Was not that messenger none other than the _ girl herself, for I thought for a boy he was very - much wrapped up? _ “Yes, it was the girl of the deserted house _ who wrote the letter and then delivered it, ‘And she hints that the morrow will reveal | more red work of the Gold Ghouls, | | “ Why, instead of giving up the chase of them _ Tam that much more determined to ferret them ou _ ** Now to surprise the chief when he goes to the office in the morning, and he said that he ‘would be down early.” _ Turving to his table he wrote: “ “There will be reported to you in the morning More work of the Gold Ghouls ‘ i os. . . “Do not put your ferrets to work until you hear ‘ me, “dD. D” abe: | mh ; | oi 4 s ve ~~ et : 1. ad a4 » < a 24 7 : he : rs QuIcK as a flush the detective was in pursuit Dick Doom’s Girl Mascot. a | This note was‘at once dispatched by special | looked with sympathy upon the attencant messenger to the chief of the Secret Service, with the words writted on the envelope: ‘Dispatched at three o'clock and five minutes Haviug goiten this off his mind Dick Doom turned in and was sound asleep five minutes after. He was awake at eight o’clock sharp, and had his breakfast before nine, after which he re- turned to his room preparatory to going to see the chief, The chief was just going down the steps of his house, on his way to bis office, when a man sprung out of a cab and handed him a note, Into the vehicle they both got and were driven rapidly away, halting a quarver of an hour after at Headquarters, Entering his private office the chief found there his first assistant and said quickly: ‘‘Can it beso, Berry, that the Gold Ghouls killed old man Mainball last night?” ‘It is true, sir, as I sent you word,” answered Captain Berry. ‘““You are sure it was done by the Gold Ghouls?” ‘‘ They left their mark, sir, tied about the neck of their victim,” ‘* Ah! ine same style of card that was found about the neck of Sedley Seaton?” ‘* Yes, sir, a card with edges of black and in red letters the words: ‘“* Hor Love or GOLp.,’” ‘‘Who found the murder had been com- mitted?” ‘‘The milkman got no answer to his ring, sir, for you know that Peter Mainball was a miser, and oe all alone in the old rookery, which he owned, ‘‘ The door was open, so the milkman entered, and found Mainhall dead, a knife thrust in. his heart, ‘‘ He at once drove to the nearest police sta- tion, and I was the first upon the scene,” ‘¢ And that telltale card?” ‘Here it is, sir, fcr according to your orders in the Seaton murder, I kept it and made no re- port of it.” ‘No, I do not wish the public to get hold of the knowledge that these assassins are a regu- larly organized band, or they may thwart the work we do to find them cut.” ‘* Have you any clue, sir?” “Well, no, but I have a man at work on the —- who will solve the mystery if it is to be one, ‘¢ What have you done in this matter?” ‘¢ No more, sir, than to send men to guard the gga search the old rookery for clues, ‘‘ Here is a letter that came last night for you,” and Captain Berry handed to the ehief the letter from Dick Doom, The chief read it with surprise, then said: ‘Berry, this is from the secret ferret 1 have at work upon the Gold Ghouls’ track, and, re- markable to state, he informs me that there will be another blow dealt by them, and known this morning. ‘Now you go up to old Mainhall’s, and see what you can find out, but send no one off on the case until you see me, ‘*T will send for my man and discover what he knows of this,” and the chief bastily wrote a note and dispatched it to the hotel where Dick Doom stopped, but it was addressed to D. Richards, Hardly had the messenger gone when the at- tendant officer outside of the chief’s office came in and reported that there was a lady who de- sired an audience, ‘‘T am too busy now to see any women,” and as the chief uttered pe words into his private office swept the feminine visitor whom he had refused to see, | CHAPTER VI. THP STRANGE VISITOR, Tr face of the chief grew stern, as he beheld the visitor intrude into his room, and knew that she had overheard his words to the officer. He turned to give ber a sharp rebuke, when, before he could speak, she said: ‘* Now, I just knew it! “T just knew that you great big officials, holding high positions, would refuse to see me a poor woman without any protector, 80 I just followed that red-faced cop right into your room— ‘Laws sakes, man, is itdrink that makes rear face that red, for if it be, you’r’e a gomer,” and she : ‘ na at ‘ é ee | ' _ —-- —— =” + oe thm aioe — n hptertiirs fae . poe NT Se TSE hay Soe ae Pecos }) eT ae C.D | coos at tee CF) eget pat * "ET, RVR we SORE Wi Wari sy ue way art ve Ria | cogil PAP a oer eee Ee . - officer, who hastily beat a retreat, leaving the visitor with the chief, ‘* Well, men, if I don’t catch it, !m surprised, and for letting that red cat into tte chief’s room. . ‘‘ Why she opened upon me about my red . face, and I'd like to know what she says to the chief,” said tbe cflicer upon coming out, ad- dressing the group of detectives starding atout, ‘She looked like the Last Rose of Summer,” said one. ‘*T tried to keep her out, but she nearly punched my nose with that Noab’s Ark para- | chute she carried for an umbrella,” another re- V marked, ( But be was wrong, and all who expected to see the feminine make a hasty exit were mis- taken, for it was over an hour before she came out. When she did so she was as chipper as ever and went straight for the attendant. “See here, my friend, [{ feel anxious about { your giving up to hard drink as you do,” - = ad drink a drop,” growled the man, 0 | ‘Then you ought to takein your sign for your nose is as red as a June apple, ‘* Maybe you just pour the gro The group of detectives laug ed a broadside upon them: ‘* Oh! now I take it you are not hard drinkers,, but easy drinkers, from your looks, and my advice to you is todrink less rum and use your brains more, for you can never find a criminal, any of you, unless there is a big reward offered for him, and you are that blind you never sce the wickedness going on befcre your very eyes, and wait fora murder to be committed that you may look fcr the bcodle offered for the murderer, ‘¢ Good-morning, gentlemen,” and the woman flirted out of the room, leaving the uttendant laughing now, for he laughs best who laughs last, as the old saying goes.” When the chief found that his visitor had en- tered whether he wished or not, as soon as the officer atterdant had escaped.out of the room to escape her tongue, he turned upon her with a look that had never failed to terrify others, But the woman laughed and said: ‘¢ Now don’t be crogs, big man, for I am only a wee bit of a woman that bas come to do what te men cannot do, find out for you the mur- erer of old Miser Mainhall.” The chief’s expression changed at once, and the woman held a strange interest for him now, He saw before him what appeared to be an old maid, and one from some country village at al so strikingly ancient was her style of ress, Somewbere in the chief’s mind there flitted a % remembrance of bis boyhood days, when he hed | seen an old maiden aunt of forty dress just as did the one before him. She Icoked like a most thorough back number, one out of date for many years, But yet she bad uttered that which had at. once riveted his attention. She had referred to the murder of a man of whose death he had just learned, | She had said that she had come to find out for him that which his own men could not do, Who was she? What was she? Unable to solve these riddles, the chief of the ie Secret Service bureau became at once deeply in- | | o down,” and this turn- > terested. He gazed fixedly into the face of the woman, to read her through, if within his power to do sO, But he found her as hard to read as the Chinese alphabet, She met, his gaze, and ber face was unread- able, / So he did the only thing he could do for one ” who had evidently come there to be of some ser- sa vice to him, and he said: | ‘*Be seated madam, and say;how 1 can serve you, please.” . | ‘*Now see here, I hain’t married, so I’m 4 . miss, and you can’t serve me, and therefore “fe, the boot is on the other leg—oh! I mean limb!” . et Rsk lowered her head modestly, while she “Now here's my card.” | The chief took the huge piece of pasteboard she handed to him and read what was en-, graven thereon. | It was simply: tye “ DICK DOOM,” | he “ Ferret of the Golden Fetters.” 8 || 4 : r >» a : “8 <r - = FEAY Y Y ot * 4 : gut’ s P 4 f i pt Sal ; ‘ .cOoOm ey srt o) ia ate Es 4 : sep 1 7 = errr ‘. a el eee ‘COMICbOoOO _ w, * + : ad ks