Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 819 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

stories were afloat that. he had hidden away large sums of gold, the body was given over to the undertaker, and tbe house was locked up and the key given to the chief, who at once inserted an advertise- ment in the papers for the heirs, or those who represented the heirs of Peter Mainhall to come forward and take charge of the property in his keeping for those having the proper authority to claim it, While at the place the detective had made as thorough a search as he could, and had said to the chief: ‘* Let me bave the keys, please.” ** You are coming here again?” ** Yes, to-night.” * Be careful |” Oh ye I will be,” * Fad I not better seconapany you, Dick?” ‘* No, thank you, chief, for 1 can work better alone,” ‘* Let me send a couple of men to be near you in case of need.” ‘** No, I anticipate no danger, sir.” The two were about to leave the place, the chief accepting the invitation of Dick Doom for a drive back with him to the town, when a rag- ged negro urchin came up and said: ‘*T guesses this be for you, boss,” He handed, as he spoke, a letter to Dick Doom, In spite of his usually perfect calm, Dick Doom’s face flushed and he looked surprised at the letter, for it was addressed. “Ton LAWYER CORTIN.” ** What is it, Dick?” asked the chief, seeing the surprise of the disguised detective, .— - See here, sir, how this letter is addressed,” and he handed over the envelope, while he read the contents. _ They were short and to the point: * You pay no heed to my warning. What more can I say to force you to give up the fatal trail you are following? ‘Heed what I say or your death be upon your own head, | : “Your : ** Mascor.”’ CHAPTER X, THE MYSTERIOUS MASCOT, Witnovut comment Dick Doom handed the mysterious warning to tte chief. he latter read it in amazement, and beneath his breath uttered something that sounded very like an oath. ‘* Boy, look here,” and the detective called to the negro lad, who was slowly walking away, as though disappointed that he had not been given a fee for delivering the letter. ‘‘He came back at the call with a hop, skip and a jump. a “pt, ,” and his eyes shone brightly. Dick Doom looked him over, and an adept _in disguise he came to the conclusion that the “Negro boy was the bona fide article, that he _ was his natural self and not playing a part, He was ragged, very, from his run-down-at- the-heel shoes, to his slouch hat which hung like a funnel over his head, E - **Who gave you this letter, sir?’ asked Dick _ “Tis paid not ter squeal, boss,” ~ * Do you know?” _. "No, sab.” _ **How could you tell then, if you wished do so?” 6s I c'u’da’t.” _ “Then why were you paid not to tell?” “ Yer sse, sah, ther one who guv me that letter told me to give it to you,” © Yes, and who am I?” “T dunno, sab,” | “How do you know thatIam the one you / were told to give it to, | , _” *!Ca’se she told me ter guy it to ther old gent with ther specs on, and who looked like a old- timer. “She told you 80?” ;, * Yes, sab,” | “A woman gave you the | » ; VR ) Jetter, then” : __ * Yes, sab,” and the boy looked disturbed at Nad admitted as much, _ * What kind of a woman was it?” “Tt wasn’t no woman,” & hae “A jnst said that a! was.” ~~ it were a young gal. ant Tee. FE ot Where mes mek. Goan “vv @ - © Dick Doom's Girl Mascot. **T doesn’t know, sah.” ** Now tell me all you know about that girl, or I will take you with me to the Tombs,” . ‘“*Oh, Lordy, boss! Don’t do that, fer I hain’t did nuthin’ wrong, ’fore de Lord, | hain’t,” and the negro boy seemed greatly alarmed. ‘*Tell me what you know of that girl, then, who gave you this letter.” ‘* Waal, boss, l were a-standin’ out yonder, when she come along in a pony cart, and she called me, ‘*fhen she pointed you out and told me to wait and give you that letter, and she’d pay me well if I didn’t say who guv it to me fer you, ‘* Then she did give me a dollar, sab.” ** Where is the dollar?” ‘* Here it is, boss,” and he showed a silver dol- lar. ‘** Now [ll give you ten dollars to tell me who the lady is,” ‘t Never seen her afore, sah,” ‘* See bere, boy.” ** Yes, sah,” ‘‘Elere is a card that will get you admission to this gentleman’s main office, and here are a couple of dollars for you,” ‘* Yes, boss,” ‘*'You saw the lady dnd should know her again, and also her dog-cart, so go at once in the search for her, and if you find her, follow her to her home.” <: Test ‘*T will, sab,” ‘“Then come and report to this gentleman, and you shall have twenty dollars more,” ‘*Ob, Lordy! Dll change my name ter Van- derbilt, boss, I’ll be so rich,” and tke negro bo rinned in an ecstasy of delight, while Dic oom and the chief walked toward the carriage the latter had come in to the miser’s home, ‘* Well, Dick, what do you make out of that?” “Simply, chief,” answered Dick Doom, as they were driving back down-town, “‘ that I am a Shadowed Shadower.” ‘* A hunted detective, eh?” “*'Yes, sir, it seems so, and the shadower is the more dangerous from the fact that she is a wo- man,” ‘Yet means you well,” ‘“*So her warnings imply; but do you observe that she has penetrated my disguise now, as she epeonea that D. Richards was really Dick oom ‘* She has indeed, a? ) ‘* But what can beher motive” — ‘It is hard to tell what a woman’s motive is, chief; but thus farit appears to be to prevent my shadowing down those Gold Ghouls.” ** Yes, it is some one who knows you well and wishes to save your life,” ** 1 do not so regard it, sir,” “* How so?” | ‘“‘T bave no entangling alliances, chief, no one knows me as I am, and the truth is, the motive of this woman, my mysterious Mascot, if s0 you will, is not to save me,” ‘* What then?” : ‘“* She is in some way allied to the Gold Ghouls, and she fears me, dreads that I may run them down, and so wishes to frighten me off. ‘*That she knows me in disguise and out, a pearsa settled fact, and now J will have throw my shadower off my track or I can be of little service,” ** Well, Dick, I am tempted to ask up the case now, knowing what I do. ** Nothin knowing what J do,” was the determined reply of Dick Doom, and the chief gloried in his spunk, ' CHAPTER XI. _ “DR, DICKSON” AT HOME THE next day the Secret Service call at an up-town flat house, . He looked along the list of names until he came toonetbat read: ts “DR. DICKSON.” The touch on the bell caused the door to open ees) PP passed in, halting at the first flat on the rig . ; . _ Another ring and tke door opened, and the chief was welcomed by a young maiden, and he wasstarting bac you to give , about to apol- ogize for making a mistake in the rooms, when the reassuring words came: dangerous as I look,” self.” . ’ ; | ‘ ** Say one of his imps, rather, chief, for I am young, you know.” 7 and gazed with admiration upon what appeared to be a very handsome girl of eighteen, with a a © . could force me todoso now, sir, chief made a ? yo -me, and so sent men to watch for any danger and beautiful | **Don’t run off, chief, for I am not half sO. ‘‘ Dick Doom, you are the very Old Nick him- : : Joom aga . | drag went by the window, drawn by a pair of | wealth of golden hair, and dres:ed in exquisite tas te. ‘“You make up as a perfect old maid one day, and now as a young, and I must say, Dick, a very beautiful girl. ‘Your disguises are really beyond perfect, while being a ventriloquist, you have a voice for each character, and your facial expressions are marvelous, ‘* Why, 1 was sure that I had made a mistake in the flat.” ‘* Oh, no, for here you find Doctor Dickson at home, sir, a retired physician who. never prac- tices, for I have already bad a professional call which | had to refuse. “‘I simply told the janitor that I lived here alone for quiet, but my daughters and sons would visit me from time to time, while I took . my meals out, : ‘This isa new disguise I was trying when I saw you pass the window, so excuse me and Doctor Dickson will be at home in a very few minutes,” and Dick Deom left the little parlor and disappeared in one of the rear rooms. In fifteen minutes he returned, end the chief though expecting a change of disguises, was al- most startled by the metamorphosis, He beheld apparently a man of fifty, with well-rounded sboulders, a slight stoop, fashion- ably dressed and wearing eye-glasses, while he walked with a gold-beaded cane. ** Doctor Dickson at your service, chief,” said Dick Doom, with a smile, silting near his visi- tor, ‘¢'You’ll pass, Dick,” ? “It is necessary ip my business that I should, chief; but bave you any news?” F ‘* You have seen that the papers are pitching into the police and detective force for not at once capturing the murderers of Seaton, the officers‘and old Maivball?” — ‘*Oh, yes, but I don’t mind that, for their comments. but add spice to the case, so long as they are in blank ignorance of the facts,” ‘That is the way to look at it, 1 suppose, ‘‘ But I went by daylight all over that desert- ed house where you saw the young girl.” ) ‘¢ With what result?” ‘** None whatever, Dick,” * Have you seen the little black lad?” ** Yes, he came this morning.” ‘*' With any information?” ** He said that he had seen the lady pass him yesterday in her dog-cart, but be could not follow — fast enough, and soon after she halted, and a gentleman inadrag came along and the lady got in with him, the groom driving her cart in another direction. ‘*The boy was wondering which to follow, the lady or the cart, when both got out of his sight. fasts | ~ tg ‘* Did he describe the lady?” i es a Yes, a lady with yellow hair, as he said,an@ dressed ’way up, which meant richly.” Nie ik ‘** And the man?” — ** A handsome young fellow that looked like a tip-top gent,” he said. ; _ “Did he describe the horses?” ‘“‘The dog-cart was drawn by a snow-white horse, and the gentleman drove to his drag a pels of yaller horses, same color as the young ady’s hair, said the boy, and they had silver manes and tails,” ‘¢ Such a team should be soon tracked to its ‘stable, chief, as well as the dog-cart with the snow-white horse, ; ** Will you put several of your men in Central Park to keep a loékout for just such teams and sbadow them home?” ) ‘*T will doso, Dick, atonce, © | 4s in ow, have you heard anything to help ~ u , *‘ No, for I have been busy getting settled here in my new quarters.” | ‘‘ How do you like them?” * Just what [ wished, sir. ‘‘To-night I will go up sion,” ** You did not go Jast night, then?’ f ‘* No, sir, for 1 knew that you feared harm for - to the miser’s “man- that might arise, ‘* Please do not send any one to-night, chief,as , } you might block Ws ame,” i | “T will not, Dick, but I really was anxious, — about you, and am, since the appearance upon the scene of your Mascot and—” AS ee eae ‘‘ And there she is—!” cried Dick Doom as a dun horses with silver manes and tails, while a t KNOW. | gentleman was driving and by his side sata “Well,” and the chief dropped into a chair | " - - . =, a = —_—_ - = & = a - 4 a \ wh } 7 Y aw ~! : yy i ue Fi ~ * ‘by. a ‘SC : <i t a 3 wr, Vv i _ , . - young and handsome girl with ‘‘yaller hair,” — and whose eyes were riveted upen the place = es where ** Doctor Dickson” had found quarters Ws hs LF : : bid \ J : . i vey oR Petia 14 et . oe . : * Lore Sen at ? * AS tg ha Ray See ar (tae A. x J fn [Wino te a FEL a Me ERD FOMmrcpDOOKs.com Pe eee ete? 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