Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 821 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

pote tn SIT a a OM eek Aged - ans Broadway Billy’s Bluff. a know; I never did love you; andit may be a | weil-educated and who could manipulate his ‘What has given him that reputation?” < long time before I could forget the man I do | aitches. ‘Why, he is a chemist, and he is trying to ~ | love and receive your attentions.” _ He did not make known his business un- | make gold out of iron and other stuffs. ” ‘‘T can be patient,” til after he had had dinner, when he en- ‘‘Ha, ha, ha! Well, he is mad, then, true Again the young woman gave him her | gaged Landlord Priceley in conversation. enough. I suppose he has wife and family hand for a moment. “Do you*know any place near here} with him? But, no, maybe not, for that. He had touched her woman's heart in the |} called the Ruins?” he inquired. would not be in accord with his hobby.” right place, and she could not but appre- |. The landlord looked at him closely for a ‘‘No, there is no woman at the place at ciate him, ‘moment before replying, and then/he rum- | all. He has some men helpers, who work a ‘‘Now, what will you do?” she asked. bled out his answer. ~ | little on the place and a little in his shop, or ‘‘In the first place, employ a good and ‘ Yes, I do,” he said. whatever sort of place he has for his fool- able detective.” ‘ Where is it?” ; business.”’ | The girl gave a slight start. p ‘‘On the road from here to Granton, not ‘T see, sir, I see. He talks English, | ‘‘T had rather you would not do—” far from that place.” , suppose,” She stopped. ‘* How far from here?” ‘Well, maybe he does by this time, but ‘‘T understand what you would say, and ‘Over seven miles.” he didn’t when he first came here, and the your reason for it,” said Bardner, ‘1 know “T did not think it was so far. But, dis- {men who put the Ruins in shape for him whom you employed, and I know also that | tance does not matter,” were Frenchmen, too.” he has already given up the task.” ‘Might I ask what interest you have in ‘They are with him still?” ‘¢ How—how could you know?” the Ruins, Mr. Kyne?’ the landlord made ‘No, they went back to their own country, ‘He told it himself. Hecame out to Bris- | inquiry... ~ I believe, when he was done with them, He bane last night, and started to ride over here. The young Englishman had registered as | has one American, a sort of secretary or He saw the ghost, though, and got back to | Hartly Kyne. something in that line, whose name is New York again without loss of time.” ‘Why, certainly, sir,” he answered, ‘It | Lycurgus,” Z ‘*Ts it possible?” is no secret, I am sure. In fact, I expected | ~‘‘ Then he would be the person for me ta ‘*Tt is the fact.” to make my business knownopenly. You | talk with?” | ‘* And you know who4t was?’ see, sir, |amagent for Sir Henry Dufferin, “The very man, I should say, sir. You ‘Yes; Billy Weston, better known as | who wants to establish a country seat, and will find him at the Ruins, probably, Broadway Billy.” , he has heard of this place called the Ruins ! or if not, he will be at Granton pretty cer- “T cannot deny it, for I did employ him; | and Ihave come out to examine it and buy | tain.” but, it does not look reasonable he would | it if I can.” give up so easily.” ‘“‘ Oh, I-see,” . CHAPTER XI. ‘*Nevertheless it is the fact, and the case ‘Do you think the place can be bought?’ TAKEN UPON SUSPICION. is still open. So, as I said, 1 will employ a ‘*T hardly think it can, sir.” | Tuts conversation between the landlord good detective, and will aid him all in my ‘That is unfortunate, if I find the place ; and the Englishman was carried on to some ower toward a solution of the mystery.” would suit m’lord, If it is a ruins one would | length, or until the latter had gained about ‘‘Well, Lam only a woman,.and of course } think it might be bought cheap.” all the information regarding the Ruins the you must know what is for the best, Solve “Tt is a ruins only in name, now, for it | landlord was able to give. the mystery, Dick, and I will be your friend | has beenall fixed up.” A little later the Englishman was on his. for life.” “Ay, I see. Then it is already occupied | way to Granton, with one of Landlord Price- * And, maybe more than friend.” in the manner in which m’lord would make | ley’s men driving. ‘* Maybe.” use of it.” | ‘What is your name, my man?’ the En- ‘Tt is enough. I will set about it as soon ‘Can’t say about that, but it’s occupied. | glishman asked, as they rode along. as possible, and whatever the result, I will | If your lord would make use of it the same ‘‘ Jack West, sir.” abide by it.” as the present owner does he would be set ‘‘As good a name as you could have, Jack, ‘Thank you, thank you.” down for crazy, that’s all I want to say.” my lad. What do you know about the place That did not end the conversation, by any ‘‘Indeed! Then there is something about | we are going to?” means, but there ends our immediate ‘inter- | the place and its owner that is not right with |‘ Not much of nothin’, sir.” est in it, so there we may drop it. good sense?” . - | ‘“Ever been there?” Bardner spent some time at Granton, had ‘You haye /jit it.” , ‘Oh, yes.” a talk with Stanwood Granton, and at last ‘*Do you mind telling me?” ‘‘ Ever see the Mad Chemist?” ° set out upon his return for Brisbane, And ‘Why, no; of course not, The present “Yes, sir.” as he rode along his mind was busy with the | owner is called the Mad Chemist.” ‘What manner of man is he?” matter. ‘“Mad Chemist? Well, that.smacks of the ‘‘ Well, a sort o’ mildish man, with a close- “Tt is a strange case,” he said to himself. | romantic, I declare. M’lord is wild over | fit cap and a gown, sir,” ‘*T cannot understand it. I wonder if it is | everything that is romantic.” ‘Look crazy ?” 3 possible that \Granton himself is at the ‘Then he had better come out and make “Well, yes; there is & kind of offish look ttom of it, and that he has in some ney the acquaintance of this Mad Chemist, and | sbout his eyes, I should say, at a short look caused the disappearance of Haswick to balk | take rooms at the Ruins, Then, there is a | at him.” “2 the marriage he opposed?” ghost out there, too.” ‘Do you know the man who works’ for The thought stuck, and when Bardner| ‘A ghost!” him?” a ESRI Ny > SEIN Alas ea reached Brisbane he could not help mention- as as + “You mean Fred Lycurgus? Oh, yes; Ll ing it to his friend the landlord. “You are joking, are you not?” know him, He is a sport, and likes a fast “Tt is just possible,” Priceley agreed. ‘Not a bit of it. There is a graveyard | hoss once in a while if he is on a lark.” “ But, if there has been foul play Idon’t | near the Ruins, and a ghost prowls around | “Good sort of fellow, then, I take it. E take no stock in it, for Granton ain’t that.} there almost every night.” guess I will have no trouble to make friends kind of a man.” “Delightful, pon honor! That will just | with him. What does he think of his em- ‘Well, whatever the secret is, I am going | suit m’lord, and [ must see the placeand buy:| ployer? But, I suppose he does not tell to try to get at the bottom, for I have taken | it if Ican. I must not miss this chance for that.” | it upon myself tor~solve it ifI can. That } getting a romantic old place ” ‘‘ Yes, he tells, and he thinks he’s a fool. plan you suggested is going to work.” “Well, it won't cost. you much to go out | Him and the rest of the men play him for a ‘* Good! Tim lad to hear it. Go in to| and see it, but I have my doubts about your | sucker for all he’s worth. They don't do win, my. boy! But really and honestly; I | being able to buy it.” . | two hours’ work a day, And the ‘old coot. hope Dave will be found alive and well,| ‘What is the name of this mad fellow?” — | never knows any better, either. I'd like to. after all.” ae P ‘‘ Gaspar Germain.” Ke e work forhim myself, you can bet. I guess The face of the young man paled as it had ‘‘T will remember the name, Is He a | he pays good, too.” : done once before. o 3 age? Frenchman?” ; ¥ *'There will be different arrangements ‘‘T don't,” he declared, ‘‘and i’m honest; ‘‘ Yes, French.” | | : there if I buy the place for Sir Henry Dut- enough tosay so, I hope we'll find hisdead | ‘‘ What more can you tell me about the. ferin, for he is a man who cannot be imposed — body, for nothing else will open the way for | Ruins?’ Aa | upon. But, that is nothing to you, of. me.” | | “That is about, all, I guess. It was a} course. What do you think my chances are He left the room with that, and Priceley | place that was built before the Revolution, for buying it?” looked after him and shook his bullet | andit was a ruins in fact when this French- “That I couldn’t say, not knowin’ nothin’ _ head. man took hold of it.” ¢ .. | | about it, sir.” ~~ Maan, A bad case, a bad case,” he said to him- ‘* How long has he had it?” : In that strain went their conversation till . -gelf, softhy. - : ‘a “ Three or four years, all told.” they came to Granton Graveyard, when the aes On the following day a stranger dropped} “And he is really mad?” | ; & . a a . “ Se €- om a M rd “— he ‘a -*% ‘ ”, of . Yo “ Se « : d " _ Es | ~.- >» <S. te &t fu , eC FD ‘- & » ee 8, « ve— b * eA Labs ) wr-7 = olP a7 we il ———_— v5 a] aa -@ ? | driver remarked: - down in Brisbane, making his appearance at ‘Well, if he ain't mad he is the next thing | ‘‘ There is a ghost here, sir.” e ee the hotel. hee. to it.” 7 4 si é . Ha: this is the place, eh? Your em- _———- «He was a young Englishman, as he said} ‘And thatis—’ | iar ployer told me something about it. Just 1, . himself and as’ it was thought of him, one} ‘A fool.” | | stop by the gates there, will you?” Mi . . ~ ‘ “4 . > p- = . ; of 2 Pe, 7 ~~ 2 Cs a ~~ t F -? ee ; <% o™ “ , —— ~ wt Tos bw - , - etary rs 7 > a ‘ » oh a; 4 Se bt - — | 0D0KS.cCOmMm= *. 7 a bs . ‘ o-~- 4 wr 4 ate rr ag ~ om, Se me we us m et