Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 821 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

et CAL. re . - ‘ Ps > . -_—_ please.” give mill-owner * 7 ca, Si 1 ’ * a. TT ee ee ee oe ee eee The Silent Shadower nodded. but said **T understand.” nothing. ‘‘This village, Granton, has two large He had nothing to say. mills on the banks of a creek from which ‘* And what do you say, boss?” and Happy they derive their power, and they, the Harry turned to Broadway Billy, their chief, ‘mills, are the main support of the people of that rising young detective of the metropolis. _ the village and neighborhood. The place is ‘‘T agree with you, Harry,” Billy made about eight miles distant from the nearest answer. ‘‘ We don’t want to be idle. We_ railroad station, Brisbane. are cocked and primed for any consarned | ‘‘ Brisbane is quite a large town. There is diffikilty that may pop up, so let ’er pop; a bank, of which my father is one of the sweet pertaters, yes!” | directors and in which he does all his bank- Billy gave voice to his old time exclama- ; ing business. Every Friday the assistant Broadway Billy’s Bluff. ee oe ee tion once in awhile, just to delight his admir- ing apprentices. And they enjoyed it, for in their more youthful days, before they ever thought of becoming identified ywith him in kis work, they had read of his exploits with bated breagh. ‘* Crackers an’ cheese!” cried Harry, ‘‘ that is the talk! Seth, I don't see how you can | superintendent and paymaster of my father’s mills went to this town to draw money out, of the bank with which to hands.” ‘‘T take it the person missing is this pay- master.” “You have guessed aright, sir, On Friday two weeks ago he went to Brisbane pay off the as usual, but was detained there until late in sit there like a sphinx, when the jeebeeb is | the evening before starting back again. He jecbing on his jeeber like this! Come, wake , left the town about eleven o'clock, and up and say something! What’s the use of | shortly after midnight his horse—he had living, if you don’t let your chin wag?” gone on horseback—came home dripping ‘* Nothing to say.” | with sweat, the saddle empty. The pay- ‘Well, then, say it. I haven't anything | master was missing, and has not been seen to say, either, buf I keep my harp in tune | or heard from since. It is a great mystery just the same, so I’ll be ready to play when | something is to be said.” __ ‘“And perhaps Seth gives his. tongue plenty of rest so that he can use it all the moré to the point when the occasion re: quires,” Billy suggested. ‘* Maybe that’s it, boss; I don't know.” ‘* Be that as it may,” Billy went on, ‘‘ each of youis well in his place. There was never such a talker as I was when a kid, and my ready tongue has helped me out of many a difficulty. On the other hand, too much tongue has gotten me into many a difficulty. So you are evenly balanced.” ‘“It would never do to have two such stoicks as Seth,” Harry observed. ‘'That’s true; and I could never stand the chatter of two rattleboxes like you, Harry.” The opening of the office door interrupted their further talk, A woman camé into the office, a young woman, perhaps twenty-two years of age, one who was rather good-looking. ; She was well dressed, her face showed her to be a person of intelligence, and when she spoke it was shown that she bad a firm, mu- sical voice, and that she was a woman of some education, ‘Do I address Mr. Weston, the detective?” she asked. f ‘‘Yes, madam, I am Mr. Weston,” Billy answered, rising, with a slight bow, ‘*T have called to see you on a matter of business, sir.” ‘Please be seated, and let me know in what way I can serve you, if it is my service you seek,” ** And itis, sir, But, these young men—” A glance toward Harry and Seth, who had immediately taken their places at other end of the office. “My assistants,madam. I will send them out, if you wish, but they are fully intrusted with whatever business | take hold of, andif itis detective work you require—” | ‘Tt is all right, sir; let them remain. It is d@tective work I require. Ihave come to engage you to find a missing man, Mr, Weston.” ‘*T had a case of that kind not a great while ago,” ‘Yes, I read all about it in the papers, and that has brought me to you.” “* Ts this case a similar one?” . | ‘‘Only in that one feature, that a man is mysteriously missing.” ‘‘ Well, let me have the particulars, if you ‘First let me introduce myself, My name is Gretna Granton, and m hats is at Gran- ton, in New Jersey, My father is an exten- there, and the place bears - i ’ - . “™ of a mile back from the graveyard. ' built before the Revolution by a bitter Tory, where he can be.” ‘‘ Any marks of blood on horse or saddle?” ** None.” “© Any clew of any kind, which. the authorities have worked upon?” ‘* None whatever,” ‘“What was done first; when the horse came home in that condition?” ‘‘One of father’s men happened to be at the stable when the animal dashed into the barnyard, so it was known immediately. He gave the alarm, and father sent a party of men right back over the road.”’ “The right thing. What did they learn?’ ‘“* Nothing.” ‘* Nothing whatever?” “Well, they carried lights, although the night was not a dark one, being clear yet without a moon, and they found that the horse had. come some of the way ata dead run, as it is expressed.” “You say some of the way.” ‘Yes; something over a mile from our place.” “Then it could be discerned where the horse had sprung into a faster gait than be- fore?” Yes. ‘And where was that?” “Tt was about at Granton Graveyard, as it ig called, though it is at a distance from Granton.”’ ‘How came the graveyard so far away?” ‘‘Our family is an old one, sir. For many years the old homestead was near there, and there was a little village—a church, and so forth. But now all that is gone, and all that remains is an old pile we call the Ruins.” ‘And what is that?” ‘ An old stone building, about a quarter It was and is something of a castle in its way. Around it one of the battles of the Revolu- tion was fought.” ‘Tt is now untenanted ?’ ‘No; there is a man living in it, a sort of recluse, whom people call the Mad Chemist.” ‘This grows interesting, Miss Granton, But we have drifted away from the case. Let us go back to that and finish it before we digress again. Now, what was the name of this paymaster?” David Haswick,” +“ Age 9”? ‘* Twenty-eight, sir,” ‘‘Was he wéll liked at the mills?” _ “He was almost loved by every man in our Village, sir.” 7 “Proof enough for the kind of man he was, then. Now, had he an enemy that you know of?” The young woman's eyes sought the floor. ‘‘It is the same old story, sir,” she> s® reply. sé r had a.rival in love.” ‘That was it, sir.” “Who was the person over whom they disputed?” sé j Pee ‘So I thought. you mention?” . “ His name is Richard-Bardner, son of the president of the bank at Brisbane, and a man of good standing. ‘* Well, do you think he had anything to do with this matter?” ‘Oh, no, sir; that cannot be possible.” “Then why did you mention him?” ‘‘In answer to your question. He is the only one I know of who could have had any ill feeling toward Mr. Haswick.” ‘Then you had favored Mr. Haswick?” ‘*T had; I loved him.” ‘Has this man Bardner done anything toward solving the mystery?” ‘‘He has worked with the others, sir; no one has been able to do much of anything.” “What has he had to say about the mat- ter?” ‘* He has mads it no secret that he did not like Mr. Haswick, but at the same time has been earnest in his desire to have the mystery solved, and if any harm has come to David, to have the guilty one punished.” ‘That does not sound like the talk of a guilty man.” “Oh, no; do not begin with the idea that Mr. Bardner is guilty. Though Ido not like him, I cannot think anything so evil of him.” _** You have told me Mr. Haswick left Bris. bane about eleven o’clock that night. What detained him so late?” ‘‘T was on a visit there, and he spent the evening with me.” - ‘‘Tfa! I see. And he had the money with him, of course. That gives us a motive for a crime.” he oldest thing I can think of is that he Well, who was this rival >? was waylaid and killed, and the body put out of sight. But, there was no indication of it on the road anywhere. The horse had not stopped.” ‘‘And no place was seen where he had fallen from the animal?” — ‘No, sir. It is truly a mystery.” . “JT agree with you, if that is the case. What more can you tell me about it, Miss Granton? Think well, and tell me all you can. trifling may be of the greatest value to me. Think well.” CHAPTER IT. MORE OF THE SAME, For some moments the young woman was silent, and then she spoke. . ‘‘Would it not be better,” she said, ‘‘ for you want?” “Tt might be, if you have told me all you can that bears directly upon the matter. I can know nothing about it further than what you have disclosed.” ‘* And I do not know what more [ can tell, thing new.to my mind, ‘Well, let us see: Your object in coming here was to engage me to find Mr. Haswick, or to try to find him?” ‘* Yes, sir.” ; ‘‘Well, now, has this thought come to you—that perhaps dé has taken that money and run—”’ ‘Sir! No, no; dismiss that idea at once; it is unworthy of one moment's considera- tion. It is impossible,” 3 ‘*You, however, are biased in Miss Granton.” ‘* Yes, I admit it; but, no one will believe that of David Haswick.”’ | ‘‘ Has the suspicion been raised, then?” ‘* Tt has been spoken of.” the matter, e€om ‘‘ Yes; and it is feared that, somehow, he- Something which you may consider , you to ask questions, and so draw out what | unless by your, questions you bring some- | * Ms jae ae, * ’ > ’ - r t ye. h 4 “ by v1 ‘a 4 ¢ f { Pod % 4 a ley ly rie: (‘ee (2) Ne f a. su % wl s wy ; try wee Th a, ay - ; my" : ar an Se » +f ns + x > he = +> > ; : . be 7 a . here 4 if serie.) 6acis Bap ae Fi as 4 i u wt wa : i . a'¢ T i un is : ais "\ ey irr wv. é, 4 . . aLre aw Pus fr; > Eboo