Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 837 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

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M.” ** Aha!’ muttered Robert. ‘What is it?” asked Olaf, # you know Con Martin?” sé O. bP ‘* Never heard of him?” «6 No.” ** You say that Jack Webber owns a hoss that goes the races?” fT eas” ‘‘ Jes’ so, by mighty! Ef Il ain’t ’way off I kin see the inwardness o’ all this. Jack and Con are in a game ter do ye up, an’ they hev someway made Henry their dupe, or something o’ the sort. Hoss-owner an’ hoss trickster, et’s all one.” ‘*] don’t understand,” ‘Nor I, fully, but I will ef you give me word. Mebbe I kin get that bond o’ yours _ back. Do you give me leave!” es!” enry an’ ‘‘Dol? Yes; a thousand times, ‘Tell me all you kin about Jack.” Olaf oheyed. What he had to say was of interest only as it concerned the life and movements of the two, but it was just what Robert most desired, and he treasured it all up. : ‘‘That’s the stuff!” he commented. ‘*Can you get the bond?” ‘‘T kin try, an’ nobody could do more than that. Mebbe I kin do a pile better than Henry. Some folks call me Robert, the Rattler, because I get onter things so, an’ you may depend on me in this case. My friend, how much goods hev you here?” ‘* Nothing but our trunks,” _ “* Pack them an’ move!” ‘* Move?” **So I said.” ‘* We have nowhere to go.” ‘“You bet you have! My stern patient, George, Alonzo Burns, is a white man and a scholar, ef he is a bit shaky on his spellin’ book, an’ ef his son says youare ter be taken in you won’t get no refusal. Jest pack up an’ hump yerself!” | ‘* But why should we?” ‘‘ Because, my Christian friend, at any minute you're liable ter see a copper waltz in an’ gobble you ez witness ter the shootin’ that has been done here. The only wonder is that it was not done right off—the gobblin’ of the whole lot on us, I mean,” ‘*What would they do to us?” anxiously asked Olaf. ‘Take ye to the House o’ Detention.” ‘What is that?” A clear explanation was on Robert’s lips, but it suddenly struck him that the House of Detention might impress Olaf as just the place he wished to go to, in his poverty, and as this was not what Robert wanted, he made an answer not wholly free from guile: ‘* Prison, 0’ course.” ‘* Oh! oh! that will never do.” ‘‘Tt would do too well ef they kep’ ye there three or four years.” ** Ah! we must go at once.” Wily Robert had accomplished his object, and he saw his plan go into effect with com- mendable quickness. The trunks were hurriedly packed; an expressman was called, and then the party left the house. Their arrival at the residence of the senior Burns struck that honest, slow-going man with force. / ‘What in the world have you done, Rob?” he demanded. *« Adopted Sweden.” ‘* How is that?” ‘‘ Wal, these folks are in hard luck, an’ as ‘é. he your carpenter-shop is payin’ right wal these J ie to; ? — ‘ ~ -- ames SE ey eayrm..+ The Big Four of the Bowery. days—I heard you tell Sam Miggs so—you kin afford ter be generous. These are my adoptions, so you want ter receive them Wal.” Mr. Burns laughed. He was a proud and indulgent father, and what Robert did was about right in his eyes at all times. ‘Have it your own way,” he answered. ** Of course you have looked into this thing, so I have nothing to say.” * A remarkable parent was Mr. Burns, but he thought he had a remarkable son and could afford to give him his own way insuch things. Having thus housed his charges, Robert set out to do more. If there was danger of the Swedes being seized as witnesses to the shooting in the Bowery place, there was the same danger for himself, but he was reck- less on that point. He went back to the house to learn all he could. This was not much, and he had to leave without light which would guide him as he wished. He was wandering away, using a side street, when he chanced to see r. Con Martin enter a house there. He became on the alert at once. Among the things he wanted to know was where all the actors in this drama lived, and he hoped one question was solved. He was close to the door when Con walked in, and a few steps more took him opposite the entrance. Thedoorhad not been closed, and he saw Con and a young girl in the hall. The pool-seller was giving his attention to her and trying to be agreeable, but he did not seem to succeed to any great degree, She evidently was angry. ‘‘Now don’t be in a hurry, my dear,” Robert heard him say. ‘‘ You should not be so coy with those who admire you.” ‘‘T haven’t a word to say to you, Con Martin,’’ she replied. ‘‘But I have something to say to you, my ear.” ‘‘T’m not your dear!” she flashed. ‘Oh! come, now, don’t get angry. You haven't a better friend thanIam. Molly, do you realize you are getting to be a wo- woman? You are, and you ought to have admirers—” ‘You can’t be one of them!” ‘But Iam.” ‘‘Con Martin, I want to go out of that door, and if you don’t get out o’ my way, I will call for help.” ‘“Tell you what, Molly, if you'll give mea kiss, you may go.” So saying, the fellow flung his arms around her and attempted to take what he wanted, regardless of her wishes. Bob saw she was only about fourteen years olds and that she was being persecuted by the un- manly pool-seller, and he wanted to goto her aid, much as he also desired to avoid getting Martin down on him. Doubtless the watch- ful boy would have given a helping hand at once, but the result proved that Molly was able to care for herself. Neatly she squirmed outof his hold, and then her hand came down on his cheek with a sound which told that it must have made its mark even on such a brazen surface. A resounding slap it was, and then Molly dodged past her persecutor, passed out of the door, and slammed it to behind her. Mr. Con Martin did not follow. ‘* Bully fer you, b’gosh!” Molly looked as the words ‘fell on her ears and saw Robert, the Rattler, gazing in profound admiration. ‘‘ What did you say?” she asked. ‘“‘T observiated, bully fer you.” Roberi’s broad face was the picture of good-humor and admiration, and Molly did not feel offended. “That man is a wretch!” she declared. ‘““Now you hit et pritty near the bull’s- eye, but there is one thing ter console ye.” “What?” - **You hit him a swipe in the jaw that j must have made his teeth shake hands with each other.” ‘* He deserved it.” ‘So he did. _ Does he live in there?” “Yes. He has a room from Mrs, Nevins.” ‘* You live in there, too?” "en: ‘‘ Has he got cronies in there, likewise?” **None o’ them room there, but he has men come to see him. He is a pool-seller, an’ lots o’ horsemen come around He's especially thick with a man named Jack Webber, an’ they think they run about allo” New York, but they are a hard crowd, an’ | just hate them—so there, now!” “ Bully fer you!” cried Robert, admiring-. ly. ‘‘ You’re a reg’lar prize package.” CHAPTER IV. A HOUSE OF SUSPICION. EvipENTLY Molly did not find Robert, the Rattler, so unpleasant as Con Martin, for she evinced no desire to avoid talking with him. She surveyed his face closely and seemed to be sizing him up generally. | Robert, on his part, thought himself in clover. He had learned positively that. Martin and Webber were intimates, and he hoped he was on his way to more knowledge through the help of Molly. “What doye know abou Webber!” he asked. ‘* Nothing.” ‘* Rasy told! Don’t you know where he lives?” ‘é No.” ‘*Can you find out?” ‘* Don’t know of any way.” ‘*Couldn’t you get it out o’ Con?” ‘* Mebbe I could, but I ain’t in that busf- ness. I don’t make any talk with Mr, Con Martin. Is Webber a friend o’ yours?” The amiability of Molly’s nature had suddenly received a fall, and she looked at Robert so sternly that. he hastened to ex- claim: | ‘‘Say, don’t drop on me in that sort 0” style! I never see Webber in my life, an” as fer Con, though I ain’t acquainted with him, I know him to be the worst kind of a. shark. Don't misuse me, Miss Molly, fer I don’t deserve a rakin’,” , ‘‘T hope you’ll excuse me, for I don’t mean any harm. All I thought was thatif you were in with that crowd you couldn’t be nice,”’ ‘‘Molly, you area level-headed miss. I couldn’t be so, b’mighty!” The acquaintance between Robert and Molly was. fully under way, and from the manner in which they looked at each other it was clear it was not an unpleasant one on either side. Molly was not in the habit of stopping to talk with those whom she did not know, but there was something about the jolly-faced Robert which made her re- luctant to leave him so abruptly that he would feel slighted—so she expressed it to herself, | Perhaps Robert lingered longer than was necessary, but he finally felt that he must go. “Wal,” he said, ‘‘ I'll toddle along, but ef you don’t object ll come around some time ter talk about Con Martin. I think he’s a Va egg, an’ I'd like you ter keep posted on i Bend , ; “*Y will.” ‘Correct! Now, I’ll chase myself away.” He went, still meditating on what he had heard, } ‘Trouble is plenty fer them. Petersen is ter be euchered out o’ his bond ef them skunks kin do et, an’, with Henry a fugitive, where is there hope fer them? There is none, unless Risky Robert comes inter the ame, an’ that is jest what he means ter do. es, sitree, you must buckle on yer har-