Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 839: Broadway Billy's Big Boom — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 you will get,” Franklin informed. ‘‘ What do you say to it?” “Pil do it, sir; Pll gladly do it!” ‘All right, then; get on your things and come with me,” He and Miss Laurence did not allow the woman to go out of their sight, and when she was ready for the street the young man took her away as a prisoner, and in due time she was locked up as she deserved. The joy of the reunion between Vivia and Zita need not be pictured. i In the mean time Broadway Billy was car- rying on his work, now aided by the police ee _guided by Happy Harry and Silent eth. Billy was now eager to find the way into that underground den into which he had had just a peep, knowing well enough the nature of the discovery which there awaited him. He had three places in view, the houses in which Harry and Seth had separately been confined, and thatin which Edward Franklin had so nearly lost his life, though he had little expectation that the latter would prove the opening way to the den. The nearest was the one where Seth had he imprisoned, and that was the one visited rst. It was a surprise, and the police made a rich haul, but they did not accomplish the object they had in view. he Irish girl who had freed Seth was among the number arrested, but a word from Seth to Billy secured her freedom. Seth questioned her, but was unable to learn anything of importance, and telling her who he was, and that now he had repaid the debt he owed her, she was allowed to go, happy enough at thus getting off so easily. But, then, she was guiltless, and would have been liberated anyhow. The next visit was to the place where Harry had been so long confined, and there also arrests were made, { This is pay with interest on the debt of gratitude I owe you,” Mom Brunner,” re- marked Happy Harry, when the old woman was arrested. ‘‘I’d like the satisfaction of taking a broom to you for about ten minutes, you old Jezebel,” Her only response to that was a wish that she had killed him when she had the chance But here, likewise, nothing was discovered toward the desired end, It was shown clearly, though, that this Mom Brunner was a “‘ fence,” and the evi- dence of her guilt was not to be doubted. Billy had the address of the house to which Franklin had been lured, but he did not be- lieve anything would be discovered there further than he kuew already, and while he was studying the matter a sudden thought came to him. Was not the saloon of Hob Feeny the very place they wanted to find, after all. He mentioned it to the police sergeant, and he agreed with him. Thither they repaired, a thorough search of the premises was made, and at last the search was rewarded. In a room at the top of the house was a trap-door, opening into a shaft that had been mace in imitation of a chimney, and down which ran a ladder of iron, bolted together in sections, Down this the searchers climbed, one af- ter another, and at the bottom was revealed a chamber, in one side of which was set an iron door similar to the one Billy had dis- covered on the previous night. It was bolted, tight and fast, and seemed to defy their efforts to open. CHAPTER XVI. SQUARING ACCOUNTS. THERE was no time then to stop to try delicate measures with the bolts and bars and locks, for all were too eager to learn what lay beyond. One man was sent to get a sledge, or any other heavy instrument he might be able to find, and while he was gone the others sat down in expectancy, talking the matter over. Broadway Billy had just ended telling them about his adventure and his finding of another iron door, when a sound was heard somewhere beyond the door that now barred their progress, and it was a heavy clang like the closing of a similar door further away. Immediately all became silent to listen, and in silence waited. Presently another sound was heard, that of approaching footfalls beyond the door, and chains and bolts were heard to move. With weapon drawn, Broadway Billy leaped to the door, and the others were at his back, and as soon as the door opened he caught hold of it and flung it wide, disclos- ing a couple of men about to come out. Execrations escaped them, and they quick- ly blew out the lights they carried. This availed them nothing, however, for Billy’s party had plenty of Tent, and they were ordered to put up their hands and sur- render, There was no help for it, and this they did, much as it galled them, and. were quickly handcuffed and rendered helpless; and about that time the man returned who had been sent for the sledge. He carried a bar instead, but it was not nee*ed now, and leaving two to guard the prisoners and the door, Billy and the others set forward to explore the place and learn what secrets it might hold. A task that was speedily and satisfactorily accomplished. It was,,in fact, a counterfeiting den, as Billy had/ guessed, and one that had evi- dently been doing considerable mischief. Who can say how many such are hidden under the shadows in mighty Gotham? It. was taken charge of by the police, the Federal authorities were notified, and on the following morning a thorough cleaning out was made and the place destroyed. Hob Feeny was a member of the band, and was induced to reveal the names of all the others, and the arrests robbed high societ of more than one of its shining lights. It was a greater victory than Broadway Billy had dreamed of when he agreed to take Miss Laurence’s case. When the case against Burk Burret and Job Heron was heard, one of the most das- tardly of rascally schemes was clearly roved. The child, Zita, was heiress to an immense fortune, butin case of her death this fortune was to go to her uncle, Burk Burret. This was known to Job Heron, one of the child’s guardians, He it was who first proposed to Burk Bur- ret what a good thing it would be if he, Burk, could come in for the wealth, and finaily he proposed that they together should undertake to remove the heiress in order to bring this about. Heron, of course, was to come in for a big share himself. Burk agreed, providing Zita was not kill- ed, and this made the plan ten times more difficult. It would have been ‘a comparative- ly easy matter to have had some accident happen to the child, by which she would be removed and no one be held under suspicion; but whenit came to passing off another body for hers, there was the difficulty. It was a long time before the thing could be ‘brought into anything like working order. The substitute body had to be pro- vided, first of all, and it required the con- stant watching of the persons concerned to find just such a body as they needed for their purpose. At last, however, one was found, ana then came the stealing of Zita and her detainment, and after that the find- ap, Se the body clad in her clothes. he woman, Susan Coolidge, had been one who had recognized it positively, as she was in a measure in the scheme and was be- ing well paid for her part. lt was.she who apprised the leading rascals of the fact that Broadway Billy’s Big’ Boom. Miss Laurence had suspicions that it was not Zita’s body, and when Miss Laurence de- clared her intention of going tothe detective, Broadway Billy, it was the same woman who told Heron, so-was laid the plan for put- ting Billy out of the way before he could have time to do anything against the success. of their venture. Previous to this had been the arrest of Burret, and his hearing, at which he had been able to prove the clearest kind of alibi, and this had lulled suspicions so that nothing stood in the way of the success of the evil scheme. When Broadway Billy was called into the play, however, and they moved against him, then had come the beginning of their downfall, and the chief means in bring- ing their crime down upon their own heads. with terrific force. It had been a big risk, but the fortune to be gained was a grand one, and this had made them all the more desperately eager to make sure of it. Nor were these arrests all, There had been the surprising arrest of Amson ied fi and the charge against. him was much more of a surprise. It was established by proof, however, and the house of Bigwell & Granson lost one of its most important—self-important—mem- bers. mourning for him! Harper Heron tried to get out of any share in the great matter, but that was in vain, for Broadway Billy had by this time sifted the thing to the very bottom, and not only he, but several others indirectly in- terested, were brought to grief onaccount of it. Never, the court declared, had such a heartless piece of villainy come under notice, and the heaviest sentence possible was given in every case, save alone that of Susan Coolidge, who was left off with a few months less than the full penalty for her das- tardly crime. Broadway Billy and his invincibles were given gieat praise for the work they had so well accomplished. Billy was handsomely rewarded, and promptly gave the youthful aides their fair proportion of the returns from the result of © excellent work. Later on, that Billy was best man at a. quiet wedding, goes without saying. When Harry and Seth had done compar- ing notes they agreed that it had been about, the toughest time they had ever had, But, they were ready for more of the same, any time, they declared, and now that their detective wings were beginning to get. strength they didn’t care how often they were called upon to try them. ‘‘ Christopher Columbia, yes!” was. Harry’s way of expressing it. ‘‘ We’re here on tap for any sort of a Bae diffikilty that. wants to show up, and I’ll bet we are bound to come out right-side-up-with-care every time. We got a double dose that time, but we got there just the same, you bet!” To which Silent “Seth silently agreed, while Billy himself wound the whole matter up with: ‘“We gave them a broadsider that time, boys, even if it did look dubious for us for awhile, and we've got our guns cocked and primed for the next batch of rogues we run up against. We are in the field m earn- est, and if we can’t carve our names some- where it will be because we can’t spella-b-l-e able. Wemust try to keep the old banner waving; sweet pertaters, yes!” THE END. BEADLE’S HALF-DIME LIBRARY. 840 Dealwood Dick’s Clutch ; or, Crushing Captain Crusher, By Kdward L Wheeler, $41 Prince Charlie, the Cat’spaw Sport. uke Dey. A New Issue Every Tuesday. The Half- Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of aix cents each, BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishe 98 William Street, New By Marma- ork. But it is needless to say there was no. ~ +s Ca = a.