Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 849 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

om = ‘ ~ . a nana’ > . ll nit ~ ot i ey *In private, if you please,” the man respond- S5erwin had never seen him before in his life, so far as he could tell. ‘* You are a stranger to me, I think, sir,” he said, ‘* You may speak here, or I will take you up to my room,” ‘*T prefer the latter, since what I have to say will occupy several minutes, perhaps, and is highly important, Please glance at this, Mr, Sherwin,” The caller had now stepped nearer, and he held out a card. On it was the name—Broadway Billy. Sherwin looked again at his visitor, and was puzzled even yet to recognize him, so clever was the disguise, He understood what was required of him, however. “Very well, we will go up to my room, then,” he invited. ‘‘ Please come this way.” Miss Merrett had assigned a room to his use, even though he had expressed his intention of sleeping in the dining-room below. As soon as they entered the room and the door had been closed, Sherwin said: ‘““I’d never have guessed it was you. I wouldn't have believed you could make such a change in your appearance, Weston,” Seyi is believing, however,” Billy re- sponded, for he it was. ‘‘ What [am here for is important, and my business must be done quickly. Where is Miss Merrett?” ‘*She is in the parlor with Miss Athorne.” ‘‘Ha!l Miss Athorne, eh? I think I smell a mice, But, this is no time for idle talk, I want to get into Miss Merrett’s private room for about a couple of minutes. *t stop to ex- plain, but it’s all in your interest, Can you show me where it is?” * Yes; but—” ‘** No time to but, Mr, Sherwin, Show me the room, quickly, and ask no questions tillI re- turn.” ‘* All right, knowing who you are, ll do it,” He opened the door and stepped out into the hall, and noting that the way was clear, mo- tioned the detective to follow. Passing around an angle made by the stairway where it turned to ascend to the next floor in another direction, Sherwin pointed to a door, saying: ‘There, that is the room.” “All right, Step back to your own room, and keep up a talking in low tone as if I were still there with you,” They parted and the detective went forward upon his mysterious errand while Sherwin re- turned and carried out the directions which bad been given, - He had not long to wait. Not more than two minutes had passed when the detective again entered the room, ‘“* Successful,” Billy said only. ee have you accomplished?” Sherwin in- qu ‘¢‘ Pound a clue at last,” was the reply. ‘‘ Say nothing, but wait. And now I must be going. Have you been able to secure the key, as agreed upon ES Yes, and here it is, It will let you in at the front door. Do not fail to come, if itis as important as you think,” ‘*T shall be on hand, never fear,” A few other remarks and the detective took his leave, Sherwin returning to the room where be had left the two women, where he gavea etl a but apparently satisfactory account of his caller. _ It was not an bour later when a messenger came to the house bearing a message for Sher- win, It read like this: « SHERWIN :— ‘* Come immediately to office.” “‘ WestTon—Broapway Biniy,.” phe yeang man pulled at his mustache ina puzzied manner for a moment, thinking hard, and finally decided to obey the call, He partly suspected that something was not right about the message, but it was so brief and to the point that he felt bound to obey the summons, ‘* You ladies will have to excuse me,” he said, briefly explaining.. It was impossible for Irene to conceal the ex- ultation she felt, for she knew this was the work of her husband, There was nothing, now, in the way of her success, A little patience, a little careful work, and she should have in her ion that immense fortune, Sherwin had his intention of return- ing, but none knew so well as Irene that the chances against his doing so were large. He knew the imvortance of keeping watch while she was beneatk that roof, for he guessed what bad brought her there, She was not likely to make any search for the treasure, however, until after Ermina bad retired, He expected to be back ere that time, W hen he left the house, a silent shadower—the Silent Shadower, to make clear at once—set forth after him, keeping him in sight, Sherwin had not gone a great distance when, ina dark place, several men suddenly closed upon him and he was made prisoner. A carriage was near at hand, and into that he was forced and driven rapidly away. Silent Seth Fad run forward, on the other side of the street, and turning the corner just a mo- ment after the vehicle bad turned, he caught on behind and swung bimself up toa position where he could hold fast, and one in which he might not be discovered readily, In the mean time Happy Harry bad heen set to watch the movements of Lawyer Lyddon, and had followed him finally toa bouse which did not appear to have any family living in it, Here the lawyer let bimself in witb a key, ani there he remained, while Harry watched, and no light was seen at ais of the windows. It was a considerable time later when a carriage drew up before this house, Harry noticed somebody drop from bebind as the carriage drew toa stop, and hesaw bim spring to cover bebind a tree, And none too soon, either, for the door opened immediately and men got out, There wasa moment of parley, when a limp and helpless—if not indeed lifeless body was taken out and carried into the house, while the carriage drove away. Harry crossed the street and approached the tree behind which he had seen the other watcher hide himself, “Christopher Columbia!” cried Harry, as soon as he saw it was Silent Seth. ‘‘ What are you doing here?” Seth asked, ‘*My man is in that house. Who was the one they just took in?” ‘“That was Sherwin, the boss’s client. It’s gettin’ lively, Harry, sure as you live,” ‘‘ You bet it is, and there’s going to be music in the air before morning, or I’m no prophet, But, what are we going todo? Must be up and bustling, these times,” They talked on, agreeing that it was better to wait till the men came out, when one might still follow Lyddon while the other could try to res- cue the man they had taken irto the house. After a little delay the men all came out to- gether, and the door was locked after them. Lyddon went off in one direction while the other men tock another, Harry followed Lyddon, as before, while Si- lent Seth remained to see what be could do to- ward freeing the prisoner, Meanwhile Ticket had been faithful in his part. He had not lost sight of Tony Vangriff for a minute, and now was close to him on the street in the rear of the Penrose mansiopv, A considerable time had passed, and it was nearing the hour for the arrival of Broadway Billy, in response to the bogus message from Sherwin, which they had every reason to believe he would obey. Finally the rascals were all assembled again, and knowing their plan, Ticket did not take the risk of venturing near enough to hear what was said. At length they entered the narrow alley in a body, and no one who had not seen them could suspect that they were there, The note purporting to be from Sherwin had directed Broadway Billy to come to the house at a certain hour, by way of ‘the alley, and now that time was about at band and he was looked for. A few minutes passed, and Broadway Billy came, But be was not alone. Half a dozen sturdy policemen were with him, and they entered the alley in a body. The next moment there was a sound of steps, then a sharp scuffle and a commingling of oaths, and a light flashed upon the scene from a lantern in the hand of Broadway Billy. “‘ Trapped!” criéd Tony Vangriff. “And by the very dog we wanted ter cap- ture!” added Hugh Higgin. ‘Curse you, Broadway Billy, but you shall pay for this! At them, boys, tooth and nail!” he rasvals fought desperately, but the police- men had the advantage and they were speedily brought to terms and taken prisoners, ** Jupety Jupe!” cried a small voice from the Broadway Billy’s $100,000 Snap. 16 rear, ‘* but that was fine! Makes me feel almost as ae as hot soupon acold day, Broadway Billy is the boss, you bet he is!” The prisoners stormed and threatened, but that barmed po one, and presently they were marched out of the mri | and away to the station, where Broadway Billy entered charges against them, and where we may leave them for geod. Vangriff and Higgin did not escape a second time, That duty done, Billy set out for the Penrose manison, having told Ticket he could approach by way of the rear alley, where he might pos- sibly witness some more of the same kind of ** fun” before morning. CHAPTER XVI, TICKET, THE TRUMP, KNIGHTED, THE bour was growing late by the time Broadway Billy reached the house, and he had not a great while to wait for all the ligbts to be put our. Waiting yet a little longer, the detective crossed the street and let himself in by the front basement door with the key which had been provided by Sherwin, and knowing the ground well, be was quite at home in the dark, Closing the door as silently as he had opened it, and locking it, be passed noiselessly into the dining-room, where he step into a recess be- hind a portiere,a hiding-place which he had reviously marked, The portiere covered a alse door, and was seldom moved. An bour passed, Finally a slight noise was heard, then a faint light was seen, and looking out from his pra of concealment Billy saw the old servant, Betsy Bennet! She put her light on the table with a sigh, and the watching detective heard her mutter: ‘¢T must find it now or give it up for good and all. This will be my last chance, But, Vl never tell them, Pll never tell them, They bave got no more right to it than I have, who was her friend tili-death.” She began and went through the same per- formance as on the other occasion, going over the front of the chimney-place time and time again, but witbout success, She touched the secret drawer a bundred times; but, without the knowledge of how to open it her search was in vain, At last, with another sigh, she gave i ‘“*T can’t ffnd it,” she muttered, ‘I know it is there, but I do not know how to open it. Well, well, if I can’t bave it neither shall they, that isall. Betsy Bennet will keep her secret, and itshall die with her the same as it died with the old lawyer, Ha, ba, ha!” With a chuckle she turned her light low and made her way out of the room as silently as she bad come, the creaking of a joint now and then being the only sound she made, Two hours more passed silently by, the detec- tive still waiting patiently in bis hiding-place, At last a very faint click caught bis ear, and a little later ight was seen. He looked out, and there was Irene Athorne} lighting the gas. She left it turned low, or only just bigh enovgb to enable her to see dis- tinctly, Taking a paper from her pocket she looked at it long and carefully for some moments, when she laid it on the table and stepped to the chim- ney-place, where she examined as carefully the stones of the inlaid hearth, ‘‘ How simple it is,” Billy heard her whisper toherself, ‘* Hereare the stones, just as marked on the paper, But, who would have guessed it?” Stepping back to the table she looked at the paper once more, and Billy saw her nod her head approvingly. ‘‘ T have it right,” she said, exultingly, Now, for the treasure!” Billy could have reached out and taken the paper from the table with ease, but he had no use for it and he did not want to alarm the young woman, as sbe certainly would be to find it natant Irene looked once more at the stones of the hearth, and selecting two of them, put her heels upon them and pests upon ope, There was a click, and the secret drawer flaw n over her head! She clasped her hands, almost beside herself with delight, ‘‘Mine! Mine!” shecried in whisper. Seizing a chair, she sprung upon it and eagerly looked into the drawer, when instantly she gave a great start and almost reeled from her ooting. | ‘*Gone!” Billy heard her gasp. She looked again, felt in with her hand to . hy « Fon AS SS Ive - P Z > Seg teh De | avis” Snail cay a ~ 94s