Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 850 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Py ’ 5 crowd; and then he turned his head to the driver, ‘*Go on!” he ordered, peremptorily. Mother Beck drew back; the Jehuin buttons cracked his whip; the crowd mace way, and the hansom cab soled down the street. Caleb Cinders could not answer for any one else; but he knew that the latter part of the scene bad been a fraud ia which Proctorham and old Mother Beck were cqually anxious to act a part. He had not had any charitable impulse until he was frightened into it, and the old woman had been belligerent enough until his first low- spoken words had made such a sudden change in her manner. The plain English of it was that she had demanded hush-money and got it. ‘¢Guess Proctorbam has been up ter mean capers afore!” thought the Castaway. other Beck chuckled as she watched the carriage roll away. ‘The ol’ woman ain’t dead yit!” she affirmed, for the benefit of the crowd. ‘* Ho! perhaps | shall leave my pretty room, my dear room; an’ then, ag’in, perhaps I sha’n’t! Ha! Dil have my goods an’ chattels back in there within an hour!” ‘¢ Don’t that money burn your fingers?” asked a scoffer, ; The old woman stopped short, ‘* What! what!” she exclaimed, ‘‘ Why should it burn my fingers?” “ Ain’t 16 blackmail?” ‘‘ Halse! false!—all lies!” shrilly declared Mo- ther Beck, as she shook her fist at the speaker. ‘‘'Phe poor, dear lady was once sick with small- x,an’ I nursed her through, an’ she was grate- ul!” This gauze-like explanation produced a gen- eral smile, for she had never been known to help any one, but as there was no scofling re- ply, she trotted briskly away to arranye, it was believed, for the return of her goods to the old room, ‘*Sort of a tough, ain’t she?” asked Caleb, of a boy near him, ** Reg’lar screamer !” ** Know her wal?” *¢ All Ll want ter.” ‘* Know the folks in the harnsome cab?” sé No.” ‘¢ She bled him,” ‘* You bet she did!” ‘¢ What fur, d’ye think?” *¢ Don’ know,” Plainly, nothing was to be learned in that quarter, but Cinders was not discouraged, He elt an interest in old Mother Beck, and wanted to know more about her, If there was to bea fight between Norway and Mrs, Garland on one side, and Irving Proctorham on the other, it would be a very excellent thing to pet & clew to another misdemeanor in which Irving was concerned, The Castawav next tried 4 woman. ‘¢ So Mother Beck will be with ye longer, eh?” ‘* Yes—more’s the pity !” ‘¢ Ain’t she a good neighbor?” ‘*Ts a burglar a good neighbor?” ‘*D’ ye mean she’s a burglar?” ‘** Don’t ask me!” and the woman shook her head solemnly. ' ** 1d sorter like ter know.” ‘‘ You had better not. ’Tain’t fur children ter know, and I can’t tell ye! She’s lived here along time, an’ I never knowed any good on her, She was a woman who drinked a good deal, but never worked, an’ had ptenty o’ money at all times,” ‘+ Where'd shé get it?” ‘‘She had it; don’t ask me where she got it, A good fifteen year sle’s lived here, always allaxcd: always drinkin’ an’ never workin’. Ef she hadn't drinked we’d never ’a’ known what ter think; but when she did drink she talked, an’ she let out that she’d done a job for rich folks, sometimes, an’ was livin’ on what they had paid her.” ‘That’s odd!” commented Caleb. _ ‘‘Odd? Guess ye don’t know ‘rich folks, Why, ef the real life o’ the rich was made open, New York would be so in the soup that ev’ry parson here would sell his diplomer fur a mess 0’ potash, like bim in the Bible, an’go ter Af- rikay ter bea missionary an’ eat cannibawls— be eat by them cannibaw]s, J mean!” ** Yes; but about Mother Beck ?” “Oh! yes, Wal, about two months ago her way 0’ life changed, an’ we wa’n’t long in seein’ that she was, at last, short o’ cash, She went out ev’ry day, but not ter work.” ** What fur, then?” Cinders asked. ‘‘ Ter tramp the streets an’ look-—look—look! Look fur w t? Lord knows, I don’t; but Oe eee Mais "4 7 o- tet eee repels a F : , "ot wf ' ‘ » Th 4 - 7 ay: eo eam Ph pth tei ce : Caleb Cinders, the New York Castaway. she’d go on the streets where the big-bugs live, an’ peer inter the face of ev’ry one she seen in a carriage, or on foot, an’inter the winders o’ the houses,” ‘* That’s funny!” ‘*No; her money had give out, an’ she was lookin’ for the ones who had give it, so as ter strike them again. That’smy notion, An’she went out day after day, day after day, for weeks an’ months, always huntin’ her game.” ‘* Did she find it?’ inqnired the Castaway. ** Not unless if was just now,” and, with this significant remark, the woman turned and en- tered the house, CHAPTER VIII. WHAT THE RECORD CONTAINED. AFTER leaving Caleb Cinders, as before described, Altou Norway went at once to the oftice of the Superintendent of Outdoor Poor. The building is at the corner of Third, avenue and Eleventh street, and is one of the Je9st pre- tentious of the many in which the city vusiness of New York is done, Norway had never been there before, but he discovered that the entrance was on Eleventb street, and promptly entered, Once inside, he saw ascene so novel to him that he mechani- oy paused, e was in a large, slightly-oblong room, where a good deal of business was being done. One end, and a portion of each gide at the connecting points, was rendered private by means of a sort of counter, surmounted with a wicker-work iron fence, the whole being 1ot eo that seen in the sacred precincts of a anh, In one corner a man sat engaged upona book, or set of books, but, as be was all alone, Nor- way decided that be was merely the book- keeper. Behind another part of the ‘ fence,” and near the door, was a man who was talking with a ragged person through a pigeon-hole and behind the ragged person was a line of other ragged persons, It was a dismai line, for the vane of Poverty wasuponall. Some were men and some were women, but all looked to be poor and wretched, Some of them had an arm in a sling, and others had bandaged heads; and one woman had a baby in her arms, It was an eloquent, but a sorrowful picture, These were the unfortunates for whom the De- partment was organized, and they were apply- ing for aid from the city. Perhaps every one could have told a story pathetic or thrilling enough forthe columns of the daily press, and one—the woman with the baby—brought Nor- way’s errand eloquently to his mind. Wx. probably, Mrs. Gar!and had once been left ere, The melancholy line was constantly rein- forced by persons who came from the further side of the room, and there, Norway soon Rergereed, was the man with whom he must eal, The space occupied by the Department ex- tended beyond the large room, and the visitor saw a passage leading to an unknown region with three or four steps to reach it, the ground floor of the remainder of the building being higher than that of the first room, n one side of the passage was a small room which looked like an office, and between this office and the large rcom was an opening, waist-high, like a big window. By thia open- ing sat the superintendent, busy with appli- cants. Seeing that he must await his turn, Norway continued to use hiseyes. He saw that when a erson entered, he or she went first to the super- intendent, where he was kept some time in con- versation, and when the point was passed, went to join the melancholy Jine, where numerous questions were asked and the repiies recordéd, The whole room was plain, old-fashioned and almost forbidding, and the close, unpleasant | airand line of unfortunates had a depressing effect upon Norway. Never before bad he seen such a collection of wretchedness, and he began - rene the condition of the poor of New ork, He wished, too, that the rich. of the city would deign to take one look into that room, As others pasged on bo Crew nearer to the offi- cer in charge, Toreach bin cne}ad to ascend the three or four steps before rientiored, and then stand on a sort of broad stair with a wood- en protection against a fali at his back, and a policeman at his left. The particular policeman whom Norway saw was young, plump and good-looking. Clearly, he was not a victim of poverty. At last Norway stood on the broad stair with \ 7. Sa os rr Seem a ee ewes s - ‘7 v," = - i i : , ‘ . ; hh ( . $ ,> i aN 7 ee lee lee ee -——- ee ee ee ee - _— the handsome policeman at Lis left and the su- perintendent before him, He began the battle at once. **T have called, sir, on important business which I will state as briefly as possible, Up- wards of twenty years ago, among the many children this Department sent away to homes, was one, Claribe] Moer, who was sentto Oxford county, Maine, to be adopted by worthy people there, This was done; a generation of time has passed; the child is pow a woman, and she would like to ascertain what she does not yet know—w ho she is!” The suverintendent listened attentively, but did not offer auy remark, ‘* Beyoud the fact that her name, real or fic- titious, was Claribel Moer, she knows nothing of her early life. Whensle went to Maine she wasso young that she could tell nothing to her adopted parents, and ail recollection of the old life soon died away. Knowing that your books must have her record she respectfully requests you to allow me, as her representative, to see and copy it,” ‘*Can you give the exact date when she was sent to Maine?” briefly. asked ‘the impassive super inte ndent, ‘It is all on this paper,” Norway returned, as he handea over the article named, ‘¢ We willinvestigate. Take a seat!” ‘* Take a seat!” echoed the handsome police- man, as he pointed to a belt near the broad stair. Norway *‘ took a seat,” Le felt grateful that he was not asked tu stand in the melancholy line, . The policeman was given the paper the visi- tor had brought, and with this ho passed behind the iron fence to the man whom Norway had picked ont as the bookkeeper, The document was left there. The bookkeeper—hbe may have been called a secretary, or any other lofty name; Norway never learned—took the paper and went to the Third avenue side of the room, Rows of books, the records of the Department for many years, were there, and, after some search, he selected one, carried it to the desk aud began to examine if. The visitor watched him narrowly, being by that timein astate of nervous suspense, Hop- ing, as he did, to be more than a friend to Mrs, Garland,some day, her interests were his, but © he had no selfish or unworthy motive. Whatever the records might reveal, she still would be the woman te bad selected for his wife, and she was not responssble for her early history. After turning the Jeaves of the big book for some time the employee found the proper place, drew a sheet of paper closer to him, and began to write upon it. Norway watched with fresh interest. How much was there to copy! How much. would the record te)l? There was encouragement as the bookkeeper continued to write rapidly for some time ; there must be considerable.on the records, At last the work was done; the big book was closed; the guardian thereof took the copy and started toward his chief. To reach him the subordinate had to pass Norway. The latter looked wishfully at the pares and at its bearer, hoping that it would be handed to him, but, with an icy composure, the man passed on as though he had not seen the supplicant by the way. The paper was received and examined by the superintendent, and then the plump policeman made a beckoning gesture and Norway went to the broad stair again and confronted the arbi- ter of his fate. He was at once speared through and through by an attentive gaze. ‘¢ What relative are you of this lady?” asked the superintendent, touching the paper with his finger; oT am an intimate friend; and,” Norway frently addec, seeing that he must give good reasors, * Lexpect her to be my wife soon, Pe) taps the explanation bad a marked effect, for (he official at once assumeda very matter-of- fact, soothing air, ** Well, we are not able to give you much in- formation, as the record isincomplete, ’ She was received by us at the date you gave,and sent away almost at once. She was left with us by her mother,” ‘‘ Was she permanently given up!’ Norway eagerly asked, ‘The mother never came back,” . ‘ ‘‘ What was the mother’s name?” ‘¢1t was Huldah, and she was of Jewish par- entage.”’ ‘‘ And the father’s name—” a r ’ ' 7 ee , re eel ? , comicbooks.com