Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 850 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

, 4 ~ othe “ago, an’ she has ‘* TH smash you—” ‘* Exeuse me, but you willdo nothing of the kind!” sternly put in Norway. ‘‘ This lad is with me, and under my protection.” ‘* Then teach him civility.” ‘* Judging by aypeeranees; he needs no teach- er. He has done himself great credit.” ** Gentlemen, let us settle this without useless talk,” requested tho lady, quietly. ‘‘I find that this second bag is mine, and in good condition. I do not claim the second; if this—this person does, he has only to take it and go.” ‘¢ You won’t let the critter off, will ye?’ cried Caleb. sé Yes,” ** He ought to be arrested,” urged Norway. ‘*] decline-to appear against him in court.” ‘*' You only do me justices, madam!” affirmed the thief, ‘‘and— But excuse me, here is my station!” He was afraid that she would be induced’ to change her mind, and, as they slowed up, be was one of the first at the gate. Silencereigned in the car, but all mechanically watched him leave the train. When their way was resumed, the last chance of arresting him vanished. ‘“ ’m afraid it’s a mistake,” mechanically re- marked Norway, ‘* So ’tis, b’jinks!” Cinders agreed. ‘*f am sorry if I have disappointed you, and it is quite possible that I am wrong, but I have @ horror of appearing in court. No doubt the man was a villain, but, as he did not accom- plish his p , Ll preferred to let him go. That he failed is due wholly to this bright-faced young man.” 7 She looked at Caleb Cinders, noted his ap- pearance more closely, and then added: ‘*T am about to leave the train, but I would like to talk, at some future time, with him who has saved me from the loss of important pa- pers, My lad, will you call upon me, a few days later?’ ‘*T shall bo pleased ter,” the Castaway re- ied. ‘Then take this card; it has my name and address upon it. When you come ! will reward you properly for your very valuable service which I am not able to do now on account of want of money.” “Don’t mention it!” the boy quickly re- quested, ‘7 will mention it later.” The train was slackening, and, with a gra- cious smile, the lady passed out of the car and alighted. ‘* Charmin’ as a queen!” Caleb commented. “An estimable lady, no doubt,” Norway agreed, ‘** What does the card say?” ‘** Mrs. Catherine Richardson, No, — Lex- ington Avenue,’” Cinders read, ‘ Sounds Cony don’t it?” orway’s mind was too busily occupied to dwell long upon the subject, and, as thelr own station was at hand, all the chief actors in the late scene were soon gone, It had not created much notice, for conversation had not been loud, and the trainmen had not discovered that anything requiring their attention was in pro- ess. Leaving the train and the station, Norway and Caleb walked briskly to Mother Beck’s resi- dence, Aj] was quiet there, and the. household goods had disappeared from the sidewalk, They knocked at the door, but received no answer, and,-as there was no bell, or other means of summoning any one, they entered. After pounding on several doors they aroused a slipshod-looking woman. ‘¢ Where is Mrs. Beck’s room?” Norway asked. ‘‘Her room is up-stairs, but she ain’t there,” ‘was the reply. ‘* No} here is she?” é Gone )? ag an’ baggage, ruck came an hour fett for good.” ** Wa’n’t her goods brought in, after they had been put out?” the Castaway demanded. **No. She came back, an’ said she wouldn’t live here, nohow, so off she went to a new home,” ‘** Where is that?” ‘3 Don’t know; we asked her, but she wouldn’t “ Both Norway and Cinders were downcast. Had Mother Beck really slipped out of their hand nds? / ** Didn’t she tell any one here?” ‘* Not she. We see her get money of a fine gent in a hansom cab, an’ we suspect he had her move off som’ers on purpose,” A sudden idea came to Caleb Cinders. When after the adventure with Proctorham, she had ° ' . aw | , ~ ' : a°. =“ & % ?" . 2 Thatie! ‘¢'* Se ar vv ad Solty te <A ~~ sms « *- oh, : ‘* 4 ; sss tsetse . : Caleb Cinders, the New York Castaway. made off with the assertion that she would make arrangements to get her room back, and move her goods in again, she had gone in the same direction previously taken by the hansom cab. Was it possible that Proctorham had again seen her, and had her move elsewhere on pur- pose to have her disappear? She had used her tongue freely, and might be dangerous to him, **Did you know the man who moved her goods?” continued. Norway. * No,” ‘* But can’t you suggest any way by which we can get trace of her? She must have friends—” **? doubtit! She never had company, an’ ef you can find any friend o’ hers here, Vil go treat. Mother Beck was a neighbor we can part with just as well as not!” **Did ye ever hear her called by any other name?’ asked Cinders. ‘$.No,” ** Somebody called her Huldah Joy, when sho was settin’ on her property in the street.” The woman shook her head. ‘* Never heerd the name. But, laws! old Mother Beck wouldn’t be above havin’ a dozen names; I always kept my spoons hid when she was around!” This evidence of good feeling in the tenement house did not bring a smile to the face of either visitor. The old woman’s disappearance was a severe disappointment, They had formed great hopes, and believed that money would lead her to talk freely, but she had vanished just when discoveries seemed to bein order, As there was no reply, their informant sud- denly broke out with fresh information, ‘*] wouldn’t like ter Lave Mother Beck’s con- science, nohow, Long yeas she lived here, do- in’ nothin’, but havin’ plenty of money; an’ we all understood it was the fruit of some ugly deed. She run short, though, an’then she was wild. She’d lost sight o’ her rich money-giver —so we think—an’ she set out ter find him, For weeks she did nothin’ but tramp the streets in the fash’nable quarter, an’ look fur him, but she never found him. I’m glad she had ter get out! The speaker gave her head a jerk, shut her mouth, and stood on record as religiously op- posed to old Mother Beck, CHAPTER XI, THE BLOW OF A CLUB, . FURTHER questioning failed to develop any- thing of interest, so Norway and Caleb Cinders left the house, ‘* Whera now?” the latter asked. ** Our one bope seems to bein finding theman who took Mother Beck’s goodsaway. Accord- ing to what we have Been told, this was done, |. not in a furniture-van or express-wayon, but in a truck. We must visit every possible place around here,” ‘* Them’s the idea!” Caleb agreed. ‘‘Away we go, then, We'll interview the first policeman we meet, and ascertain what stables are near,” : ‘¢ We'll ran the old lady down!” cried the Castaway, confidently, ‘* T hope so.” ‘“* Of course we will. Never say die!” This was good advice, but Cinders’s sanguine spirits were destined to receive a’ severe shock, hey acted upon the plan marked out, and made all possible inquiries, but nota man could they find who had moved an old woman’s household effects that day. They visited stables and stop- ped¢eams, but all to no effect. The right man had disappeared as complete- ly as Mother Beck herself, and they could only conclude that, wishing to blind her trail, she had stopped some strange driver and thusac- complished her object. By the time that their useless labors were concluded the afternoon bad worn away, and they saw that they would have to let the missing woman rest for awhile, Norway looked at his watch. ‘‘T have just about time enough to catch my lawyer friend, who is employed by the city,” he observed, ‘‘and as I want to learn just what my ene are in investigating Mrs. Garland’s early life, I think I will call upon him at once, You can go on home and meet me'there later.” ‘All right,” Caleb agreed, ** You can say that J will soon be home,” ** Pll doit.” They separated, and the Castaway took a train of the Elevated Railroad for up-town, On the way he got to thinking of his unceremonious departure from Irving Proctorhbam’s house. He bad left there his whole worldly possessions, y oy - “ fe, ° = “4 , ee hag tego fake 1 Bs pn yp et, SRL is im . lat . : : 9 and, though his connection with Norway bade fair to soon make him better off than ever be- fore, he did not like the idea of abandoning any- thing on his late employer’s premises. The desire to take his effects away became a passion, and he resolved to go there at once. It was not likely that Proctorham would dare todo anything against him, and, in any case, Cinders did not hold him in awe. In order to reach the house he had to pass Horace Peach’s coal-yard, and, although it was ° ast six o’clock, he knew that bis friend would - there; so he concluded to call on him first of fil, He had not miscalculated; Peach was there, poring over his accounts, and his face was as striped as a zebra’s where he had meditatively alg his fingers across it and left coal-dust in ars. ** Hullo, Tom Thumb!” he cried, ‘‘ be you still alive?’ ‘* See any evidence that I’m defunet?” ‘*No; but I s’posed old Proc had you before now,” ‘* He will gofur big game first, an’ you are baauy ye know.” “T? he comes around here,” declared the coal- dealer, ‘‘ ll sprinkle bim, an’ then roll him in that dust!” And he pointed toa black heap of powdered coal, ‘‘Td like ter see it done, b’jinks! It’s owin’ ter him that I’m a castaway right inthe heart o’ New York. I had a promisin’ career ahead ov me asa boy-o’-all-work, but he nipped it in the bud, an’ come nigh nippin’me, too. He ain’t been ’round, has he?” ‘*Not aay!” ‘‘ He owes me up’ards 0’ sixty cents in wages.” ‘Sue him!” cried Mr. Peach, forcibly. ‘““Draw the money right out o’ him! ae Proctorham! He’s no good, an’ he comes 0’ ba blood!” ‘‘ Say,” exclaimed Cinders, ‘‘d’ye know his folks?” ‘* Not intimately.” ‘‘T never hev seen anybody but his own fam'ly ’round his premises—no relatives, I mean,” ‘* He’s got a sister; a Mrs, Lydeckton.” ‘¢ Where does she live?” *“‘T don’t know.” ‘¢ How did Proctorham get his money?” ‘* His father, Burr Proctorham, was rich, an’ I s’pose it come from him. The old man was rich, miserly an’ cranky, an’ there was no great good will between him an’ bis son,” ‘‘Was there other heirs besides him an’ bis sister?” ‘‘ Never heerd of any. Why?’ ‘* I'd like to look inter his affairs.” ‘¢ There’s an old man down on Bond street who worked for the Proctorhams years ago, an’ J re¢kon he knowsthemall likeabook, His name is Ben Brown, and he lives near the Bowery. I don’t know the number, but everybody around there knows old Ben.” ** Tl] callon him,” : ‘*‘Tf there’s a secretin the .am’ly he can tell it. So you ain’t going back to Proc’s?” ‘Pm going fur my clothes an’ things;” and then Caleb explained the errand which had taken him to the vicinity, Peach shook his hea Darkness was falling, and, at t not think it prudent for the boy venture on - Proctorham’s premises alone; and he did not want to go with him, for, if the rich man saw fit, to be ugly, he could kill Mr, Peach’s trade in that vicinity. As for going there, he might not touch Caleb, but it was taking a risk with- out any good cause, the coal-dealer thought, The discussion lasted forsome time, and, when Peach had carried his point and the Castaway had promised not to go that night, anyhow, darkness had fully fallen. Peach arose and put away his account-book. ‘¢ Let’sgo home, Cinders,” he suggested, yawn- ing. ‘Lain’t had any supper, and there won’t be no more customers, ter-night,” ‘¢T thought I heard a wha! ib / “fancy, prob’ly, though it may be them Crooks boys are prowlin’aroundag'in, They’re the bother o’ my life!” . The boys mentioned were mischievous young fellows who were alwavs playing tricks upon everybody, and the possibility that they were rowling around caused Peach to step quickly to the door of the shanty, Caleb was following more moderately, but something made him stop short, As the coal-dealer reached the threshold there was the sound of a blow, and then he fell across the aperture and lay without sound or motion. and opposed the idea, ‘that hour, he did j i . , A : Ay * 7» : wt «* é 7 : 7 i we >- y, ~ pic = b " pe Ea ! : ba be 7 - s ‘ 4 a! | oes ae Af Leo ; ak / ¥ Y al a So SS eae ae We oy bh ah ho tall oe el — (A “ a g Q () .