Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 853 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

me - : . ed ? . ’ ~" x . 7 a4 * me 5 2 ‘* Wewz, Dick, you certainly have a talent a for getting at the bottom facts of a case, and ; running down a criminal, for I had not the Re,” slightest idea that the woman, Charlotte Hull, was out of the insane asylum,” said the chief of the Secret Service Bureau, when he was alone with Dick Doom. ‘‘And my suspicion, sir, was first upon the woman, the moment that I knew of the kidnapping of Mrs. Granger, and then heard of the safe robbery.” **But why suspect an insane woman?” ‘In the first place, sir, there is some con- necting link between that woman and the boy, Loyd Granger, though just what 1 am unable to discover. ‘* Four murders have been committed in the Granger household, and all with some deep purpose, ‘The boy may have murdered the old captain, his father and step-mother, but I doubt it, though he is capable of the crime I | admit. 5 ‘“The woman certainly poisoned Mrs, a Granger’s twin sister, supposing it was her i mistress to whom she gave the fatal re draught, and she was very quick in her determination to turn state’s evidence, be- fore the truth was known, and thus save her neck, ‘*Once having made her confession, she played the insanity dodge, and as sane as you or I, she made her escape from the asylum and then plotted to rescue Loyd Granger and Wirt Westley from prison be- fore their trial. ‘‘The boy was rescued, and—” “ By a young girl,” ; ‘True, sir, but one in the pay of Char- i a lotte Hull, V’1l stake my life upon it. i ** The lawyer’s rescuer lost her nerve, but | for that the woman does not care, as it is the “ay boy she seeks to save.” “iM ‘* And the lawyer may now be induced to taik to save himself, thus incriminating the boy and the woman,” pic res so, sir; but I would keep a very | close watch on him.” ‘‘He will be closely watched now, never fear,” ‘‘T mean, sir, that he may never live to face his trial.” ‘* He is in good health certainly.” ‘“So, comparatively, were the Grangers who died so suddenly.” ‘‘Ah! you hint at another but I Dick.’ ‘It may be, sir; but the one who kid- sal. napped Mrs. Granger robbed Richards & We Beall’s safe, and rescued Loyd Granger, and faa these acts were all done from some Pewee ta a: purpose, for that woman Hull intends to - get hold of that estate for the boy, mark ae my words, sir.”’ “Well, you are doubtless right, Dick, in _. , this case as in others; but you have the matter in hand, so work it your own way, and what there is in it you will discover. ‘‘But do you cxpect to find the woman at the address she gave the man Saunders, ‘to call and get the balance of his pay?” ‘‘ Yes, sir.” The chief shook his head. > i iw > * S wees a ? om *. - a” NS ‘*! ad ° pz. ah : fy ee ? ga ; me peeing Case ; fear you are too suspicious this time . re Y _ i a “ * ly when he was to be ner by it?” ‘* Very true.” ee ‘a Re | Dick Doom’s Kidnapper ; ““Why not, for was the man not in her Ne wer, so could she not trust him, especial- ‘¢ Yes, sir, I shall give Charlotte Hull a | . a . , « ‘ ~ ye. of 0 . ie. A , 4 o ‘ a — ad as fae ir ~ ‘2 ger, 1 would have sworn that she was Irish, for she assumed the accent well, and yet I heard her speak French perfectly, and several times caught her English when she did not give it an accent, ‘‘She pretended to be ignorant, and yet is a well-educated woman—oh yes, chief, she is as deep as the sea, a very dangerous wo- man, and [ will find it no easy task to trap her; but I'll do it,” and Dick Doom uttered the last few words in a very determined way. CHAPTER XIV. DICK DOOM DISGUISED, ‘“THatT young King of Ferrets has some deep motive in his devotion to this case, be- yond his professional ambition and pride, and which he has not made known to me,” said the chief of the Secret Service to Law- er Beall, when he called upon him to make cnown the fact that no trace could be found by the detectives of Mrs, Granger, and that Dick Doom had at least tracked down the truth that Charlotte Hull had a hand in the rescue from prison and the kidnap- ping. ‘*L agree with you, chief; but it will come out in good time, and do you know that I am so confident of his success that I do not worry as to Mrs. Granger's fate, and the re- sult,” responded Lawyer Beall. And both the Secret Service chief and the lawyer were right, for Dick Doom did have a deeper motive than appeared upon the sur- face, in shadowing the Granger mystery to the bitter end, and which motive will be made known in good time. . When he left the chief's headquarters he went to his hotel, where he kept his rooms, his parlor in the center and a bedroom upon either side, always registering as though his wife was with him, that when disguised asa woman he could leave and enter his apart- ment and ereate no suspicion. Once in his pleasant rooms, he paced to and fro for an hour or more, lost in deep thought. Then he suddenly exclaimed: ‘“‘T have it! ‘Yes, I will play that game for all it is worth.” Having made up his mind to some course, he went into the bedroom on his right and taking a bunch of keys from his pocket opened one of the several trunks that were there. From the trunk he took out a suit of clothes that might look well upon a conn deacon, a high black hat, shirt with stand- ing collar, and a wig with rather long, red- dish hair, » He also took a pair of spectacles and a pair of kid gloves from the trunk, and placed all, with a pair of boots, much too large for him, upon the bed. Then he sat down toa table and taking out a leather account-book, which he had gotten from Seth Saunders, he took up a pen and began to carefully study the man’s writing, Being satisfied he began a letter, dating it at the village near where Saunders lived, “ee after several attempts wrote what suited im. read His next move was to dress up in the clothes he had put out upon the bed, and having completed his toilet he looked just what he intended himself to appear, a coun- tryman of thirty years of age. Knock-Out. > 7 : \ ky > ines ie ay ry 4 ee oe t 7 _ S95) ; . : . . © Thon ' 8s , a fw a “¥ . ‘ Pi 3 ¢ ‘ by § en 4 o> PS > ‘ | Sf i ex ‘‘But I warn you, Saunders, that I will} call at that address she wrote down, and if Locking his trunk, and then his doors, he By | ee have you shadowed until you sell your farm | I do not find her I shall be very much, mis- | went. quickly down stairs, sprung into a a y and go West, for I do not' trust you, and it | taken.” hack and gave the driver an address, vi ay will be well for you to get out of Chicago ‘*It seems to me she would be very care- The hackman drew up at the number, and “aE ws an hour after you are set free.” less to allow any one. but an accomplice | getting out the detective paid liberally for “ ‘‘Tll do it, sir,” said the man politely and } to know her address,” Ny he was marched off with an officer to prison, ‘* She regarded him in a measure as an ac | which he walked a couple of squares from , 4 - now completely cowed and in suspense as to | complice, and she doubtless has some way | where he had been put down on the north SN what the outcome would be. to avoid capture if she grows suspicious, side of the city, and at last halted in front % ‘*But she is a very remarkabte woman, | of a house, the number of which he had ap- i) acy CHAPTER XIII. chief, for when I first met her, when | went | peared to be looking for in a bewildered sort Re A DANGEROUS WOMAN. disguised as lady’s companion to Mrs. Gran- | of way. 2 It was a small brick house, and ascending a : ride and dismissed the vehicle, after | the steps he knocked at the door though there was a bell, which however he did not “i seem to understand the use of. | i. After several vigorous knocks a woman ’ appeared and said angrily: - ‘‘Faith, yez greeny, didn’t yez see ther re | bell? . ‘“‘ But who is it yez is afther see:ng here?” 4 ‘‘] wants ter see Miss Carlotta Cameron— a is she to hum?” was the reply. a \ CHAPTER XY. oe THE FORGED LETTER. as Tne Irish servant woman was by no means ; tidy looking, her hair was of a fiery red hue, 2 and looked as though it would make a good bird’s nest, while her face was freckled and 3} her teeth very much discolored. \ ae She wore an old shawl pinned up close i around her neck, and her feet were clad in y , Slippers whose usefulness had departed. Her face was given a strange expression from the fact that one eye was closed and her nose was very, very rosy, as though y colored from excessive drinking. ‘* Now phat does the loikes of yez wish to see the mistress for?” she asked in a harsh ‘ and by no means flattering manner, ‘‘T have business with her ” | ‘* What is it?” ay **T’li tell the lady.” | **Who be yez?” he ‘Tell her [’m Seth Saunders’s brother, and i”; I have a letter for her.” a ‘* Give me the letter,” 5 2 ‘*T won't, for I was to deliver it only to Pr er,” ie : What did yez say yer name was afther . being?” “a ‘‘My name is Saul Saunders, and I’m a >, brother o’ Seth, whom she knows well. he. ‘* You tell her what I say.” Rie “Come in,” said the woman after a mo- ment’s meditation. The disguised detective entered the hall and found it plainly, but neatly furnished. ‘Sit yersilf there,” said the servant, and pointing to a chair she went into the rear of the house. After a few minutes’ delay she returned and said: ‘‘The mistress says she'll be afther see- ¥ ing yez, Misther Seth Saunders’s brother, but yez will be afther having to wait a bit until she makes her twilight.” “ All right, I bain’t got nothin’ to do,” | “Yer look it; but go inter ther library = there, and the mistress will come in when . she is ready.” re The disguised ferret went into the room “* indicated, a pleasant: little library, and took we a scat ina vacant sort of way. Sete But everything in the room came under > the closest scrutiny, and he photographed, ay as it were, upon his mind, all that he saw, ~ tag Half an hour passed before the mistresshad finished her toilet, and then Dick Doom heard her coming: aed | There was a dull thud in the hall, as from a cane, and the door opening an old ~ lady entered. — y Tee Her form was slightly bent, and she leaned heavily upon a cane as she advanced; hl CUS OCC OVO. ee a but she was dressed in a black satin robe, = lace collar and cuffs, and wore a cap, a though fond of dress even at her advanced age. - Pian? tee cmeNS Sty PS | sie aaliep we IU U @ ne]