Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 859 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

rs ~~ ee 7 ~— ~*~ ‘tr te, = * — vee i 2 * = oe hee —. er a Oy a ee er er + --- t —— ey tS = _ <= oe -— ~~ > —— Seas . ‘ 10 New York Nat, the Gamin Detective. entering a cab to drive home I found that | boat, and find out if a Mr. Adam Curtis of letter upon the seat. ‘“‘T recognized your name and important position, so decided when I neared home to return and give it to you myself, and not trust it to the cabman!” ‘A wise thought, Miss Kent, and I am glad that you brought it, but I suppose that whoever had the cab before you did left it there, so I will, with your permis- sion, send for the cabman, and ask him.” ‘‘But I dismissed that cabman, sir, upon reaching home, and drove here in another vehicle.” ‘Ah! thatis bad; but, do you think you would know the cabman again?” ‘‘ Yes, sir, and his stand is on Union Square, so, if it is of so much importance to you [ can drive there and look him up, in fact, find him for you.” ‘‘But I would be giving you so much trouble, Miss Kent.” ‘Not when I could be doing a service, for I think I discover that it is a matter of importance to you.” ‘* Let me explain, Miss Kent. I have re- ceived a number of these letters, and always in a most mysterious manner. They have in each instance been important, and Iam anxious to discover the writer, for they all are anonymous. ‘‘ With this explanation if you will kindly try and find that hackman for me, I shall be most grateful indeed.” Miss Kent rose, and ring was escorted to the door by the chief, who glanced out of Msi window and saw her drive away ina cab, Then he returned to his desk and sitting down opened the letter which had been brought to him, again in the usual mys- terious manner, CHAPTER XVI. DUPED. Tue chief opened the letter of the Un- known Shadower with the firm belief that he was again to hear some important in- formation, be given some clue to deviltry either done or anticipated. He was not wrong in his expectations, the following was what he read: ‘‘A gentleman returning to Boston to- night by the Sound steamer of the Fall River line wt ct with him a large lot of dia- monds purchased in New York from a lady in reduced circumstances and forced to sell. ‘‘ His name is Adam Curtis, a broker of Boston, and he is stopping at the Everett House. ‘*A gentleman will call upon him there with a letter from his father, the senior member of his firm in Boston, telling him that, feeling anxious for his safety, he has sent the bearer, a,detective, to accompany him and protect him until his return to Boston. ‘That detective is a New York crook and diamond thief. He intends to drug, erhaps kill, and rob the Boston man on the oat, THe UNKNOWN SHADOWER.” The chief sprung to his feet, with a show of excitement not natural to him, and paced up and down his room several times. ‘In Heaven’s name Aow does this un. known get his information, I should like to for ' know? ‘‘He not only shows how crooks can be caught but gives warning in time to prevent the crime from being committed. ‘*It is now after two o’clock and there is no time to lose, for once more shall I take heed to this anonymous warning.” Touching a button a detective appeared. “‘Gordon, I have a delicate piece of work for you tu do, You are to take a pard along, though you are not to appear to know each other ” ** Yes, chief.” ‘<-You are to go to-night on the Fall River »* 2 a te aid 4 iM] * - at , : ‘ or ee wt oe { a! | \ - ; 1 O . ; ’ . : ty We. r 9 os ; ed ts oe »* eh oy te i* y . , . e& ; ‘ a . ro te | a , oo —-- . sg - - a a T ~p} ’ . 4 a ee - —_—— -————__ eee ae Ce ec —COeié?.?'2 OO lOO ee el eee Ss — ee Boston has registered for a room.” ‘* Yes, sir.” “Tf so, get the state-room on each side of his, if you have to show your badge of authority to do so, and watch for the occu- pants of the room between yours and your com panion’s,”’ ‘*] understand, sir.” ‘¢One of these men is a diamond merchant, the other a diamond thief. The latter in- tends to do the other in some way and rob hiin.”’ ‘* Yes, chief.” ‘‘Of course there is no need of telling such a good man as you are just what you are to do.” “Tl get Kane to go with me, sir, and we'll talk it over, so as to be ready to save the merchant and nab the thief. ‘*Do you know what kind of appearing man Mr. Curtis is, sir?” ‘“‘T do rot; but, watch for him when he gets the key to his stateroom,” Detective Gordon bowed and _ retired, leaving the chief once more to his medita- tions. For some time he sat in silence, then glanced at his watch and muttered: ‘‘T guess the cabman was not on the stand.” But night came, and Miss Kent did not re- turn so, as he was going up home to his din- ner he concluded to stop at her home and save her the trouble of returning to his quar- ters, On the way he stopped at the Everett House and asked to see Mr. Adam Curtis of Boston. ‘‘Mr Curtis left for Boston this afternoon, sir,”’ the clerk informed him. sp By train?” ‘*No, sir; by the Fall River Line.” ‘‘Tam sorry not to have seen him. Was he alone?” ‘A friend from Boston joined him here, sir, and they left together.” The chief smiled grimly, for so far the secret information had proven correct! Ordering his driver stop at the number of Mr. Kent, he met that gentleman just going into his own door, ‘“Ah, chief, glad to see you. though nothing wrong I hope?” ‘No, sir; only I wished to see your daugh- ter for a moment, as she was so kind as to bring me an important piece of information this afternoon,”’ ‘My daugiter, sir?” ‘Yes, sir, Miss Kathrine Kent.” ‘My dear chief you are laboring under a great mistake, for my daughter sailed for Europe with her mother some weeks ago.” The chief looked dazed, but recovering himself he told Mr. Kent how an important letter had been brought to his office by a beautiful young girl, and he handed the card she had given him. ‘It is Kathrine’s card, for I remember the peculiar style of the lettering; but you have been duped; chief, that is certain.” The chief had already made up his mind that same thing; but laughing it off, and ex- plaining that he had wished to save Miss Kent from coming again to the office, he took his leave. He felt in no laughing mood, however, and mused as he drove on home regarding the clever girl who had duped him, “Well, I have made this discovery at least, and that. is that the one who brought this last letter did not have any story totell of its having been given herand all that, but stated that she found it in a cab, and the fact that she gave Miss Kent’s card shows that she must have known the contents of the envel- ope. ‘* Her looks betrayed to me that my secret informant is in a higher walk in life than I expected to find him or /er, for now I am at a loss to know which it is even.” Come in, CHAPTER XVII. THE DIAMOND THIEF. DETECTIVE GORDON and his companion were at the boat in ample time. They found that Mr. Curtis of Boston had gotten one of the best state-rooms and a friend had registered to occupy it with him. The state-rooms on each side had been secured by the detectives, and they waited about until they saw Mr. Curtis and his, ‘* friend.” Mr. Curtis was a fine-looking, solid-look- ing man of forty, while his state-room com- panion was a sleek-faced, clerical-looking: person of athletic build and nervous manner, They enjoyed River together, and later went down to din- ner, and the diamond-merchant ordered & very substantial meal with wine, but drank it alone, for his companion was heard to say, only after the quart bottle was opened: “You will have to drink it alone, forI never touch intoxicating beverages of any kind.” ‘Well said. sir,” remarked a Prohibition- ist sitting near, and he smiled benignly until Mr. Curtis said sharply: ‘Mind your own business, sir, and do not interfere with mine.” The Prohibitionist drew back within him- self like a turtle and was silent, and Gordon, who was at the same table, muttered: “That fellow is the diamond-thief's pal. I am glad that I discovered it, though I might have known he was not alone in his work,” After a cigar on deck—and the ‘‘ friend ” did not smoke either, in fact had no bad habits—Mr. Curtis went to his state-room. ‘‘T will follow youin a few minutes,” said his companion, and Kane having been put onto the two pale’ presence by Detective Gordon, the three officers saw the ‘‘ friend” and the ‘“‘ Prohibitionist ” talk earnestly to- gether for a few minutes. Then the companion of the Boston mer- chant followed him to his state-room and the pal went to his quarters which were just op- posite. The two detectives at once sought their state-rooms and prepared to act, and they were anxious not to be too late and thus cause harm to befall Mr. Curtis, for they felt that the two crooks were capable of any crime. Each detective had already bored a smal] gimlet-hole through the partitions of their rooms into that of Mr. Curtis, and having no light in theirs they could not be detected. They could see but very indistinctly, and ret, by placing their ears against the rimlet- holes, they could hear fairly well all that was said by the two men, and they, heard one say: ‘‘T don’t mind taking anightcap with you now, Mr. Curtis, but I never drink in pub- lic, and on duty, though now there is no danger, as I am sure, if you were shadowed, sceing me with you has thwarted any plan that might have been made up to rob ou.” ‘Bah! there was no danger whatever, save in my father’s fears, dear old man; but then Iam glad to have your company, so what will you drink?’ | “ Anything, sir.”’ ‘Then another bottle it shall be, for we can sleep it off,” and touching the button for a steward, a bottle of champagne was or- dered and brought. The two men drank it together, and De- tective Gordon, with his eye on the gimlet- hole, saw the comrade of Mr. Curtis drop something into the last glass that was pour- ed out for him to drink. ‘He is too clever to have put a fatal drug —it was a morphine pellet,” muttered Gor- don, and when the two men had retired he slipped out of his state-room and calling upon Detective Kane the two went to the state-room of the other pal. the scenery of the East Se a Be ; [ : ar Y - ~ ; KS, Con a t a ‘ . - ae wey) a vy vt