Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 859 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

= a ee — a I 4 ‘% Ss = > (ce. - aru ae a ee ed z ~ wo tee ee ea fe ——-< 14 a plot formed to take your life, by Anar- chists whose schemes you have lately dis- covered, and they intend to kill you before you can lay your plans to entrap them. ‘‘Have men follow you and you will en- trap your game; but, go alone and your life ‘will be the forfeit. “Toe UNKNOWN SHADOWER.” ‘Well, chief, I would certainly heed this warning, for you have secured information Jately against some anarchists.”’ ‘‘| have, and I have agreed to go to the house in question to-night to hear a woman’s dying confession. ‘‘Here is the number, so have your men ready to follow me in when I enter, and cut off all avenues of escape.”’ The two officers talked together for some time, and the plan was thoroughly arranged to thwart the plot of assassination, and the captain left to get his men in readiness for the work. Hardly had he departed when detective Gordon entered. : ** Well, Gordon, back so soon?” ‘* Yes, sir.” “* What luck,” “The lady drove to Number —— East Thirty-fith street, sir, and entered the house, the carriage then went to a stable near. ‘*] learned from the stableman that the carriage belonged there, but was not private property—that it had been hired by the hour and sent to the number named, ‘*‘T then went tothe house and rung the bell, intending to make an excuse for calling. ‘‘There was no response to the bell, and I noticed that the outer door was closed, so I went next door and was told the house was for rent, furnished; there was no occu- peu in it, but that a lady had gotten the ‘key several hours before to look through it, a carriage had called there for her, and had brought her back again.” ‘* And the lady’s card I gave you?” “Ts the ney living next door, sir, and who owns the houses,’ ‘* Duped again, and by a woman; but I am much obliged to you, Gordon, for you have most thoroughly done your work,” and as the detective lett the room the chief sprung to his feet and paced the floor, a strange expression upon his face as he mused over the clever manner in which each time most valuable information had been given him, while the informant had cleverly con- cealed his identity. CHAPTER XXIV. THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR, Ir was a stormy night on the Sound, but “a small sloop seemed to be making good headway, as she headed in toward the Pong ey shore, where there was a small har- or. Entering the haven the anchor was drop- ped and a boat put off for the shore con- taining anumber of persons. A light burned in a house on a bill, not far distant, and toward this the party wended their way, all but two remaining in the shadow of the trees. Those two ascended to the piazza and one of them knocked loudly at the door. ‘* Who is there?” asked a voice from the window. ‘A gentleman wishes to see Mr. Roger Thurston,” ‘Who is he?” ‘* An officer of the law.” ‘‘What do you want with me?” ‘*Come down and see,” There was a delay of some time and then the door opened and a man of middle age ap- peared holding a lamp in his hand. ‘*Come in and state your business,” he said gruffly. **You shall soen know it. ‘‘Where is your wife?” ‘‘Up-stairs in bed.” rhe rem lr tte icici a ee ec cepa eames =~ ‘All right; we shall need her too. ‘‘Now, Roger Thurston, 1 demand that you sit down there and write your confession of a crime concealed by you years ago.” ‘“A crime? I am guilty of no crime!” gasped the man. ‘*You are guilty, for you sought to fasten a crime upon one who was innocent, to pro- tect the honor of your son, who you well knew had attempted torob you, and was shot as a burglar. ‘‘ Now, sir, tell that story as you know it to be, sign it, and you will not be prosecuted, but refuse, and you go with me this night Lo prison.” ‘*‘My God! I feared it would come, some day, but I believed you dead, long ago—-lost that same night in the storm on the Sound. ‘TIT recognize you now, John,” “Then you know Iam no longer content to rest under the charge of having killed your son ina quarrel, when you are well aware, as your wife told you then, that your son was robbing you—that, believing him to be a burglar, I entered the room, was shot at by him and returning the fire killed him, ‘*T heard your plot to spare his honor and accuse me, and in my fright I fled. ‘‘ Now write your confession and sign it, for I have witnesses here who will testify to its being genuine, This gentleman is amag- istrate whom | brought along to take your acknowledgment of your guilt.” ‘And you will not prosecute me?’ ‘‘Upon one condition,” “Name it.” ‘‘That you give to me the papers that will prove who 1 am,” ‘‘T am glad to get the load off my mind,” sighed the man. ‘* And your wife must then sign as you ‘*T will be glad to do so, for that wrong has haunted me, John, ever since that night,” and the woman glided into the room, havin pi tn her husband down-stairs and hear all, The confession was written by the man and read over, : Two of the muffled forms outside were called in the witness the signicg of it by Roger Thurston and his wife, and then the magistrate put his name and seal uponit. | olding the precious document carefully, the assumed officer of the law placed it it epi away in an inner pocket, and then said: ‘‘T once heard you tell your wife that you had been shipmates with my father and knew all about him and had been present at his death. Is that notso?” “Yes, John.’ ‘‘T believe you have some papers of his.” ‘‘T have a confession that he made, Jobn, before he died, and which he gave to me when he asked me to care for his children.” ss thdag not the only child then?” ‘é "ee ‘‘ Where is the other?” ‘‘T do not know, and I only found you by an accidefft,” ‘* You have that confession now?” ‘*T have.” ‘* And will give it to me?” ‘If Ait will pledge me your word that you will not prosecute my wife or myself, or our confession of conspiracy against you, and also will not take any steps against me when you discover what there is in your father’s dying words.” | “What! Had you a hand in his death?” cried the youth. ‘Oh no! no! We were the best of friends, and I served him, as you will see when you read what he wished me to write down for him. “Give me your pledge, and you shall have all the papers.” ‘‘T give you the pledge. papers,” The man left the room and in a few Now get me the New York Nat, the Gamin Detective. minutes returned with a large envelope tic up with red tape and sealed. Upon it was written: ‘* Nathan Chandler Papers.” Jack took the papers and said quietly: ‘‘T have nothing to thank you for, Roger Thurston, so will not waste words in doing so. ‘‘T have not forgotten you, or your and your wife’s sin against me for your son’s sake, as my visit to you this night proves, Good-night.”’ And, half an hour after the little sloop was sailing swiftly back to New York City from whence she had started at nightfall. CHAPTER XXV. THE FOILED LAWYER. Tn® chief had gone to the place, where an appointment had been made with him to hear the dying confession of a woman, who had the story of a crime to make known, But in some way the plotters had been warned of the scheme to entrap them and had fled, Those in the house told how there had been some rough-looking men occupying the top floor of the house, but that’ they had hastily departed a couple of hours before the chief called, carrying their belongings with them, and a little girl had heard one of the men run up the stairs and call out to the others: “It’s no go, for the chief are on to us and have set a trap to catch us.” Then the men had hastily departed. Other inquiries of the occupants on the lower floor convinced the chief that he had been rightly warned by The Unknown Shadower, and that the men were really anarchists and a bad lot, and he set the failure to capture them down to its real cause, that the police had mad too great a dis- play in setting their trap and thus had aroused the suspicion of the gang, causing them to take flight. What the bad lot had left behind was enough to convince the chief and his men that they were the worst kind of crooks and it wasa cause of general regret among the officers that the vile gang had escaped them. It was some days after this that the chief received through the mail, under cover of an outer envelope, another communication from a Unknown Shadower, and whith was as ollows: ‘* Your men were too eager to protect you and entrap your intended assassins, so gave them warning of the trap set for them, “The gang, seven of them, now have their quarters at the number inclosed, near Peck Slip, so meep your eye on them for in due time they will run their htads into the noose, ‘*Another thing: let me advise that you shadow Lawyer Brackette, for you will find he is trying to sell the property he can get cash for, left by Miser Max to his heir: then he will skip the country, for he is largely in debt, as he is secretly a gambler, living a double life. ‘* He has not yet disposed of the property, but is negotiating a deal, ‘* By informing him that you know what he is doing, you can force him to transfer this property to other hands that are honest, for the heiress wiil claim her own in time, ‘‘'THe UNKNOWN SHADOWER.” The chief read this over twice and then putting on his hat prepared to go out, ‘* There is no need of shadowing that law- yer to be convinced that he is playing a sharp game, for while doing so he may ac- complish his purpose and get away, and with - all left in his hands the law could not touch him, I fear. ‘*No, the Unknown Shadower has given me correct information, I will go and play boo