Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 869 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

oe tm further directions the urchin seized it, snatched * his box, looked up at Ned with a knowing wink, and darted out of the alley. The prisoner left the window with a face full of hope, He fancied he had won in the shake- up with Grip & Gorle; CHAPTER VII. ‘“)’VEH SENT FOR HIM, AND HERE HE Is,” *¢T DON’T want any blacking to-day.” The speaker was a portly, benevolent-looking personage, who sat in a revolving-chair at an oftice desk. ‘¢T dunno as I axed you fur no shine,” replied the youthful individual addressed. ‘‘Then you'd better get out. What do you want here?” ‘¢ Want a dollar.” ‘A dollar? Well, that’scool! What for?” ‘“¢ ur fetchin’ you this here dokyment.” He drew from his pocket and held out to the merchant a grimy envelope. ‘*What’s all this about? Come, get out. I have no time to waste on you.” ‘Much [ll git, Nary a step till you read this and fork over my greenback, Then you’ve got to foller me, ’cause the chap as sent it’s a pris- ’ner, and I’m to fotch you, an’ you an’ me’s to fotch him out. .He’s way up at the top of a house, and he’s in quod there.’ The boy had grown very earnest and mysteri- ous. He turned his box on end and seated him- self as if he wasa fixture. Mr. Burton—for it was he--looked at him in surprise, Then, with a laugh, he extended his hand and said: ‘*Dear me, what a mystery we have here! Hand me the letter. If I findit worth a dollar vou shall have it.” ‘“Ther’sa paper. The feller’s hid it. The’r’ tryin’ ter squeeze it outer him. He axes ’em a thousand dollars, and it’s got to be forked down ‘fore witnesses. I tell you, it’s jist gay. I jist never got inter nothin’ as prime’s this afore,” Mr. Burton looked at him again, then opened the envelope and extracted its contents, These consisted of a greatly creased and crumpled half-sheet of letter-paper, and a folded and pen- ciled slip. The latter he first opened and read as follows: ‘I’m a prisoner; Old Grip’s got me and he’s starving me, ’cause I won’t fork over, I send you tue paper, ‘cause he won't let me fetch it, andI’m bound he sha’n’t have it. Dunno what it’s all sbout, but he wants it back worse than p’izen. Don’t you miss coming with'!the boy, for I ain’t had nothin’ to eat and drink for two days, and I’m pretty near pegged out; I can’t go it another day, nohow,”’ ‘What does this mean? Where did you get it? Whois this Ned Norman?” ‘*Dunno no more nora catfish. I'll tell you all T know ’bout it. It’s a gay lark now, you het. The urchin proceeded to describe his adven- ' ture, Mr. Burton listening with much interest. At the end of the story he turned to the second paper: ‘‘ Messrs. Burton & JONES:— ‘‘ Pay to the bearer the sum of one hundred dol- lars, and charge the same to accvunt of ‘Grip & GORLEY,”’ ‘‘ Well, that’s odd! What in the world can they mean? Grip & Gorley! Sending a cash order on me! Well, I’d give twice the money to find out what they’ve been at in the Govern- ment supply department. See here, Jones,” to a gentleman who had just entered, ‘‘ what do you make of this?’ Mr, Jones received the paper, but his eye fell on the other side of it, He looked at it curious- ly, an odd expression stealing over his face, ‘ Where did you get this? It’s confoundedly queer. By Jove! I think here’s the secret of our losing the contract, That’s Gorley’s hand—I’d know it anywhere, And Jenkins’s, of course. I don’t wonder you’repuzzled. But where’sthe rest of the letter? and how under the sun did you get this? That Burton was puzzled was true enough; and he grew more puzzled at every word from his partner. ‘+ What in the world are you talking about?” he cried, at length, snatching the paper from his hand, ‘‘ There’s nothing there but an order on us from Grip & een for a hundred dol- : lars— Ha! what’s this? I didn’t see this be- fore.” ) His eyes had now fallen on the reverse side of the paper. What he saw wasthe half of a let- ter, addressed to ‘‘ H, Jenkins, Esq.” The sig- nature was wanting, for the paper had been torn in half down the middle, and all that remained was a series of half lines of writing, whose sense was tantalizingly incomplete, He read them over and over, Jones looking over his shoulder. ‘* Well, this is strange—and mighty suspicious, Has Jenkins been bribed to suppress our bid, and work in that of Grip & Gorley? It looks much like it, eh, Jones? But why did Grip send it to us, and with that order on it? Isita sell?” ** What order?” ** See here.” He showed the order for the money. ‘*That’s confoundedly queer, How did you get the paper? Whoisthe bearer! This boy?” ‘*Reckon I fotched it yere,” answered the bootblack. ‘‘ And I want mydollar, I ain’t goin’ to be dished outer that.” ‘¢ Here it is; you’ve earned it,” answered Mr. Burton, witha smile. ‘*‘ Wait; maybe you may make another.” He proceeded to tel! Mr. Jones the whole story of how he became possessed of the paper, his partner listening with absorbing interest, ‘* By Jove! that makes it deeper than ever!” exclaimed Jones, ‘‘Whatis Gripupto? What dces the whole business mean, anyhow? Has he blundered in some way, and is he trying to re- pair his mistake? There’s a big nigger in the wood-pile here, Burton.” ‘* There is, and no mistake. We must go for this prisoner at once, You can take us to him, boy?” ‘*T should smile if I couldn’t, But ther’s two o’ you. I on’y corntracted fur one, You got to fork over two dollars fur that, ’cause it’s double work,” The merchants smiled at this new conception of arithmetic. ‘* Allright. Two dollars it shall be.” ‘* That’s hokey-davy! l’m yer elephant. Git ready; l’m on the war-path,.” He ‘hoisted his box to his shoulders, and stood eager for the words. In a few minutes more the strangely-assorted trio were on their way. Meanwhile matters of interest were transpir- ing in the prison-house of Ned Norman, Mr, Grip and Joe were in close and earnest confer- ence in the apartment they had formerly occu- ied. ‘‘Tt’s no particular affair of mine,” said Joe, ‘¢'You pay me for my work, and you’re going to pay me extra for this. But I might ask, is the game worth the candle? If itis, how came you to give that paper to the boy? Hasit anything to do with that old affair?” ‘It was all a stupid blunder, I wouldn’t have Burton & Jones get it for five thousand dollars,” ‘But suppose the boy should die on our hands?” Joe’s voice trembled a little, ‘* No, no; 1 don’t want that,” ‘‘ But he may, if this lasts much longer.” ‘¢] wish I’d given him the hundred dollars, I wanted to tire him out, and, confound him, he’s going to tire me out.” ‘“‘The rascal’s put bis price now at a thon- sand; and I don’t believe there’s a cent of fall in him. He’s got more grit than a yoke of oxen,” ‘*T hate to give in,’’said Grip, setting his teeth tightly. ‘Tt won’t do to have him dead on our hands, We’ve got to change our plans. As for the paper, this much is sure, it’s noton him. He’s hia it somewhere, If we can only make him say where,” ‘Tf? But how? We'd better try something more sudden than starving. The thumb trick isa good one, Tie him up by the thumbs and keep him there till be tells,” Joe shook his head. 5 ee **It won't do.” ‘*Why won’tit do? There’s not a man in this city could stand it ten minutes,” ‘**There’s a boy, then. Or a young devil, which he seems to be, I'll tell you what will come of it,” ‘What?’ ‘* He'll raise his price to two thousand, and stick to that like grim death, You'd best try and buy him off at the thousand, if he won’t take less,” Mr. Grip leaned his head on his hand and seem- ed buried in deep reflection, He continued thus for several minutes, bis lips working curiously. At length he sprung to his feet with an air of decision, ‘‘ Come,” he said. Joe followed. Grip led the way to the cell of their prisoner. At a motion to Joe the door was opened and they entered. The captive sat on a chair by the window, his head resting on the sill, He looked up on their entrance, but did not rise, nor show much in- terest, an eS ee eee -_-— Se ee - — ot met ee — wee ee ec oe Ned Norman, the Gamin Negotiator. 7 i rr nn ee § ‘© Come, show of kindness, ‘“‘this thing has gone far enough, That paper is mine, as you know. want it back, and will give you all it calls for. Why do you act so obstinately about it?” ‘Cause you ain’t acted straight.” ‘Come, come; let’s make an end of this. Pll give you the hundred dollars,” ‘* Mv figure went up to a thousand yesterday. I ain’t makin’ no drop to-day.” ‘*'That’s ell nonsense, boy, How much do you really want for that paper?’ ‘*That paper ain’t for sale,” answered Ned, resolutely, ‘‘ You wouldn’t buy at my figure, {t’s gone up out o’ sight to-day. I reckon that there paper ain’t in the market.” ‘What have 1 done to you that you should act in such a senseless fashion?” ‘Bout all you knowed how,” rejoined Ned, ‘You've been squeezin’ me.rough, But you started to bark up the wrong tree, and I calcu- late you’re goin’ to find that out.” ‘¢ See here, now: tell me where you have put the paper, and I will count you down five hun- dred dollars on this table.” * And grab if up ag’in after I’ve told.” ‘*No, no; [ will deal honest with you. trust to you to tell the truth.” ‘* Nobody never caugbt me inalie yet,” an- swered Ned, indignantly. ‘‘ But I’m jist burn- in’ up alive. You'll not git another word out o’ me till vou fetch me some water.” Joe went out at a sign from Mr. Grip, and re- turned in a minute or two with a tumbler of water. This Ned seized with the avidity of overpowering thirst and swallowed its contents at a single gulp. ‘¢'That’s good!” he said, with infinite satisfac- tion. | ‘Well, are you ready to answer?’ ‘¢7)] tell you this much,” answered Ned, ‘I ain’t hid ic nowbere. But I’ve put it in good hands. You plank down the money, and [Il send for the man that’s got it, and tell him that you've bought it and that I ain’t got!no more claim on it,” ‘‘ Very well, Here’sthe money. But youare not to touch it till the man with the paper makes his appearance,” ‘* Tt’ll be mine then?” “* Yes.” ‘Then it’s a bargain,” ; Mr. Grip drew a wallet from bis pocket and began to count ont bank-notes. Ned, who still sat by the window, looked at him languidly. There was a queer expression on his face, The notes were half counted when a whistle was heard outside, Ned thrust his head out of the window and made a signal with his hand, ‘‘What’s that?” cried Joe, who had noticed the movement, Hy. sprung to the window and looked suspi- ciously out. No one was visible. The ailey was deserted, ‘¢ Tt’s what I call a sell,” said Ned, coolly, Mr, Grip continued to count out notes, ‘“There are five hundred,” he announced, ‘‘Now keep your word, and send for the holder of the paper.” ‘‘ No use in that. He’s sent for already.” ‘* What?” ‘6 He'll be here with the paper inside of a min- ute. That’s business, I reckon,” ‘“ What folly is this?” ** Don’t you hear them steps?” Footsteps indeed could be heard on the stairs, Grip and Joe looked at one another in surprise, The next moment the bootblack urchin leaped into the room. ‘‘ This youngster? Is he the one that has the aper Q? ‘* No: but this is the one.” A mauly figure had followed the guide into the room, at sight of whom Grip fell back with a cry of astonishment that was almost ter- ror, A second person followed, They were the merchants, Burton & Jones, Ned sprung for- ward and covered the money on the table with both hands, ‘*T reckon I’ve earned this,” he cried. ‘‘ That man’s got the paper,” Peneing to Mr, Burton, ‘¢ I’ve sent for him, and here he is.” But I CHAPTER VIII. A FIGHT FOR A TREASURE, ‘'THERE’S your man. He's got the paper. That fills out my contract. And I calculate this is my provender,” cried Ned, busily thrusting the bank-notes into his pockets as he spoke, ‘‘Hand that over, you young thief!” yelled Grip, partly recovering. ‘“ I didn’t—” oung man,” said Mr. Grip, with a’