Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 880 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Broadway Billy and the Bomb-Throwers. will be at a certain place at a certain hour this evening, and there your men can arrest him.” “The place and the time?” These were given. “But, how will our men recognize him, mademoiselle?”’ “‘ Broadway Billy and his friend and part- ner will be on hand, in disguise, and they will indicate him.” ‘* And how are we to know them? wil be in disguise, you say.” “ They will be walking arm in arm behind the Anarchist, and will be known by that sign. They will point out the man, so there can be no mistake.” “Very good,” said the prefect. ‘‘ Mon- sieur Paul Bernard will be taken in.” “*Further,” said Julie, “‘ your men must not expose Broadway Billy and his aide, for they themselves will be out upon detective duty. They are playing the parts of An- archists.” “How can they do that, when they have been prisoners?” “‘They were being held under suspicion, and it is now their object to regain full confi- dence.” “*I see.” “* Here is a sealed letter for you, Monsieur le Prefect.” ce Ha?’ “It is from Broadway Billy, written by Harry Freeman. It will convey private in- formation to you, and will tell you further of their plans.” “Thanks to you, Mademoiselle Julie Helmann. It is hard to say which is de- serving of the more praise, you orthis young American detective. Anyhow, your part in it shall not be forgotten.” The girl blushed. “Do not mention it, I pray,” she waived. ““And, may lask a question, Monsieur le Prefect?” * As many as you like.” “ What have you learned about your pris- oner, Emile Henry?” She blushed all the more, as she put this question, but none of those present knew why. ‘“We have learned all about him, mad- emoiselle, from the hour of his birth to the present moment,” the prefect made answer. ** His last places of residence in Paris were single lodgings in the Place de la Repub- lique and inthe Rue Very. Within the last six months he has been in America, where he was imprisoned for a brief time for some cause.” And the prefect continued, giving a sketch of the man as if reading it from a newspa- per. They | CHAPTER XIII. ARREST OF BERNARD. —IN THE CAFE. Ir had been the intention of Julie Hel- mann, when she put her question, to inquire about the silver locket containing the lock of hair. By the time the prefect had done, however, she had decided not to do so, for it would be impossible, she recognized, for her to mention it at all and yet keep the secret from sucha man. She finished her business there, and took her leave. A shadower followed her. : This was for no other purpose than for her protection, for the prefect knew better than she the dangers she was risking. In the evening the street before the cafe in the Hotel Terminus was again crowded with people, as it had been almost ever since the explosion occurred, except when the police had broken up the throng of curious men and dispersed them. In the crowd on this evening were many of the police agents in disguise, all of them keenly on the alert. rrr TT TT EEE rr a 11 what their station in life was, for while they looked to be working people a closer look at them gave the lie to that idea, They were younger than they appeared at first glance. The youngest was the woman, who, toany one who observed closely, soon appeared to be rather a school miss than a woman. Some of them were there with a particular object in view. Finally these latter caught sight of two young workingmen, as they appeared to be, coming down the street arm in arm. They did not appear to be drunk, yet the impression given was that they had imbibed just half a glass too much at their last stop- ping-place. They were quiet and orderly. Looking just ahead of these, the police agents saw a neatly-dressed young man, car- rying a cane. The agents made themselves known by a secret signal. Immediately the two young workingmen responded, and indicated thatthe young man with the cane was their suspect: or more properly, that he was Paul Bernard, of whom the prefect had been informed. The first the Anarchist chieftain realized of the conspiracy was when, four men pressed up against him from as many sides, and he With the men it was not so easy to deter- mine, yet it could not be concealed that both were muscular, sturdy fellows. The clothes of all were beyond their years, and illy be- came them. They called for a cheap dinner. Their appearance went to indicate that they were far from prosperous. While they were eating, a waiter passed through the room with a dinnet prepared upon a tray. It was quite like a tray prepared to send out to some office on the street, but instead of going in that direction the man carried it was seized. to the rear, where he disappeared by a small ‘* What means this?” he blustered. ‘‘ Hands | door. off, impudent sirs!” Immediately the trio at the table rose and ‘* Tt means that you are our prisoner, Paul | followed after him. Bernard,” was the quiet information given | The two men led the way, the woman—or him. girl—following them, and all proceeded along His cane was taken from him, and a pair | a passage upon which the door opened. of handcuffs were on his wrists before he | The strange thing about them was that could make the least resistance. their feet made no sound on the floor, or the The cane, as was discovered immediately, | very slightest only if any at all, and the door was & sword cane. had been closed after them without noise. He might have used it, had he been given It had been hooked on the inside, too. opportunity. A man who had observed their action, fol- So quickly and so quietly had the arrest | lowed them quickly to thedoor, but he found been made, that few in the crowd were | it secure. aware of it at all. In haste he went to another man in the The two young workingmen went on their | cafe, with whom he talked a few moments, way, and the secret agents took their prisoner | when both went out in haste, one even with- to the nearest station without loss of time, | out his hat. and without any crowd following at their Meantime the three had followed the waiter heels, | along the passage and down a narrow stair- In the station the prisoner was searched. | way, and were not observed by him until he Letters from Vaillant were found in his | had opened the door of a newly made closet possession, which furnished proof that he | below. had been concerned in the recent outrage in ‘*Ha! what want you here?” the fellow the Chamber of Deputies. demanded. On the following morning the news that ‘‘We simpiy want to see what you have Bernard had been arrested was like a bomb | in there,” the foremost of the young men an- in the Anarchists’ camp. They could not be- | swered. lieve it true that so alert a leader had been The waiter had put the tray on the floor taken, while he opened the door of the closet, so to Nor was that the only bomb of surprise | call it, and now he sprung to reclose the for them. door, but Broadway Billy caught hold of his The discovery was mace that the prison- | wrist and brought him to his knees with a ers in the house No. 69 Rue de —— had es- | howl. capec. Their Detective Queen, Fanchette, too, was missing, and altogether they felt that the tide of fortune had set in strongly against them | and their wild cause. | Broapway Bruty it was, and his com- Fanchette, meantime, was a prisoner in the | panions were Harry Freeman and Julie Hel- home of Banker Helmann. | mann. She had been questioned, urged and threat-; Billy and Harry had been actively at work, ened, but all to no purpose. | and none the less so Julie herself, and they : CHAPTER XIV. BILLY DOCTORS A DIFFICULTY, Whatever she knew she meant to hold. had obtained a clue to the whereabouts of She intimated that she knew of the where- | M. Helmann. abouts of the missing banker, but whether| That clue they bad followed up, and it had she did or not was a question. led them to this cafe, which, as bad not been She was well cared for, but at the same | known before, was one of the meeting places time well guarded, and she was sullen and | of the Anarchists of Paris, a secret rendez- uncommunicative. vous. It was still the same with Emile Henry, | Not that they all came here for a meeting the Anarchist. | at any time, but here the leaders of the va. While the police now knew all about him, | rious groups came together. they had been unable to drawoutofhimany | And from here, too, went forth the secret of the secrets he held. calls to meetings e!sewhere. Judge Mcyer, the examining magistrate, Now, however, a step further had beenx examined him closely. fairly pounding him | taken. with questions, but the prisoner would tell ‘‘ Never mind closing that door,” said nothing. Broadway Billy as he brought the fellow te All efforts to worm information out of him | the ground. ‘‘ We'll attend to that our. ‘Tt is useless for you to question me,” he | Seeing that Billy needed no help to master declared. ‘‘I will not answer you.” the fellow. Harry passed him and looked in This day was an exciting one. at the newly made closet, or small room— Toward the cluse of the day, two men and | though it could hardly be called a room. & Woman entered oue of the poorer cafes on Julie was right behind him. the Rue des —. As they looked, a surprising thing hap It would have been hard to determine just | pened. " | | a —= —— ee -”. books.com