Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 881 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 ‘*T thought so. The man isin disguise.” ‘Ah! I never thought of thas. And he is about the size of Morton. Do you think—” ‘* | think nothing, my boy. Detectives never think till they have finished seeing. We must track this man. Hush! here they come!” The two men left the saloon at this moment. hey walked together to the corner of the next vas pot more than six feet from the deep door- way in which the seeming count##ymen were lurking. ‘+ You must be on the watch,” said the black- whiskered incividual. ‘‘lf anything is suspect- ed there may be some one lurking in Thirty- seventh street. Watch that street from end to end. If you catch sight of Weston or the boy, and if you find then: warm on the track, send word at once by messenger-boy to my office. hunting me too close.” “Ay,ay! And if I find that the box belongs “ol that young hound I'll deal with bim, now you cr” ‘* Be careful.” “Won't 1? Ive got my wisdom-teeth.” They parted, each going their separate ways. ** His office?” cried the boy. Morton!” “* Betting won’t work. We must be sure,” re- joined the detective. He left his lurking-place and put himself on the track of the man in front, the boy following closely. Their journey was by Elevated Road, down- town, and ended at length at a bigh building, which the man in advance entered. ‘* Morton’s office is in there,” remarked the “T bet high it’s y. “I thought so. Which room is it!’ ‘This is the window of the outside office. fag one, I reckon, belongs to the imside of- ce,” The detective looked at the building. The windows stood about five feet from the ground. After a minute or two a light shone through the upper half of the inner office window. The lower panes were frosted. ‘That is too hizh for me. Jump on my shoulders, Billy, and look carefully into that window. I must know what is going on inside there.—Hillo! what's become of the boy?” He looked around him. Billy had disap- peared. With a vexed exclamation, the officer continued his observations. A wooden box lay on the pavement in front of the adjoining under the lighted window, sprung lightly upon it, and found himself just able to see througn the lower edge of the unfrosted paues. What he saw inter-sted him greatly. The man he had followed was visible, but his whis- kers, instead of being on his face, lay on @ chair beside him. He was engaged in washing I'll spring the trap on bim if | find him | \made his appearance at Morton’s office. reet, and paused there for a few words, It | — Turkey Billy. He was met by that gentleman with a very angry | face, ‘* How is this?’ he exclaimed. told you—” ‘“*Stow that, Mr. Morton! comin’ ’round to take a squint at that box.” “Ob, yes! I forgot, Here itis.” He walked round the screen, stooped down— and an exclamation of rageand perplexity came from his lips. ‘* What's bu’sted?” cried Jenkins. ‘* The box 1s gone, and this is what I find in its place.” He emerged, bearing an envelope-box, on the ‘* Have I not | top of which were drawn some rude outlines ee a —E ewe eo —— - A This he hastily obtained, placed it | -~ witha pen, Looking closer, Jenkins saw that it wus the figure of a boy, holding his thumb to his nose and with extended fingers. Coming from the mouth were the words: ‘‘ Ain’t you climbing up the wrong tree, old chap?” ‘* What in the world does this mean, Jenkins?” ‘‘Tt means that the boy’s got the innings on you. He’s seen your ante and gone one better.” CHAPTER X. A CRY FROM ABOVE. We must gaze for a moment into the prison of Nelly Brown, It is at the instant in which the fair captive, in astate of distraction from grief and fear, tried, as she had tried fifty times pefore in desperation, the door of the room whico served for her prison. To her surprise and joy it yielded toherband. Her jailer, on the last visit, bad neglected to lock it. Excited beyond measure, the suddenly-freed prisoner hurried from the room into the hall on which it opened. This was a narrow passage, crossing the building to a window which looked out upon the street. Midway it opened into a larger passage which formed the landing at the head of a flight of stairs. Hardly knowing what sbe did in her excited state. the distracted woman failed to take the opportunity of escape which the stairs offered, but ran hastily to the window, and looked out upon the street which lay far below. Few persons were visible, but among them was one the sight of whom sent a great swell of hope and bliss to her heart. It was Harry Wes- ton, who was walking along the street ina de- jected attitude, , On seeing him there broke from her lips a cry that rung far up and down the street: “ Harry! belp! help! Harry!” The sad-faced lover stopped asif he had been shot as these well known accents reached his ears. He looked with eager eyes around him, and up at the fronts of thesurrounding houses. ‘* Help! belp! Harry!” came again that thrill- ing ery for aid, Then a dooropened sharply bebind the escaped prisoner, She was seized with a grip of iron his face, which rapidly lost its brown hue, and | lefta clear, light-colored visace. This done. be took off his coat and hat, hung them in a closet, and locked tae in the drawer of a desk. With a knowing smile on his face, he put on a frock coat and took from the tablea silk hat, At this moment the detective sprung frum his perch, and carried the box back to where he had got it. ‘*T have seen enough, a lurking-piace. He had hardly done so when toe man reap peared, now presenting a very different appear- sunk into ** 1, . : J DS SaiC, &€5 De ance, and walked rapidly away, utterly oblivious of the fact that be was under espionage. ‘‘ Now where's that boy!’ exclaimed the officer, ina vexed tone. ‘“‘ Here.” cried Billy, suddenly shooting into sight. “And that’s him! that’s Morton! You can bet your pile on that f ‘*But where were you! *“ And | wanted this,’ umphantiy, as be showed his lost Ive got it.” " ‘““Whatdo youmean! Were y ‘* Wasn't J, though! I was ratting ‘round in there the worst way. box.” ** You should not have done so.” ‘‘ Why not! I guess it’s mine.” ‘* [¢unay rouse suspicion.” “| reckon it will. I tell you,! left something I wanted you.” answered the boy. tri- box. “ And wa in there?’ which false whiskers | ; the a °° ee I was bound to have my | — for Morton that'll make bi as mad asa bull af- | ter a red rag.” ‘* What was that?’ What Billy told him, however, we w.ll leave to tell itself. —_ * and hurried along the passage to the room from she bad escaped, into waich she was forcibly thrust. The suddenness of the assault had deprived her of all toougbt of resistance, ‘Stay there!’ cried the strong, loud voice of an angry woman. ‘‘How you got out i don’t know, bat you'll not get out again.” Tie door i witha vigorous slam, and key turned viciously in the lock. The es- caped prisoner was once morein bercell, Sbe had failed to take advantage of her opportunity ¢ Tr escape. Was ¢ ' i=4? bad reached the street in one Yet her voice appeal from the imprisoned bird. Harry Weston bad beard her wild cry for help, and recoguized the voice whicb had called his name in sach piteous accents He had been walking disconsolately and hope- leasliy along Thirty-seventh street, in which he had reason to believe the young woman of his love was_imprisoned, when that thrilling cry rung out on the morning air. His depression was at once at an end, He ran his eyes in eager baste along the front of the row of bouses before him, noting every win- dow, in excited expectation of seeing at some of them the beloved face. This proved in vain, No person was visible. Opposite bim was a row of tall houses, much alike in appearance, from some one of which the ery he had heard must havecome, From which be conld not tell. The sound bad seemed tohimin the air,and he could not locate it at a fixed point. fe stoodand gazed like one distracted, now at one house, now at another. He started across the street, determined to invade the house in frontof bim, and to try them all in succes- The next morning, about ten o'clock, Jenkins ' sion. I told you I was | ect cit lll tt CC ll ll ll Ll Ll LL LL LL, CL LDL LL LALLA a ——EE - - a — —— — cee LLL CE LL LLL LL A tt et Who had given that wild cry? Where was she now? Ail wasasstillasdeath. Nota sign of life was visible. Had his imagination ce- ceived him? No, no! it was too real—too earn- est. She was—she must be—in one of those houses, The distracted lover paused on the doorstep 'of the house to which he had crossed, while a new thought ran through his mind, What war- rant had he to search this,or any house? ii search was refused, as it very likely would be, could he force his way withoutauthbority intothe building? Would he not simply put the villains on their guard, so that, while be was seeking the legal right of search, the prisoner might be removed? He checked himself as this thought came into his mind. It would be safest to get a search- warrant first. He would go see the detective he bad engaged, tell him of what had occurred, and return with him at once to the suspected point. An hour would suffice, and it would be an hour well spent. This resolution was at once put into effect. Carefully noting the number of the house on whose doorstep he stood, he left the spot with a quick aud resolute step, bis course of action thoroughly determined upon. There was a very different look upon Wes- ton’s face now from that which it had worn ten minutes before. All its weary dejection was gone, and it was full of earnest, hopeful en- ergy. This change was noted by a man who sat ina lounging attitude on a carriage-block close by, and who looked with an observing gaze into W eston’s face as he passed. ‘‘Now shoot me fur a monkey if that ain’t queer,” drawledthis personage. “ Five minutes ago he lookedasif he wascomin’ from his grand- dad’s funeral: and now you'd think somebody’d jist left him a cool million. He’s twigged the crib, sure as shootin’, for he was on tbe step, and he looked asif he was goin’ to bounce the den. Where's he goin’no\, and what put him on the track, them’s what [d like ter know! And them’s whet I’m bound to find out.” It was Jerry Jenkins who spoke these words, and who had been on the watch, as agreed upon with Morton the night before. ‘His watch had led him to an important dis- covery. Instead of further following Weston, as he had been doing for the last hour, he start- ed hastily for the house which the latter had just left. Entering this building boldly, Jenkins was lost to view for some ten minutes, when he again appeared in the street with a look of new knowledge upon his face. ‘* Jnpeeter! but our cat come mighty near to gettin’ cuter the bag!” be said, energetically. t to ther winder and yelled fur help, and that chap beerd her! If that fool of aw man that left the door open hadn’t been quick as a flash, the game’d all been up. Weston wasn’t sure, or he’d dug in and raised Cain. And be ain't guy it up yet, by no means, He's off after help. That gal’s got to be fotched away, or his guns has got to bespiked. I must send word square awsy to Morton, All 1 kin do is ter keep on the watch till I git orders from beadquarters.” Seeking a place in which he could write a note, the alert reprobate penned a brief descrip- tion of what bad happened, ending with: * You've got tosprinpg yer trap on him, or slide the galto a new crib. and that mighty sudden, or all's up. How he pailed the spot so ciose gits but he's done it fur sure - Sealing this, he addressed it to ‘‘ Mr, Edward Morton.” with street and number, and sought » district messenger station. in teu Minutes bore a messenger-boy was off down-town with the important note, while Jenkins, satisfied that haa taken the best step be could under tbhecir- cumstances, returned to his post of observ Meanwhile Harry Weston had been making his way to the detective’s office in a very ciffer- ent frame of mind from that which he bad lately borne. Reaching the locality, he sought the roo ‘‘ Mr. Plum, Detective,” but to his disappoint ment found it closed and locked, with a notice on the door stating that the occupant would be ab- sent for two bours. This threw Harry into a quandary. Should he engage another detective, or await the re- turnof Mr. Plam? Could heafford to wait, that was the question! After some reflection, be conciuded to go Ww Mr. Morton's office, attend to some slight mat- ters of business there, and then return in seared of the detective. If he was still absent then an- other one must be engaged. Miss Brown must ‘ _ . SO syne 4 . — | ¢ .