Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 881 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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eS vo notice him. He stood looking at them with a cynical smile. ‘“* Well, if they ain’t a pair of turtle-doves, I'll sell outand charge nothing for good-will,” he said to himself. ‘“‘A sharp chap might scoop their eyes out, and they wouldn’t know that anything was missing.” “ Hillo!’ he shouted, starting the lovers from their preoccupation. ‘‘ If you don’t look shar nere'll be a pair of horses and a big four-wheel- er right over you.” larry started hastily and looked around, while Nelly clung to him with a cry of alarm. “You young rascal!” exclaimed Harry an- grily, a what do you mean? There’s no team toere. ‘** | didn’t say there was. about what might be,” ** Dear! what a start he gave me!” declared Nelly, still clinging to her lover. ** Ob, you’re all right,” returned the roguish boy. ‘There ain’t nothing he likes better.” The conscious girl released her lover, and turned away with a rosy blush. ** See here, boy,” cried Harry angrily, ‘‘ you’ve got entirely too long a tongue.” ‘Not a bit of it, It’s my stock in trade. I do as much business with my tongue as with my brushes.” ‘You don’t know when to use it, and when to put a lock on it. For instance, you made a sweet mess of things that day you came to my office. What made you so impudent to Mr. Morton?” “Ha! ha! ha!” laughed Billy; ‘* didn’t I as- tonish thatchap! I never saw anybody in such away. Didn't he prance round lively?” * You lost a situation by your smartness; so I don’t think all the fun was on your side.” “With him? You ain’t supposing I'd take a Ae under him! Not if the court knows herself! fit wasall your shanty now, Mr. Weston, I'd bave stuck like a leech. But I wouldn't read newspapers for that galoot for fifty dollars a week.” “What makes you take such a dislike to Mr. Morton? Heisa gentleman with whom I have been engaged for ten years, and I always found bim very kind and obliging.” “ He’s got an ax to grind, then,” declared the boy stubbornly. ‘He's playing soft on you *cause you're doing big work for little pay.” “That's just what t told you, Harry,” cried I was only talking est to this conversation. “Then I’m on the right track. I knowed it. He couldn’t shut up my optics, nary time.” “You're a very smart young map,” retorted Harry, satirically. ** That’s what folks generally find out before they know me long,” rejoined Billy, with great complacency. ‘i do my best to hide it, but it peeps out inspiteofme. It’s kind of awkward sometimes to be so smart.” “I sbould judge so,” rejoined Nelly, with a Turkey Billy. ’ | dismay and confusion, making no effort to an- silent. ‘* What is this?” demanded Harry, looking in | surprise at her distress, ‘‘ Is it the truth? you have never told me a word! en—” “ Harry! Harry!” she cried in alarm, cling- ing to his arm. ‘‘ Do nothing rash. It is so; but I was afraid to tell you.” . ‘* He has been seeking to win you; and I knew nothing of it!” ‘* He had no chance to win me, Harry. You know whom i love too well to think that. I was afraid there might be words between you; you might throw up your situation: I knew not what might happen. I fancy I put an end to his suit,so I thought it might die away in si- lence. But thislong-tongued boy! How did he ever find it out?’ ‘* Find it out? Why, bless you, I’ve only be- gun toempty my bag yet! Wait till I tell you all I’ve found out.” **'You know more, then?” Harry seized him by the arm impatiently. ‘*‘ What more do you know?” “*]| know that this darling, kind, sweet Mr. Edward Morton is a rascal from his head to his heels; | know that he hasn’t given it up bya whole jugful; and I know that he’s made up his mind that he’s going to have Nelly Brown whe- ther she says yes or no.” Nelly, her face turning from red to white, seized him by the shoulder with a nervous clutch, and looked with half-affright into his meaning face, ‘* Have me whether I say yes or no! How? What do you mean? Am I to have no voice in the matter?’ Aa He’s going to squeeze you, Miss Nelly, that’s all.” ** Squeeze me!” She pushed Billy away with a look of indig- nation, ‘*Ob, I don’t mean like Mr. Weston here squeezes you! I wasn’t thinking about arm- squeezes.” , angrily, while And By Heavy- ‘* What then?” cried H Nelly turned away with a deep blush. you need say no more. enough from you.” ‘* I'm going to tell you what kind of a squeeze, > and you can’t choke me off,” retorted Billy. Nelly, who had been listening with much inter- | ‘“* He's got it laid out to have Miss Nelly kid- | napped; and he'll do it if she ain’t mighty ** You did, hey?” exclaimed Billy, delightedly, | gay laugh at the irrepressible boy. “ Ifitshould | strike in it might prove dangerous.” “It generally strikes out, with me. And | sometimes it hits the mark. Now Ill tell you | what I’ve found out by my smartness. Mr. Morton ain’tan angel, and he ain’t within ten miles of being one. And, what's more, he’s rig- ing up a plot against you two that'll raise Old Nick, if I don’t countermarch on him.” | this. ** What do you mean?” cried Nelly, in quick | rm. ‘““Mean? le means nothing,” said Harry, dis- dainfully. ‘Don't 1? You'd best cry a halt, Mr. Wes- ton, or I'll walk off and drop the job, and then see what becomes of you,” The consequential importance of Billy’s tone struck his hearersso comically that they burst into simultaneous laughter. “Tl tell you what it is,” continued Billy: “you're not able to take care of yourselves, that’s flat. father, and let you into a thing or two.” wide awake, That’s one of his dodges. And “* Or no; | I fancy we've heard | 5 | ~~ nS a ee ee ee — OOOH e OOOO | ‘ing but a wandering orphan these ten years, swer him, and seemiug as if begging him to be | bunking where I could, and getting grub when- ever I could find it. Mrs. Malone’s is a rougb hole, but there’s plenty to eat, of the kind.” ** And you’ve been at no extra expense?” ““Nota cent. She only charges me three dol- lars a week, being’s I’m a boy and sleep in a six- foot room.” ‘Here is some money,atany rate. You may need it for other purposes. If you learn any- thing of value—” “*T'll post you. But both of you have got to keep wide-awake for Morton.” ‘* You can depend on us.” After some further conversation Billy pro- ceeded home, rather satisfied in his own mind with the result of the conference. He had put the lovers on their guard, at all events, and let them know what he had done for them. Night bad fallen when he reached Hazey | street. The supper hour was long past, but he another is he’s going to play some ugly game | on you, Mister Weston—get you arrested for stealing or something, and send you to the Island to break stone. vict dodge on you, he thinks Miss y'll drop into his mouth like a ripe “‘ “Great Heaven, boy! What do you mean? What warrant have you for all this” exclaimed the frightened girl, excitedly, while her face grew deathly pale. “Don’t get skeered. I’m working fo~ you. I'll take the wind out of his sails; only give me time!” Harry looked eagerly into the boy’sintellizent face, his mind full of doubt what to make of al! Billy’s knowledge of a mystery which lf he can Ray the con- | ae bad been concealed from himself went far to | shake his doubts. ‘*How do you know all this?” he demanded. ‘* And, what more do you know? Tell meal. I ' must have the facts before I can decide,” Now I’m going to talk to you like a | They looked into the begrimed face and | sparkling eyes, and laughed more merrily than ever. “T's fun, isn’t it® cried Billy. “Just wait, that‘sall. AsIsaid, ’m going. to talk to you like a father. Now, see here, Miss Nelly, hasn’t Mr. Morton been trying to play sweet on you?” * What's that?” cried Harry, with a sudden | -—— —- — — eee | Thus requested, Billy proceeded to relate what he had had learned, telling the story of the two occasions in which he had overheard Morton and his villainous associate, and the threats that bad been uttered. The lovers listened to this recital with varied feelings. The lady was full of concern and alarm ‘** You must leave your situation at once!” she cried. ‘* You are in danger every moment you stay there!” ‘*; don’t fear him,” Harry replied. “My books and my money are all right. Hecannot burt me. it is you who are threatened. Great Heaven! Nelly, if he should—” ‘**Don’t fear,” she answered, shortly. will not fall into any of his traps, I promise you that,” ‘“‘And I'll keep my eyes migh brokein Billy. “I’m watching cat watches a mouse. to salt it, sure.” wide es enkins like a If he’s in the game I’m rt. goin “Hasn't he been courting you; asking for ™ You are watching him! You have left home kisses and sweetmeats, and wanting you to say | and taken boarding todoso! I must pay all it | yes, and all that?’ Nelly bad started at the question more violent- ly than her lover. She looked at the boy in costs. How much do I owe you, my lad ** Left home!” cried Billy. ‘‘ Bless I didn’t have no home to leave! I’ve been noth- “rT | your eyes, | was not bungry, and proceeded at once to his room, cogitating with himself on the events of the day. He was about to fling his hat on the bed, when he stood like a statue, listening to sounds that reached him from the next room. Faint as the voice was, Billy recognized some- thing familiar in its tones. His face flashed with intelligence as he seized his chair and placed it noiselessly under his post of observation. CHAPTER V. A SCOUT OFF THE TRACK. THE lookout-holes which the young gamin had made through the wall commanded but a small rtion of the floor beyond. They had been made very small to hide them from observation, and he could not get his eye near enough to command a wide circle of vision. Yet the half-dozen openings enabled him to ob- serve the room at as many points. It was to hear, rather than to see, that inter- | ested him now. When he got his ear to the wall the voice in Jenkins’s room grew louder, and he was easily able to make out what was said. Its tones, too, grew more familiar. He felt surethatthe voice was that of Edward Morton. ‘*T’ve got you nailed this time, old shock,” said the boy gleefully,to himself. ‘*‘I reckon | you don’t know that walls have ears, and that a little chap called Turkey Bill of the cutest games on you up.’ ‘The voice came louder. “At nime o’clock, then, on Friday night. There is no need to say more, You know your partin the game. And, for your life, don’t let out myname. If you havetogive names, Jacob Jones is your man. Don’t forget—Jacob Jones!” ** It’s a devilish risky bizness.” growled out the hoarse voice of Jenkins. “ Devilish risky. If | was nabbed, it’d be a good five years.” ‘* You're not afraid?” ‘* And you, blast yer eyes, are coverin’ up yer track so clean that a ten-hoss power microscope couldn’t see you in it.” “* You're not afraid, are you?” sneered Mor- ton. ‘**I don’t skeer easy. And I don’t sell cheap, neither. Tell yer what,I ain’t goin’to tetch this job under a solid five hundred.” ‘*Come, come, Jenkins, you wouldn’t rob a man!” ‘* Five hundred, and half down, or you may git somebody else.” Their voices now dropped to a lower tone, and the listener found himself unable to catch more than an occasional word, But he was satisfied that they were still debating the question of money, and that Jenkins held stiffly to his price. Unable to hear, he attempted tosee. One of his peep-holes brought Jenkins’s face clearly in- to view, ht up by the rays of anoil-lamp, A second showed him the shoulder and part of the arm of a second person, whom he could only ess to be Morton. A third and somewhat rger one revealed a large patch of the surface of a table. This attracted his attention, for on it were two hands, white and well-formed, on one of the fingersof which gleamedadiamond ring. They were ed at that moment in counting a somewhat thick wad of bank-notes. “He's caved,”said Billy to himself. ‘“ He’s ying Jenkins the two- . What's it for, that's what Id give a brass monkey to know. What's this job that’s worth a cool five hundred to try, and that’s a State’s Prison bizif it falla through?’ is playing one twas ever got choo