Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 886 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

~ — .. nae = a “ aes, ty , _ Z ‘ > pt =< w _ rao Ss = ——= —-_—- -™,, ‘ - i x = «< bo” a : Pot oS ae - -- . . ~ lt and —— © ne Pa ae te > See e~&—et o = Ne — - —~ , “See vom oad a te -_— - NS - a as - Ss t+ _——. ‘>. My Pa 5 a ie <= « <= aS ea A he at gh Oo < ‘ + he Qe ee bd Curly ee Ce 10 —_—— —_—- oe Her voice had grown unsteady, but it was full of great earnestness, Evidently, it was no idle remark when she claimed to have known trouble, Nicolo’s face relaxed; his lips parted in a smile, but it was not one of an attractive na- ture, Rather, it was a malevolent sneer, and Cobwebs Kell thought he bad never seen him look more villainous than at that moment, ‘* You seek to bribe, to buy me!” the audacious prisoner slowly enunciated. ‘‘ You think | have a soul the price of which may be told in dollars and cents. Ah! well, that is your mistake, Let my silence give you the lie!” The smile faded away; he became impassive again, ‘*Do you refuse?” faintly asked Mrs. Belden. “1 refuse!” ‘** But the money—” _** I despise it!” ; hy Then you must have some personal feel- ng. . Tine Son of the Stiletto drew himself up proudly. ‘* | have my honor!” The reply was too absurd to admit of argu- ment. ; **Since you remain so strong in favor of those who sent you here,” pursued Mrs, Belden, growing stronger, ‘‘I can only infer that you are one of the original gang. Perhaps you can tell where my son is?” | ‘*T know not your son,” ‘*] don’t believe you!” Nicolo shrugged bis shoulders. ‘What does it matter?” “Tt matters a good deal. After years of waiting I have a clew, and it was put in m possession by you. I shall follow with all possible zeal, The only question is, where do you see fit to stand in the matter? If you promise to tell what you know, and help me to recover my son, not only shall your visit here be overlooked, but I will pay you well in money, Refuse, and I shall have a policeman summoned at once,” ; ** ‘You have 2 gee rivilege.” **Do you still refuse?” **'You have my words.” ** Boy, go for on officer!” Kell started, but Mrs. Belden stopped him with a gesture at the door. ‘* For the last time, prisoner, will you speak?” Nicolo’s im ve air suddenly vanished, and he glared at the speaker angrily. ‘“What would you have?” he demanded, ‘You do not know the way of an Italian gen- tleman. Listen! Honor is to me dearer than life. In my own country I was of the nobility, and the blood of the Ceesars flowed in my veins, Poverty drove me to America, but my lineage and my honor remain, Woman, tempt me not! Away! I will not listen to you. Call your po- lice hirelings; fling me in your jails if you will; but honor smy lips. More than this, I w not say!” And he turned his back upon them, ** Rubbish!” muttered Kell. Nicolo had talked nonsense of the worst kind, but even his preposterous choice of utterances could not provoke Mrs. Belden to a smile, She had grown deeply, painfully interested, and with new hopes springing in a heart that had known the hand of sorrow, was resolved to push the matter to the end, angen she turned to Curly Kell, ** Go for the officer!” she directed. ‘** Pm off!” Nicolo did not waver, and Cobwebs saw that the unwelcome alternative must be taken. He went down-stairs, unlocked the front door and went out. No policeman was in sight. He hurried away to find one, but luck was not in his favor; he had to search a good ten minutes before his eyes were gladdened by sight of the perce and it took two minutes more to in- uce him to act, Finally, Kell carried his point, and they went to Mrs. Stanley’s house. ‘Tbe door opened read- ily to them, and they went up-stairs, The guide was somewhat surprised that no one met em, but he kept on until he reached the door of the room in which the previous scenes had occurred, Then he stopped short, The room was vacant! The gas burned as brightly as ever, but not a person was to be geen, and, as stood in be- wilderment, he became conscious of a profound silence around him, There was nothing to show that any one else was astir in the house, . ‘* Where be they?” the officer asked. ** You’ve got me, mister!” *‘ Be ye sure ye didn’t dr’ame it all?” eee ee Onn Se eee a NN Kell, the Prodigy of Paradise Park. ~— e-—— - a ooo — — — — _ ed dream, b’jinks! Say, ‘Dream it? Nar baad the Eyetalian with, there’s them cords we sure pop!” Kell picked up the rope, and found that it ate been severed in several places with a ife, ‘The Dago has turned the tables on ’em, somehow,” the Prodigy commented, in bewil- derment. A footstep sounded at the door, He turned— Mrs. Belden was there. ‘** W hat’s up?” he cried. « -he prisoner has escaped,” ** How in p’izon could he do it?” ‘* We owe it all to Bianca’s cunning and our stupidity. When you firstsaw the girl you said grimly that she was a ‘bouncer’ for a nervous girl. You saw the inconsistency of that, but none of us was sharp enough to wonder that such a girl should.faint,” ‘*Say! was she playin’ ’possum?” ‘* Beyond doubt; ber alleged swoon was a sham. Both she and her father were as cunning as the master they serve, and, when the crisis came, she saw that if she could escape being bound it would be a great point in their favor.” , ‘An’ she pretended ter swoon, an’ kep’ free from ropes an’ strings,” ‘“‘Thanks to our short-sightedness, she did. After you were gone she watched her chance and, when we were occupied, stole to her father’s side and cut his bonds. She must have had the knife secreted in the bosom of her ‘* It’s a wonder the male Kyetalian didn’t carve ye all up, b’jinks!” ** He would have done so if we had attacked him, We quickly discovered that he was free, and Keefe and Oakes were brave enough in all reason, but the Italian waved his sie bladed knife and swore he would kill whoever opposed his departure,” ‘An’ ke skipped?” ‘Yes. He and Bianca ran down-stairs and out of the front door, locking it behind them, That eres us, and he made good his escape. Keefe and Oakes have gone in pursuit, but I think we shall never see him again,” ‘‘See him ag’in?” cried Kell, ‘‘ You bet we shall! Ill ketch that critter, or wear my feet off clear up ter my ankles!”’ CHAPTER XH. THE ENMITY OF THE SECRET BAND. CuRLY KELL spoke with great emphasis, He had become very much interested in the case and the crafty trick by which the /talians had made their escape mortified him, ‘l'rve, he was not r nsible, for he had not been in the house, but it looked so clear, at last, that.a girl like Bianca would not faint that he wondered at what he regarded as his own stupidity. In this he was unjust to himself’, but he would not listen to contrary arguments, ' Oakes and Keefe returned and reported that they had seen no signs of Nicolo and Bianca, but they bad reported the affair at the precinct police-station, and the sergeant on duty had promised to do what he could to capture them. Mrs. Belden did not show much faith in the probable results of their aid, and she felt that one capable detective engaged under the chief inspector’s advice would be worth more than the work of irregular assistants; but she dis- missed the waiting patrolman graciously. Mrs, Stanley came in looking pale and shocked. Her niece had aroused her from sleep and told the story, and her blind, ignorant faith in her own judgment had received a severe shock. She knew that, only for Curly Kell’s timely blow, the [talian’s knife would have been used on Mrs, Belden with effects she shuddered to think of even then, + Di peter help any poor person again!” she e * ‘* Faith!” replied Mike Keefe, ‘‘if yez will give wid yer head, instead ave wid yer heart, yez'll be all roight.’ Neither of the ladies failed to appreciate Kell’s services, or to thank him accordingly, and when Mrs. Belden inquired as to his circumstances in life, she declared that she, would reward him more Stl sags Pi, ** Wait until we ketch the Eyetalian,” the Pro- digy requested, | ‘Oh! I'll engage a detective at the Central O ,for that.” ‘* Have you much faith in them fellers?” «Why, yes.” . “TL ain’t, The Eyetalian will hidein the Sixt’ Ward, an’ [I’m knowin’ ter more nooks an’ cor- nies there than any detective. Pll run him ———— down. Is thar moro charges ag’in’ him thar goin’ fur ye with the knife? Whodid yermean ~ when yer said somebody sent him?” Kell asked his question bluntly, bound to get at the fucts of the case. -** You take me back into the saddest part of my life,” returned Mrs, Belden, witha sigh. ‘‘I will say, briefly, that | was married ten years ago, but, after several years of happy life, my home was cruelly broken. My husband was a French political refugee. Hoe was the son of a marquis, but, when his father died, he was not ay deprived of his title and estate, but arrest- ed for treason, ‘‘There was some foundation, perhaps, for the charge, for he was of a liberal turn of mind, and had often acted, as well as spoken, against. the French Government. After awhile he es- ped from prison and came to this country. “* He had previously belonged to a secret or- ganization hostile to the Government of France, but just before his arrest he had learned enough of its intentions to condemn and forsake it, The leaders contemplated wholesale murder of men of noble blood, not alone in France, but in Italy, Germany and Russia, and my husband, patriot though he was, could not stoop to be an assassin, ‘*Thus it was that when he left France he ceased’ to have any connection with them, though he never handed in his resignation, for that was out of the question—once a member always a member until death, was the rule of the League. ‘‘ We were married soon after my husband. came to America, and for a time all went well, but he finally heard a rumor which startled him, ‘¢ At the time of his escape one of their lead- ers, who was @ man much liked, and had been in hiding from the Government, was captured. My husband had no connection with the affair. at all, but it seems he was suspected of it. “The council of the League met; he was tried and condemned to die. ‘* When he heard this he was alarmed, but he laid his hopes on the chance that none of bis old. colleagues knew where be was. We had lived quietly at all times; we now lived a life almost hermit-like, and he rarely went out at night. But fear of the League haunted him always; he even dreamed of them at night, and would start. out of slumber with a startled cry. ‘‘ One day he came home pale and trembling. I asked the cause, and he answered: ‘**T have seen a Son of the Stiletto!’ ‘*T knew what that meant, Jt was the chosen © few who always carried out the death-sentences. when the Supreme Council had pronounced doom upon an unfortunate, ‘* Whether the Son of the Stiletto had seen him, in return, my husband did not know, but the eucounter added to his fear. Naturally nervous, be knew the way of those dreadful men too well to rest in peace, _, “Shortly after he suddenly disappeared. Let me pass lightly over it, His body was found in the river, unrecognizable except for the clothing he wore. To this day I do not know how he died. The coroner said by accidental drown- ing; I often think of the Sons of the Stiletto and shiver. ‘‘We had one child, a boy. Soon after his father disappeared, he went, too—how, and where, I never knew. I spent thousands of dol- | lars trying to find him, and employed the best detective skill in vain. ‘*'Years have passed. I have never wholly ceased my efforts, but hope died long ago. This night a feeble rRY. of hope has been given me, The papers which the Italian tried to get refer to ay husband’s estate in France, giving proof of identity, and so'forth, Now, why should any one want to steal them, unless my son is ro : Curly Kell had been listening breathlessly. alive, and some other heir fears he may get the | ‘‘'Was yer husband’s name Belden?” he . asked. ‘*Tt was the name he assumed when he cam to America,” ** W’ot was his own name?” | ‘* Jean Beauclare.”’ a ‘** An’ yer boy’s name?” ‘* Vincent.” ‘. > 4 »* a F ‘* Great cats!” 2 ‘* You seem rised. Surely, you have not - heard of him?” . Belden asked, eagerly, na “Say, how d’ye know yer husband was * drownded? Wasn’t thar no proof but the — clo’se?” | Ses’ sc No ” “Did that satisfy you?” | | “At times I had doubts—but, surely, you don’t mean— Whatdoyoumean?” | | “com - “hy et : : oe ; 3 t Aa: +-%& ~~ a $e tow - sit he On . 7 2 ¥ 4 7 ° % y 4 . tle, amb <P) . : % . - # te