Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 886 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

¢ The lady had grown agitated, and Curly Kell nodded sharply. **Muma, prepare fur ter hear news!” he di- rected. ‘* Good or bad?” - ‘** Mostly good, but open ter doubts.” ““Whatisit? Speak out, at once!” Pie) seen your son an’ your husband, both, last got, The statemenv was out, but Kell was rather alarmed when he saw how forcibly it fell upon Mrs, Belden. Her face grew paler, and he was afraid of ill consequences. “ Impossible!” exclaimed Mrs. Stanley. ‘* Leastways, it was a man named Jean Beau- clare, an’ a kid named Vincent.” ‘* Where? where?” cried Mrs. Belden. ‘‘At the Happy Haven. You've heerd part o’ the story, but I’ll tell the rest.” Kell then proceeded to give a fresh account of the trouble at the lodging-house. Making no unn words, he presented the case in lain language, and the facts were soon before s hearers, ‘* Describe him!” Mrs, Belden excitedly di- rected, referriug to Jean Beauclare. Kell obeyed, and then the lady drew a deep breath. ‘‘It is he!” she declared. ‘‘My husband— alive! How was I so mistaken? And where has he been all these years? Yes; it is he, and still pursued by the Sons of the Stiletto. Mer- ciful Heaven! does their malignant hatred know no bounds? They will kill him yet!” ‘* Not ef I kin help it!” asserted Kell, smiting his knee with his brown hand. ‘* What can you do#—what can we do? We are weak, and the Sons of the Stiletto are strong,” **Don’t make no difference!” returned the Prodigy, stoutly. ‘‘They kin creep an’ crawl all they wish, but we'll beat’em out, Ter-mor- rer I’m goin’ ter hunt the gang down!” CHAPTER XIII. COBWEBS’S SINGULAR DISCOVERY, EARLY the next morning, Curly Kell was at the Happy Haven lodging-house, Mahalaleel Tubbs was just getting motion, but the lodgers had not gone out. ** All quiet?” Kell asked. ‘¢ Yes,” Mahalaleel replied. ‘* Any o’ my last night’s circus-actors sleepin’ with us ag’in?” ‘*Guess not. Ain’t seen nobody ter answer the description yer give.” ‘Dm sorry fur that.” ‘*Oh) you'll never see them ag’in,.” ** Yes, I shall!” Cobwebs declared. ‘I’ve got interested in that crowd, an’ I’m goin’ ter see ’em ag’in ef I hunt New York all over. I’ve got the hist’ry of Jean Beauclare and the Eye- alians pooty straight. The woman, Madame Lapierre, an’ that queer Monk Merry, ain’t on my list, but I guess they’re only schemers, I’s in hopes shay’ come back, but as they ain’t. come, I’m g° n’ ter find ’em,” ** Jehiel, I’ve seen a heap o’ experience in this world,” remarked Mahalaleel, gravely and wise- ly, ‘‘an’ 1 give yer the résult on’t in these here few words: Never meddle with what don’t con- sarn you! You'll pick 1p more trouble o’ your own at yer toes than you kin throw off at yer heels!” And Mr, Tubbs went to a shelf, lighted his pipe, and sat down to enjoy the peaceful smoke of a man whose mind was free from care and stored with knowledge. _ Kell did not scorn this well-meant advice, for, having an old head upon his young shoul- ders, he was well aware that his employer had talked common sense, but he was too much interested in Jean Beauclare’s case to let it drop. Risky the work certainly was, but he was de- i aang to go on with it and see what he could earn, He remained at the Happy Haven until he saw the night’s patrons go away, and then, hav- ing made sure that none of them interested him, os went out into the street to begin his searc Where was he to look? In the whole country there was no spot so well adapted for a hiding- place as the great city on Manhattan Island, and he was vaguely conscious of the fact. With many streets and more houses to look to, it would be no small affair to run them down, That Merry and Nicolo would bein some dis- trict of poverty was certain, and it seemed oe that the latter would remain in the soeen quarter. That was all he had to go Vs Curly Kell, the Prodigy of Pa He wandered down to the Five Points, and, standing by Paradise Park, watched the passers- by thoughtfully. The House of Industry and the Mission reared their friendly walls on either side of him, but, after a short pause, he walked toward the east. In this section he lingered for some time, try- ing to see one of the Italians who had been at the Happy Haven, but nothing of the kind hap- pened, and he wandered on up Mulberry street. “*Guess [ve tackled a pooty large job,” he confessed, half-audibly. ‘* Allo’ them snakes is likely ter stay in their dens, an’ I presoom I shall wear my patent-leathers all out in a vain tramp ” He looked down at his coarse, dilapidated shoes, but his attention was suddenly diverted, a Here, young feller, make yerself useful!” It was a sharp voice, almost at Kell’s elbow, and he looked up and. saw’a woman who was noticeable for three things—her unusual size, a big market-basket and a stout cane. * Ketch on ter this basket!” she asked. ‘* Want me ter carryit?” he inquired. “I do, that. I’m subjick ter shootin’ rooma- tiz, It’s a-shootin’ now, an’I’m so cri poled that I can’t hardly crawl, an’ we must hev some *taters an’ cabbijes' fur dinner.” Kell was accommodating, and he took the basket and moved along by the woman’s side, Besides being fleshyshe was jolly, dirty, and, as she had claimed, very lame, She limped painfully as she went, and made the cane bend under her hand until it threatened to become a hoop, When her home finally was reached she push- ed the door open, ‘* Ef you want ter earn fifteen cents,” she add- ed, I’ ve ye that much ter help me about dinner. There’sa heap o’ runnin’ ter be done that I don’t feel like doin’.” Kell was about to answer that he was not in gee? line of business, but the words did not pass 8 lips. He happened to look up to the head of the stairs, and saw a small boy standing there, look- ing down. A moment later a hand clasped the boy’s arm and drew him back, but, though the ae hall was far from sto in strong light, had seen enough togive him a start. Unless his eyes deceived him greatly, the boy was Vincent Beauclare! ‘* I won’t work ye too hard,” pursued the wo- Fmd fearing that Kell’s silence foreboded re- usal, The Prodigy rallied, Pie ‘‘?’m allays willin’ ter help a lame dog over the fence—meanin’ no persoval ’lusion to you mum—an’ the fifteen cents is a temptation I can’tstan’. I'll engage with ye,mum. Is’pose gt keep’ is included, ain’t it?” Pe he wily speaker was as grave as if his ‘only thought was of the bargain—and Mrs, Pride— such proved to be her name—unsuspiciously re- plied that his ‘‘ keep” was included. Operations were begun at once. Mrs, Pride kept a boarding-house, and did not seem to be the worst person in the world, but She had an eye to dollars and cents, and when Kell had seen asample of her way of doing business he was prepared to believe that she could be hired to infringe upon all minorlaws, | He helped her readily and briskly, and the completion of dinner preparation drew near apace, but his heart was not in the work. He was all the while thinking about the boy up- stairs, and many were the expedients he consid- ered with a view to going up there. Luck was with him, however, and he did not have to invent any way of his own, Mrs, Pride finally collected a quantity of eatables on & waiter. ‘*'You won’t be needed here for twenty min- utes,” she observed, ‘‘ and you kin take this up- stairs to some private boarders, an’ stay until they have eat, Then come down an’ help me wait on the table,” ** All right, mum.” **The room is on the third floor, back, You can’t missit, Jest rap onthe door, an’ they’!l open it.” ‘Allright; [i’tendtoit.” | Kell was calm and phlegmatic outwardly, but, really, he was exulting over his good for- tune. He was bound to have a good look at the boy, and see whether it was Vincent, before he 3 cs Mrs, Pride. e took the waiter and went up the first flight of stairs. It was at that point he had seen the boy, and he looked about eagerly, but no boy was Visible. Every door on that floor was open; every room was unoccupied at that time. ? He kept on his journey, and went to the next oor. radise Park. id It was not hard to locate the room to which he had been directed, and he was about to knock, when he noticed that the door was fastened on the outside by means of a strong hook and catch, This was something wholly out of Kell’s line of previous experience, but after a pause, he knocked on the panel, There was no answer, and no sound from within, Certain ideas had been atruggling in the Prodigy’s mind, and after a brief delay, he quietly raised the hook and opened the door. It had not been locked, and a shattered part of the outer rim told why. The hook had been resorted to in lieu of anything better. The room was not in strong light, wooden blinds covering the lower half of the windows but it was enough for Kell’s p . His first impression was that no one was there to eat the food, but second glance showed that he was mis- en. ln one corner a boy lay upon a mattress, his: head restin ee his hand, fast asléep. Quickly Kell advanced, and his spirits rose as he saw that it was, indeed, the same boy he had seen at the Happy Haven. It flashed upon the Prodigy that Mrs. Pride had expected some one to be with Vincent, but that the watcher had gone out unknown to her. A chance was vouchsafed which he did not. failtoimprove. He hastened to rouse Vincent, who started up, rubbing his heavy eyes, ‘* Hello, little ’un!” greeted Kell, cheerfully, ** How’s things?” ‘*Oh, you’ve brought dinner,” observed Vin- cent. ‘‘Never mind dinner now, takes keer o’ you?” ‘* Yes; but he’s gone out now.” Toe boy put his hand down to his waist and a chain rattled, ‘‘ He fastened me,” added Vincent, mourn- fully. ‘* How’s that?” Kell bent lower, and saw with no little indig- nation that the small boy was actually chained to the wal]. He was not well enough informed to recognize in this a relic of old-times ngs but he did see that they were determined to ho d the prisoner at all hazards, ‘Guess you don’t like it?’ he returned, in quiringly, **T can’t Help myself.” ‘* W’ot’s yer name?” ** Vincent,” . ‘* What’s t’other name?” ‘‘T think it’s Beauclare, but Monk Merry says my name is George Washington Franklin, an’ he won't let me give any other name, You won’t tell on me, will you?” ‘* Bet yer life, l won't! Gota father an’ mo- ther?” ‘‘T don’t know. I used to have, but Monk took me away,and[ don’t know where they are, ‘Wot was her name?” ‘*]T can’t remember, it was so long ago, and I was so young. [remember the names Stanley and Belden, and it seems to me my mother was. sometimes called Belden, but I don’t see why.” Vincent was perplexed, but he had said enough to make all clear to Kell, ‘*What’s Monk Merry got ter do with yer, anyhow?” ‘*T think he stole me,” returned Vincent, in a. hushed voice, **but don’t you tell him I said ? Is thar a man 0. ‘*Nary tell! Say, would you like ter go back ter yer mother?’ ‘“Do you know where she is?” cried Vincent, quickly. *f Yeoa?” ‘‘Take me to her! Take me away from here! { am afraid of Monk Merry, I don’t know why he keeps me, nor what he means to do with me, but [ am afraid!” ‘Tl yank that chain out in a jiffy—ef I can,” Kell set down the waiter and turned to bis task, but he soon saw that he had not under- taken any small job, The chain was not larger than his thumb, but it was very strong, and the fastoning in the wall was firm. He braced him- self and pulled with all his strength, but in vain, It soon became evident that he must have either the key or some metal instrument by which he could force the lock. “Tl go an’ git it,” he promised, ‘* We want ter git out 0’ here before Monk Merry chows up, or there will be the tallest kind of a racket. He would be scared, anyhow, ter know a casual stranger had been in an’ got on ter his cbhainin’- up game, an’, as’tis, he has only ter git his. eagle-eye On me an’ he recognize my optikel feo} gale cs 900