Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 886 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

ie = -- ee Ae 4 > a, —e 12 visage. Yes, sir; we want ter skip afore Monk comes around.” ‘* What can we do?” Vincent had grown nervous, as was natural, and was eager to get away. ‘“*T’ll go down-stairs an’see ef I kin git a chisel, or some sech implement, ter bu’st yer bonds. I hope the old lady will give me plenty » 0’ movin’-room,” The - LOC shook his head as he meditated on the small probability that he would be al- lowed to hunt around, get what he wanted and args use it; but, as he had no choice in the mat- he made haste to say a few cheerful words to sottencant and started out of the room, He opened the door, and stood face to face with a man who was just coming in. It was Monk Merry! CHAPTER XIV. THE CASE GROWS CRITICAL, CoBweEbs’s first impression was that all was jost at one step. There was no especial reason why Monk should consider the boy he had seen at the Happy Haven an enemy, except that events had been so troubled there that any one would be set thinking; but it was a sore disap- ' pointment to see the kidnapper back on the scene, Monk, however, at once boiled over with good humor, ‘Hullo! Hop-o’-my-thumb, be you the kid w’ot has brought my dinner?” he boisterously asked, ‘* 1m the kid,” Kell confessed, ‘* Bully fur you! You’re a good one! You feel fur the woes of a hungry man, an’ is willin’ ter give hima lift in the right drecktion, A feller who don’t feel fur my stomach ain’t my frien’, J feel fur my stomach, an’ l’ve been giv- in’ itashow, Take somethin’?” The speaker extended a pint flask, and Kell saw that he had been proceeding according to his own advice, and had ‘‘ taken something” to an extreme. In a word, Monk was carrying more whisky than was to be seen in the bottle, 1 ain’t dry,” Kell replied. ‘* But you may be,” ** (tuess not,” ‘* Wal, Vil hev all the more, then. Come in, ny tair hummin’-bird 0’ the South Pole! The ) lady said you was ter wait until I swallered is feed, Wal, I’m erbout ter swaller. K’min!” The Prodigy decided to accept this invitation and see what would comeofit, Monk staggered across the room one seized upon the waiter. ‘* Hash qenong? fur both on us, George Wash- ington, an’ 1 fall to. You ought ter be ater ter me fur feedin’ you so sumptuous. ou be grateful, ain’t yer?” ** Yes replied Vincent, faintly. “Tha’s right; always, be beholden ter your benefactors, or yer Monk Merryfactors. Stuff ip the eatables, George Washington, an’ le’s be y!” ma 44 kidnapper was in a mood unusually con- tented and jovial, and he fell to eating with rel- ish. His gaze soon wandered to Kell, ‘‘ You’re an oncommon boy,” he observed, 4c Be I 9”) ‘* Yes, If I’s ter make jack-knives, I’d pattern ’em after you. You’re amazin’ thin. Them legs 0’ yourn woud make good flag-staffs.” ‘They’re stout, though.” ** They don’t need ter be. A rer’s legs would kerry that body o’ yourn. ou look sin- ¢@ larly like another boy I’ve seen some time.” Monk was drifting toward a dangerous sub- ject, andcunning Kell hastened to avert possible trouble. ‘‘T hope I'll grow up ter hev as stout an’ noble a figger as you bev got,” he asserted. r. Merry’s pride was touched, and he not only added to the compliment to himself, in a long dissertation, but conceived a very good opinion of Curly Kell. He did not recognize the latter —a fact due, perhaps, to his semi-inebriated condition, Cobwebs was not at ease, Here was the lost Vincent before his eyes, but he could not help him, He thought of going out to notify a po- liceman, but was wise enough to know that he weuld have Merry, Mrs. Pride, and, perhaps, a dozen other persons, to deny any story he might tell an officer. Vincent’s own hopes were in a very unsettled state, and only Monk’s repeated injunctions in- duced him to eat atall. He stole sly looks at Kell which were full of entreaty, but the latter could neither give nor feel ing aap Just as Monk was finishing his dinner, a shuf- fling on the stairs and sev lugubrious groans apoounced that Mrs. Pride was coming up. Why she had defied the rheumatism was not store Monk | clear, but Monk took it but Monk took it for granted that he was the cause of it, ‘*She’s afraid Ill eat up the dishes!” he growled, ‘‘ Take ’em out, youngster.” Cobwebs saw no way except to obey, and he took the waiter and pushed open the door. As he did so he had a view of s. Pride still toil- ing up, with two men at her back and Kell had another striking surprise. The foremost man was Nicolo Mazzeo! Quickly the Prodigy stepped back and closed the door, ** What’s up?” Merry asked, stupidly. ‘¢ She’s got men with her, an’ I guess I won’t introod.” Even then Kell’s fertile mind found an excuse, butbe was somewhat worried. Had he been en- trappéd? Nicolo must regard him with bitter hatred, and would lose no chance to get him out of the way. Had Mrs. Pride been a decoy? Or was it only chance that had sent the lvalian there? He expected to see the door opened, but such was not the case. As the party r eached the top of the stairs, Nicolo’s well-remembered voice sounded: ‘This part of the house does not suit me, We will take the room below.” ‘*t You'll like it, sir,” declared Mrs, Pride, “Three dollars a w veek, you vay?’ ‘¢That’s the reg’lar price, but it’s five with the extras, Of course lrunaresk by takin’ in folksas you say the man is comin’. I keeps a good, respecterble house, an’ the perleeco knows it an’ lets me alone,” **Be at ease. Ve will pay what is right. Name your price,” ‘* How long is it for?” ‘‘ We don’t know. Possibly several months.” ‘‘ ll say six dollars a week, with a discouni fur every week o’ one dollar ef you stay three months,” ‘*That’s all right, We'll have our man here by four o’clock, I noticed an alley at the south side of the house, We shali bring the man in : hack, We want to drive into ‘the alley and hustle him in at the sidedoor, Will you see that itis open for immediate entrance, so that there need be no staring, and no disturbance?’ “ you bet! I’m as anxious for that as you e,’ a Then it is settled. We'll take the room,” * How old is your man?” ** Oh! forty or fifty.” ‘Ts he an Italian?” ** No, th-ugh be’sa foreigner, But that don’t make any difference; oir money is good, whether he is a Greek or a Laplander.” Nicolo spoke with some annoyance, and Mrs, Pride hastened to reassure him, She said a few consoling words, and then the party went down -stairs, Curly Kell had stood just inside the door and listened to every word, Their talk proved to be of rare interest. Anything that concerned Nicolo naturally would be ofinterest, but he fixed Kell’s attention at once by speaking of the man whose name he had not given. A foreigner, aged between forty and fifty years, was to be brought there in a carriage and ‘‘ hustled” into the old house as secretly as possible. **'What did it mean? ‘*7’]l bet a jew’s-harp they’ve got Jean Beau- clare in quod!’’ muttered the Prodigy. ‘*What’s that?’ asked Monk Merry, rousing from a state of semi-unconsciousness, and wink- ing hard to get his heavy eyes open. onk was not dangerous just then, and Cobwebs Enew he needed only a few minutes of quiet to sink into sound sleep. He had a no attention to Kell’s act of listening xt the oor. The Prodigy waited, and Merry soon began to snore loudly, With so many points to look af- ter, Kell hardly knew what to do first, but he decided that it would be a good idea to release Vincent, , aot thim away, and then inform the po- lice what Nicolo was age op ‘* ‘Where does he keep the k oy ter your chains?” the would-be rescuer inquired, nodding toward Monk and addressing Vincent. ‘He put it in that vest-pocket,” the smaller boy answered, indicating the pocket. ‘* Keep mum!” With this injunction, Kell approached the captor and carefully insinuated one hand into his pocket. The man slept on Egan dae but the effort was not a success. e key was not in the pocket. Kell was not to be discouraged, and he kept up the search, One pocket after another re- ceived bis attention, but as he had begun so he finished; if the coveted article was on Monk’s person, the searcher failed to establish the fact. i! Curly Kell, the Curly Kell, the Prodigy of Paradise Park. bi a a —e - - ‘Tt ain’t no use,” he adritted to Vincent, who had looked on breathlessly. ‘‘ The only thing I kin do is ter go an’ git some p’leece- men, an’ the sooner I do that the better it will be.’ Vincent was very nervous, but he did not dispute this verdict, and Kell left the room, Prudence did not desert bim, and reacbing the head of the stairs, he took a cautious look down before venturing further. The moment he did so, he again dodged back, ‘‘ In a trap, b’jinks!” he commented. CHAPTER XV, THE PRODIGY CALLS FOR HELP, Tuk view obtained by Curly Kell did not threaten immediate danger, but it did show that he could not walk out of the house safely in the way he had pianned. Nicolo Mazzeo had taken possession of the room directly under Monk’s, and he had not only left the door open, but was seated near it, where he would get the current of air, reading a newspaper, sty Trapped, Jinks!” Kell repeated the melancholy-voiced comment, He knew that his scheme of getting a policeman was nipped m the bud, as it were, for, knowing bim as he did, and with this plot in mind, Nicolo would not allow him to pass, He even suspected that his life would be in danger if the Son of the Stiletto should learn of his presence in the house, He had no inten- tion of going down, but he experienced an un- pleasant feeling as he reflected on the probable result of a trip made up-stairs by Mrs, Pride to learn what had become of her helper, Cobwebs was a boy of expedients, and he de- termined not to letany time go to waste, He entered the frint room, All was peaceful on the street; no policemen were in sight; but severa i boys loitering near gave strength to an idea Kell bad vaguely had before. Heturned quickly, He wanted certain things, and was not long.n finding them. Ina drawer he found several envelopes ;and sheets of paper, badly soiled, and evidently left by some previous occupant cf the room, Kell had a short pencil in his pocket, and he sat down to write a letterina hurry. His edu- cation had not kept pace with his wits, but, if his spelling was somewhat crude, he managed to use plain words. This is what he wrote: ‘*Missis BELDEN:— ‘* Yore boy Vincent is hear. monk merry has Got him. be is wal, but yore best way is too moove utt yooce iff you want him. nicolo Mazzeo Is Hear, Too. Git3 or fore peelessmen and kura at yonce. Don’t Delay. you bussel rite along. Don't fale in this, or We are awl Gouners. Bring Plenty uv help, sure! ‘* Yores respectable, ‘G. Hiri Keuuar,”’ He was about to put this in the envelope when he saw that,in his haste, he had neglected to give the street and number. Fle added these important items, sealed the letter and addressed it to Mrs. Belden’s home. Then he opened negotiations with the boys outside by showing them the letter, a silver twenty-five cent piece he chanced to have, and by making signs of secrecy. There are times when boys are contrary, and times when they are not. Kell bad found the young fellows outside in just the mood to suit his purpose, and they intormed him, by signs, that they understood and would carry the let- ter for the money indicated. Ho flung both out; they were picked up by the boys; the latter looked at the address on the en- velo e, nodded and hastened away. ope they won’t go back on me,” Kell mut- tered, looking after them thoughtfully. ** Things is at a focus, so ter speak, an’ it’s the easiest — thing in the world fur the game ter be won or lost, ’cordin’ as the cat jumps. Wish Mrs. Belden was here now!” It was aggravating to be so near to victory, and yet to have it wholly out of bis grasp. He went back to the head of the stairs, Nic- olo was in his former position, and retreat was still out of the question. Kell returned to the rear room. Monk Merry slept on, but young Vincent looked mournful enough, ‘*Can you get me away?” he asked. ‘eM young frien’,” the Prodigy answered, r you'll vy ter waita fraction. I’m erbout as ges tied up here as you be, but thar’s a pow- erful activity in my mind. I hope fur ter set er free pr I’m pean of Monk Merry.” ** Been with him long?’ ‘* A month.” om DOOK thereis Danger, But you can win iff / a