Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 887 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

mat ’ ’ Lee | te Munda oe we _ Vw ro - - them out while getting some cigars of you— most unbounded delight, _ single penny less, as she emphatically put it. somehow. And nowI must be off.” declared Edith.” ee proof of that marriage will then have been re- - moved, Burn it instantly, my daughter,” and Bob took his leave, Battery Bob, the Dock Detective. | Noo York you bet I’m going to hunt you | He went straight to the police station to aD. ‘Yes, you must, sure. But, speakin’ "bout home ’minds me that I must git there witha double hump. What’s the next train? If there ain’t none I’]l hire a enjun, if I kin et it fer seven dollars more or less, mebbe ess, an’ run it myself.” ‘You have got jest enough time to ketch the train now, and not a second to spare, Bob.” | ** Lead the way, then, Jack, an’ see if you kin beat me runnin’.” They were off with a rush at once. Reaching the station with time to spare, Bob bought his ticket, and as the train drew up he shook hands with Jack, ‘* Good-by, Jack,” he said. ‘‘I won’t for- git you in a hurry, you kin bet, and you kin look fer a letter to your address inside of a week, with a bill in it that wiJl buy you a new outfit from top to toe, I’m bettin’. Don’t fail to call on me if you come to the cit.” ‘“You bet Il won’t. I'll remember where rou have told me—Battery Park, care of etsy Sokup, candy and-cakes woman, or Jack Tarr, ex-sailor. Oh, Ill find you, you bet. Now you're off, Bob!” ‘“* Good-by, Jack!” ‘* Good-by, Bob!” ‘*’Rah fer us!” - ** You bet!” An# waving their hats at each other, thus they parted. It was a late hour when the Western sharp left the gambling place and returned to the hotel, and he was going straight to his room when the clerk spoke to him and he stopped. | ‘*Got your papers all right, I s’pose?’ the clerk remarked, Gibson clapped his hand to his breast pocket, and his face paled in an instant. ‘“My papers!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Never thoughtof them. I remember, now, I took But, where are they?” ‘‘What? Mean to say the boy didn’t bring them to you? He came here not five minutes after you had gone out and said you had sent him for them, and I saw him carry them straight to the Carlo,” . ‘“‘T sent nobody for them—didn’t think of them till this minute. Who was the boy? Did you know him?” ; ‘‘ No, didn’t know him, but he said he’d come from you, and his story was too straight to doubt. This beats the mischief. Called himself Battery Bob—” ‘¢ Thunderation! Yank ruined!” CHAPTER XVIII BATTERY BOB'S BIG ROUND-UP, WueEN Battery Bob reached New York, he madeall haste to go to the home of Edith Algnrso give her that name still, though she now had another of right and of certainty. He found her at home, and placed the marriage-certificate in her hands, to her al- Iler mother was present, and insisted that Bob’s reward should not be less than a hundred dollars—not a Tell vou what you do then,” said Bob. “You just send half of it by mail to Jack Baxter, called Lippy Jack, Long Branch, continent of New Jersey, and I'll be satis- fied. If it hadn’t been fer him you wouldn’t got no paper, and he has got to be rewarded ‘* And ITmust burn this paper this minute.” ‘Do it, Edith,” urged the mother, *‘Every i: Well, I reckon you know,” said Bob, ** but it is all the blankest kind of a mystery to me.” — _ The certificate was burned, then and there, a 49 ‘ De . Ch te 2 ‘ ed Da ; - at ARs “4 Ae | “a . , : iW Re a! Ys > * % iy s ; y \ m gig? wn’) 4 , WGN et . * 7 Lae Tn er cia ay ol | “ee ew AT, A eer ee vi Vine ; 7 X ¢.. * a4 +s omg ¥ “+e ¥ 7" » 2 bd ‘ . rs oe Td he Pd’ 4 ome fr es ray, 7% ail a ry S NA ‘4 SOT + Sa ”s ‘ ——— which Terrence McDougal belonged, and there, the moment he entered the door, a hand fell upon his shoulder, Looking up quickly, he expected to see the face of Terry, but, instead, he encounter- ed the grim countenance of Detective McNeil, who had been looking for him everywhere since his interview with Mc- Dougal. ; ‘* Ha! I’ve got you, have 1?” he demanded, ‘* Looks like it,” answered Bob, promptly. ‘‘But, you don’t want to detain me, for I am onto one of the crookedest pieces of rascally biz that ever took place in New York Cit,” ‘What do you mean?” Bob reeled off the story’as fast as he cofld, ‘‘And we want to have Terry in it,” he wound up, ‘‘I promised him, and he has got to be there.” ‘* Oi will be there, you can bet, me b’y!” called out a familiar voice at that moment, and the gallant Irish member of the finest put in his appearance for duty—the second half of his split-trick. ‘Bully fer you, Terry!” cried Bob. ‘‘ We are onto em now, you bet!” A number of policemen were detailed for the work, and under the command of Detec- tive McNeil they set out. ' At the same time a telegram, was sent to Long Branch, putting the authorities there on track of Owen Gibson, for, among the papers recovered by Battery Bob, was evidence against him of a grave nature, Battery Bob led the way to the house where the prisoner was held. A ring at the bell caused the door to be opened, and the moment it-was opened the detective and some of his men entered, Battery Bob was still to the fore, along- side of the Irish member, and they entrapped the rascals before they knew what had hap- pened, almost. The officers who had been stationed outside found nothing to do, The prisoner was discovered, and as soon as released he exposed the whole plot, de- nouncing Owen Gibson and Charles Turney in most bitter terms, He was most emphatic in declaring that no marriage had taken place. This was not true; he had a reason, He was held asa witness, and on the fol- lowing morning Owen Gibson was sent on from Long Branch in the keeping of an officer. At his hearing in the police court the whole matter was made public, and the rascally scheme was held up to the light. Charles Turney was a prisoner, as were also Dan Huston and Joe Fink. Edith Allen was an heiress, conditionally, If she married before coming of age, she would lose all, according to her grandfather’s will, . would come into possession of the fortune, and she would be left penniless. The reader can readily grasp the rest. Charles Turney was a worthless rascal who had been some years in the West, and now was in the power of Owen Gibson, a gambler and sharper generally, and together they concocted a scheme to have the young lady marry before she came of age. In order to do this, it was necessary to se- lect some one to marry her, and whom she would marry, and the man selected to play ‘this part was John Barr, a handsome fellow, himself also another of Gibson’s victims, Now, as Barr was a hypnotizer, their suc- cess was a foregone conclusion, Gibson supplied Barr with money, and Gibson and Turney came cn to New York to see that he the marriage it was the plan of Gibson and Turney to get hold of the certificate and pub- lish it to the world, but there a cog slipped. Barr fell in with their plans, and playing carried out his part of the agreement. After ‘15 ———— LCC Orr COrO019WRRRRU ———S—AO | was Harvey Alexander In that event, her cousin, Charles Turney, well his part, exercising his subtle art, the | witnesses, marriage took place; but, in the mean time, Barr fell desperately in love with the young woman and finally resolved to denounce his accomplices, This led to the intention of doing away with him, and as we have nar- rated, to the righting of the whole matter, through the work of Battery Bob, who had done it all,really. Mrs. Allen had repeatedly warned her daughter not to marry until she had come of age, and Edith had certainly no intention of doing so; but, hypnotism was too much for her. Immediately after the marriage, to which Gibson and Turney had been secret they, together with the two toughs we have seen, pounced upon Barr and dragged him away, telling, or remind- ing, Edith of whatshe had now done, She, immediately realizing, and almost crazed at the thought, sought suicide, and the toughs had followed her for the purpose of securing the certificate, Battery Bob, however, took a hand in the game just here, and a spoke was put in the Villains’ wheel. The whole four, upon this and other charges, were sent to Sing Sing fora term of ears that will do them much good, if they ive to get out again. Turney, through a rascally Jawyer, tried to prove that a marriage bad taken place, and that he was the rightful heir, but not a bit of proof could be found, When Edith came of age, she married John Barr again, this time openly, and thus ut out of the race for all time. He was now known for what he was, 'and Edith despised him more than ever, He did not trouble her with his pres- ence after one interview. The fortune came to Edith, and she and her husband enjoy it. Jarr was of good family, and became a worthy man from the time when his love for Edith awakened his nobler nature, Battery Bob was handsomely rewarded, and fifty dollars was sent to Jack Baxter, as Bob had requested. ) Neither was Terrence McDougal forgot- ten, nor Detective McNeil, | mee mae, iB We must not forget to mention, ere clos- ing, that Battery Bob won the wager he bad laid with his officer friend. Jack Tarr and Betsy Sokup became man and wife—all through Bob’s masterly strategy! Terrence continued sampling Betsy's cakes till she would have done anything to avenge herself upon him,and the only chance she ny was to lend herself to the winning of Bob’s bet! But, in the way was a wooden leg, and she could never abide a wooden leg— never! vm i! Bob fixed that all right, when the proper time came. He put Jack Tarr up to the scheme of laying aside his wooden leg and appearing before the apres of his devotion on a crutch, with the leg of his trowsers pinned up behind, showing him for just what he was—a one-legged man. And this scheme worked like a charm and Betsy succumbed. ‘IT never could abear anything that was like a sham, Jack Tarr,” she said, ‘‘and a wooden leg is about the worst sbam that I kin think of. I'll be yourn, dear Jack, if you have bid good-by to that sham for- ever,” ‘Betsy, 1 have,” was the old salt’s gal- lant answer. ‘‘ For non’s mouth and lay off the other leg, too, if need be—” | ‘Good heavens, no! with a no-legged man?” ‘Well, just as you say,” So it was arranged, to the satisfaction of all concerned, save maybe Terrence the cop; — but he paid the bet without proposed a cheer for Battery ; THE END. & murmur and oy . - » ‘< " = * - "s ‘ “| . ; > « => \ you, I'd face the can-’ What would I do dai) 1 a Bob. re “ 75 al -, ne << e : 'e oD vc ye « ay x . — . — aa’ v +? lv ee ; py / a i ei a re has — :