Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 889 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

New York Nat’s Deadly Deal. ‘particular request to grant the visitor a few minutes of her time. ** Yes, Miss Kingdon, but I see that you fail to recognize one to whom you were 80 kind the day I was hurt in the Park in stop- ping your runaway team.” . ‘Ah! I recognize you now, and glad am I that you have come, for long have I wished to reward you in some way for your great service to me on that day, and also to prove to me that you were not guilty of a crime of which I alone believe you innocent,” and Maybel Kingdon spoke earnestly as she gazed into the fine face of her young rescuer. ‘‘T guilty of a crime, Miss Kingdon?” ‘There, your words, your looks prove that you were not.” ‘*T left your house without thanking you, stole away Mke a thief, but I did no wrong, Miss Kingdon, acting only as my duty, un- ‘der the circumstances, prompted me to, ‘‘May I make a confession to you’ that you will hold as a sacred secret?” ‘You may.” ‘‘Then know that I am an amateur detec- ‘tive, unknown to even the Secret Service chief, ‘‘T was ona duty the day of my accident that I felt I must not be known in, and so I crept away from your house,” ‘*May I ask your name, sir?”. *‘Chandler, but it is as a secret I tell you, for Iam performing a duty that keeps me unknown until it is accomplished.” ‘‘T shall so regard what you tell me, Mr. ‘Chandler; but let me speak of the crime of which others accused you, I defending you. ‘‘The day you left [ had placed a pair of ‘diamond earrings, my bracelet and ringa, all of great value, worth some thousands of dol- lars, upon the mantel in the parlor. ‘‘ When you had departed search was made for them and they were gone.” ‘*To whom did you speak of their loss?” ‘‘] spoke of your mysterious departure to a gentleman friend, who came in to congratu- late me upon my escape, and he made the unkind remark that i had doubtleges car- ried off something of value with you. ‘‘When I dressed for dinner I missed my jewely and sent to my maid to get them, but they were not to be found, and Mr. Rayfield, who remained tofdinner, laughed at me and said that his words had come true.” ‘‘Miss Kingdon, it is of Mr. Rayfield that IT would speak, in fact came to see you about, ‘and it is from the interest I feel in you, ‘‘Thave told you that I was a detective and now I beg of you to hear all that I say, patiently and without anger, for I assure you that every charge I make I can give you the full proof of. If I fail, you may have me arrested for stealing your yowenty ‘Will you hear me?” l, for your words impress me Strangely.” | ‘*] saw you some evenings since with Mr. Rayfield at a garden concert, and I then re- tiie him as one whom I had met be- ore. ‘*T could not then place where I had then met him, but 1 have since done so, and it was in a pawnbroker’s shop, where he was pawning some jewelry, a bracelet of dia- monds, three finger rings, one a beautiful solitaire, another a ruby and emerald set to gether, and a thirda ruby, diamond and emerald, | ‘* There was also a pairjof solitaire diamond ear-rings. I ‘‘T was inthe next box to him, saw the things on the counter and his face in the mirror opposite, and heard him say that he had bought them for his wife, but had to part with them. — ‘He received a loan of three}thousand on the jewelry, and I have since learned that | Mr. Rayfield is in financial embarrassment.” ‘ Indeed! and the jewelry you describe is just such as mine that was stolen, ns Go on I beg of you, if you have more to tell.” : “This but a beginning, Miss Kingdon, for the stolen jewelry I knew nothing about un- til you told me that I was suspected of being the thief.” ‘* You have more to te)l then, sir?” ‘*T have all to tell, Miss Kingdon, for nav- ing heard that it was thought that you were engaged to Mr. Rayfield, he having so re- ported it, I wished to save you from one I knew to be a villain. ‘‘ As proof of what I say my sister took down in shorthand the confession of an es- caped convict who made demands upon Mr. Rayfield, and it is here, all written by type- writer, with the whole story of Mr. Ray- field’s guilty life as I have unraveled it page by page. **You will find that in the rear of his broker’s office he runs a lottery dive and gambling room, doing banking business in the front part of the building. ‘He has met with heavy losses of late, and is expecting to save himself by marrying you. ‘* He is pledged to pay fifty thousand dol- lars to his old mining companion, the es- caped convict known as Killer Bill, and who with another escaped convict who knows Mr. Rayfield, is my bbe igi ‘*] ask you to read that type-written copy of his life carefully, and then I desire to give you proof that I tell you only the truth by sending for Mr. Rayfield to come to a cer- tain residence, for I can get him there, and you can be concealed behind the curtains of & window opening into another room, and hear all that I say to him and what he says to me, | ‘* Will you do this, Miss Kingdon?” ‘*T will,” was the firm reply of the beauti- ful girl. | CHAPTER XXVI. ", PROOF. SLow.y and weighing each word Maybel Kingdon read the type-written copy, unfold- ing Ford Mayfield’s guilty life. hen she had finished she said: ‘‘T cannot doubt this, sir, but I want the proof you spoke of, for my father and bro- ther might refuse to believe this, for it is not I that wishes to marry Mr. Rayfield, they a it.” ‘* Miss Kingdon, your brother owes con- siderable money to Mr. Rayfield, which he keeps his father from knowing of, and that shows his motive.” ‘My father likes Mr. Rayfield, and though ‘I have regarded him as a friend I have never loved him. ‘*T wish the proof you offer, and more, I would like to know if those are really my diamonds that he pawned.” « ‘*You can ascertain, Miss Kingdon, by visiting the pawnbroker’s, giving the date, ans the jewelry and demanding to see them. — ‘* But to-morrow afternoon come to this address at |two pb vans and I will show you a place of concealment where you can see and overhear all that passes within the room, and I will be there and Mr. Rayfield, too.” ‘*T will be there,’’ was the firm reply, and promptly at the hour Maybei Kingdon drove up to the address given, the office of a law- yer friend, which Sherman Canfield had se- cured for the purpose. In the adjoining room, behind the curtains of a window, Maybel Kingdon took her stand, while Nat awaited outside in another part of the building. ss Rayfield’came, and was ushered into the office by Teaser, who said the party to meet him there would soon arrive. Ford Rayfield’s face was pale and wore a troubled look, and sagged himself at a table, he began to write, while waiting. Then the door opened and New York Nat entered, showing no sign that he beheld the face of Maybel Kingdon peering through the curtains behind Ford Rayfield. * ‘*You are Mr. Rayfield?” asked Nat. ‘* Yes. Where is the man who was to meet me here?” was demanded. ‘‘ He was too sharp to be caught a second time, so sent me.” ‘“Ah! a boy?” with supreme contempt. ‘‘ Yes, a boy! but one who knows enough to hang you, you convict!’ The man staggered under the blow, and Nat continued: ‘Oh, I know it all, for Killer Bill told me, and he says he enjoys the story you told nbout a man trying to rob you, and of the killing of your valet, when you shot him yourself in aiming at the other, and then, to carry out the deception, shot your mirror, piano and statuary full of holes. ‘*You see I know it all, and that you and Killer Bill killed a man in the mines and got his gold, and how you afterwards paid Bill to keep quiet, and then tried to hang him by having another man swear his life away. ‘Now don’t look dazed, for I can keep a secret, only Bill was afraid to trust you after all that had happened, and so sent me, for I am in it with him for all the money that can be got out of you. ‘‘ Bill wants me to say that you could have got off with the fifty thousand you pledged yourself to give, but having tried to kill him, and his having to take me into part- nership, you have got to pay sixty thousand or I go to the inspector and give the whole snap away about you. ‘*So write down there your note to Bill for sixty thousand, due in thirty days, and if you do not pay it, then you know the re- sult, and a silk cravat looks better on you than a hemp one, and that’s what you'll get. ‘* Write the note, Mr. Rayfield, for time is short.” “Vf I refuse?” said the man speakin for the first time and with a face that h turned to the hue of death, ‘* Let me tell you before I answer, thatif you expect to kill me, Killer Bill is on hand waiting, and he will go straight to the inspec- tor with the whole story.” | ‘*You have me in your power, you acqurs- i cad and 1 must submit to be rob- bed. | ‘‘ T will have the money for you within the time named, for I can arrange it within a’ couple of weeks. ~ ‘Then, if either of you cross my path again, I will kill youas I would amad-dog.” | ‘‘ Write that note, Mr, Rayfield, or Killer Bill may think you have done me up.” With a bitter oath, Ford Rayfield wrote as | New York Nat demanded, Maybel Kingdon silently witnessing the act that was proof of his guilt. As New York Nat tock the note in onefhand with the other he leveled a revolver and said: ‘‘ Ford Rayfield, you are my prisoner!’ With the words Sherman Canfield and sev- eral of the Boy Police stepped into the room, Maybel Kingdon disappearing quickly from the curtained window. Crushed, Ford Rayfield was beyond the power of resistance, and sinking into a chair he uttered not a word, while New York Nat and Sherman Canfield, one on each side of him, led him from the house to a carriage in waiting. | He entered it silently, and they were driven to his home. Once in his luxurious quarters he began to gasp for breath, and New York Nat, leaving Sherman Canfield with him, for he saw that it was no feigned attack, hastened for the nearest doctor. ; The physician soon arrived but too late to render any service, for the man gasped out; ‘‘ Tt is my heart, doctor—I have had these attacks before—this is the last one, and it is better so.” | ee Pit . ‘ 1s ‘Cor = 900 <S "CO +2, ¥, a ’ ee > wy! aves! m eke