Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 890 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

em ease eee ee ——--4 : 9 EE dk SE OT et +e — _— =e - ’ : ** And you said—what?” ** Three hundred dollars, sir.” ** How did you know?” Tildrake looked surprised. ** Why, sir, because [ counted it, as usual.” ‘Did you take the numper of any of the bills?” The clerk’s gaze fell and he looked startled, but Leigh was not looking at him, and did not notice the fact, ‘*T did not, sir. wished it done,” ‘* I did not, and did not expect you had done such a thing; but I wanted to make sure, There is a mystery here.” ‘*Is anything wrong?” the clerk asked, in a I was not aware that you _ low voice. ‘** Do you see the marks on the safe, there?” ‘¢'Y es, sir.” ‘‘We have had a burglar here. He came forced open the safe, had all at his merc and took—nothing! The mystery is, why did he leave three hundred dollars of good money when he had it dead to rights?” A very peculiar expression went over the clerk’s face—came and disappeared like a flash of light. It was not observed by either Leigh or Reidy, Ifit had been they would not have un- derstood it, though it inevitably would have S apecaaa that he had a sudden, important idea. Leigh replaced the money and closed the safe, ‘** We will look for further traces of our bur- glar,” headded, ‘‘ Let us see how be first en- tered the building.”’ The speaker descended to the street-door, and found indications there that the outside lock had been piosed and then refastened—for so Reidy had found it. Clearly, an expert house-breaker had made his way in by the shortest, simplest way. All this was perfectly plain, but the t riddle in the case remained unsolved—why had he not ittaken the money ? ‘Shall I notify the police, sir?” asked Reidy. “No. We will wait until Mr, Marker comes, In the mean while, say nothing about this af- fair to the other clerks. Let the secret rest with us three—what we know of it—until our senior partner gets ready to act.” The employees promised, and each went about his duties. Harry Tiuldrake arranged his desk for work, but his movements were mechanical and his eyes had a faraway jook. — ‘For once | have done good while engaged in mischief!” he muttered, half-audibly, as he opened a book and dipped bis pen in ink for work, The other clerks came in rapidly, but it was two hours later when Mr, Marker, the venerable head of the house, came laboring up the stairs, making his cane bend under his weight. The story of the mystery was at once told himin the private office, only the partners being present. ‘* Perhaps you can explain why our burglar left the money?” suggested Leigh. Many questions were asked and answered, but allof Marker’s wide experience failed to give himaclew. He did not pretend to have one. ‘* We never have been in the habit of having anything in thesafe except a littleready moaey,” he observed. ‘*Those who know much about us are aware of this fact, while those who know but little have no reason to suspect that we kept other valuables. We can only infer that the thief came to see what plunder he could find yet he deliberately left the most desirable of all plunder—cash! Can he have been frightened away?” ‘Tt is not likely,” returned Gane, ‘ He took time to relock the outside door.” as True.” ‘‘T suppose I need not ask,” putin Leigh, “if you regard Reidy as above suspicion?” Marker smiled. | | ‘‘ Reidy has been with me for thirty years, and I would stake my life on his strictest honor, He says that be found the outside door locked and the safe open—result, we are to believe every word he has said.” The junior partners did not answer, and, after a pause, Marker resumed: ‘‘ There is something very odd about this mat- ‘ter; something we may guess upon as long as we will, and never get nearer the mark, [tis work for a detective, True, we have lost nothing but the fact that we have been at the mercy of an unknown makes it imperative that we pro- tect ourselves in future. Mr, Gane, were you and Reidy the last to leave here, last night, as ‘asuai?”’ sé Yes.” ** And you, Mr. Leigh—there was no one in here this morning until you came with Reidy?” ». “Only young Tildrake, sir.” Messenger 999. **T had overlooked him. I think you said he arrived while Reidy was out to call you?” sé Yes.” ** He did not see anything out of the way?” ‘*No. Why should he?” ‘* There isa possibility, of course—absurd as it seems—that the burglar was still here when Reidy arrived, and that he seized the first chance, when Reidy went out, to run away. This is not hkely, however, and be would hard- ly have left the money, even in the hour of dan- ger. We will dismiss that possibility; it is not worth thought,” The senior partner allowed that he was wholly at loss, and the trio soon decided that they were wasting time by indulging in speculation, It was agreed that Mr. Gane should go to Police Headquarters and lay the matter before a com- petent detective, and he started at once, As he went out of the private office, he was brought near to Harry Tildrake’s desk. That young Man was very busy over his books, and did not look up. The fact that he had been the first of the clerks at the office, that morning, trifling as it seemed, caused Mr, Gane to look at him more critically than he had ever done before, ‘‘ An intelligent-looking lad,” he thought, ‘but l’m afraid he is sowing wild oats. He looks as if he had taken more strong drink last aignt than was good for him. However, boys will be boys, and Tildrake seems to be a capable and honest fellow.” CHAPTER V. THE WAY OF A YOUNG “MAN ABOUT TOWN.” WHEN Harry Tildrake, clerk, went out to lunch, he met a young friend there whom he at once saluted pleasantly, ‘“*T was in hopes { should run upon you, Tom,” he said, ‘I am now able to pay you for your loan, both in thanks and money.’ And he gave Tom a ten-dollar bank-note, ** You’re in better luck than I, Til,” observed Tom, ‘1’m broke, and all because I took your advice and backed High Boots. Guess you didn’t have the tip, after all.” ‘*T paid for it.” ‘*Do you know, I have an idea these fellows who give tips don’t know anything more how races are going to end than we do.’ ‘*You’re right,” Harry answered. “I’ve banked on their say-so, and usually to lose, [I believe they are cut-throats. Hereafter I go on my own judgment,” ‘I think J shall quit the whole thing.” “Will you be driven out? “hat isn’t my style, I’m going to get the races down fine, if it does hit me hard to lecrn how to play them,” ** { thought you went heavy on High Boots?” **T did.” ‘* Yet you are flush.” ‘*Oh! I had some side-lines out,” Harry re- plied, evasively, ‘‘ But see here, Tom: Don’t mention that paid you, lama little in pocket, but some of the other fellows will be jumping on me for favoring you, if it gets abroad. As it is, all know I went heavy on High Boots, and they will expect me to be broke. Don’t saya word about that sawbuck.” | ‘“‘Not I. I'm too glad to get itto give you away.” | Tildrake had his lunch, and then, after look- ing at the time, made his way to a jewelry store. A clerk behind the counter nodded like one who sees a casual acquaintance. ‘* Pine day, sir.” ‘Huge! By the way, have you sold that dia- mond | was looking at last week?” ‘* No, here it is.” The speaker brought out a ring which, while of modest dimensions, was one to excite covet- ousness in almost any mind. The stone was a blue diamond, and it sent bright rays of light shooting out with every change of position, Tildrake looked at it admiringly. *‘] suppose there has been no fall in the price?” ‘* We couldn’t possibly sell it for less than a hundred and twenty-five, sir.” ‘Dll take it, then, Put it up.” When the ring was ready Harry handed over the pay in three bills and left the store, the ring reposing in his ket. A few yards away he met another young man, ‘**Hallo, Til! You are just the fellow I want- ed to see. Old boy, I’m stranded! What can you do?” ‘*I owe you twenty,” Harry clibly answered, ‘and I'd like awfully to pay you—you deserve it—but I am ’way down, myself. I played High Boots yesterday, and I’m dead-broke,” ‘*Curse the races!” was the bitter exclama- tion, ‘Do you know, Til, every spare dollar 5 NR A TE EET SA A EE a, ATE A A LS Lee eR Ow aN a Oe I’ve had in three years has gone into that soup- dish. Now I win ona race; more often I lose, and it has literally robbed me. 1’ve eaten a ten- cent lunch a bundred times when | need a twen- Pea just to bet on the races. I wish the Old ick had them—be owns them, anyhow!” “Brace up! Youn’) win, later.” ‘““A dying man always breathes one gasp just before he goes off. Well, l’m sorry you can’t pay me that double-X.” ‘*] can’t, now, but I'll do my best to get it, I'm sorry you’re down, old fellow, and [ll give you a lift if I can,” They separated,and Harry walked toward the store, ‘*He shall have it,” the olerk thought. ‘I did intend to go my whole pile on Trip-hammer for the handicap, but I’ve no right to swindlean honest man,” That evening, just after business hours, the debtor was paid in full by Tildrake, and the latter did not have to borrow, himself, to meet the obligation, Nothing more was said at Marker, Gane & Leigh’s, outside the private office, about the mysterious burglar, and neither Tildrake nor Reidy knew what the firm was going to do about the case. The porter told Harry Apu} g ly, however, that he was pretty sure that Mr, Gane bad notified the police, and they probably would have an explanation of the uffair sooner or later. After this Harry had a period of meditation, and for some time his pen was held idly in his hand. Perhaps he was wondering what the police would discover, The clerk lost no time in going home after he had left the office for the day, and repaid the borrowed money. He did mot go with a very light heart, for he was pretty confident that trouble would occur when he arrived. The occupation of his policeman father, and his own wayward ways, did not agree any better than their views, and all was not pleasant there when they met. arry’s mother had died when he was five years old, and be had been sent to live with his grandparents, Thisprovedtobeanerror, The boy’s nature was naturally perverse and rebel- lious, and he had gone where neither would be checked, His grandfather was indifferent; his grand- mother was weak and indulgent. Asa result, the boy had grown up untamed, wild, imperious, and, worst of all, without a proper sense of what was due himself and others, At the ago of fifteen he returned to New York and to his father’s roof. Palmer Tildrake had married again, but he would bave had all of a father’s pride in Harry if he had beep given a chance; but the youth, always headstrovg, now had fresh temptations and opportunities for evil- doing within bis reach, and there was music of a disagreeable kind in the Tildrake huuse in the years that followed. Now, when Harry was eighteen, the neighbors said of him that be was ‘‘ going to the dogs” at a rapid pace, though no one had ever suspected him of crime. ln this respect the neighbors were more lenieut than the father. Knowing something of his son’s companions, and suspecting more, he lived in constant dread of a calamity, On this evening when Harry entered the house he found his father alone in the front room. The policeman gave him akind greeting, and the son, knowing that an explanation must come, plunged into it at once, : en get home, last night,” * No. ‘*] stayed with one of the fellows,” ** Caverley?”’ ‘No; a friend of mine on Houston street, Nobody you know,” ‘*T would like to see him,” cé Why y” ‘To see if he was a worthy companion,” ‘There you go, again!” cried Harry, angrily. ** You think ait me associates are knaves, Fact is, you’ve been weyeening. rascals so long, in your business, that you have a mental case of strabismus,” ‘‘T hope you were not playing the races, or drinking,” quietly continued the policeman, ‘‘ Neither one; I hada hand ina qwet whist- party and went to bed at eleven, sober and dry, arry answered, trying to be jocular, ‘Did you go there right from the office?” For a moment Harry hesitated, but he decid- ed to take the risk of bold falsehood, ce Yes,” The policeman sighed, ‘*T regret to find that, as usual, you are try- ing to cover up unworthy conduct with an un- >