Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 897 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

oe rg ee , * * hb . . > 7 od “9d sii er on ~ ee ee eee b . { at y Re, ’ *. loud voice and on going round a corner she saw Mrs. Lane in the midst of a small crowd talking in tones which might have been heard half a Square distant, The old lady from Jersey was excited and when Nell came up Mrs, Lane rushed to her saying that she had seen Nat Natty and that she had just given him a piece of her mind, ‘*T guess he knows how I stand,” she said, the flushes of anger still showing in her face, ‘I told him plainly just how the land lies—that what he has he never came by honestly, and that the will which he presented was a forgery from first to last, and that I believed that he had made way with Hiram Honeybee, the man who signed the first will and who would tell the truth if they had not seen to it that he was placed beyond doing that,” ‘* And what did he say?” inquired Nell. ‘Why, he stood the fire for some time smil- ing in his mean way, but when I double-loaded my guns he fell back not in very good order and at last retreated, leaving the field tome. I gave it to him as well asI could and the folks here heard me,” ** She’s got a tongue that scorches,” put in one ‘of the people, who had lingered. ‘‘ I never heard anything like it,” ‘*You would hear more if you will set him before me again, Iam ready to meet the vil- fain anywhere. Perhaps we can’t prove just now all that I said, but the time is coming when we will do that and more, too, and when the door of some prison will open to take in three of the greatest rascals this city ever harbored.” ‘‘[’m afraid they won’t take in one of the three,” said Nell, in a low voice, as she took hold of Mrs, Lane and pulled her gently from ‘the scene, ‘*'You don’t? Why not, child?” ‘“ Because Bolivar Brass is deac.” In an instant Mrs, Lane fell back and gave the girl a sharp stare, ** Dead? No, he can’t be dead!” **'Yes, but he is, He fell dead on the street mot long ago.” ‘* What have they done with him?’ ** The body has been taken to the Morgue,” ** And his personal effects?” “*T suppose they were taken there, too,” “¢ We must see,” It was curious to see Mrs, Lane and Nell enter ‘the somber house of the dead and inquire after the effects found with the man who had fallen ~ dead at a certain corner. They were shown a small black valise which he was carrying at the time and were permit- ted to look at its contents. ‘‘These amount to nothing,” remarked Lucy Lane, looking up at Nell who had watched her closely. ‘‘l don’t find anything here that unites him to the fight Iam making, He may have left the papers where he lived. We must find out where thatis.” . While they walked from the Morgue Nell related tbe story she had heard from Davy’s lips, x All that is very strange,” said the old lady. ** Look you, Nell. The boy made the narrowest escape of his life when he got out of the wreck of the vebicle. He was on his way to a trap from which I believe there would have been no rescue at all. It was very close. Do you think Jack Jason now at the hospital could be in- duced to tell anything? He certainly knows something about the plot.” Nickel Nell slowly shook her head, ‘‘T think Davy will fiad out all there is to be know,” she replied. ‘‘His blood is bot now and he won’t stop till he is at the end of the trail. He saw a strange man rob Bolivar Brass and when he has found him he will have solved a full chapter of the mystery.” ‘* Nell, I believe that man to have been Hiram Honeybee,” ‘Then, if he is alive and bas the papers tell- ing the truth and showing up the fraud, why don’t be come forward with them and help us right this wrong?” ‘I don’t know, child, Itis verydark, After allhe may not be Hiram Honeybee, It seems to be darker than it was some time back, We have lost Holly, but, as you say, Davy will look for her and he may be on the right trail. Let us hope he is. One of these days there must be a terrible reckoning. We must come out of he with victory on our banners. I feel it, **So do I!’ enthusiastically cried the girl. “Of course Bolivar Brass will never talk and ‘we can’t look to him for an explanation, and _ Jack Jason may die at the hospital.” **That leaves but one of tha three human spiders who sucked the blood of the estate, Nat ‘ ly uy * ¥ ' 1k ed Y Vice “ee bee ees x abel NaN Pts Davy Doon’s Big Bounce, 15 Natty who puts on style while he spends the money of others is the greatest leech of all. Why, he never changed color while I berated him and if he had come within reach of me I would have written my autograph on his face with this cane of mine, I will yet if he ever crosses my path again.” ** You told me once that you didn’t believe he is your nephew, but an impostor who played the hand for all it was worth, Are you still of the same opinion?” ‘Tam. I believe that my nephew died and that this man is a vile rascal who has no right to the name, But what puzzled us in court at the time, be told of many things which none but our nephew could have known, still, for all that, I believe him to be a cheat. It was a pity we couldn’t prove it, though, for by that ailure we Jost the case, Of course we all feel that the will presented was a fraud, that the true one was signed by Hiram Honeybee while the signature to the other was a forgery.” They were near Nell’s home by this time and soon afterward ascended to the rooms, On the table they found a letter addressed to Mrs, Lucy Lane which the old lady picked up and handed to the girl. ‘*There are no secrets between us,” she said withasmile. ‘* Youshall read the letter, Nell.” Nickel Nell opened the letter and after a glance over the sheet started and looked ai Mrs, Lane, ** What is it, child?” ‘‘Tt is a letter asking you to meet the writer to-night.” ‘*‘ Asking me to meet some one?” was the snd- den echo, **T can’t understand that, But read it out, ‘Mrs, Lucy LANE. ** Will you meet the writer to-night, say at nine at 876 —— street, near Gotham Cuurt? [ will then and there communicate something of the deepest importance to your interest and I trust you will keep this a profound secret and be on hand, You will run no risks though the spot isn’t ’a paradise. We can’t always meet where we would prefer, Please come to No. 876 if you would bear something decidedly to your advantage. If you wish to continue a uselss fight remain away and burn this letter, ‘*OnE WHO KNowS SOMETHING,” ‘‘That’s a pretty bad spot,” said Nell when she looked up into Mrs. Lane’s face after read- ing the letter. ‘*T believe I have heard vou say as much be- fore, Nell. Would you go?” i pay Nell hesitated a moment and then re- ‘* Already the secret of this letter belongs to two of us, I see no harm in sharing it with a third,” ‘You mean with Davy?” “< Yes.” ‘*T am quite ready to go alone to the place and meet the writer, It is a scrawl and unlike any writing Lever seen, But stop! There is a resemblance between some of the letters and some I have been keeping for several years,” Mrs, Lane went to a bed in one corner an reaching beneath the mattress took out a black pockethook which she opened as she came to- ward Nell, “IT will show you this and let you do your own comparing,” she went on and Nell was handed a letter which had been taken from the pocketbook, The girl bent forward and began to read it with interest, ‘*This is from Hiram Honeybee!” she ex- claimed, ‘* Yes, he wrote that. I found it among my husband’s papers and have preserved it hoping that some day it would be of service to me in my bunt. Don’t you think some of the letters in both communications are similar in shape and looks?” ‘* They are! they are!” shouted the fair girl. a wh Lane, I believe the same hand penned ‘*It would be strange if that were true, now wouldn’t it?” cried Mrs, Lane, “If I thought that Hiram Honeybee was at 876 I would wade through fire aud blood to meet him, I am going anyhow. You need not tell Davy.” n another moment Nell had handed back the letters and seemed to be wondering what would be the outcome of the proposed meeting near Gotham Court. | CHAPTER XVII. THE LAST OF THE TRIO, ANOTHER night bas thrown its vail over the city between the two rivers, , - s, sé d - « , Ss on . ae i - A od gil a wis J iy A } | h f . . * * _* 3. . ° 4 \ . . es a ae wis A. ee! , ; , 7 ad ( 7 ™ é t A re a 4 “oe + ( : *" »' aes ‘ * ‘ . > ae The hour is not late and the streets are thronged with people, Here and there crowds are moving under the brilliant lights elbowing one another as in the hurried march of business all seem bent on the eee of each other and getting the most gold, In a handsome house up-town, under a light that swings gently over the square table, sits a man who on more than one occasion bas appeared on the chess-board of our tale. His surroundings betoken wealth and he looks at peace with all mankind as he sends a puff of white smoke abcve his head and seems to enjoy life to its full, Nat Natty was rich, It was known to many that he bad won a celebrated will contest over in Jersey, that he had received as his share of the fight more than a cool two hundred thousand and that the lawyers in the case had also enriched them- selves, But the fight had been forgotten and there were few who could have told the name of the estate, much less recall any of the numerous in- cidents of the legal battle, Nat Natty had a good many acquaintances, but very few close friends, He was not the man who makes friends, pre- wet to wrap himself up in bis own person- ality. He occupied the large house alone, with the exception of several servants who were not there all the time. When they were wanted they were present and when their work was done they were permitted to enjoy themselves as they saw proper. . Natty, well dressed as be always was, was on this occasion arrayed in the same garments in which he had faced Mrs, Lane on the street but a few hours before, Perhaps the recollection of that little en- counter in which be had heen worsted so far as tongue was concerned, came back to him as he sat alone in the room, for now and then he smiled as he smoked and sent to the ceiling the white wreaths that Jost themselves there, *‘T didn’t care to have much of ascene, but I wanted to draw ber out which 1 did to perfec- tion,” he said aloud. “I don’t consider her very dangerous, though tbe gift of speech which she has is not aninferior.one, She has changed some, has this woman, whom [ faced in the Jersey court several years ago and worsted, She looks older and the bootless hunt which she has inaugurated has told on ber, She is losing her mind, for now and then she repeated herself and toward the end of the tirade raved like a maniac, She won’t last very long at this rate. I will soon have her out. of my way and that without having to appear against her again,” Do you really think so, Nat Natty? Are you sure Mrs, Lane is wearing herself out and that you will win the victory in the end and get to keep the spoil which has done you so much good in a certain way? ‘‘That was bad for Bolivar, but not so bad for us,” he went on with a cynical smile, ‘‘He fell dead on the street and they didn’t find anything of acriminating nature on his rson, I wonder where he hid his papers? If Tthought I could find them I would go out and look now, but I will leave the matter with Jack when he turns up. I wonder where Jack is? He should have been here before this, The girl whom he caught atthe ferry must think she is very deep inthe web, I would like to see her for myself. I wonder if I could play a good card and withstand her blandishments by drop- ping in upon her right now?” After some deliberation he rose and looked at himself in the glass, ' The inspection must have been satisfactory, for after awhile he went out, locking the door behind him, ‘*T will play the hand that suits me best,” he wenton. ‘I haven’t met her since I saw her at the trial and she may have forgotten niy face,” In a few minutes he was in another part of the city and rung a door-bell there, The door was opeved by a woman who bowed to him as he stepped into the hall and, after a question, as- sured him that “‘the young lady” would be rae ee ir np to nee right. . Natty went up the poorly-carpeted ste and knocked,-but no answer was roolteed: fe He knocked again with a little more emphasis but received the same retort—silence, Then he laid his hand on the knob and the door o He in an empty room, ” he “Empty? This is very stran exclaim- ed, “The lad davernalaines me I would fusdihet here: Sdet ous ne coat )