Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 897 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 am balked. You won’t be back inside of ten days, eh?” and he looked at the placard for the twentieth time. ‘‘I would like to know if this was a very sudden move or whether it would have been taken if Nell had not visited you?” Davy tried the door before he left, and, as a matter of course, found it locked. Down on the street he walked beneath the lamps, keeping almost involuntarily in the shadows as much as possible and noting everything he saw. He was followed, though for some time he knew it not. Davy had at his heels a figure that went wherever he went, and stopped when he stopped, so as vot to draw too near him, There was the tread of a cat about the man who had found the Boy Spotter on the street. A pair of very sharp eyes glittered in the tracker’s head, and when he walked after Davy he watched him after the manner of a lynx. Nickel Nell lived on a quiet street where there were rooms to rent at low prices. Some of these rooms were near the sky and were not very desirable, but. one has to put up with many inconveniences when not over- burdened with wealth. Davy knew that Nell had taken Mrs, Lane to her own abode, in hopes that the poor woman would beccme more reconciled to the situation and recruit her strength, which was failing because of the life she was com- pelled to lead in her desire to ferret out Hiram Honeybee and thus to right the great wrong’ which had been done the living and the dead. Nell’s rooms—there were two of them, small and naturally cram ped—were rear ones which got a little sunlight during a part of the day and Davy had been to them before. He found the house without difficulty, and as some of its occupants were in the habit of coming in at all hours, the door stood open, : He went in and ran up the stairs, but at Ce yeP of the flight he stopped and stood still. Loud voices assailed hig ears and the boy started when he heard a voice which sound- ed very much like Mrs: Lane’s. ‘‘T have been persecuted to the last round of theladder. First the will—the false one, I mean—took the very house from us, and then everything which in the true document went to Holly and I—fell to young Mr. Natty, a dudish fellow who came from this city, and who, to the satisfaction of the court—God pity that court says I—proved that he was Mr. Lane’s nephew!” ‘‘ Well, he had a nephew, hadn’t he?” asked & man’s voice, ** He had, ayoung man named Natty; but we always thought he was dead.- I recol- lect how he looked when a boy, but I wasn’t prepared to deny outright that the claimant wasn’t the right man. As I have been tell- ing you, he got the property in the long run, for what I got was in stocks which proved worthless after a year orso and I then realiz- ed the swindle which had been carried out, I bonant the willas I could, but you see one can’t do much without money or witnesses. Hiram Honeybee never signed tbat will. I| tell you he never put his name to it, and I know it. When I find him I will prove it.” ‘* But, don’t you know, woman, that you may never find him? The man may be dead.” ‘‘When I know that I will stop. Yes, when I stand by the grave of Hiram, Honey- bee, or when I know that he is dead, then I will desist; but not a moment before.” ‘Allright. I fear I can do nothing for you. G-:od-night!” The door opened, and Davy drew back among the shadows at the steps and held his breath, He was strainin his eyes to get a look at the. person who ad been talking to Mrs. set LL LL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL, LD Davy Doon’s Bigs Bounce. Lane and in a moment he.came from the room. ‘‘ Heavens! Isthat the man? Why, that is Jack Jason—the man who has been perse- cuting Nell with his unwelcome attentions,” and as the young fellow came forward the boy eyed him sharply, nor Jet up until he had passed down stairs and was gone, CHAPTER VIL > ON THE ALERT. ‘‘Dip you see him? He went from this room just a moment ago and you must have met him on the stairs.” Mrs, Lane, white faced and excited, met the boy detective with these words as he came forward and saw her in the light, The old lady was trembling and her hand clutched the handle of her cane as though she would have liked to have brought it down upon the young man’s head, ‘‘T saw him,” quietly said Davy. ‘I happened to recognize him. Where is Nell?” ‘‘] don’t know. I came in from the street—I can’t help being there looking for the missing witness—and found the room untenanted. I was sitting yonder when in he came and stood near the door a full min- ute watching me with the sharp eyes of a cat. Something about him made me shake for he is the same man whom [ took on the street for Van Kinder one of the young men of Pascal Point. He stood still while the team came at me and would not turn back to save me from the mad hoofs. To-night he appears in a new vole. He found me out, how I’cannot say, and came here to ask me some questions which have a strange bearing on my life-hunt. Among other things he wanted to know what has become of Holly, my grand neice—the young girl who was defrauded out of her rights by the false will. I was sharp enough for him and he did not make much outofme. You say you know him?” ‘‘T know him as Jack Jason, a young man who seems to have plenty of money and nothing to do. Nell saw him come out of old Brass’s oftice when she went down there to get employment and he has been persecu- ting her for some time with his attentions. But I guess Nell don’t care a straw for him,” ‘*] don’t see why ‘she should,” answered Mrs. Lane. ‘‘ The young fellow is impudent and while he would have me believe that he is Mr. Jason, | would swear that he is Van Kinder, the young man who knew so much about my husband's affairs, He left Pascal Point shortly after the presentation of tbe will which won the contest and it was thought by some that he had a finger in the pie. And to see him come here anxious to koow what has become of Holly confirms the report.” ‘J will look into this matter a little,” thought the Boy Spotter. ‘‘I will see where this young fellow lives and what sort of com- pauy he keeps.” Then he addressed Mrs. Lane again: ‘¢ You’re not afraid to remain here till Nell comes back ?” ‘No. I willlock and bolt the door and no one shall come in but Nell herself.” ** All right. Don’t let any one else inside the door, Nell will be in soon. She’s worth her weight in gold, that girl is, and you will find it out by and by.” ‘‘T’ve found that out already,” smiled the woman. ‘‘ITam willing to trust* Nell the full length of the tether.” Davy did not expect to catch sight of Jack Jason when he should reach the street and he was not disappointed That worthy had vanished as completely as if the walk had opened and swallowed him and he hurried off up-town. As Nell’s would-be lover, Jack, had come under the boy’s espionage prior to the open- . : :~ ae A 4 | ‘ 2 9 4 + . | a or Be ete [ @ o | f= , _-, —_ . -* ; ing of our story, and Davy knew where he’ lived. He did not have to look for the house, his eyes. He wondered if young Jack had beaten: him home, but the aspect of the house told nothing and he fell back to the shadow of the trees on the opposite side of the street. and watched on. Suddenly a man came out and stood for a moment on the steps. There was something about his figure that. attracted the boy ferret from the start and as the person moved into the light and raised his head Davy started but kept back the cry that struggled toward his lips, ‘‘T thought you were out of the city,, Bolivar Brass?” he exclaimed, as he regard- ed the man atthe door, ‘‘ You say by your notice that you are out of the city and wont. be back for ten days, but there you stand as. large as life. What does this mean?” The man called Bolivar Brass by the young shadow remained on the steps a min- ute longer and then tripped down with the: elasticity of one much younger in years, He moved off with his hat pulled over one side of his face as if he was. not anxious, to be recognized. th, ‘*So you come to see Jack Jason, do you, and he has just come from Mrs, Lane’s. presence where he has been adroitly ques- tioning the old lady about Holly, the grand- niece who should have had the bulk of the Lane estate. I would just like to know what. this means. I have seen Captain Paul die with asecret on his lips,and the papers which might have thrown some light upon the mys- tery have been stolenfrom me. I thought no one knew where they were but the captain and myself, but it seems that they were dis- covered by some thief who stole them for a. purpose. To shield the guilty? Did the person who robbed me know the value of those papers which perhaps I should have read instead of tying them up again, The mystery deepens. I was on the trail to the secret of Hiram Honeybee’s disappearance, but death came along and robbed me of that. even. Captain Paul said he died, but did he? I—hardly—believe—it. I am getting to be like Mrs. Lane. She believes that the missing witness still lives,” Davy went after Bolivar Brass who gave him a good chase and who instead of going back to the office with the placarded door, turned suddenly toward the river and dodged into a snug little house from which he did not emerge though Davy watched it long and with a good deal of patience. When he turned back he walked into the first hotel that lay in his path and opened. the City Directory. Turning to the N’s he ran his finger dowm the columns until it rested on the aume which read: ‘Natry, NATHANIEL, 867 B—— avenue. “ He’s got into the Directory anyhow,” cried the boy as he read the name the second: time the bulk of the Lane fortune for he lives in a good part of town among the swells and the Directory sets him down as ‘* retired.’” Retired on what? On other people’s money?’ It looks that way. Well, I will sce about this.” Detective Davy glanced up at the clock ticking away above the ornate desk and flitted out. A passing car into one corner of which he snuggled carried him up-town until he: reached a street where he alighted and looked ° around, | He was at one of the cross streets of B—— avenue and had reached the thoroughfare: - near the number given in the Directory as. Nat Natty’s boarding-place. . ‘It's a good house, just such a one as a young man with plenty of cash would natur~ _ ally jahabit. 1 don’t see anything of Mr. ‘ee —_—-- yaw Le i bd pits cal —_—> : but went straight to it and soon had it under ‘This must be the fellow who got; © — ee 4 me | “a * 4 “~ Zz ot late Ya : | ay pay et ey Lae wpe 8 le \/ 7 V7 | Gui é F . ) at ’ 4 a gee a a . 7 ° ; ating a . ~~ 4 —— Pe as en o_ we > eee eT - ¥ e = ’ “J oe é 7 — - * hedi>e re - a - mae = ~ = 3 ~~ > : 8 ~ “ ' e - ae aye ™ all ~~ a x : a « . a 73 ee - a uapaten > > A a et od . > w » \ Re is \ 4 at r? : . : r~ wat — a + *- 4 ou a re —. 9 — a. ae: 3 . ie te ie Th + J . . alas ”~ eo <> <9 te ? —— we Soy ae y = a6?) ~~? — +: - at A * Bait