Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 899 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

— pee Se een i =~ foe ts — a ee eee 3 ee aay ees dith thinks so, leastways, Bert glanced toward the rear room, where he ‘had been left when he first entered the house, ‘The sliding doors were widely ajar, and no one in sight. The searchers regarded each other in perplexity, ** We've been outwitted, as I feared,” declared the detective. ‘*How could we be? They are still in the house—” ‘* Unless this boy—” The officer hesitated to finish the sentence, and Bert observed, with dignity: ‘*Ef you think I’ve neglected my duty, or played yer false, you are’way off yer pedestal, mister, ‘* Let me call the servant.” This was dune. She came with an inquiring, fearless air of innocence which again impressed all. ‘* We fail to find Holmes and the other occu- pants of these rooms,” remarked the officer. ‘* That is odd, for they were here a short time ago, and I have not seen them go out,” ‘* Do they own the house?” ** Oh, no; they merely hire these two rooms.” ‘‘Are you sure they are not now in the ‘house??” ‘‘if they are, they are ina place where they have no right to go.” ‘*f &m an officer, and will now search the place.” The servant looked startled, but did not ob- ‘ject, Her mistress was out, so she accompanied them wherever they went, and answered all questions freely. The Holmes party, she said, had taken the rooms only a week Bbtore: but had exhibited a penchant for the company of strong drink wbich was not in their favor. The most rigid search now failed to reveal them in the house, but their way of flight was finally ascertained, By means of good luck and agility at climbing ‘they bad reached a saloon not far away, entered at the rear, passed out at the front, and es- All this the saloon-keeper admitted, but he ‘stoutly declared he was not aware that they were seeking to escape the police, ‘* Anyhow,” the detective remarked, to young Warland, ‘‘ we are just now foiled. But we are “on the war-path, and it’s dollars to doughnuts the crooks will see us again,” ‘They'll see me again; bef yer dollars on that!” added Bert. CHAPTER V, TROUBLE FOR THE SOUTHERN DELEGATION, WHEN the party came to separate, Basement ‘Bert found he was left out'of thedeal. Warland $ avo him a five-dollar bill without seeming to ‘think himself over-generous, and observed: ‘This is for your trouble, my Jad, and if you ever get mixed up in a contest again, I hope you'll be found on the side of right and jus- “tice.’ ‘* But ain’t you goin’ ter hunt fer yer sister ‘some more?” ‘* Most certainly Iam; I'll run these hawks down, if it requires a year to do it.” ‘* Pd like ter help,” ‘*' The work jis one in which you could do no good,” was the friendly reply. ‘‘ However, I am much obliged for your interest. Good-day, and good luck.” Then Warland walked away with the officer, and Bert was left alone, ‘‘ That settles that!” he commented. ‘‘ Guess I wa’n’t cut out fer a detective, nohow; Mere- S’pose I’ve got ter take ‘No,’but it don’t set wal, ‘My soul has ‘been h’isted above common things, an’ is bub- ‘blin’ around like a balloon in mid-air. Guess Ches Day is occupyin’ my place in the cobbler- shop, an’ peggin’ away like mad; bat my mind goes fer higher game. Reckon I'll meander round an’ work off my fever, ’fore it gnaws my blood all up,” Acting upon this plan, he started off on a roving es which finally brought him to Union Square. He was crossing the Park when he ‘had a most surprising encounter. Suddenly he stop himself face to face with Mr. Andrew ‘Moss Bert stopped in sometiiing akin to amazement, ‘but Moss swooped down upon him. ‘Say, young man,” the farmer cried, ‘‘kin you tell me where I be?” ‘This is Union Square,” ‘¢?Way up ’most to Central Pawk, ain’t I?” **Oh! no; you’re two miles from it.” ‘“‘Wal, I don’t know where I be, but I know how I got heah.” r* How was it? I thought you’d b’en kidnap- beard mol Basement Bert, **’Young man, set down on this bench, an’ I'll tell ye all about it. I ain’t had no sech time sence I left Horry county, an’ I wish I’s back in Cah’lina, sah; I do, by Gineral Jackson! I nevah knew how bad a place New York was till now. WhenI git back I’ll write a book on it; I will, suah as you live, an’ I won’t spare no- body, Them newspapahs heab are all liars, for they say this 1s a safe place for anybody to go ‘round, Guess them writer-fellahs stay right in tbeir offices all the time, and nevah go out to see the sights!” Bert thought Andrew would never talk him- self out of breath so he could hear what was of more importance, but due patience enabled him to get the story. As told by Moss, it was a very long and rambling narrative, but the main facts may be given briefly. He had been attracted to the cab on Lafay- ette place by hearing his name pronounced, and a stylish young man in the carriage looked so bland, smiling and polite, that Andrew ad- vanced to hear what he had to say. [mmediate- ly be was seized and pulled into the cab, the river of which then whipped up his horses and dashed away, The Southerner struggled in vain, and his captor made no explanation. They drove * for miles,” as Moss expressed it, and then stopped in front of a house. .He was taken in and put in a locked room, where he remained a long time. Finally he was taken out, put in the cab again, driven,many blocks to a quiet stree', and ordered to step out and leave at once, He did so, and after some wandering, brought up at Union Square, He had not the remotest idea where he had gone on either journey, or where the house was located in which he had been imprisoned; while the whole affair puzzled him greatly. Why had he been kidnapped and then re- leased ? Bert believed he could answer this question, Norman Holmes had overruled Draper’s judg- ment; the one bad seized him, and the other or- dered his release. Andrew’s description of his captor about fitted Draper. ‘Tt was rough on me,” Andrew concluded, ‘an’ I’d have yelled right out, only he had a pistol, an’ said he’d shoot me ef I tried to give an alarm.” ‘Don’t you suppose you could lead the way ter where they shut ye up?’ Bert asked, ‘* Bless me, no; I ain’t any idee, an’ this great Babel of a city is wuss than a wilderness.” ‘* 'W bat’ll you do now?” . Moss sighed deeply. ‘*[ don’t know; I'm all beat out an’ discour- aged, Itell ye,a man brought up in a nice, ye ig a place like Horry county ain’t fit to be in this wicked city,” ‘*' You want yer stolen papers back?” Pd: an’, by Gineral Jackson! I'll have them ** Then go ter tho perleece.” ** Why, I’ve heerd they was the worst thieves in New York!” Bert devoted considerable time to putting Andrew on the right track, and finally made that gentleman promise to see some one at Po- lice Headquarters in the morning. If the boy could have given Meredith Warland’s address Andrew would have called on him, but this Bert did not know. The hour was getting late, so the cobbler bade his new acquaintance good-night and started homeward, Andrew lingered, waiting to col- lect energy enough to set out on his own road home, hile thus occupied he observed two men approach in whom he at once felt an inter- est. , One was of tall, athletic figure, and must have weighed nearly two hundred pounds, He hada big, gray beard that gave him a patriarchal look. His companion was much smaller, and would weigh not over one hundred and thirty pounds. He was about thirty years old, dark- complexioned, and smooth-sbuven with the ex- ception of amustache, Both hands were par- tially bound up with rags, once white, but pow of doubtful hue and respectability What interested Mr. Moss most was the fact that in the drab clothing of the strangers he re- cognized garments certainly not made in New York, while their big felt hats were very South- ern in appearance. Scrutiny became mutual, ard the strangers advanced, “Tb our Rare paat said he of ner te u on't su @ you from the South?” eR ** But I do, sah,” “* Mississippi?” **No, sah; Horry county, South Carolina.” 5 ‘I’m from Yalobus . county, Mississippi.” ‘* Bless me! I’m glad to meet a countryman, My name is Andrew Moss,” ‘Mine is Reese Hackland, and my friend is Sigers Long,” here was a general hand-shaking, and the opinion prevailed that the meeting was a happ'g¢ one. was the grandest in the Union, and his county the finest in the State, but neither felt inclined to Ngee over opinions, r. Sigers Long proved to be a hoarse-voiced man who hardly ever had an Pg say, but Mr, Hackland—Long called him ‘* The Judge,” at all times—was talkative, bland, intelligent and fairly well educated. He soon grew com- municative, ‘* You notice be has his hands bandaged?” It was a peculiarity of ‘‘the Judge” that he always referred to Mr. Long as ‘‘he” and ‘*him,” ‘* Yes, sah,” Andrew answered, ‘* Bitten by a mad dog down at his home in Yalobusha county, and we came, up here so he could be treated by the Pasteur method. He wanted me to come along with him, and asl pete wanted to see what New York was like, did it. Mr. Long’s lacerated hands were duly dis- cussed, principally by Moss and Hackland, but the silent man had been doing some thinking, and he finally broke forth in a hoarse voice: ** Ask the Judge how he’s put in time heah.” ** Why, ve been all ovah—” ‘* Don’t dodge, Judge. Fact is, Mr, Moss, he’s going to take back a smart Yankee girl as a wife!’ Hackland smiled complacently, but did not receive the congratulations he expected from Andrew, ‘*She is a brilliant woman,” he explained, ‘* True, she’s only about half as old as I am, but she’s just what | need on myfarm. She's got spirit enough to make the niggahs stand around and work, instead of idling. Great stroke of business it was; and [ got her in a way new to me, though I am told that a half of the New Yorkers use the system, You see, [ got her from a matrimonial bureau,” Andrew looked blankly at his new acquaint- ance, ** You did?” ‘* Yes; and.if you are a widower in need of a wife, I advise you to go there, You see, men and women become customers, leave their pic- tures, have meetings, and strike up matches, Got to be a regular thing here—so the manager of the bureau tells me, Better run over, Mr. Moss, They will show you a lot of pictures of different girls, and you can take your pick—” ‘‘ Stop!” cried Moss, wildly. sé Eh?” cs Do we Bb ? ‘* Behold in me an unhappy wretch who has beea there before! Take my pick? I’ve taken it once, an’ my longin’s are satisfied, Why, I'd rather go into Central Africa as a missionary than poke my nose through a bureau doah, Marry a New York girl? You will be so kind as to excuse me; I don’t want another pick,” Andrew’s manner was sotragic that the Judge a eo him in wonder. asked ou know who I am?” ave you really experimented there?” he “Experimented? Is that what you call it? Sah, lve been through the mill, and been ground to a pulp.” Hacklend jbegan to look worried and uneasy, ‘* Don’t your wife meet your expectations?” ‘She more than meets them. Expectations don’t cover one-half the ground, but she fills every inch, My friend, if you value the peace an’ happiness you find in Yalobusha county, keep away from New York matrimonial bu- reaus!” The Judge moved uneasily, while his friend regarded him with great gravity. ‘Did you take her South?’ Hackland, in- quired, : ‘‘ Like an idiot, I did. It cost me a good many dollahs to make her agree to marry me, Then we went to Horry county. Then the ruin begun. That woman scattered my money like grain in open market; dollahs fell like rain. Financial ruin stared me in the face, an’ when she had got rid of two thousand in a few weeks, ‘I finally bought her off, I gave her another (thousand in cash, an’ she left me an’ came North, ‘but she stole valuable papahs to wind up on, an’ Iam now in New York to try an’ get them back, Don’t talk to me about ma onial bureaus; four thousand dollars at one slap istoo much for my appetite. Have you really been comicbooks.c Each was of the opinion that his Stat “°