Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

‘ ' af 4 — *ee' 2 a * Oe ot re * on Fe ‘ as ‘ £ ) r hile 1 r me , , th Y - 2 L~ ‘o @ ve - e. sae re A ee ay’) /* - - ; Yee ae : WY ols Mand “e 4 : \ : ll Little he thought that he was going td get himself into trouble. In his meanderings he came finally to the entrance to the private tent of Sam Bruce and his wife, where he looked in. ‘Mlle, Lucie’? was there, and Baby Bess wis asleep on a cot just behind a flap par- tition of the canvas. The bummer poked in his head, to learn what. this particular tent was for, and at sight of him the woman gave a cry of alarm. ‘‘ Durnation!” ejaculated the old bum. He was staring at the woman with eyes dilated. , ‘ Pop Turner!’ exclaimed the queen of the arena, excitedly. * Et’s me, gal, sure encugh!” the old fel- low admitted, ‘‘Darn meef 1 knowed ye afore when I seen ye.” ‘‘That was because I had my fine feathers on, I suppose. But, what are you doipg here, Pop? I have not seen you before, in a dozen years, it must be. Are you still trav- eling?” ‘*No, no; I gave that up long ago, gal.” ‘“And where do you live?” ‘*Et don’t matter; I’m glad to 'a’ seen ye again, gal, an’ I hope you ar’ doin’ well. ['! be goin’ on, as I’m in a hurry,” He was going. too. ‘« Hold on,” the woman ordered, to talk with you a minute.” ‘*T can’t do it nohow; | have got to meet a man, and must be goin’. Mebby I will see ou—” ‘* You will see me now,” and she got up and took hold of his shoulder with a firm rip. ‘*Come right in here and sit down, or I must have a chat with you. “I don’t care if you’ve got an appointment with the President.” ‘* Let go, gal; d'ye hear?” His rummy face was pale, and he pulled to get away. The little woman drew a pistol from-her pocket and presented it at his head, saying: “TT wouldn’t want to hurt you, Pop Tur- ner, but you are not going out of my sight till you have answered some questions, Come in and sit down, or I’]l have to enforce my command in a way you won't like,” There was no help for the bummer, and he had to obey. He slunk in and sat down on a stool, toy- ing nervously with his rag of a hat, and sul- lenly asked: ‘* Wull, what is it?” ‘*About the earliest recollections I have, Pop Turner, are of you.” ‘“ That’s nat’ral, seein’ that 1 was daddy to ye after yer mother done her last act an’ retired from the ring, gal.” , ‘You speak in a heartless manner, Pop Turner. Would you Care to have any one speak so of your mother, if you have any recollection of her? I think not, if there is any feeling left in you,” | **Oh, well, that is nothin’; say what you want to,” ‘‘T want to know the truth about my par- ents, thut is what I want, and you are the only one who can tell me.’ ‘* Well, it’s a short story and soon told. Your mammy was a rider, like yourself, and you was a sort o' come by-chance, [ take it. That is your whole peddygrce, fur as I know.” A The young woman's face was flushed, , Can yn tell me my mother’s family name?” she asked. **Durn me if 1 kin. She was on the bills as Lucy Long, an’ that’s the long an’ short of ‘it ait.” 73 4". _ **And you never heard her speak of my father?” ‘ eet _ ** Never a word, gal.’ _** And that is all you know about me?” ‘‘That’s every blessed word, gal, I take my dinner.” | ‘‘How was it that I came to be left in ‘*T want ’ Oe _ your keeping, asl was, Pop?” .s 7 3 . . . +f. fed ; + 4 cue a . yy Ny " i, ch em Aa . ’ y , eas * AL q “ff * J . t re . , .) ¥ - ) ik ee : a a wi iy ‘ set | aT Geta eto Le a ‘ dita y * x we ~ le A d <P * Ta - ye ; ' cant 7 Ve .; . pef 7 ad it ‘4 *- . ¢ ad . 7 | a bad, . +4 ery Tt a ees ‘ J e * 21 - rh Py Xa a, ars 4) at sae x cS . rad ay “ 5 A. de uy fix ae - > ise ~ = ~ ee, 8 he admitted. © 7 ° ) d . . : *- . <_ ® ‘4 ‘ ¥ >: , f : ) ed ne fe ‘4 Pas? be f u; eo ‘ i , ‘ sf . ’ * 7 7 : 1 ~* ras : ‘40 y -~ J umping-J ack’s Jubilee. eee . “Well; your mammy hadn't no other friend, an’ she jest asked me to see that you was took keer of.” “« Tf that isall you know, there is no use in pressing you further, so I will let you go, now. I don't suppose we'll ever meet again, Pop. so I'll say good-by for good,” She held out her hand, but at that moment Sam Bruce entered the tent. ‘‘ Hello!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ Who is this?” ‘This is Pop Turner, that 1 have often told you about,” said Mile. Lucie. ‘*Pop Turner? Then he wears two names, for he is known as John Witman, or Old Wit. Hold on, old chap; don’t be in a rush!” The bummer showed a disposition to cut short his stay, but the clown laid a hand up- on his shoulder and forced him easily down to the stool from which he had just got up. The bummer’s face was now cold and white, and a perspiration.was on his fore- head, while he was all atremble. ‘Then he is the man—” began Mrs. Bruce. ‘‘The man that was suspected of stealing that woman's child, seventeen years ago, Lucy. ‘‘That was a lie,’’ muttered the bummer. ‘‘T was not inthis part of the country at that time, an’ they all know I wasn’t. I was set free o’ that suspicion at the time.” ‘‘At what time, sir?” ‘‘ Weil, when I come back here to live, somethin’ like a dozen years ago,” ‘Where had you been during that time?” ‘‘Some of the time travelin’ with shows; some of the time doin’ other work.”’ ‘ And it was about seventeen years ago, I understund, that this lady, my wife, was placed in your keeping.” Lik dee ‘And it was seventeen years ago that the child of your rival in love, Albert Cooper, was stolen from her home. By the way, what show were you with at that time, my man?” Old Wit was not dealing with ‘‘ Mlle. Lucie” now, e was as pale as death, and was trembling from head to foot, a fact that gave ground for suspicion, . | ‘*T guess it was Cook & Tucker’s,” he an- swered, ‘And that was the show in which my wife first appeared. Old man, I'm going to look further into this matter,” ‘*I—I have just told your wife the truth about herself, fur’s I know it,’ the bum- mer declared. ‘‘ You won't, find nothin’ good by pryin’ into the past, I give you fair warnin’,.” : , ‘‘ Better to know the truth than to remain in uncertainty. ’ The woman, too, was pale. , This talking had awakened Baby Bess, and she now came around from the patti- tion. At sight of her, Old Wit gave a start, and there was an increased lcok of alarm in his eyes. She seemed to come like an accusing angel to confront him. ‘*What’s the matter with you now, sir?” demanded Bruce, ‘* Does this child so much remind you of the looks of my wife when she wus a little child? Well, Ido not won- der. Where's that photograph, Lucy?” The woman took a picture from her pocket, which she had hunted out from among her effects that afternoon after the visit of Mrs. Coopez, and it was certainly wonderfully like the child beforethem. It was a likeness of herself at the age of seven, a picture “ Pop Turner” had had taken. / ‘CHAPTER XII. ‘TAKING CARFy OF OLD WITMAN. Tus picture was put in old Wit’s hand. ‘* Darn me if there ain’t a strong likeness,” ee peur ‘* Of course there is,” said Bruce, ‘‘ and it is suspiciously strong.” ‘‘ What d’ye mean?” ‘‘T mean that I strongly believe that my wife was the child of the Coopers, and I’m going to know.” Old Wit was getting sullen, now. ‘‘ Well, I wish ye luck in findin’ out,” he muttered, ‘‘I have told ye the truth, an’ I’d like tosee ye prove it anything else. Don’t see how you could go about to do it.” ‘* We have gota clue already, sir. There is a boy around here called Jumping-Jack, who knows something about you,” The bummer paled again at this, but stub- bornly held out ‘That boy kin lie as tall as he kin jump,” he declared, ‘‘ an’ he will have to prove what he says, 1 reckon. Now, if that’s all ye want o’ me, I’ll be goin’ fer I ain't got no time to foolaway.” ‘No, I suppose time is important with you,” said Bruce. ‘* But, you are not going inahurry. I am going to hold fast to you till this thing is cleared up, Tl send for Mr. Murray and have that boy brought here to face you, and we’l! see how it will stand.” He forced Old Wit back to his seat. The old fellow’s face was white, but he de- terminedly persisted. ‘‘ Well, do yer worst,” he defied. ‘‘ Whem you have found out your mistake mebby you will own it. Lucy Long, I didn’t think this of you, after the kindness I have done fer vou in the past.” ‘‘My husband jis seeking only the truth,” was the response, ‘And that Iam resolved to have,” de- clared Bruce. ‘‘ Lucy, can you keep him here a minute?” | ‘You had better let me go and bring Mr. Murray,” the woman suggested. ‘I can do that better.” ‘Allright; but, take care!” ‘*] will,” She was off at once, and the moment she had gone Bruce said grimly: ‘‘ Now, old man, the best thing you can doisto ownup, If you want to get off easy. that is the best thing you can do,” _ ‘You wouldn’t trap me that way, even if I was guilty,” wasthe sullen retort, ‘* When you have proved the thing against me if would be time enough for me to. take water on it,” . ‘And that would -be too late to do you any good,” ‘Can't confess to what I ain’t guilty of, allthe same. Is'pose you'd like to prove your Lucy a lady, but she was a nobody, sir.” ! ‘We'll see,” said Bruce, a hard line form- ing around his mouth, | n a few minutes his wife returned, bring-' — ing Harry Murray with her, but not the boy. | Mrs. Bruce: had already given the show- man an ideaof the situation, and upon his. coming in he took a keen survey cf the old bummer. ‘You are the fellow I saw this morn- ing,” he declared, ‘ You started and stared » at Baby Bess when I had her in my arms and was about to put her in her place in the line of parade,” ‘TI can’t deny that,” admitted the oid © it bummer. ‘You thought you recognized her.” | “T knowed she looked mighty liko the = child of Lucy Long, cf course.” ‘And you had some conversation about the matter with Tom Uunter, which was overheard,” ant ‘* What if it was?” | “That is what we are going toattend to, We'll find the boy that overheard the talk, and I think we can bring you to time,” said Bruce. ‘I believe you are the man who stole the child from the Coopers.” | “And you think your wife is that stolen child, Sam?” asked Murray. | | ; - — =“ > —~ aro Ber ~ SS S42 ee * 4 ’ ”" “ a - 4 a - =o n— aT ea - 2 i> . — -_ >. ~ = * pa — « A 74 = a —— SS Me ; — = a ota ‘1 *) "a ‘ta is 6“. 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