Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

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Jack knew, however, that every word of this praise was meant; he could distinguish between honest praise and unmeaning flat- tery, young as he was. Then, too, he had an object, » He wanted to join a circus, and this was the circus he wanted to join. He sawhisop. portunity, and meant to make the most of it, if a sample now and then of bis jumping ability would win for him any consideration, and, by the appearance of things, it would. ‘* But, Sam, I have a word of caution for . you, that is what I wanted to see you about,” said Murray, ‘* What is it?” _ * Look well to Baby Bess to day and to. night.” : child’s mother, in a tone of alarm. ‘* Well, I had to get rid of Tom Hunter this morning, and he bas made _ threats against you—or, that is, has really planned to steal the child, if he can,” ‘The monster! But, let him try it on, that’s all,” ' The woman tapped her pocket. ‘* Yes, let him try it and see what will hap- pen,” grated the clown. ‘‘ I’m glad you told me, Mr, Murray.” ‘You can thank this boy,’ Murray de- clared. ‘‘ He is something of a detective as wellas a jumper, and he found out about the scheme, and put me onto it. But, take mighty good care of Baby Bess.” ‘No need to tell us to do that, Mr. Mur-. ray.” ( ; ‘‘T suppose not, and ‘bee there is great need, too, The fellow is thoroughly aroused, and means mischief.” ** Well, let him take care.” _ And, too, you may not recognize him, for he has shaved off his beard.” ‘We'll both know him,” said ‘ Mile. Lucie,” ‘‘ for he had no beard at the time when we knew him and had trouble with ‘All right; but, be watchful.” As that was all Murray had to say, he dropped behind, but Jumping Jack contin. ued on with the little family. ‘And Lhave got something more to say to you, too, Mr. Bruce,” Jack declared in his frank and open manner. ‘‘And what’s that, my fine jumper?’ ‘* You want to keep your eyes peeled for that sleek feller what gave you the papers and said you’d got a fortune.” “ Why so?’ “Cause, | have the idee that he don’t mean ye fair, that’s all. He's gota chum with him, an’ I heard ’em talkin’ somethin’ al wasn't as goody-goody as it might ’a’ en.” | “That so? What did they have to say?” Jumping Jack told what he had heard, to which the clown listened with interest. ~ ‘‘ There may be something in it,” he said, **T don’t know what it can mean, exactly, ‘but that kind of talk seems to have some sig- - nificance.” ‘‘ Have you joined this show, boy?” asked the mother of Baby Bess. | - ** No, but I'd like to,” declared Jumping- Jack, eagerly. ‘*Tell you what I'll do; Vl try to keep my eye open _ he don’t “eRe ee ft ay be for that skunk, so’s get the chance to steal your little . ’ : ’ 4 ? ® rz 3 - r . a * 7? -~ + | laid off their show trappings, there in the prreny of their tent, and when finally wey | last, and that was the year that—” 0 ; ‘ f 4 92% ‘* eM 7, eee s S- wf ba AS Ta 1! 1 - ' : se » ; . Kee uM et xs Aa o. iat : fy, a A, \ » fs 1."2 ; ate | aM at) , v aS g F AT) : , - : . +3 + be at j Le Les EY tS S. hort .¥ A. ; ft WE: a3 + ; » ae ‘ é - . . 24 uae SAA * PAs FEA M “ 4 fe add, a2 A ij . Ve o Per, ee 7 whee af eS) wad ¢ 5 . cs en 4 ¢ n . ! J ee Pn . . . ; MAL OS 2d (or ayo Rea ee 3 ae wt SLE 3 Ft 3A (ea sd aay ee, so Tab ae ee Pierce 2 * Kae . ee od ens = Peds ey Ne he igo we Me , mye . $ x , a ! f > ey, io le t z ca ‘ “V : 8 tien 2 Mg ed ie 1% ia Pe a te ; see Ao | (he “ iV as - | i é a eal wr + t uf APS + ‘ (ee ie Coe Safe Ok IGE Be oie 32 a he 454 Ne tat ee = , emis eter). ae Sel * & ~ tr: ve “sda fe | *) § pike + La és 2 | nS ria* 8 a & r, Be F ee eu ats Chak aad Oona a Bee. 3°. al ; om Nkwmee toes - a ae, ay 2 au Arn St ie ae Se! Piste" vs . " Pry vere ” he . ‘ ? é » ors P be, er =m i % x poet! ” a =e "5 « . p Jumping-Jack’s Jubilee. girl, and you speak a good word for me to | place where we may go. I take it things: the boss,”’ have gone wrong with you, and that you “Done!” said Bruce, promptly. ‘‘ That | would like to get a lick back at somebody. was just what I was going to propose to | Am I right?” you. "We have a man to watch, her, when ‘“T guess I'll let you show your hand we both have to bein the ring at once, but | first,” returned Hunter, guardedly. it won’t do any harm to have extra help on — hand, under the circumstances, I'll speak CHAPTER VII. to Mr, Murray about it.” EXCITEMENT IN THE RING. | ‘Yes, but 1 have got to see the tumblin’ By one oclock the streets of Wairenton or bu’st. Didn’t think about that when 1 | were crowded. | spoke. But, we can fix that somehow.” The whole town was out, nearly, and peo- ‘* Well, we'll see about it later.” ple had come in from every direction, far Jumping-Jack took Jeave of their tent | and near. | and sauntered around to see what was to be Nothing will draw a crowd like a cireus, * : seen, and all he had to do, when questioned, | and this particular circus seems to be par- : was to show his pass, _ ticularly successful in that respect. It was. Murray had given him not only a ticket, | doubtful whether its canvas could accommo- | | but a general pass to the whole concern, | date the people. good anywhere at any ume, proof of the The children were legion, the lovers were: | liking he had taken to the boy, And, ! many, and the older people, too, even to a sturdy little fellow was bound to see it | the aged grandsires, had come in to see the: 7 all. show.® ‘‘T told you something was going to hap-| he bills on fences and dead walls were: pen to-day,” spoke ‘* Mlle. Lucie,” as soon | gazed upon by gaping crowds. iF as Jack had gone. All had one thought—-the circus. peat ‘‘ Well, something has happened, Lucy,” Among others were a middle-aged couple, 4) answered the clown. “*T have dropped in- | man and wife, evidently well-to-do farm- ay! to x fortune, it seems. ” _ | ing people, who walked arm in arm as fond- ‘‘T know; but, I mean something terri- | ly ag lovers in the first blush of their amo- | | ble. You know I mentioned it to you | rosity. ! ‘ early this morning, and the feeling is still | They were a good-looking couple, too, . over me.” whose faces seemed to show that their | 4 ‘* Well, do not Jet it make you nervous, | matrimonial lifehad been one of peace. Yet. darling. We have had warning of some- | there was, withal, a certain sadness in the | thing to look out for, now, thanks to that | faces of both which seemed to speak of sor- boy, and Hunter will have to be sharp to do | row that had come into their lives during us harm,” . the years that had flown. ‘*Oh! what would we do if he should steal We find them standing and gazing upon our pet?” some of the gorgeous posters, not by any The mother caught her child to her arms | means alone. : and pressed her fondly, while tears sprung “ T believe it will bea good show, Albert,” to her lovely hazel eyes. spoke the woman. ‘Who is goin’ to steal me?” asked Baby ‘ Haven’t a doubt of it, Mary,” was the — Bess. answer. ‘‘Nobody,” answered Sam Bruce, decisive- ‘* And it will‘be the first one we have seen ly. ‘You must stay close to papa and mam- | fn many a day, You know you was sick ma, and Mr. Murray and Charlie,” with rheumatiz when the last one was here, ‘Oh, yes; me won’t let any bad man steal | two years ago.” me, Baby likes that boy, mamma, but he «Yes, and you was such a goose over me won't steal me, will he?” that you thought you couldn’t come in to: ‘No, he would not steal you; he would | town to see it just ‘cause I was sick and bring you right back to mamma.” couldn’t come. ‘Fore that one, there hadn't. — So they talked with the child while they | been a show here in goodness knows when,” _ ‘T do believe Cook and Tucker’s was the came forth they were found to be as han ‘“There, now, Mary, don’t let’s bring up some a couple as one would wish to see. the past if we can help it; not to-day, any- Meanwhile, what of the man Mulvern? how. I know how you’}l feel, 1f you do.”’ Following the way Hunter had gone, he |» + Well, it ain’t no worse to say it than to. overtook him soon after passing out of | think about it all the time, is it, Albert?” sight of the show grounds. ‘‘No, I suppose not, Mary; but, let’s try” ‘A word with you, my man?’ he re-| pot to think,” quested, ee They pressed each other’s hands and ‘‘] don’t care,” answered Hunter, ‘if | moved on to look at other pictures, as they you want to.” slowly made their way to the grounds—for’ | - ** Vos, I want to ask you something more | they were early. 4 ty about that boy who was listening.” _ On one very high fence that inclosed a. — “T've told you all I know about him, ex- | new building that was being erected, was a cept that he is as good as done for, if 1 get a! particularily gorgeous display, and the ~ chance at him.” ‘couple naturally stopped to look at this one: ‘* What’s the row between you and him?” |/too. “That don’t matter.” At the top was the name of the wonderful. _ ‘‘Well, 1 saw there was somethin’, and | show— ray { I'd like to make you a fair offer if I may.” aM IE Mites AS ‘* What is it? Ibet you are a Britisher, TH 7 elas any ee ae a pay arty: palcom if Ido AMERICA-ENGLAND iy, me ; n't you do your ow . a. ie re on bay Be. Nan you do your Ow? | “CONSOLIDATED HIPPODROMES®,, > amen ‘* Why, what do you mean?” ‘‘T mean thaty 1 can see as far into a | board as the next man.” And after the name followed al! the — 4 ‘You'll have to explain clearer than | etcetera, all the way down through the —»_— that. a) middle space of the fence. ae ‘‘ Well, J mean that I know you are up to On either hand were pictures, some more some deviltry, the way you looked when | extensive than could he found on any others you found that boy had been listenin’, and | fence, and this was really as good as the you would like to have his mouth closed up | show itself, to some of the rustics who gaped * Alive \ Tne Greatest ONE Rinc SHow ONEaRTH. ? forawhile.” id pat ab dtuiens? er ) Pes A) Ps ‘‘You area shrewd fellow, my man. Id]|_ One of’ the pictures was that of Baby" er) ). fo like to have a chat with you, if there is some } Bess, in her bareback act, : ; Se he - 7 . ek » ' t Prue F P* gyi! : , * , er) os pS | : =a! om: wa)’