Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 903 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

tt ce ” OOO ee ae | Billy Blue Blazes. 15 ** Allen Hamlin, my nephew. He was drown- ed near Staten Island. Undoubtedly he knew all about the second will—or that in favor of Captain Beebe and myself—and could have said sitively whether the will was genuine or false, ekg a noble young man, but death took him early, Mrs. Rawlins rose abruptly. ‘*T will now retire,” she added. She went, and Billy returned to the prisoners and the guards. All of the former were taking matters calmly but Simon Beebe; he was weep- ing, and seemed very down-hearted. Due ar- rangements were e by which a guard could be kept all night, one man relieving another, while the rest could sleep, and then they pre- pared to get what rest they could. There was no further interruption to that rest, It was late when they became astir in the morning, but, at last, Billy was ready to go out and notify the police when he was surprised to see Helen ig aac ‘* Tg Dave Doyle here?” she asked, abruptly. ‘Yes, mum,” Billy returned, **T have been to his place of residence in vain, ee thought he must be here, I want to see im! ‘**You shall, Follerme! I'll pilot you to him, an’ then take a sneak an’ leave you alone,” **No; I want you to hear what is said,” ** Allright; I ain’t a-kickin’ on that /” He conducted her to the parlor, and, as it happened, Dave Doyle already wasthere, The latter looked agitated on seeing her, but, showed less of his old fancy for flight than usual. She stood in silence, and they regarded each other in that way until Bill began to wonder if they had lost the power of speech. It was she who finally broke the silence. In a voice far’ from calm she remarked : ‘¢ JT have come to see you!” *¢ Yes?” he returned, moving nervously, ‘¢*T want to ask if—if you do not think it is time for you to speak?” ‘You know me, then?” ** Can you doubt it?” “No. The scene on the pier proves it.” He hesitated, and then rapidly added: ‘* Yes; the time has come for me to speak, If - J had been brave before—but let it pass. I was a coward, and that’s all there was toit. I fled from New York and went to Nova Scotia, Thera I remained until I learned that a body had heen found in the bay and identified as mine, Then I decided to return. ‘‘F had let my beard grow. Now, I colored both that and my bair, and used means to trans- form both, which had been perfectly straight into crinkly, wild disorder, On my face 1 marked lines, after ‘taking lessons of an actor, which made me look far older than I was, Also, in place of my fashionable attire of other days, I wore rough garments, ‘‘ Miss Eastman, you shall hear the story of the forged wiil. I’li tell it, and then leave your sight forever. ‘You know the story of my great shame, [ was bookkeeper for a business house, One night a package of money was accidentally left out of the safe. I knew it would not be missed for thirty-six hours if I took it. If I took it! Yes; for take it I did. I was race-mad, then. imagined if [had money I could double it, in- crease it ten times, if I got the chance, ‘¢+You know of my shame, I took it; I risked it; 1 lost! Maddening fact! I went to my uncle, Simon Beebe, for help. He refused to give it. You learned of the facts and offered me money—your own. ““T refused it—you know why. My shame would have been greacer to accept than to be branded a thief, ‘“ I determined to flee. I went home and be- gan to overhaul my papers. There I found a paper which recalled an event of the past. It wasthe will of Edric Zelland, but not signed, By its terms you received two-thirds of the great Zelland property, while I, my uncle and my aunt, shared equally in the remainder, ‘The unsigned paper recalled a strange event. ‘‘T remembered what I had before known, that Captain Beebe had worked hard on Zel- land, after the latter had made one will—which gave you almost all of bis property—to induce the old gentleman to make a second, giving more to Beebe, ‘* Zelland consented, He gees a second will —that which Beebe has since claimed is genuine, But it was a.base fraud. I had known that Zelland was.ill at night, and a man purporting to be a doctor was called in, who assured the old man he would die at once, which he did not do. ‘*A little quick investigation enabled me to learn that the so-called doctor was no doctor atall. Then I realized two things: First, Zel- land had been made to believe he was to die by | means of a drug which made him ill; secondly, a bogus will had been substituted, and palmed off upon him for the real will he had drawn up, but not signed. ‘* This I suspected, and his own words subse- quently confirmed all I guessed at. ‘* Again I went to him for money, but only to be refused. He saw that one offense against | law would offset the other, and had nerve | enough to try and bluff me, It was a bold game, for I might have seen fit to confess my own shame and his, but I did not, ‘* He consented to give me means of getting out of the country, and did so. 1 went to Nova Scotia. For weeks I did not read a newspaper. Of course all my old acquaintances in New York knew I was a thief, but I would not read of it. ‘*My course in this matter was responsible for the fact that I did not hear of the drowned man until very recently, Then I chanced to see a New York pees decided to look it over, and learned that | was supposed to be drowned, I need only say that the drowned man was some one else; I know nothing about him, ‘*T came back to this city, doing all I could to disguise myself, for I did not want to be arrest- ed, I could not add to my shame, and all here must despise me, but I wanted to see how those I had known were doing, and yet avoid arrest. ‘* That is all!” Dave Doyle ceased Speaking, and Helen, who never had ceased to regard him attentively, quietly replied: ‘*On one point you are in error. No one knows that you ended your commercial career so irregularly, here. You refused to let me fur- nish the money to make good what you had so rashly taken, but, nevertheless, I did it. Un- known to you, I settled all that, and even when I believed you drowned, I never regretted it— your reputation was saved!” Allen Hamlin—Dave Doyle no longer —looked amazed, i ou did all that—for a worthless wretch like me ** I did as I have said.” ‘* Helen, I did not deserve this, I—” What he said next Billy Blue Blazes did not hear, for he left the room abruptly. Later, he explained the reason to Dave: Yes, I took a quiet sneak. Didn't seem ter be needed in the dialogue nohow, an’ when a feller feels that he’s a fifth wheel ter the coach, et’s time ter git a wiggleon. Harlem fleas, yes! But [ guess the detective case has about run its race. Don’t see ez I need ter do much more, an’ so I'll devote my dodgin’ around the docks ter other measly scamps. Jes’'so, David!” The case had run its race. The public had not yet suspected Simon Beebe of firing his own schooner, and after a conference he agreed to confess on the Zelland will case if the schooner episode was dropped. Dave Doyle’s theory of a substituted—hence, a forged will—was correct. So, only one will was in court, and that was the one in Helen’s favor, Beebe and Harker were sent to State’s Prison. Dan Monks, penitent, or frightened, or both, was forgiven. Ducky Meegan avoided arrest by abruptly going away from Gotham, and is now in Chicago. Helen secured the Zelland property, but, with her usual generosity, helped Mrs. Rawlins and Leslie liberally. Old King Coal and his wife still flourish, as does Wash Calhoun, The latter is in Helen’s service as cook. Will Archer easily secured position with an- other detective, and Bill | Blue Blazes is still seen along the docks. His real character is known to but few there, but he is a favorite with all, especially the ‘longshoremen, and as ready as ever to receive and give a joke, His own happiest joke, in the opinion of the men of the docks, was this: ‘Yes, sirree, I’m goin’ ter attend a weddin’ in high life. Harlem fleas, yes! I'll be there, William B, Blazes, Esquire, with all his finery of raiment, his freckles an’ his squinteye. I’m a favorite with the Four Hundred, I be. It'll be an awful swell affair; Helen Eastman will be made Mrs, Allen Hamlin; and Billy Blue Blazes will be an honored guest!” ‘* You go ter a weddin’ in high life?” scoffed a ’longshoreman, good-naturedly. ‘‘ Gammon!” But Billy went to the ceremony, nevertheless. THE END, Next Haur-Dime Lrerary, No. 904! Deadwood Dick, Jr.'s, Trade Mark - OR, Deuce-Trey, the Five-Spot Sport. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER. A rousing story, we say, and that is just what it is, It is the Five-Spxt Sport Against the Field! with the odds all against him, but he works in such _ peculiar ways that the denizens of the snowed un- ’ der “city find him equally a woncer and a very mysterious personage, but when he unmasks and shows his hand all hands have a stunning surprise, and particularly the *‘ wanted men " who were there masquerading as good citizens, BUFFALO BILL THE AUTHOR ! Beadle’s Dime Library No. 839: The Ranch King Dead-Shot; or, Texas Jack’s Proxy. A Romance of Buckskin Sam’s Robber Rangers Run-In. By Col. W. I, Cody—‘t Buffalo Bill. A telling story of the Southwest border, when Texas Jack and Buckskin Sam (Major Sam 8. Hall) were U.S. Fort Scouts cern Remember that Buffalo Bill writes only for Beapvie’s Dime Liprary! BeaDLe’s Dime Lisraryis for sale by all News- dealers, ten cents per copy, or sent by mail on re- ceipt of twelve cents each, . BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York. In the Banner Weekly! Cou. PRENTISS INGRAHAM’S Great STORY— Buffalo Bill’s Life Raffle! Singularly attractive; intensely exciting; markedly original! 2" Tne BANNER WEEKLY is the representative distinctively Amer-can pores weekly. Splendid corps of authors—fine illustrations Ask for it at your news-stand. Published every Saturday. BEaA- DLE AND ADAMS, 98 William st., New York, ee ee ee. For Fall and Winter Exhibitions, [)ime Dialogues No, 44. Just Oat! A Splendid Number! Original Dialogues, Colloquies, Dress and Parade Pieces, Farces, burliesques, Mora'ities, Petite Dramas ete. For all grades o School, Exhibi ions, Enter- tainments and Private Theatricals. Containing (in part): . Tue Happy TERMINATION, by H. Elliott McBride, For three males, three females and two officers. Tue TELL-TALE TELEGRAM, by Mrs. B. St. John. For one male and one female. 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