Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 907 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

& 7 * = — > 7 *-- - ee 25 Seer Ss lt mm oe ae. ee we . ont re. Sed =~ OF) ey Cael Pe, Sa Birger pa - - - a OF ge - —— Reddy Rusher, the Bell-boy Detective, . “*Shut your mouths, both of you!” he ordered, warmly. ‘‘ I won’t have any more of such nonsense. If you try it I will fire both of you out of the window. You hear me? Now, settle down and talk like human he- ings. Weare not deaf. Talk low!” Hearty Jack had not been talking loud at all, so the reproof hit only Israel. But, he did not mind it. His nerve was equal to anything. Nevertheless, he moderated his voice, and, again pointing an accusing finger at the sailor, he added: ‘‘There’s the thief!” ‘How do you know? What grounds have ‘you for the accusation?” ‘‘He has none,” declared Hearty Jack, quickly. ‘‘I am innocent,” ‘* Was there a bag of gold?” 46 Yes. ”? “* Did you bring it from Australia?” oS ¥ GBs ‘* How much was it worth?” ‘*Ten thousand dollars,” hurriedly put in Asrael. ‘‘Has your cousin a tongue?” ‘Why, of course—” ! ‘Then let him speak for himself, I have heard your story. You can talk all you wish, later on. Where were you, to-night, Hearty Jack, when this robbery took place?” ihe sailor's eyes sought Israel’s face, sas if he did not dare to answer unaided, but Israel said nothing. Jack was just as amute, — “Can you prove an alibi?” Briggs. **1 am innocent.” ** Nonsense! You weary me. Were you an the hotel? Did you hear the racket that Robbins made, when he found out the stuff Was gone?” *“* No. 1 was not here.’’ “* Have you been here this afternoon?” ee Yes,”’ ; ** Did you see the boy?” Jack's eyes wandered to Reddy. “* What boy?” ** Not this one; the one who was in Rob- bins’s room.” pursued thought Briggs. Then he added, aloud: ‘* Well, we will drop this for a while, on one condition, I want no more rowing in this room. If I have another call to come here I will pitch the two of you out of doors. See?” It was strong language to guests, but nei- ther resented it. Jack meekly said that he saw, ‘Go to your room!” The sailor looked at Israck Israel nodded, and Jack shuffled off as directed. Ina few minutes both doors were closed, and Briggs was at liberty to go down to the office, He went. followed by Reddy. ‘* Wal, that’s gallus!’’ freely commented 4-11-44, ‘‘T have a good mind to call in the police and ask them to arrest both of that precious pair.” Briggs was angry, and meant all he said, ‘‘ Hearty Jack seems innocent.” ‘« He is accused of robbery, and don't meet the charge like an honest man. If he is in- nocent why did he squirm so when I tried to question him?” ‘‘ He is dead afraid of Uncle Sam.” ‘*] ghess that is correct enough.” ‘* Don’t you be rash, Briggsy, but jest let them fellers have plenty 0’ rope. Somethin’ will come o’*this,” Reddy spoke confidently, but, at the bct- tom of it all, was simply his desire to play the role of hotel detective. He did not see any daylight, but was eager to investigate and find out the facts. ‘* Why,” he mused, as he finally lay on | his bed, ‘‘ bein’ Bell-boy 4 11-44 is nothin’ compared ter being a detecvive§ I'll hey them stuffs out o’ their hole or gointer mine, I will, sure pop, an’ then—” And then things grew dim around Reddy and he was asleep. He was up in the morning bright and early, despite his exertions of the previous night. Having dressed and left his room he descended to the kitchen, As the son of the proprietor he had full run of the house, of course, but. he found somebody there who CHAPTER VY. REDDY FOLLOWS A CLEW, THE mon from Ulster county had detected the scoffing tone of the speaker, and when he suw whoit was he grew angry. ‘So you are here!” he snapped. ‘I ain’t in Hoboken,” coolly replied Reddy. ‘Wal, you jest git out o’ here, or I'll lay this cane over your back. Understand?” ‘* You won’t do nothin’ of the sort, an’ ef you try et I’ll call a porter an’ have you chucked outer the dive. See?’ Reddy threw his hands up like a profes- sional, and the cook could not avoid laugh- ing. Israel was evidently half inclined to keep his threat, but he knew he was dealing with the son of the proprietor of the house, and he wisely decided not to be too rash. He abruptly turned to the cook again. ‘* May I have some doughnuts?” he asked, meekly, | ‘“Do you feed yer summer boarders on them things?” inquired Reddy. ‘* They are glad to git them,” ‘‘We don’t keep ’em in stock. You will have ter go ter the Fifth Avenue Hotel ter git such delicacies, or back ter Ulster county. You kin afford quail on toast, I reckon, fer ef there’sa robber on the earth, it’s aman who takes summer boarders, I’ve heard,” ‘* Never mind the boy,” soothingly added the cook. ‘‘ He don’t mean any harm. lam sorry, but [ can’t give you a lunch here. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, now.” ‘‘Hang your city ways!” muttered Israel, ‘‘you put op too many airs!” He turned away and walked from the kitchen. He would not bave been in so much haste, but be was not disposed to be friendly with Reddy, and if the boy was to be there he did not want to remain. Spee ‘Well, that’s a queer old®chap!” exclaim- ed the cook, | | ‘* Susie, 1’ll bet a hat he came ter make love to you.” 7 ‘‘ He didn’t succeed, if he did. 1 guess he's got all he can attend to now. He says Bates ay vee ~ > ir x 7 Se be See — we -¢ rv.“ * a > * - P 300% < — ~_ . * was not supposed to have such liberties. ‘*Tsrael Robbins!” | He stopped short as he saw the man from Ulster county, and the words barely passed his lips. Israel did not see him in return, but, attired in his long coat and tall hat, and armed with his cane, he was making himself known to the cook, | ‘Yes, I do want a bite. Can’t stop to wait fer breakfast, but don't let me put you the mourning band on bis hat is for his wife, who died lately, and that he has a pretty young housekeeper in place of her.” , ‘‘] pity the housekeeper. She must—’” The Rusher stopped short and made x dive for eee on the floor. He picked up a card. ‘* Whose is this?” he asked, ‘‘ Yours?” at ‘‘No. The old man must have dropped —_ “There was no boy in my room!” assert- ed Israel, with spirit. ‘‘If that gol-darned chambermaid of yours says so, she jest lies. She does, by gum!” | Briggs was confident that he was not get- _ iting one half of the truth. Israel was not _ dealing fairly with him, and Hearty Jack - Was silent from reasons not easy to under- stand, though it was plain that he stood very much in awe of Israel. Whether Sa Ves en Ae Ts * ates eS 2b ey ~ ~ od a = ones ~ 3 > ~~" -p . z b ns eae 2 : . - * 4 ° anh * —_ pa ie “oe ¢.. = bee ms “ 2 » ~ &,! ae a oe Y a ae ee es ~~ . ; . ° Cd he . -... See —. 4 *6. this was’due to the accusation of theft, or something else, was not to be under- stood. but Briggs knew there was a mystery back of it all, | _ He let.a part of the inquiry drop, but the _ wnatter of the bag of gold interested him. ‘Hearty Jack, you are poorly clad. You do not look like a rich man. How does it out. Give me a bile o’ somethin’ handy— apple pie an’ a few doughnuts will do—an’ I’ll be off. You see, I’ve been robbed of a pile o’ money, an’ I must git it back.” ‘* Robbed?” echoed the caok, ‘‘ Veg, Cleaned out of ten thousand’ dol- lars,” | The Rusher grimaced. “Sure?” | ‘* Kither you or he, for the floor has just been swept, and it was not there a moment ago.’ | ay Guess Ulster dropped et out o’ his long- tailed gown.” Reddy was studying the card closely. It had a name printed on it, and he read thoughtfully. ‘‘He’s givin’ her that old chestnut!” mut- tered the boy, in disgust. ath “Dear me, sir; I hope it wasn’t in this house?” responded the cook. “ But it was,” replied [srael, thumping his cane on the floor, ‘It was done right here, an’ I am goin’ out to play the part of a. detective, an’ I'll bet you a new gown I get | sport—” | : ey it back, by gum!” | | | Reddy stopped, meditated for a moment, Isracl was really interested in his own ; and then thrust the card into his pocket. has story. He was getting the attentive audience ‘‘I reckon I will keep this thing,” he | from the cook which he had not been able to | added. . RL Ss a -command elsewhere, and he was disposed to | *‘ The man may come back for it.” oD ae be generous in promises to such a model ‘‘Sav, ef he does, tell him you aintseen woman He did not notice that the Rusher | et, will ve? Will ye?? =~ ee had appeared on the scene, but the latter was | The Rusher took on a pleading tone,and = there, and grimacing behind the country- {| the cook gave the promise. Reddysatdown Aina PN oe _ | man’s back. Israel was suddenly made _tiearty Jack wiped his brow. to think upon his new acquisition He was en _ | aware of a part of this fact. , |). ~~. + This—this is trivial!” he muttered. ‘“‘I| ‘* Hi!” Reddy broke in, ‘‘ you will make ieee) yy Dave nO mind to talk of such things, sir. not sure it meant amything, but, having Si & rattlin’ deteetive, you will. You'll find ¢ _ Please excuse me; I am all broken up.” : the bag of gold—I don’t think!” - be a roc or mentioned that the name fitted a ‘sport? 3 eA Py I may as well buck against Israel turned abruptly. ney happen you carry ten thousand dollars around with you in gold and otherwise? _ Why did you, # sailor, go to the diggin’s? Did you de placer mining?” 7 Mr. Briggs was not a miner, himself, and she did not Know what terms were common |. do the Australian mines, but he fished around ees): in his menor aad found a term he had often | heard applied inthe West. Jack immediate- ie 2 epee nie bewildered and turned his gaze on are q $i k ‘ae , : ‘ene 2 _ ** What does all this amount to—” 4, The man from Ulster county began hur- } * viedly, but Briggs cut him short with sharp y emphasis. a e _ “fam talkiag to your cousin, sir, An- ¥.- Swer met” is i % “Mayo Montgomery. I wonder who he — ‘*There ain’t no way for you to find out.” aay hl _“*T ain’t so sure o’ that. His address is =} given here, Mayo Montgomery! Wal, that’s re a romantic name. 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