Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 907 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

th” * ' “dl pat ee a ‘ Reddy Rusher, the Bell-boy Detective. sumed. ‘‘I want ter press my detective case hot. The lost bag o’ gold is a puzzle all around, an’ then there is the small boy that Israel and the sport hev got in limbo. They carried him off last night, an’ they must have him somewhere now. Wonder ef I kin git the kid out o’ hock?” Reddy was several years older than the captive boy, and, in view of that fact, he was assuming an air of maturity which his stature hardly justified, Presently he went up-stairs to see what the Ulster county man was doing. Israel sat idle until he had his breakfast; then he sat down and continucd in idleness, Plainly, he was doing a good deakof think- ing on some subject. A little later he was asked to step into the private oftice and see the proprietor of the hotel, and he went, though without any great evidence of alac- rity. ‘‘Now’s my time!’ murmured Reddy. ‘‘Pop Rush isa great chinner, an’ he will keep Israel until noon, ef Is. will set an’ lis- ten. Now’s my time, by crickey!” Feeling to see that he had the card, he left the hotel. His course was east of the Bowery, and he marched along with agile feet. In due time he reuched the address given on the card. He found a brick house, neither better nor worse than its neighbors, and one which told no tales. He wished it would; he wanted to know if Israel’s sport companion was there, and he did not know how to do it. He meditated for awhile, and then slapped his hand on his leg. ‘*T have et!” he exclaimed, He marched off to a well-known dry-goods store, and entered with an air of confidence. Finding the proper counter he directed: _ ‘Show me a smokin’ cap.” _ The clerk regarded him with a covert smile. , ae | ‘‘ Turkish?” he asked, | ‘‘T don’t care whiether et’s Turkish or Chinese, but jest trot et out sorter sudden, That’s what you're paid fer, ain’t et?” The clerk was vexed with the result of his attempt to dally with his customer, but he then attended strictly to business, Reddy selected a cap for a dollar, which he believed amply good enough for his ends, and it was soon wrapped up and in his possession. He never had been kept short of money, and he paid for it without reaching the bottom of his pocket. This done, he left the store and bent his steps again toward the house, where, accord- ing to the card, Mr. Mayo Montgomery lived. He rung the bell with calm con- fidence, and nodded coolly to the maid who answered the summons, ‘* Parcel fer Mr. Montgomery, ter be deliv- ered in person,” he announced. ** Second floor, front.” ‘‘Thank ye; you can go,” Reddy’s coolness in disposing of the girl was refreshing, but he did not wait to see if she obeyed his direction. He mounted the stairs and found his way tu the room indi- cated. He knocked; a voice bade him enter; he opened the door and passed over the threshold, | ee A man was there, and, as he had hoped, he saw the sport who had been with Israel the previous night. As the boy had not been seen by his present companion then, he was not recognized now. _‘* Mr, Mayo Montgomery?” asked Reddy. ‘“‘That’s my name.” ‘* Parcel fer you.” “Parcel for me?” repeated Montgomery. “‘1 did not expect any.’ ‘‘T reckon et’s a present.” - ‘‘Oh! that alters the case. You can go—” ‘*] was ter wait an’ see ef there was an answer.” ‘* Oh! Give it here, Sit down, then.” pe Montgomery was equipped with a house- | e y ' , ©. - rl ty . . : > a Me: 4 ¥ r 4 ' . Cen SON ad vee as Pg ea 42 M te Ry > fo - vee Os o* son ia ” oe 4 a> ? guet TP ice Pg er ras | tke ae : 7 - b> Ty =~ - - << Sere. M oy’. Bae a ee ee? ah! . . PORE eer Vets Mh mess ry fi. ‘ % “ ‘>* 4 Se ee San A * ry « , I 7? > & = . ¢ “ + “ - : . » < 4 ‘ <> ‘a. 3 J ee > eos ys ? ; , ery . 4 ve * oe el ae er P = coat of gorgeous pattern, but he was without a smoking cap, and Reddy felt that he had hit it rich in selecting the present. He watched while Mayo undid the parcel, é The sport stared blankly at the contents. ‘‘Say, what’s this jigger?” he asked, ‘Looks like a church contribution-box,” suggested Reddy, with fine sarcasm. ‘‘] should say it did, but it seems to bea cap of some sort.’% Mayo tried it on, and then removed it and surveyed it again. ‘Men have fads,” he pursued, ‘‘but I never knew any of my friends to wear things like this. A regular smoking cap, if I size it up correctly. A queer thing, by Jove! Give me a black mustache and a little Iamp- black on the cheeks and I would look like a Turk. Say, boy, who sent this jigger?’ ‘* Dunno, sir!” ‘* A man?” Reddy had been intending to tell of a mys- terious man in the case, but something in Mayo’s manner changed his plan. Mayo ap- eae: to be willing to hear a negative re- ply. , ‘*T don’t think it was. Another boy give itto me, an’ I understood—I ain't positive about this—that he said et was a female wo- man who give et to him. Dunno much about it. I was jest ter bring et ter you, an’ ‘as I got my price I wasn’t pertic’lar about no more.” Mayo was gratified. Plainly, he had an idea as to the donor, and his suspicion point- ed to a woman—some special woman.’ He asked a good many questions, and Reddy had to tell just where he had met the un- known boy, and what the latter looked like. All this gave no more light to Mayo, but it helped the Rusher on somewhat, The latter bad not been kept standing all this while. Mayo had Jighted a cigar, fixed the cap on his head and sat down. ed about his new acquisition until the subject was exhausted, and then came a lull. Reddy had been quietly taking in all the features of the room. He was somewhat dis- appointed because there was not 2 bug of gold on the table anda captive boy on a chair in the corner—that was the way he had planned it—but he was in the lair of the lion and he hoped for something yet. ee CHAPTER VI. REDDY AS A ‘‘ HIRED MAN,” Mayo allowed conversation to flag, but he kept his gaze fixed on his companion’s face. There was that in his gaze which gave the Rusher a theory. ‘‘ He's studyin’ of me!” thought the quick- witted boy. Presently the sport aroused from his ab- straction. Ina quiet way he began to speak of general matters, but Reddy was shrewd enough to see that all he said drifted in one direction, and that was to ‘‘size up” the boy who had brought the present. In brief, the Rusher thought that Mayo wished to know whether he was a very conscientious person, or inclined to be tough. Reddy had an object to attain, and he did not let Mayo remain inignorance. Without over-doing the pretense, he assumed ways and opinions that seemed to mark him down asa free and easy city youth who had no re- gard for honor or law. This evidently pleased Mayo, and he final- ly remarked; ~ .‘* You don’t seem to be very busy.” * The bank where I am cashier shut up last week,” answered Reddy gravely. ‘‘ We had so much money we had ter fight deposi- tors away.” ; / “Out of a job, eh?” ‘* Yes, unless I take the presidency o’ the Broadway Cable Road. They are coaxin’ me ter do that.” } ** Do you want to make a dollar?” ** Yes, or two of them.” * | . i : 1 — ran x * . &, AL ir 7 ~ whe = : ay ice de a i ne 0 aE ee He talk- | Te nes PJ oo Maer." 435 ‘ * jee ae err " Mio: De ra a fees ep : Or? sw - wis Ay oy 7 « Ft ‘e Te? . < jeg : z, 5, s oy ~1 Pe > z x a nef ‘ -° x a) + ? att Ta; ; ~ “f aa 4 75 see ie he, 7 x : ’ ‘ i. “ , et \ fry a, BP, > han ¥, at roe ae aa pe?» it i ¥ Oo ,. oe » eb od, =<). ol. « ? ' 7 =~ ala eS Ak Oat eee on ere Pee ie, ae (x vd “7? » ee ° - S pe I~ if o, Leia Ss er a ~~ Lp new) * ati ME i ae? ; ” at : Lt Bd i ae. eS | -e nel ‘‘ Suppose it was a case where you would be asked to keep a still mouth and not be too thin-skinned?” ‘* With a dollar back of it?” ‘¢ Yes. ” ‘“The job an’ the money would jest about fit my Case,” ia Reddy assumed a swagger as he said this, and Mayo laughed lightly. ‘‘T guess you are all right,” he remarked. ‘Come with me and I'll see if the dollar cam be found.” He discarded his new cap Sora tall hat, and they left the house. Thus far all was going finely, and the Rusher trotted along by Mayo’s side with all the coolness in the world. He was free from fear, and eager for adventure. Their journey took them across the Bowery, and still further. Reddy had hoped it would be to the house where he had fol- lowed Israel the night before, but it was not so. Several blocks’ distance. from that edi- fice they paused, Mayo fitted a key and they entered a house, He led the way straight to a room on the third floor, and then walked into a room, with the Rusher at his heels. Reddy had a discovery awaiting him. The room had an occupant, and It was none other than Chowder Johnny. ‘Vm gettin’ inter the swim!” thought the adventuresome boy, with exultation. Chowder Johnny was not a polite man, usually, but he now hustled around with alacrity and set a chair for Mayo, and made him welcome in a rough-and-ready fashion. The sport lost but little time. ‘‘ How is everything?” he asked, quickly. ‘*Fine!” replied Johnny. ‘‘Do you like your new quarters?” ‘‘ Boss, they are great.” ‘* And your mother?” ‘Moll is dreamin’ over her greenbacks. She don’t kncw much else when she sees the green,” . “ And your cousin?” Mayo smiled as he asked the question, and Johnny grinned in like amusement as he an- swered: ** All quiet, boss.” . ‘Toes he take it easy?” ‘‘He whimpers and whines a bit, but he ain’t made no racket.” : ‘‘Tt, will be all right, nodoubt. You want to attend to him well, my man. No more chowder parties while this job is on.” ‘“The Dutchmen an’ the jays kin parade safe as long as I have this lay-out!” declared Johnny. ‘‘I suppose me pal, Petey Glynn, will howl when he hears I have shook the chowder game, but biz is biz. De tickers an’ leathers are good ter see an’ feel, but nothin’ compared with a house-lay. Be- sides, some jay is liable ter pull a gun on a chowder racket.” iM Reddy was a son of New York, and as he knew of the practice of toughs in robbing the people who became mixed up 1a the re- turning pleasure parties, he found nothing enigmatical about this. ) Neither did Mayo, and this address passed. without comment. | ‘‘ Johnny,” pursued the sport, ‘“‘I have brought the boy to do your errands, if we can agree with him.” ns The tough fixed a scrutinizing gaze upon, Reddy. The latter’ did not have the face of a prospective dude. It was a rough, rugged face, and his red hair was just them very much tumbled and unprepossessing. Johnny looked his fill and then nodded. | ‘* He’s all right.” “You are to keep him just as an errand boy, you know, so that you can send word to me at a moment’s warning, if necessary.” ‘‘T remember w’ot you said before,” ‘‘ Here is the boy I promised. The ques- tion is, will he take the position?” Reddy was cautious enough not to be too » hot to say yes, ‘and he allowed them te sound » A , . Lor i As : - « y 4 © : »- i 4 pond a s] ey hal? < i y OAS = — - ts Se re 4! aa He. a Pest ie he ‘ s: vs ie >.) ‘ a Pe nr eat *, ts 1 “a, aS a ae “aS * ke - * re > ts nai: 7 ay a —— - 3 | m eis — 3