Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 908 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

win Nin ~ ™=* 2 Vertner held hard against the throat of the one who had accosted him:a small derringer, which he seemed to have had strangely ready for work. The two men had met in the streets of New York, where one had appeared to rec- Bente the other and addressed him as he id. ‘‘ Betray you, old pard, whenIlam a hunt- ed man myself? But, I see that you do not recognize your old pal, Star Dunning—” ‘‘My God! I thought you dead.” ‘‘And perhaps hoped that I was; but I am no more dead than you are hanged, and let me tell you, old friend, that you really deserve the ‘name a paper bestowed upon you as the King of the Gallows, for you have escaped the rope-end dance no less than three times to my certain knowledge.” | ‘* Perhaps oftener, if the truth was known; but, ’sh! for see that woman, whom I have not before noticed,” ‘* Old, half-blind and deaf, for I saw her whip out a speaking-trumpet upon a police- man awhile since when she asked him about a cross-town car, and, of course, he raised his voice and shouted in the trumpet in a way that made the back number wince. ‘But, Lam delighted to mect you, Vance, for you look like a millionaire and can stake me,” ‘‘As TI have done before. Yes, am ready to do again, though you must earn your pa wy ” ’ “*V’ll doit, so long as itis not the knife and pistol act I-am engaged for, as I am tired of death-bed scenes.” ‘“The work will be whatever you are told to do, and your pay certain ani! liberal,” ‘ Allright; we’ll close; but I am surprised to see you dare come here.” ‘‘Risk nothing, gain nothing; and sce, I have ‘ass found you, Star Dunning, by com- ing, though I. would not have known you, and am aurpiied that you recognized me in this dress of a clergyman.” | ‘‘Satan_in you shone out through your clothes, Vance; for the Jamb’s skin did not hide the wolf, at least from me.” » ‘‘T must be more careful or some rene- Soy detective may spot me, and I have no esire to see the inside of a ccil again or sleep under the shadow of the gallows—ah! the old lady is going to address us,” and the speaker turned as an old woman with gray. hair and a pronounced country garb stepped up, and, gazing benignly through her gold spectacles, said: 3 ‘* Excuse me, gentlemen, but I make bold to ask you to tell me which car I’m to take to the Christopher Street Ferry where my darter Anne isg,a-waitin’ me, | ‘*Our folks say as how I shouldn’t speak to no naughty New York man, unless 1t was ‘a perleeceman but, law sakes, I asked one of them and he well nigh bu’sted the drum o’ my car a-hollerin’ in my trumpet. But, you looks like a 8 ntleman, and I makes told to ask you, for ’m:from Jarsey, you see,” ‘Yes, madam, I see—ah! you are a trifle deaf,” and Vanee Vertner spoke in the muz- zie of the ear trumpet she held up to him, and continued; 9 Pale Scsue ‘“You do weil, my sister, not to speak to the men of this evil city, for most of them Mew York Nat's Dowble. The car had not gone half a block before she sprung to her feet, saying that she had lost her pocketbook and wished to go back and find it. ‘*Tt was your nice gentlemen that took it,” grumbled the conductor as he let her off, ane he was surprised at the lively pace she Look. Going to a cab at the curb, she sprung in and said: ‘*Keep those two men in sight without appearing to do so and [ll treble your fare —I mean the clergyman and the oneina light slouch hat.” The cabman promised to do so and mount- ed his box, CHAPTER II, A FERRET’S TRICK. Wirt the promise of so liberal a reward, the cabman, a very cunning fellow in his way, at once set to work to keep the two men in sight, and whose conversation in the street had been so compromising to both of them. Seen together as they turned into Union Square from University place, they would have been regarded as a clergymun and a country friend, so thoroughly do the crooks of New York make up to appear the very opposite from what they are, Sauntering leisurely up Broadway, the supposed clergyman bestowing more askant glances upon the pretty girls on that thor- oughfare than a man of his cloth is expected to, they continued their way up to Madison Square where Vance Vertner led the way into a fashionable hotel. Approaching the office he asked for his key, and said to the polite cierk;: ‘* My friend, Mr. Starbuck, is going to re- main in town one night, so kindly assign him toa room next to mine, if you please, and as my guest.” ‘Certainly, Doctor Elliott,” responded the clerk, and giving to his friend, who regis- tered as ‘‘ Daniel Starbuck, of New Jersey, the key of an adjoining room, the gentleman- ly assistant in the office wrote upon a slip of paper, which he put in the cashier’s drawer; “Charge Rev, Dr. Van Elliott, Room 135 with bill of gent in Room 137,” As the clerk turned from this duty, he flashed the diamond ‘‘ headlight” in his scarf into the face of a handsome youth who just then approached the office, The said youth had just alighted from a cab at the door of the hotel, and turning to zo about in sheep’s clothing to hide their wolfish nature, and lam myself afraid of the New York police”. ‘‘T want to know,” said the surprised wo- man, while, seizing her trumpet, Star Dun- ning shouted in it: *That’s so, lady; I’m afraid of them my- self, and Lam so glad you spoke to us, for my christian brother here will direct you, for what he don’t know of New York isn’t worth knowing. Here comes a Christopher street car now,” and the old lady was put upon the car, 4nd somewhat puxpenes that - the conductor would not wait for her to write down her address for the ‘‘nice gentle- ae ee es 4 ad - : ; 9 re . *) , if * ¢2j : ‘ . 4 : mr > ; ; oe Te ‘ ‘ A . ” , ‘ » . + ? ~ LY Js : “. my >" + #* ao’: i ‘ ain riba hha ? yf! pr 4 : ; i theft ey 7y , by <6 =’ ~- 7 at pie LA - * * eve : ~ : ~ th. ‘ Cy hs ps * PP gy? *- ‘ . of : ¥ ' 4 ‘ aM “x ‘ f ial 7 ate : ;, | Te te ou . ‘ - Wei 2 - “ 1% , . P e wern4 | i. oe we 8 areal! bd et ate A Vi * , = ye ab Ble - 4 * vd YY nh wy ta Jes , Pe t 3 u ’ “ ~ i ee ‘. oe 2 * Fs) Aa 'S oy Lae PTS tae iz co 8 aie xt 3 < ee eae! ae a ’ : . ¥ Ry 4 eR ih ge ale ; ~ es */ “*’ % Fe Hep ae RA ] abe : ‘ A. : v i y 4 “a Cpt Wii ape in g of bl . - ; the cabman had handed him three crisp one- dollar bills with the remark: ‘* Here is the treble fare the old lady prom- ised you,” ‘ ‘My God!” was the ejaculation of the man, and he turned slightly pale and stam- mered: ‘* But, where is the old gal?” | **Oh! she got out when I took her place. ‘Tt’s all right, cabby, and mum’s the word. Ta-ta!” And the youth, with a grip-sack in his hand, strolled into the hotel, seemingly amused at the bewildered manner in which the cabman looked at him, before tighten his reins and driving away, Pardon me, sir, but was not that the Reverend Mr, Dash of Boston, who just walked over to the elevator?’ asked the youth, politely. _ “No, it was the Reverend Doctor Van E1- liott, of Ohio.” - “Oh, you mistake the one I mean. I re- ferred to the gentleman with the Reverend Doctor Elliott.” | | ' ih clerk glanced at the book, and re- si He is a friend of the Reverend Doctor Elliott, and registered as Mr. Daniel Starbuck, New Jersey; but, will you register, sir?” y . ; , ‘ 4 4 rt 4 | ; ay “ye wt 3 6) * oO ‘ * 2 % + . * ¢ ail 5 A af iS ee oe eae ime Us) - “7 ' = . ab * “i Meu yyeA” : ; x ” bad el e ry. 4 - : (y i _ et J os if fr: Wa | i A ’ TAS q ro ae lene € ul, tat | ‘Yes, for the night,” and the youth took the pen handed to him and wrote; ‘* NATHANIEL NORTON, ‘© New Haven.” ‘*A Yale student, I’l] bet drinks on it, and it’s lucky there are not two, for the Reverend Elliott would he entertained to-night with their orgies, as I] have put him in the next room,” said the clerk to the cashier, and step- ping back, with a key in his hand, he called out: ‘‘Front, show the gentleman to-one-thirty- three.” The youth followed the boy up to the room, dismissed him with a quarter, and smiled in a pleased sort of way, as he saw that there was a door communicating with 135, and through which helkeard the hum of voices talking in a Jow tone. Seating himself by the table lie took up his grip with the remark; ‘*T must put this in shape and lock it, for Idid not have time in the cab.” Pouring the contents out upon the table, the grip was scento be made of thin ieather, drawn tigatly over a steel frame which could be so closed and refolded that the whole con- trivance could be carried in one’s pocket. The contents consisted of a black dress of ancient pattern, a shawl, bonnet, black vail, pair of thick ladics’ shoes, a quilty skirt, wig of gray hair, pair of spectacles, reticule of ancient date, gloves and a belt, In addition to these, there were a bottle of bay rum, a box of face powder and a towel. All were folded neatly and replaced in the valise, } Then the youth arose and tried to get a look through some’ crack in the door, into the adjoining room, but this he was unable to do, and so muttered : “They are safe, so I will go up to the old mansion, for to-night the boys will assemble, They must be put on the track of the man who was called Vance Vertner, but known as the King of the Gallows among his con- federates. I must look up his record, and that of Star Dunning, too, for I am sure — these are their right names, and that they have been pards in crime before, for it is evident they are now plotting deviltry. ‘But, whatever they are up to, they’ll find New York Nat on their trail.” yi this the youth left the room and the hotel. TN CHAPTER HII. NEW YORK NAT’S ALLIES, -WueEN tke youth, who had so cleverly | played the ferret, and, though speaking of himself as New York Nat, registering upon the hotel books as Nathaniel Norton, left the hotel, he took a Broadway car up one of the , — fashionable up-town streets, and ascending == the brown stone steps of an clegant Mansion entered with a pass-key which he selected from a bunch he had in his pocket, and every one of which had a peculiar tag at- tached to it. Walking to the rear of the handsomely- furnished mansion, he entered the door ofa large, rear extension, wherein a gentleman = sat reading the afternoon papers, He was a young man with a handsome face, blond mustache, and blue eyes, that . ‘ , is 4 were very expressive. ing it easy in a comfortable chair. ‘‘ Ah, Nat, itis you, is it? Sit tell me what that clever brain of plotting now,” the young man urge 43 ‘‘T have news for you, Mr. Canfield,* and, as usual, 1 come to you for your help,” ‘* Always command me, Nat. Tam yours on call.” # Sherman Canfield, of Nebraska, fora lon time the ee and later, Be private secretary cf Colonel Aye f oe” ett . 4 : ‘ a ai 4 ras \ 3 rh ’ ' * , ’ * a ; fe i . P’ e : é j , ' } 4 ' ? ake Kt ns ye er w s \ Wea “%} ua 7 . a . : ‘ : : * } f q 7 ‘ ven BS ee 16 AT ae wt , . i A, cee 'y c * aay vay F o> be } eo eae eee Sr Li fF 4 » Ae Fe You know i £ ‘ Ld Pay .* . Ho AL ¥ A TY Attired in gown and slippers, he,was tak. ©” PAD tat oe downand a. >? iby Phebe hy ee - » ‘ - e- Ue < 2. -: ll = 4 « - ton 4 : ‘ es 4 & ’ ' nthe cnet Oo be OP ws. . ‘ “Ces nye enliied —_ ’ cop Fe “ | eo a “ r= * ™ s : a nite. \s he 3 ? sa” < 7 ~ bil a, 3 a”.