Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 908 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

° ys Aes “> ‘*T certainly did.” ** Describe him?” ‘‘ Well, Icame here to keep the appoint- ment with you, and suddenly I saw a young man*I thought was you, but, as he passed me without seeing me, or signaling me, | thought something was up that you did not wish me to speak to you. ‘So I fell back, and 1 saw your Double go up to the hotel office, and soon after he “veteate out with a grip in his hand. Though stood right by him, he saw me but did not speak, or make a sign, as I said, and I kept still. Isaw him get into a cab, heard him tell the driver where to drive, but did not catch what he said, and saw the cab roll aeey: ‘‘T watched it, thinking it sun you had given no sign, and turning around I saw ou. ‘* Did he look like me?” ‘‘ He was your image in size, face and way of walking.” | ‘‘ How dressed?” ‘* Just as you are.” ‘That is strange.” “It really scared me when 1 turned and saw you, chief.” ‘*You did not catch the address he gave the driver?” 4 No.” ? Ss Was it a hotel cab, or one he had picked up?’ ‘It was a hotel cab.” ‘* You would know it again?” ‘*T would know the driver.” “Then keep on the watch here for his re- turn and find out where he took my Double.” ‘*But I forgot to tell you that the letters on his grip were N. Y, N.” ‘‘Ah! that is strange indeed What kind of a grip was it?” ‘*A small one, of yellow leather, I thought.” ‘‘And N. Y. N. on it?” ‘* Yes; on the side.” ‘‘It may be a coincidence, an accident, or it may be that I am being shadowed, Foxey ?” ‘“Tf so, you want to change your looks,” ‘Ves, and will, though I hate disguises; but, I must not be shadowed. 1 want Flip —where is he?” . ‘‘ Sitting over yonder in the Park, wait- ‘ing to see if you want him,” ‘Go over and tell him to come and shadow me, watching if any one else ap- pears to do so, and to follow me up-stairs.” ‘* How is Flip dressed ?” ‘* Like a dandy dude?” “Then he is all right. He can go up in the same clevator with me, but not ap- pear to know me, and come afterwards to room one thirty-three.” ‘*T understand.” ‘And you wait here for the coming back of that driver?” ‘*T will,” and Foxey, a bright youth of eighteen, well dressed and with the careless swagger of a young man of leisure, saun- tered across the street and jones a young swell there who was smoking a cigarette, and watching the passers by with an assumed vacant look upon his face, He was togged like a dude, carried a large headed cane, wore a_ collar large enough for a cuff, and wore eye-glasses. ‘*Say, Flip, you are wanted to shadow the captain and see if he is watched. ‘‘There he stands over there by the hotel. You are to follow him up-stairs, but not to know him, and go to room one-thirty- three.” ‘* What's up, Foxey?” ‘‘The cap’n’s got a Double.” As No!” “Fact, for I saw him. Now I must get 3 ‘back, I’m on the watch,” and Foxey walk- ed away and took a stand where he could watch the return of the cab, while Flip 7. + * 44 s Trae ' New York Nat’s Double. walked over to the hotel and followed New York Nat into it. The Jatter walked about for a few minutes and secing Flip shadowing him, went into the reading-room, wrote a letter, and ap- proaching the office bought a stamp Then he asked the clerk for his bill. It was the same clerk that had been there the day before when he registered, and he looked at Nat in a queer sort of way, and said: “Why, you just settled your bill, Mr. Norton.” ‘¢T paid my bill?” asked Nat, in surprise. ‘“ You did, sir, not fifteen minutes ago.” “To whom?” ‘¢ The cashier.” ‘You are mistaken, sir.” The clerk winked, as though he knew the Ydle student, as he supposed him to be, had been imbibing, and said: ‘You have forgotten, Mr, Norton, You cameto me, called for your bill, turned to the cashier, settled it, and asked for a cab and one was ordered. You had your grip in hand and left the hotel.” ‘* No, sir, you have gotten me mixed with some one else.” ‘Did not Mr. Norton pay his bill, Spotts?” and the clerk called out impatiently to the cashier, who answered: ~* Yes, room one-thirty-nine, arrived last night—supper, lodging, and breakfast three dollurs.”’ ‘‘ My dear sir, my room isone hundred and thirty-three. Larrived yesterday afternoon, and my valise is there, for the key I hav here, as you sce, having gone out last night, and did not return till just now. ‘‘ You gentlemen simply have gotten me mixed up with some other guest.” ‘Then you have got a Double!” said the clerk, impetuously, CHAPTER VL. NEW YORK NAT’S SHADOWERS. ‘¢ Anp your Double has got your name, too, for it is Norton,” the cashier of the hotel sees ashe glanced over the books, and add- ed: ‘Yes, you came in yesterday afternoon; and, see here, Spotts—look at these two names registered.”’ | Both clerks were now deeply interested in Nat and his Double, and glancing at the book a read the two names. oa wonderful extent they were similar, and both were written in back hand, ¥ read; ‘* NATHANIEL NORTON, ‘\ New Haven. Conn.” and ‘¢N, NORTON, ‘* Oonn.”’ ‘‘Tt’s beyond me.” said the cashier. ‘“Me too,” said the gentleman with the head-light diamond. “It is simply a very strange coincidence,” temarked Nat coolly. ‘‘But they say itis bad luck to have a Double,” the cashier ventured. ‘Yes, my old grandmother used to say it was a pretty sure sign of death,” the clerk rejoined, ‘Well, gentlemen, having a double being like another person with all the people in this world, does not surprise me, though I would Jike to meet him and see just how handsome I am,” and Nat turned away and walked toward the elevator, while clerk Spotts said: ‘*A cool young cove, that.” ‘‘ Very; but he is a handsome fellow with an uncommon face, and yet the one who set. tled this pill was the image of him. Yes, and dressed as he does, ‘T’ll dream of this to-night and have ther nightmare sure.”’ “Yes, you generally do after midnight. suppers of lobster salad and a bottle of Bass,” was the reply of the clerk, and he turned to serve new arrivals, while Nat en- tered the elevator, Flip, his shadower, doing the same, though apparently with no thought for any one in the world save him- rie to judge by the vacant stare upon his ace. , Reaching his room, New York Nat enter- ed and found all just as he had left it the day before, There was his valise on a chair, and the room had evidently not even been disturbed by the chambermaid, when she found that the bed had not been slept in. Nat had been but a few minutes in the room when the door opened. softly and Flip entered. ‘‘ No one saw me come in, chief,”’ he whis- pered. ‘All right. ‘*Did you sce any one watching me when I was down stairs?” ‘1 did not.” ‘‘ You did not see my Double?” ‘‘T guess I did, if it was the one who drove away-in the cab, but I thought it was. ps though Isaw you from some distance off,” ‘Saw him, you mean?” ‘‘ Yes, cap’n; but he’s your Double and no mistake,” ‘All right. I must run him down and find out if it is an accident or design. “To do so I must stay at this hotel, and you also must stop here; so go off and get Keno, and the two of you put up here.” ‘We'll do it.” ‘But you must not be known to each other. “Get grips and then register here, and let me know your separate rooms, for I will keep this one. ‘You are to shadow me, remember, and keep an eye out for my Double, and track him once you find him.” ‘*But how’ll we know whether itis you or your Double?” “The resemblance will have to be strik- ing for you not to know that; but I’ll make~« g sure of it and wear a carnation in my button- hole every day, remember, a white carnation and no other flower.”’ **T'll not forget.”’ ‘*Now go. and come back as soon as you get a grip and have posted Keno,” ‘‘T won't be long, cap’n,” assured Flip, and Nat having glanced out of his door into the hali and seen that no one was there, his fellow Ferret left the room. Soon after Nat heard the door of the next room open and some one entered. Whoever it was paced to and fro, as though in deep thought, and Nat sat down by the door and listened attentively. At last the occupant of the adjoining room seemed to be so deep inthought that his meditations found vent in words, as he sud- denly came out with: ‘' By Heaven, I must trust him, for he will be true to his own interests.” | Again there was a silence of some min- utes and the words were uttered aloud: ‘‘Delays are dangerous, and I must act at the earliest moment possible, for there is too much at stake if I am successful, and to be recognized means another fight against the gallows,” New York Nat smiled grimly as he heard the words, there came a knock at the door of the next room, and some one entered. But what was said Nat could not hear as the conversation was in a whisper. Soon after the men left the room, and going down to the office, Nat saw Foxey, who gave him a sign to follow him. 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