Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 908 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

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OY Sans 4 ‘ ; o Ri shite CHAPTER IX. _A MYSTERIOUS MURDER, THERE was some cause of excitement in the hotel, that was certain, for the chamber- maids had a scared look, and the servants were running about in great haste. ‘** There has something gone wrong, Olive, and I will see what it is, ‘* Remain in the parlor, and I will be back soon,” said Nat, ** 1] will; but what of the two men you are shadowing ?” ‘* The boys are here for instant use, as soon as they are needed, but this Double of mine has almost driven the real cause of our com- ing here out of my mind ‘“‘IT did not see my men last night, but heard them in the room next to me, andI have failed to find them this morning.” ‘‘T hope they have not gone, Nat,” **T trust not; but [ll go and find out what the rumpus is now, for something scares the servants,”’ Leaving Olive, in the disguise of an old lady, in the parlor, Nat hastened down be- low and at once saw that something had gone wrong. The clerk looked composed, but his face was pale, and the proprietor was in his office talking with a gentleman whom Nat recog- nized as the Secret Service chief, There was a third person present, and as he turned his head Nat was surprised and somewhat startled to see that it was his eae friend and ally Mr. Sherman Can- eld. ‘“‘Something has surely gone wrong,” rep reas Nat and walking up to the desk he said: ‘“‘T have been expecting my step-mother to come to New York, and would like to ask if you could give ‘her the adjoining room to mine, one-thirty-five, sir?” The clerk glanced over the listof rooms and said: ‘* Yes, Mr. Norton, for one-thirty-five is vacant now, was vacated last night by Rev. Doctor Van Elliott,” | ‘* The doctor has gone then?” ‘¢ Yes, sir.” . ; wit am sorry I did not see him before he eft.’ ‘‘He was called away suddenly, by a oul il giving information of illness in his amily.” = And has his friend, Mr. Starbuck left also?” “Yes, they left together, and I was think- ing if you would not like to have your Double in one-thirty-five?’ said the clerk with a smile. | ‘*] should like to see him, for I have not been able to doso; but you can keep the room adjoining me for my step-mother, Mrs. Olivia Chandler, as she will certainly arrive this morning.” **Mrs. Olivia Chandler,” said the clerk, glancing over the books: 5 ‘An elderly lady and maid—she is here now, sir, in Room One Hundred.” ‘*Indeed! [ am glad to know this, and will go up at once,” and Nat hastened away and going up to the parlor met Olive again and the two went to her room, ‘‘ There’s ‘trouble of some kind on hand, Olive, for the Secret Service chief is down in the private office of the proprietor, and Mr. Canfield is with him, ‘‘T chinned the clerk for more time while I watched them and tried to catch what was said, but could not, : “I played step-son to you, and will have your room changed next to mine, for, worst of all, those two devils have gone, and, somehow 1 believe they are connected with the rumpus in the hotel, whatever it is, ** Now I'll go down and see to it,” and Nat hastened away and again approached the clerk and said: “My mother will change her room next to s - a = os ~ ee - 7 . * ry vyy ’ i Ver 2”? > natal - “iy Le " * Sn OFT ty: ad a | * 7* : . é ‘A - . 4 , - - . “ ~ * ~ New York Nat’s Double. ‘‘ Had you not better change next to her room, sir, as she is an old lady, and one- thirty-five has not been put in order yet,” and the clerk had an eye to business, as the rooms on the floor where Olive was were two dollars a day more. ‘*T’ll look at the room next to mine, and he went up in the elevator with Flip, who got out at his floor and whispered: ‘‘ There’s trouble in the hotel, though they are trying to keep it quiet, Foxey is nosing around, and Keno has not returned.” ‘‘All right; keep your eye on me and see what room I change to,” and Nat went into the room vacated by the man who had eluded him. The bed had been moved, but not slept in, and the door was open between that and the adjoining room. There was nothing but a slip of paper left behind, and on that was some writing and Nat put it in his pocket. Suddenty his eyes fell upon a sparkling object on the floor, and this he took up, looked at it for a moment, and thrust it into his pocket also. As he passed out of the room he met Flip in the corridor, ‘‘T’m onto the trouble—there has been a mysterious murder committed in the hotel, Nat,” whispered Ferret Flip to New York Nat. CHAPTER X. THE CRIME, “A MURDER committed ?” quickly uttered Nat, when he had heard Flip’s whispered words. ‘* Yes, and on this floor. ‘*T’ll try and find out more.” The two parted and Nat mused to himself half aloud: ‘* And I know who the murderers are! ‘*But, what has Mr. Canfield to do with it?” Not able to answer this question he went to the office and said to the clerk: *“‘T guess I'll change my room, rather than have my step-mother go two flights fur- ther up,” = ! ‘* All right, Mr. Norton; but those rooms are higher priced, you know.” ‘* Yes, I supposed so, as the lower the floor the higher the price. But, that is all right, fer the old lady’s rich,” and Nat and the clerk jaughed. While the change was being made Nat took notice that the Secret Service chief, the Jandlord and Mr, Canfield had left the office, | He went up to his floor again and got his things ready to be moved, and in the corri- dor met the three men who had just left a room further along. He kept on down in the elevator with them to the parlor floor, neither he or Sher- man Canfield showing the slightest sign of recognition, and he saw the chief pass out. and part on the pavement with his ally, who glanced around, saw Nat, and then started up-town. Nat hastily returned to the hotel, went to | his room and found that it adjoined the par- lor which Olive had next to her room, and his things had been placed there, _ **Olive, there hus been a murder in the house, and Flip knows that I have changed my room, so will be here, for I will go on after Mr, Canfield, who signaled me to do so, | ‘*- You can close the door and not be seen by the boys,” and Nat hastened away. Springing into cab he drove rapidly up- town to the house of Walter Vanderlip, where Sherman Canfield resided, and enter- ing with his pass-key was soon in the pres- ence of his ally. ‘*T was waiting for you, Nat.” ‘‘T saw you with the chief, sir, and the ee | t,o : : . me ve : t ' . ‘ ve *; 4.) irs a TP, ~* e At Vea landlord, and was a little startled, as th had been a murder in the hotel,” . ‘*Yes, but you know about it then?’ ‘‘Flip is on watch there and found it out,”’ ‘‘They are trying to keep it as a dead se- cret, but of course it will out. ‘T wag in the chief’s quarters when a tele- phone came from the hotel asking him to come up immediately, anc he asked me to accompany him, for he calls me his ‘Connect- ing Link Man’ now, as 1 am the go-between for your Unknown Ferrets. *‘T naturally thought of your two men you were shadowing, and gladly accom- panied him, and so am of course posted,” ‘‘Well, sir, see how near right I can guess.” ‘* Fire away, Nat.” ‘*Some rich man in the hotel was mur- dered and robbed last night, but there is no clue to those who did the deed.” ' ‘‘Yes; there is not the slightest clue, and. the chief has gone to put a dozen of his best men on the case at once.” ‘They will do no good.” ‘* What do you know, Nat?’ ‘*T am sure that the Reverend Elliott and his pal are the murderers, Mr, Canfield,” replied New York Nat, firmly. ‘“'You have some clue?” ‘‘Only that those two men went to the hotel for & purpose and accomplished it.” ‘* And escaped?” ‘* So far, yes, sir, but I cannot believe they are not to be run to earth.” ‘‘You are the one to do it, Nat, you and your Ferrets,” ‘* Will you tell me what particulars you can, sir?” ‘Well, it seems that Mr. Jules Schloss- berg, a diamond merchant here, dissolved partnership with the firm of which he was. © member, intending to go to Denver and begin business there, for himself. | ‘*He was a bachelor and lived at the hotel, and the settlement of the dissolution of partnership was only made yesterday, when he got his share of the jewelson hand, and drew out of the bank the money he had. deposited there. ‘‘Tt was late when he came up-town, so he locked his money and treasure in his. trunk, not intending to leave his rooms, and had his dinner sent up to him. | ‘‘He intended, his late partner said, to go- to the Express office this morning, and send his valuables through to Denver, | ‘¢ All that isknown now is that his partner called for him this morning, and going up to his room he was discovered lying dead ~ upon his bed, and his room had been rifled of all that was valuable, | ‘‘He had been dead many hours, the doc- tor said, and the cause of death wasa knife thrust in his heart. ‘‘But no sound of a scuffle was heard, and nothing more is known,”’ . ‘“No one called for him during the even-— ing? ‘ ; or: ‘‘No one, the clerk on duty said,” re~ sponded Sherman Canfield. | Tina ete. CHAPTER XI, | THE TELL-TALE DIAMOND. Nav smiled in a way which convinced Sherman Canfield that the young chief of — the Unknown Ferrets knew more about the | murder than any one else had thus far dis- covered, and he said: ! : ‘IT am sure, Nat, that you have some — i SR clue.” | | ae ‘A diamond merchant you said the gentleman was, sir?” Oe) 1 ‘‘His name was Jules Schlossberg?” “Yes.” t | : Js that his card?” and Nat threw a card upon the table, SMO RDRaR ine u 2 ' : 4 : . r ry, 24 4 a ‘ > — s La Me \ : : t ‘ “ hd . u 7 ‘~ { r 5 » : Ihe @ 7h, sri, ‘ is 6; 1S S45) 69 ¢ 8 ARS = Pie a i . _- aes - “4 , 4 aif 5 (oes) Fe : tS Ft “iy ih " § * AY s¥ a re » 4 : ¢ * 4° 7 < - Peete o —2. * ° - : . r e : 2 - - wn a=? gon’ rs q 2 ~ : ? ~ 4 e - J - 1 ee * 2 yee . , 4 << ae = ~ - it * - — a ns —— : a . _ Se ee. ~_-_ “ J - - ° - sy - “ im < « - = —3- — = = atten - — roa J = < <a . , . 4 w Ty ——* “eo r = * Am. - ~~ iv.” oe ts . 7 . . + Y yw PA =e f 5 7 ~~ aa. | a + y= - x . 4 ‘ * ‘ ae : , . . ‘ 4 | . % ¥ 4 > “% f . : . th | Ry ~- & é . #e rat | e 4 : és? 4 ‘ 3 ~ i < “¥ pe 4 ~ .: ttm Sy i van p * - ry? ~; a ee ea) OV AJ AG. «3, 2 we : A . f Wie L et art i ey et fe ar Food to Ef ey a i _ i Le “s j Rates i . . ere . 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