Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 908 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

future day when you are no longer the Mas- cot Queen of the Ferrets.” ‘They shall never know me aslam in reality, Nat.” * That is right, and though Flip will know you as the Mascot, let him only see you as an old lady.” age UB bi Age ‘* Keno and. Foxey I shall need with me, for lam going to the home of Vance Vert- ner and Star Dunning and get their real record, so as to start on their trail from the beginning, and Keno will work up the case here, while Foxey goes to Chicago to find out just what Vertner did there when he was robbing people under the guise of a physician, ‘*T shall also put several of the boys, who suspect nothing of the men, to find out just where the pretended parson and his friend went upon leaving this hotel, and where they are now located.” “Then I am sure, Nat, you will find them. ‘But, do you know, this Double of yours wolries me greatly,” remarked Olive. ‘It need not doso, sis, for I have no fear of him, and will soon throw him off the track, though I confess to being curious as to who he is; bet both you and Flip can place him, I guess.” ‘‘ T hope so, brother,” answered Olive, and ‘soon after Nat left the room, watched his chance and slipped into his room from the corridor, He found Flip and Keno there, and a few moments after Foxcy entered. ‘Good! Weare all here, and our Mascot Queen is also in the house, for 1 thought it ‘best to have her aid, ‘* Her room is number one hundred, Flip, an} you are to report there to her twice a day, and do all you can to unmask my Double, while at the same time picking up bits of information upon the murder, ‘*To-morrow the papers will have the story, and you may be sure that the report- ers, brainy, shrewd fellows, will, as they always do, accomplish some good detective work that may aid us. ‘‘For you, Keno, I have some work here to doin the city, while Foxey goes to Chi- cago to hunt up the record of a man there, and I go to start further back upon his career as a boy. ‘‘Now, we will get down to business,” and New York Nat gave minute instructions to each one of his three young ferrets, and started them off upon their missions. Then he saw Olive once more, and with one of his grip-sacks in hand he went down to the office to settle his individual bill, tell- ing the clerk he wonld be back again in a few dadys, and to care well for ‘‘ Mrs, Chandler.” Taking a cab, he drove to a news stand down-town, and there found a bright-looking youth, his face freckled like a turkey egg. While looking over the magazines on the stand, Nat said quietly to the youth: ‘* Freckles, I have work for you. Come up to the Rookery this afternoon and I'll tell you what you are todo, and Teaser, Blow and several others of the band are to help you,” ‘Yes, Captain Nat; Ill be there,” re- sponded Freckles, in the same low tone in which Nat had spoken. CAN Returning to his. cab, Nat drove to a Chinese laundry on Fourteenth street, near Fourth avenue, and entering found two smooth-faced Chinamen at work there. They smiled pleasantly.as he entered and greeted them, and then asked: ‘Well, Loo Choo, bow are you and Wing Lung, and how is business?” f ‘* Allee lightee well, business allee samee good, ‘‘Like New Lork wellee muchee,” Wing Lung answered, ‘‘Tam glad ofit, and I am glad I brought — - = — Nat’s Double. Ms > oa New York ou back with me when I went on my Wild Vest trail, and in which you rendered me such valuable aid. ‘‘ Now I have some work for you to do.” ‘* Allee lightee; me work good for you,” wita a broad smile on his celestial visage. ‘“You must get about among the crooks, as you do washing for that class of men, and pick up all that is said of a murderata hetel last night, and which the papers will give a full account of to-morrow. | ‘* Just see if you can pick up any clue as to who did the killing, and, in fact, all that you can, and let me know when 1 come in again,” ‘* Allee lightce,” answered the two Chi- ‘namen together! They seemed much pleased to have Nat give them the work to do, for they had beeccme members of bis band and good Ierrets they were too, Then Nat drove to see Sherman Canfield, and told him all that had been done up to that time, and what he hud planned to do; after which he asked him if there had been any discoveries, by the police or Head- quarters detectives. ‘* None, Nat; they are all at sea, for they cannot fasten upon the slightest clue as to the murderers, : “ They have suspected guests in the house, then the porter, the bell-boys, and even chambermaid:, and are watching all. ‘They have also held suspicion against the partner of Mr, Schlossberg, but as yet have not been able to find any evidence strong enough to arrest any one.” “All right: the Boy Ferrets have the clue and will run,;the real murderers down, ‘* But, Mr. Canfield, my sister Olive is at the hotel. and known as Mrs, Olivia Char.d- ler, and I wish you would drop in and see the old lady, and compare notes with her. ‘*Flip is also there, playing the part of a dude. You know him, so he might be of service if you make any discovery, for he is trying to track my Double. ‘* Now, sir, I must be off, and I tell you I am determined to find Vance Vertner, for my delay in arresting him caused Mr Schloss- berg’s death.” / CHAPTER XIV. A GUILTY CONSCIENCE, Nat had been several days ‘‘ werking” the town where Vance Vertner, Star Dunning and Bernard Gaston had lived in boyhood and early manhood. He had secretly Jearned the whole story of the bank robbery and murder of the watch- man, the trial of Bernard Gaston, sentence to the gailows, and his rescue by his devoted wife, Sybil. | He had also heard of how Vance Vertner had afterward been convicted and sen- tenced, and ascertained the record of Star Dunning as well. : | What had become of Bernard Gaston and his wife no one knew, but the gallows- eluding record of Vance Vertner all knew. What his fate and that of Star Dunning had been was a mystery, though old citizens in the town were willing to take oath that he would yet be heard of again, Nat jotted down every item he had of the three men, and of the faithful wife, for the records of the five were to be his foundation for working up to their capture. . He left nothing undone, and was well pleased with his work, though it had taken him some days longer than he had antici- pated, The New York papers had been full of the story of the murder at the hotel, but Nat had noted with pleasure that ro clue had been found, and the city detectives and ei seemed to be working upon the wrong trail. There was one discovery that Nat made which he determined to act upon, This was that Vertner, Gaston and Dun- ning had a particular chum in the town w% had also been under suspicion of being an accomplice in the bank robbery and murder of the watchman, He had been arrested, and then set free, as no proof could be obtained against him; but since then he had lived under a cloud. THlis mother, it was said, had left him quite a sum of money, and on that he lived an idle life; but Nat heard it whispered b knowing ones that he had run through with his mother’s fortune before she died, and could not have been left sufficient to live as he did, « It was also said that he was to marry a beautiful and rich girl of the town, a late resident to the place, and who, though warn- ed against him would not give him up. Having completed his Secret Service work Nat decided to pay this man a visit at his home in the suburbs of the town, and where he lived alone with only two old servants who had Jong been in the family. “It is a stormy night, the very one on which to carry out my plan, and we can catch the midnight train,” said Nat to him- self, So he paid his hotel bill, got his luggage and ordering a carriage drove to the home of Sidney Seldon, the man who lived under a cloud. Ile found him at home, pacing to and fro in the hallway of his really pleasant home, and he opened the door at Nat’s ring, ‘‘Mr. Seldon, 1 believe?” said Nat. ‘Yes, but 1do not know you,” was the almost surly response. “You soon will, Mr. Seldon, when I tell you that I come from an old friend,” ‘* Who, for instance?” ‘Ts there any one near to hear what I may say, for it is dangerous to mention some names in this town.” Nat saw the man start at his words, then turn and glance toward a rear room, and in a low tone he said; ‘*Comce into the library.” When he had closed the door he completed his sentence with: ‘But I cannot understand what names you mean,” “The names of Vance Vertner and Star Dunning,” abruptly said Nat, | He had fired a center shot for a purpose, and saw it strike, for Sidney Seldon started, his face grew livid and his lips quivered and he bis them nervously before he replied: ‘‘What have I to do with those crimi- nals?’ ‘They seemed to feel that you were still their friecd,” said Nat, at a venture, ; ‘No, Ido not claim friendship with mur- derers and thieves.” Nat was studying his man, reading him like a book, and replied: ‘‘Thave no proof, Mr. Seldon, that you are their friend, other than that they sent me to you to request that you come to New York with me and, by doing certain work, share in what will be the result to you, to them and myself.” A ie “Who are you?” ‘*One who is devoted to their interest, and know the whole story of the bank robbery, murder and other crimes committed and for which they are now hiding from the gallows, while you are free, and—” sé My nightmare to me, for I have tried to live it down, to forget it, and they were accursed fools to lect another know the deadly secrets of the past,” cried the man excitedly. ‘‘His conscience has betrayed him,” mut- tered Nat, ; . CHAPTER XY. NAT SOLVES A MYSTERY. Nat was sure of his man, His conscience had betrayed him, after all these years, Whatever proof had been lacking at the ‘ - God! don’t bring up that hideous. r! . F oT} se