Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 932 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

oe amy a — os . _°* a e ~ ——ae <2, ih ’ ioe + — - — ea S & Pa -—— a — —— has been fed, and if you get nothing more until nizht you will not suffer. * Do you understand ?” ‘**I does, and I guesses yer hi is been put- tin’ yer foot into it, if yer’s ter hev’ a visit from the cops.” “If I have, I'll be able to take my foot out, unless you make a howl, and if Sak do, then you'll get your neck into it.” With this parting shot New York we, left his prisoner, closed the door behind him, and left Guard in the room with him, the dog seeming to feel that he was being punished for some reason, Taking the breakfast can and dishes out with him, Nat took them to the din- ing room, built a fire in the kitchen and range, and scattered things about to give an idea that they lived there, he and “his mother.” Just then Olive arrived, and, going to an upper room, she was not long in put- ting it in disorder, as though it was there she slept. Making her toilet followed, and no one would have ever recognized the beautiful young girl in the one who appeared, for a gray wig, spectacles, a cap, and prim black dress _certainly were a make-up which it would indeed take a keen eye to penetrate through. Hardly had Olive finished her toilet, when there came a ring at the bell, and a youth and young girl appeared, the former carrying a banjo in a case, and the latter a roll of music. “Why, Keno, you fooled even me, and who would know Foxey as a sweet young girl,’ said New York Nat, laughing. Soon after Parson apeared as a dude seeking to learn music, and as he played the piano well he sat down and ran his fingers over the keys Irom that time on ‘the strains of a vio- lin, notes of a banjo, or the sound of a piano were heard in the mansion up to twelve o'clock, when Olive called out: “A carriage has stopped at the door.” New York Nat motioned for more music, while he sprang to the window and glanced through the blinds. “It is the Chief of the Secret Servi ice,” he said, calmly. Then the doorbell rang to admit the visitor. He knew the chief well, but the latter little dreamed who he was, or that he stood before the captain of the Unknown Ferrets, who were such a mystery to him. New York Nat stood in the shadow, as he opened the door, and spoke as though he did not recognize his distinguished vis- itor, speaking with the pronounced Ger- man accent he imitated so well. When the chief had asked if that was the home of ‘‘Professor Herman Spinola,” Nat answered promptly: “It vas, sir. | “Make yourself welcome, and come in, please.”’ The Chief stepped within the hall, closed the door, and said: ‘**T am Inspector —— cret Service.” “Vas dot so? “Vell, I yas shust as glad to see you, mine frient.” “I have ealled to see you about that murder last night.’ “Oh, my! oh, my! about dot. “ But [ vill send my pupils avay pretty quick, and we can talk some more apout | it. , and Nat w ent , Chief of the Se- I vas so troubled “I vas a teacher of music, don’t you know?” “T have been so informed,” was the an- swer,and the Chief followed Nat up to the music room, the “pupils”. were told their ‘y uf ahah a. ? New ‘York Nat’s ‘cette i turned to the chief to face the severe or- deal he felt was before him. CHAPTER XIV. A SEVERE ORDEAL, The Chief’s keen eyes had been taking in everything they fell upon, but he saw in New York Nat only the Professor Her- man Spinola, musie teacher, he professed to _be. “ Now, mine frient, v’at Gan I tell you?" asked Nat, innocently, sitting with his back to the light. ‘You were the to the rescue of night, I believe?” i. eee” “Just where did this occur?’ Nat explained the exact situation. “Did you see the colonel before he was attacked ?” “Yes; I vas on t’e ridge in t’e voods, and he vas in t’e boulevard in t’e moon- lights. ‘He vas smoking a cigar and walking along slow. ‘I vas walking pretty quick.” ‘IXxplain what you were doing at ‘Hee time, for it was late.’’ “It vas ten o’clock, mine frient. “I vas coming from t’e house of t’e Vidow Herbert, v’ere a young laty pupil of mine vas poarding mit her.” * And you saw the attack?’ ‘Oh, yes.” “Tell me just where the assassin was and what you saw.’ Nat told the story most explicitly. ‘Now describe, as well as you can, the assassin,” Nat did so. “ Would you know the man if you saw him again?” ‘\I vas very sure that I yould,’’ “Even in the moonlight though it was that you saw him?” “Vell, it vas very bright as daytimes, and I see t’e man pretty vell. “I vas going to catch him, but t’e shen- tilmans ¢: ull out to me to let him go and help him.” * And you did so?’ “[ only help him the little vw’ot I could, and yet he make me a big inheritance as if I vas his son. “ Vhy, he give me ten t'ousant dollars, mine frient, so Il vas a rich mans now. “I don’t vant to take it, but he say he vas rich, and so tell the lawyer to put it down for me, and it vill help me take care of my dear mother.” “ Have you that money now?’ “TI vas, for my mother got it safe.’’ “Where is your mother?” “ She vas up-stairs.”’ ‘Can I see her?’ New York Nat stepped to the door and called in German, which he spoke a little, and there was an answer in BPnglish, and only with a slight accent. A moment after the Girl Queen of the Ferrets entered the room as “Nat’s mother.” The young Ferret presented her to the chief, and after congratulating her upon her son’s behavior on the night before and his good fortune, he asked her how long they had dwelt in the mansion. She told him, and the Chief said: “This house has long been vacant, per- haps you know, madam, and bears a bad name.” , ‘T have heard that it was haunted, sir, by the ghost of some one who was killed here, but of course neither myself nor my son believes such stories. “The house was a remarkably fine tone for the low rent asked, was well fur gentleman who went Colonel Bradford last there lesson was over, and then New York Nat nished, located weli for my son’s purpose, | 9 we disturbed no and singing.” and, standing by itself, one by the pupils practicing “The former owner of this house was murdered here, or committed suicide, and a young girl died here in a most myste- rious way, so the heir to it left it to go to ruin, as he could find no one to take it with such a record; but its record does not seem to trouble you, madam, nor your son.” ‘* None in the least, six.” “Could I look over the house, confess to a curiosity to do so?’ “ Certainly, sir, my son will show you through it, for my years cause me to spare myself extra steps.” Nat at once rose,and the Chief was shown from cellar to top floor, the young Ferret feeling a little anxious as he heard a sound in the prisoner's room. But he explained it by saying: “Dat vas my dog, Guard. ‘“He vas a pad fellow to bite, and I locks him up in dat closet v’en my pupils ‘as coniing. ‘Vould you like to see t’e dog, mine frient, for he vas awful savage, like a tiger?” The Chief had no desire whatever to Inake Guard’s acquaintance, and frankly said so—in fact, he seemed to show little further interest in the house after Naf’s description of Guard, and remarked: “Is he a large dog?’ “ He vas as big as a pony.’ ‘“No wonder you do not fear being robbed, for I suppose he has the run of the house.”’ “Oh, yes! He go up, he come down, v’en he please himself.” “ Where was it that you said your pupil lived whom you had been to visit, when you went to the rescue of Colonel Brad- ford?” Nat gave the nameé and address, adding that she was not home until after three in the afternoon. Then the Chief said: “I am glad to have seen you, for I know now that some false theories of the case Were advanced by my men who were whiolly in the dark regarding it. ‘I may have to call upon you some time to try and identify that murderer, if any one is arrested upon suspicion of being the — assassin.”’ “TI vill pe ready, mine frient, and if t'e family of t’e shentlemans don’t vant me to haf t'e money, I vill gif it up pretty quick, for I don’t vant to Keep it if dere is a row, or think it vas gif to me to pay me.’ ‘You are an honest fellow, Professor Herman Spinola, but keep the money, for but for you it would have been gotten by the murderer, and more too. “It is a gift that will stand the test of. all law,” and the Chief shook hands with Nat, bade “Mrs. Spinola” good-by, and took his departure. The moment the doer closed upon him Nat said quickly: “ Quick, sis, he is going to see you, to prove conclusively I was coming from vis- iting you, for I am sure some of his fool detectives have hinted that I was the aecomplice of the murderer. “Run home as soon as you can change your rig, for I told him you would be in after three o'clock, and you’ve got an hour and a half if he calls sharp on the hour.” Half an hour after Olive left the retreat and was making all haste to her home, But she was no longer playing the part of ‘Mrs. Spinola.” CHAPTER XV. THE GIRL QUEEN PLAYS HBR PART. When. Olive left the retreat she saw at the corner the Dago fruit vender, w at once ealled to her as a good np te for l : : 4: - Me ele | . "2 BP it ¢ 4 | F ° - : a) J \ fl | Py * Bes “ agit P ir ee « &-« rn *, * sn « -