Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 935 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

The sasatthuhthta Detective S Chum. , © All right, Joe. Just as you say.” So the clerk went out, and Bob and_his employer were left alone together in the room. Phillips closed the door and turned the key in the lock, after which he knelt be- side the body on the floor and proceeded to make a close examination. He opened the vest first, and felt to make sure that the man was indeed dead, for, although the hands and face were cold to the touch, he had uot been fully satis- fied upon that point. Of this he had said nothing. He could not seem to satisfy himself, even after some **oments, but shook his head. ‘* What’s the matter?” asked Bob. “There is warmth there,” was the an- swer. “I believe if we could have been here an hour earlier "we would have been in time to save his life.” “Too bad we wasn't, then.” sé Yes.’ Phillips then examined the ets. There was nothing there, however, to throw any light upon the matter. He had not been robbed, evidently, so that could not have been the motive for the deed. man’s pock- Speaking to Bob, they together took the | body up from the floor and laid it upon the bed Phillips then made a thorough inspec- tion of the room. With keys he had taken from the dead man’s pockets, he could open all the locked drawers and the trunks without difficul- ty, although he could, no doubt, have opened them anyhow. Nothing of importance was found a the drawers, but in one of the trunks were letters and papers, which the detective _ Jooked over, eager to find some clew to the mystery, but while they gave him a great deal of information concerning the eee tna they did not point out his’ sl secsitty he opened a letter that inter- ested him. It was of recent date, very brief, and. it read as follows: “ Dearest Robert—Do you think it wise to keep our marriage longer a secret? I must see you soon for a talk. Take eare not to lose the certificate. Your loving ‘“WIFIE.’’ . “Ha! More complications,” said the detective, to Bob. “Our friend here was a married man, and we must ecg who his wife was, Bob.” ” ‘And I'll bet a sixpence to a kick be- hind that it was Luella,” declared Bob, promptly. ‘‘His face don't look like a feller’s that would play false with a lady.” “T am of the same opinion myself,” agreed Phillips. ‘‘ But we have got to rove it, for there is no name signed here. Now, where is that certificate? It is gone, it seems, and I might not have found this letter had I not made my search so thor- ough, for it was not with the rest.” —-———— CHAPTER VII. | ANOTHER DISAPPEARANCE. Business Bob assisted in the search for the certificate. Hyery nook in the room was explored. but without. discovery of the object sought for. “Well, it is not here,” the detective decided. ; “ And hence it is gone,” added Bob. ‘“T ae have an idea, boss.” “You generally have good ones; what is _ your idea in this connection?” “That the man who killed Wellstone - Ook the certificate away with him.” | : y oat think,” ‘What more?” ** May be that was what he did the mur- der for.’ ‘**T have thought of that; but there is another view to take of the matter at the Same time.” “* What's that?’ ‘* Maybe the certificate was not here.”’ “You always like to throw cold water over my pet thinks, seems to me, boss.” “TI want to train you in the habit of looking at the other side of everything that comes to your mind, thatis all. W ell, we are done here.” “What next?” “We'll go ‘to the office, after I have telephoned to the police.” They started to leave the room, but Phillips turned back to take one more look at the dead man before doing so. He examined the body again as he had done in the first instance, carefully, thor- oughly, but shook his head when done, and having done, hurried from the room, locking the door and removing the key. They passed down to the office. “ What did you discover more?’ asked the clerk, “ Very. little,” answered Phillips. is the key. I locked the door.” “And shall I now telephone to the po- lice and have them come here and take up the case?” “Yes; and perhaps they will not like it because I have been here first, but that was your fault. However, they are wel- come to all they can make of it; Iam all at sea.” “You don’t mean that, Joe.” “Why not?” ““T know you too well. idea about it.” “Yes, a hundred, for that matter, and little they amount to. Just a word with you privately, Jones,” All right.” The clerk stepped nearer, and the de- tective whispered to him. Business Bob could not hear what was paid of course, but he watched the clerk’s ace, He saw him start, saw a look of sur- prise come over his features, and when the detective had done speaking he nodded his head in the affirmative in an earnest manner. — Wee depend on you,” said Phillips. “JT won't fail you,’’ was the assurance. So they parted, and Phillips and Bob passed out and boarded a ¢ar. The nearest police station was on their direct route, and when they reached it they left the car and entered. “ Hello, here you are yourself, eh?” the captain greeted him. ‘“ ‘You are bound to be the early worm if you can, I find. ‘The clerk at the —— Hotel has ‘phoned to us.’ “Have your men set out?’ “Just a moment ago.” “ All right, then. I left the door locked, and everything is just as I found it, save ni I lifted the body from the floor to the ed.”’ “And took away the clew, if there was one?” “Which T’ll share with you. Step this way a moment.” Here, again, Phillips jwhispered, and Bob wondered what it was about. He noticed that the captain looked sur- prised, as had the clerk, and that he nodded in the same way. when he had heard all. “You see, it may work.” said thé de- tective, “Yes, IT think it will. was the response. “T depend on vou. cantain.” “You know you can do that. Joe.” They saluted, with a wave of the hand, and Phillips passed out, urd beranhibr 2. ‘* Here You have some if it is as you one and as soom as they were: outside, Bob said: ‘* Boss, I can’t stand the press.” ‘What press, Bob?’ ““Press of curiosity, that’s what.” “Ha, ha! You want to know what Er said to the captain, eh?” ‘“ And to the clerk, too, for it was the: same thing, I take it. Have you got a sure enough clew, after all, boss?’ “T’ll tell you the little joker in the case, Bob, and let you think what you please about it. As I said to the others, I depend on you, too, Bob, and I think you will be of big help to me.” “T’ll do my level best, you bet. What: is it?” Thereupon, in low tones, the detective told Bob what he had already told the hotel clerk and the police captain. Bob was surprised at what he heard, and. an exclamation escaped him, “Great Gowanus!” he cried. ‘“ Who would ’a’ thought it?” “Tt may not be so, but I hope it is.” ‘“Me, too, you bet!” Just at that moment singing broke upon their ears. “Trolley cars am all d’e go, Bet yo’ life d’at d’ey ain ints Horses d’ey not in d’e fight, ‘Lectric lines am out ob sight!’ “That’s Glossy!” cried Bob. “‘ Where > is he?’ . “There he comes, on that car,” swered the detective. “Sure enough, there he is, as big as: life and as grand as Cuffy?!” A car was coming abreast with them, and the darky was in front with the mo-- torman. The latter was grinning from ear to ear, - well pleased with the song, no doubt, but. just then Bob called out to Glossy and the singing stopped instantly, and the singer bolted. He hurried through the car to the rear and alighted safely while the car was im motion. “Hello!” he then responded to Bob’s: greeting. “Still singing, are you?” asked Bob. ‘“Haven’t you come to the end of that song yet, Glossy?’ ‘Goodness! no; an’ ain” likely to, either, I reckon.”’ ‘*How is that?’ “T make up a new verse about every” five minutes, d’at’s how it am, an’ it is. soon gwine to take me all day to sing ’em an- “You had better take a vacation, then, © and go down to some barren sand beach — and sing it out. If you keep it up here in Brooklyn you will be deelared: a pub- lie nuisance.” “Oh, you git out. But hol’ ou Mr, Phillips, it is you I want, and don tol” me to fotch yo’ double quick. oy ping short. “D’e clerk at d’e hotel.” , ““W’y, we just came — there.” “Can’t help d’at, sah.” “What's wanted?” x “‘D’e mischief am to pay, d’e clerk say- Yo’ see, I went d’ar’ to se what was up, an’ got d’ar’ after yo’ had gone, an’ d’e clerk tell me to git a gait om an’ find yo" instanter.” has happened ?” peared—” “The body has disappeared 3 ” “D’at’s d’e word, sah.” the detective. ‘Come. Bob, we'll have a car and go back and find racy <i to take about this. It is getting so * - - she - “Aa eo," : f 3 * a ¥ ‘y 7 4 bade ~ 4 i . r . a _ * . ~” th : 4 “* 5 SS -) ; ‘ fae . - é a ~ ag i » “ % - y T. ~4 1 V A « , Ci, . ee I ~N s @ ! | . | ) \ D> | \ — | _— -_ al - = = = all.”’ “Who did?” asked the detective, stop-" will stick, if we don't wate It, a ier Md “Yes, yes; that’s all right; but what “He said tell you d’e body hab’ misap- “What the deuce can this mean?” cried q