Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 941 — 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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Murphy met his gaze _ coolly, twirling his hat in his hands. “Mr. Brannagan?’ the detective asked. “Yes; and who the devil are you?’ was the rough response. “My name is Murphy, sir, and I have ealled upon a little matter of business.” “Well, state your business, then, for time is money with me, as you must know if you know me at all.”’ “A ‘““My business, Mr. Brannagan, is to look up your missing nephew, Lawrence Brannagan, who sailed from Ireland on the Atlantic the last week in January.” Murphy noted that the man paled slightly when he heard this. He sat down and stretched his legs out before him, resting his elbows upon the arms of the chair and bringing his finger tips together. “If that is vour business, sir,” he said, “IT am more than interested in it, I assure you. I have just come from the office of the steamship company on _ Bowling Green, where I have been pressing in- quiries.”’ “Tf that is the case, maybe you heard of me there.” “You are the Bowling Green Detec- tive?” | * So ealled.” “Yes, Mr. Hedgewood mentioned you and said he would have you call upon me. But it appears that you have come before seeing him.’ “T am here in the private interest of Miss Katherine McCarthy, of Dublin, who is starting inquiries for her missing lover, Mr. Brannagan. He left, Ireland at the time I have named, with the intention of paying you a visit.” “You have it right,’”’ acquiesced the man, “and it is a mystery where he can be.”’ “Have you waited until this time to begin inquiries?” asked Murphy. “Bless you, no. I have been in corre- spondence with a firm of barristers in Dublin, and have been tracing the matter on the other side. I did not consider it of much use to do anything on this side until I had made sure that he had sailed at the time intended.” | ‘‘ Well, there is something in that. And you have heard finally from these law- yers, then?” ; “Yes,” reaching up and taking down the letter which Murphy had read, “here is a letter just received in which they as- sure me that the young man positively sailed at. the time specified. Their de- tectives have proven that, it seems. Now, of course, I must begin with the steam- ship officials and try to trace him to this side.” “Did you look for your nephew by that steamer?” ‘Well, yes, in a manner. He was a brief writer, and he said that perhaps he would sail on the Atlantic, giving the date.”’ “Why did he choose that line, and that particular time?” . . “You ask me too much. I had ex- tended several invitations for him to come over, and had even urged him to dispose of his interests there and come over here and double his fortune; so I suppose he took it into his head of a sudden to make the voyage. As to the ‘ine, it was the easiest way for him to had heard from Powers. “And could the steamship people give you any information?’ he asked. } | ’ ¢ P ' a * i . - - , e » r wf te") > ’ > :" me me ep ' * i. ? f * ' 7 2 +4 * ‘ + a? } Py al 4 a . a ’ 7 ‘. - a oft ’ «= ste A * ‘None at all, sir. They said ‘the re- ports showed that no ‘such name had been entered on the ship’s register.” ‘You met the steamer on its arrival?’ “Yes; but I was not disappointed at all when the boy did not appear.” “You had seen a photograph of him, then, and would know him at sight, I pre- sume, sir.”’ “Well, no; I had in mind the face of his father, though, for Lawrence had as- sured me that people said he was the im- age of what his father had been at his age. Besides, I asked for him by name of the officers.”’ ‘“*T understand there were two brothers. of whom you are one,’ observed the de- tective. “ The other was Antrim, who in- herited your father’s estate and remained in Ireland when you came to this coun- try. He died, leaving this son Lawrence, who is rightful heir to the same estate, if living. In the event of his death, to whom would the property go?” “ Why do you ask that, sir?” “T want to see if it is possible that some relation there in Ireland can have had an object in putting him out of the way.” Mr. Brannagan’s face was a study. He was white and red by turns, and yet was making the best effort possible not to show that he was in the least agi- tated by what had been said. “There is no near relation in Ireland,” he said. “If anything of that kind should happen, or has happened, I sup- pose the estate will come into my hands. But we will not speak of that; we must find the young man alive. Surely you would not think me guilty of putting him out of the way?” “Tt is the last thing any one should think of you, sir,” was the reply to that. ‘“‘Have you corresponded with Miss McCarthy?” “Only to inform her that Lawrence was not here, and that I had started in- quiry.”’ “Has she written to you lately?” “ Not a word.” “How do you account for that?” “ Well, there is nothing I can tell her, and no doubt she makes inquiries of the Dublin: barristers.” : Murphy remembered what Powers had said, and while this was a good reason, he believed that the other was the true one. She did not write because she had been warned. “That is reasonable,’ he observed. ‘ Well, T shall begin and investigate thor- oughly.” “What will be the man asked. “One thing, I will get as many names as possible of the persons who came over on the steamer that voyage and who can be found, and will call upon them and make close inquiries.” , “Yes, yes; that ‘vill be a good plan, sure enough. I had not thought of that. But, then. it is not in my line.” “T have already learned one thing.” “Wa! what is that?’ “That the young man nositively did get on board the Atlantic at Queenstown at the time specified.” Mr. Brannagan’s face showed a feeling of keen satisfaction on hearing this said, your plan of work?” “Can you prove that?’ he quickly | asked. “Yes; by a hoy who carried his Inggage for him, sir. I have picked up that boy by mere chance. You appear gratified.” 7 7 Se ial ~~ ee t . ' : Green Detective’s Drop. --e-o—oo eo Cc >> '---eer —— eeeee e a Scenes “Yes, for it gives you something to — work upon. Now, if you can only trace him to this side and find him, you will be doing a good bit of work. It is possi- ble he may have lost his reason—”’ ‘Or he may have fallen overboard.”’ ‘Heaven forbid!” ! ‘“T have heard of two other men who, I think, were passengers that voyage, and 1 must make it my business to see them. They can supply me with the names of others, and so inquiry will pro- gress rapidly.” “Why not get all office ?”’ “I shall do that, too, but I want those particularly who are easy to find. The two I have named are, I think, at a sail- ors’ boarding-house down on Cherry street, and I shall go and see them.” | Mr. Brannagan had given a start and could not disguise the fact that he was disturbed. “Who are these men?” he tried to ask calmly. the names at the “Their names are Neal Brady and Hogan Dunn, and I believe they are soon to go away, so I must see them as quickly as I can.” Brannagan was now white to the lips, and knowing that he could not hide it he pressed his hand to his side and com- plained of a feeling of faintness, and reached for a bottle stowed away in one of the pigeon-holes of his desk. “Well, we must do everything possi- Ble,” he urged. ‘That young man must be found, and I shall spare no expense to find him. Won’t you take a drop with me? JI have to take it for this con- founded stitch that takes me now and then. Leave no stone unturned, Mr. Murphy.” Their interview soon came to a close, then, and the detective departed. CHAPTER VII. PECULIAR COINCIDENCE, Detective Murphy was in a brown Study when he again got upon a Broad- Way car to return down-town. Running over in mind all the particulars of his interview with Michael Brannagan, he was inclined to agree with Powers that things looked suspicious. True, the man had appeared to be per- fectly open and aboveboard in all he had said, and his desire to find the young man seemed earnest, but the excitement and consternation betrayed at the close of the interview gave the shrewd shadower the true clew. “There is something rotten in Den- mark,” Murphy decided; “whatever it may be, and I must go deeper and find out. Ah! here is Union Square; 1 will stop off and see about that other matter.” He left the car and entered a: large store, where he remained something ,like an hour in an interview with one of the proprietors. ‘ At the end of that time he boarded an- other car to continue his homeward jour- ney. The conductor was a spruce-looking chap, with a waxed mustache. : Murphy was busy with his thoughts, thinking hard upon three or four differ- ent affairs he had in hand, and paid lit- tle or no heed to time or distance. He was sitting by the open window at the rear end of the car, with his head resting upon his hand, and seemed ob- livious to his surroundings, as indeed he was. partly, when a familiar voice broke | unon his ear. saving: “Oj am not goin’ far wi’d ye; Oi have just slipned on board to whisper a word av warnin’ into yure ear, av ye have dhe good sinse to moind it.” | - = *< . LJ or te en owe PT ia in ee? . ~ - 7 os s — . o — ‘aid 7 ’ oe Ge me