Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 941 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

a - “2 >, = ‘ Or i ee , » P eee . 2 - — > ee # ic Looking up quickly Murphy beheld Lim- > mee erick Larry—the Loony poet—and the per- son he was addressing was the conductor. * Well, what do you want to say?” the conductor asked. “It is in danger av yure loife ye are, did ye but know it,’ was Larry’s answer. “In danger of my life? What do you mean?” * Dhere is a big policeman, twice as big as yersel’, dhat has got his eye on ye fur kapes.” “1 don’t know what you are talking about. If you have anything to tell me, out with it; otherwise, pay your fare or get off!’ | “Oi will make it plain phwat Oi am talkin’ about. You are flirtin’ wi'd a gurrel dhat sells flowers down here on Broadway a pace, and thot policeman is swate on her, d’ye moind.” “What of it?” “Phwat av it? Begorra, av ye don’t let up on it ye are loikely to be gettin’ it phwere dhe chicken got dhe axe, thot is ~ ally’ “And did that policeman tell you to come and tell me that?” demanded the conductor, flushing angrily, noting that his passengers were all snickering. “If he did, you may tell him to soak his head!” “Tt is punching av yures he will be!” eried Larry. “Bah! let him try it! Get off my car!” “QOi'm goin’; don’t worry; and, begorra. ye will do well to pay heed to me warn- The lad from Limerick dropped off, and as the passengers burst into a roar of laughter the conductor's face was like a live coal for redness. He evidently wished himself elsewhere. Murphy, laughing with the rest, got ur and left the car at once, for he wanted to talk further with Larry, and as he ap- proached him he was in time to hear him humming words to this effect: “Swate Kitty Callaway, Oj] have opened now dhe play, Wid yure dude av a conductor, And, begorra, Oi mane biz; To s.op fooln’ Oj invite him, Av he don’t, then Oj will foight him, And be hivvins Oi will smite him Phwere his Adam's apple is!’’ The detective laughed heartily, and as soon as he recovered, he asked: “Why, Larry, what is the matter?’ “Oh! is it you, Mister Murphy? Be. gorra, Oi have just been afther reading avy dhe riot act to dhat gossoon av a conduct- or, and now av he don't let up on his at tintions to me Kitty, he will figure at a funeral.” ‘You seem to have it bad, Larry.” “Not half as bad as he will have it whin Oi get done with him, by dhe same token.” * People will think you are loony, sure enough, my lad, if you are going to carry on in this sort of fashion, and I don't know but what they will be more than halt right.” ES Oi tink.” “Do you know what Shakespeare says? “ Divil a bit do Oi care phwat he says, sor.” | “ He says—the lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact, and you seem to comprise the three in one.” “Oi don’t care a tinker's nip av it is a howling idiot Oi am entoirely,” Larry re. torted. “Oi am not going to be cut out ay me heart’s affection by a strap-pullin’ jig. ger on a strate car, and don't ye forget it!” “It will have to be as the girl says. won't it?’ is ; ‘No, begorra! It shall be as Oi say!” “Well, I wish you well. Maybe when don’t care a thistle What they you get a job and get spruced up a bit you _————— ee —_—_—_—————— ee ee COC a eo ee a ee - ean easily knock him out of the ring. l want to talk with you about other mat- ters, which, with me, just now. are busi- “Sure, it is welcome to all Oi can tell ye ye'll be, sor; set yure mill to runnin’.” “You came over in the steerage of the steamer Atlantic, I believe.” “Ye are believing no lie, sor.” “You came to know the names of some of your fellow-passengers, no doubt.” * Divil a doubt about it at all at all, sor. Oi got hold av dhe handles av dhe most ay dhem, sor, dhe while we wur crossin’.” * Did you learn of such names as Neal) Brady and Hogan Dunn?” “By dhe bloomin’ rod ay Aaron, but it is dhe divil at guessin’ ye are, Mister Mur: phy! How did ye know thot?’ , ‘* Never mind the little particulars, Lar- ry. Would you know them if you were tc see them again?” “Would Oi know thim?” “ Because, if you think you would, I want you to come with me and point them out to me on the sly. I think we wil find them down at No. — Cherry Street.” * Mister Murphy, it is afraid av ye Oj am! Sure, it must be own first cousin to dhe Ould Bhoy hissel’ ye are! By dhe same token, Oi belave ye are linked ar. rums wid him fur business.” Murphy laughed. “What think that, my lad?’’ he asked. “Because, sure, it is afther knowjng everything ye are, so ye are. Phwat is dhe use avy yure askin’ questions ay dlte loikes av me?” “If I knew everything I would not have to work so hard at my profession, would 1. Larry? And | would certainly have ‘ine need of your service to point out these two men,” “ Well, thot is so, I suppose.” ; “Tam going to let you help me on this case, Larry, for you are a likely lad—” - * Loikely. to fall a victim to dhe club ay dhe fool-killer dhe first toime dhat he hap.- pens my way, is it ye mane?” “Oh, no; I mean that you are not as great a fool as you are taken to be, aid you may be able to be a big help to me in this matter. You can no doubt point out these men—” “Oi can, you bet!” “And, should luck favor us so far, you will be able to identify young Brannagan if we fall in with him, provided that he is living—which I very much doubt, now.” * Oi could do thot same, too!” “What is more, I will pay you for your aid, and so put a little lining into your pocket. What do you say?” “ Phwat do Oj say? Begorra, it is a go! And, by the same token, it is not two hours ago dhat Oi saw dhem two same mates on Broadway, and dhey invoited mé to come to see dhem at dhe place phwere dhey are stopping!” Here was a strange coincidence, and the detective inquired into the particulars as they walked along. makes you CHAPTER VIII. MEWMLING THE RASCALS. § * The Bowling Green Detective was inter- ested. The points of the case seemed to be fall- ing into place of their Own accord, some- how. , ‘Did you notice the-.men first, or did they first.see you?’ Murphy inquired, tc get a right understanding of the whole Inatter. “ Oi saw them first, sor,’ answered Lar- ry. “Oi spoke to them, and it was sur- prised indade they were to see me. Dhey asked afther me good health, and tried to gillie me a bit, but Oi was wi'd dhem every toime.” . | “I can well believe that, my lad. And The Bowling Green Detective’s Drop. ‘ My wt, Mahe de — eee eC Se ' . . ? But | you say they invited you to come and see them.” * Thot same they did.”2 “How did that come about?” “Oi tould them Oi was. lodkin’ fur a job, and dhey said dhey moight help me a bit.”’ * Did away 7’ * Divil a wurred, sor.”’ “Il understand they are going to leave the country pretty. soon, and that is one reason why I want to see them as soon as possible. Was anything said about the wissing man?” “There was that same, sor. Oi asked them av dhey remembereu him, and tould them thot a friend avy mine, yersel’, was lookin’ fur him. Oi thought maybe Oj could learn something to tell ye, don't ye moind?” “Did you mention my name to them?” * Oi did.” ‘I am sorry for that, but it can’t be helped now.” “Oi hope Oi have done no harrum, Mis: ter Murphy.” “You did it for the best, so let it pass What did they have to say to that?’ “ Why, they made eyes at each other, Oj noticed, and dhey advised me dhat Oi had better Tl'ave dhe loikes av ye'rsel’ alone sayin’ Ghat detectives are no good, dig best av dhem.”’ ‘“ Maybe they are right, and maybe they have an object in saying so.” * Oi tould dhem thot Oi didn’t befave if ay you, and dhen they wanted to know who ye was and all about ye, and Oi toul@ dhem,”’ ‘And Iam glad you have told me, for it will give me a clever way by which to approach them. We can go together and see them, and we need not be sly about it, either.” * Oi am wi'd ye, sor.” “They told you where they live?’ * Dhe same place ye named yersel’, sor.” “ Very well, come along, and we will go there at once.” . At that point in their talk, however, they came to the flower stand kept by pretty Kitty Callaway, and Larry had to stop there. * Oi will be wid ye in just wan minute, Mister Murphy,” he said. “Oi must stop and tell me Kitty that Oi have warned her pickled Lerrin’ to look out fur a bit av a stick.” . “You may trot right along,” spoke up the flower girl, who had overheard the re- mark. “You have no right to speak so dls respectful of Mr. Nelson, who I have every reason to believe is a gentleéman.” “You call him Mister Nelson, whin ye don’t know whether thot is his first name or his last, do ye?” “TI heard the gripman eall him Nelson one day.” a “And now ye have heard me eall him something else, begorra! worse nor thot Oi will be afther calling av him, too, d'ye moind. Of'll bet ye a pinny 4:S name is Smith, or Brown.” “TI don’t care if it is Black, or White, or Green; it is none of your business, any- how.” : ‘Begorra, it will be Dinnis before Oi git done wid him.” And with that Larry walked off in some: thing of a temper, and as he turned away he exercised bis muse to this effect: “Swate Kitty Callaway, . Yure a tantalizing fay, Whin ye know Oi love ye. dearly, , Swatest gurrel in all Noo irks O* w'n’d have ye fur me own, So lave Nelson quite alone. Or he will get a bunch av bone Phwere dhe bottle gets dhe cork!” they say anything about going Detective Murphy had to smile, and, glancing back at the flower girl, he saw . ‘ . : - ° i <0 4 > wT Pe > “eet ee fia ee oe Kad al pe » aS "2 « ny i” eo )s A: ».. -* “ MOL ofr i / \ “ \ ( | , Af Com | \ —| \ yo | | i \ . — ok > Av cm. ae: - - ‘j si Riese hn es "ce }. ay ‘ aa we , 4 &- ° he: * ' = . * z ’ is - ae St ee ee - And it is a hape » ,