Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 947 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

fther attempted. Hodgley looked fu- JUS. mosquito!” he cried. I who wins? Money is no object to me!” “You want to win my fiver!” cried the Weasel. “Ha, ha! That is pretty good. Why, boy, I light cigars with five-dcllar bills When nothing else is handy!” “You will never light one with mine, a* pn ec 4 Vi see if you do!” Timmy retorted. “You are ia not in it, this time, old walrus! You will A find that I am onto you heavy before I bea get done with you!” = One of the detectives jerked Timmy out of the way, fearing he would say too e- much, and gave him a word of caution. a Timmy caught on, and to cover it ef- ed fectually, blurted out: ) _ “Let him play fair, then!” % The boy is right!’ some one else shout- ed. “That’s what's the matter! that glass, old duffer!”’ Hodgley drained off the contents of the glass, and replaced it on the bar. By that time the wrestlers were at it again, and now Bowery Brag had the ad- vantage slightly. “There was a look of determination on Buck’s face, however, and his muscles were standing out like knotted cords. Some little time was spent, each watch- ing for an opportunity, and suddenly it came, to be seized by Buck. With a trée- mendous effort he lifted his antagonist clear from the floor and dashed him down with a foree that knocked him windless. The match was over; Buck had won. And about that time Timmy Keen saw a man slip a message into Hodgley’s hand. Put up CHAPTER XVIII. THE MYSTERY CLEARED. .It was done in a clever manner. Timmy’s position allowed him to see the act, but the chances were that no one else could have seen it. While bets were being paid Hodgley | stepped to the end of the bar and read his _ ‘| message, and a smile lighted his face. | He thrust it into his side coat pocket and turned away. Just a corner of the paper was visible, and as he passed Timmy the lad nipped it with thumb and finger and secured if. Putting it out of sight, he made his way to Jerry. “Come!” he said. “ Where to?” Jerry demanded, “Don’t know yet, but we are in it,” ~” As soon as they Were outside, Timmy | explained what had taken place, and they -}) Yepaired immediately to where they could read the note. It was as follows: ce ‘Come at once. She gives in. Is ready | “Thank Heavens!” cried Jerry. “Let's \ get the detectives and go there in all haste, 4 and we shall be able to rescue her before | the wretch can get there at all! Come!” ae “Hold hard on your trolley!” warned : t tee > ae the backer. “This is the chance of your opel 0 ie y 7 ' rT A - * : el ‘ e & + | life, Jerry. You don’t want any detectives | in it. They will get there fast enough; i || they are not going to lose sight of Hodz- ley. What we must do is to go there at _ ‘{* once, and you can—’ “You are right, you are right!” Jerry ‘ > > ate - 4 my good genius!” 9% “She will fall into your arms, Jerry, f and there will be a smashin’ big tableau, | which I'm just sick to see; so, come on!" | : { , And Timmy began to sing: AL - The Bowery Wrestler. “Til have you put out of here, you |’ “What interest have | Tae “I can rescue my dar—Mrs. Clay- | -erton’s daughter, I mean, and she will owe | me a debt of gratitude! Timmy, you are whe ‘*T long to be a copper, A copper bold and brave, To do the grand heroic, And some tine lady save; Then on my manly bosom She’ll lay her head and says § me finest of the finest, am your own this day!’ ”’ “You are welcome to sing all you want to now,”’ averred Jerry. “You have done me a favor I can never forget.” *We are in too much of a hurry to do any more singing now, Jerry,’’ was the re- sponse. “We must step out and get there, and we can lay our little plan of action as we go.” And so they did, and when they had reached their destination it was all ar- ranged Jerry rang the bell, and as soon as the door was opened he inquired for Mr. Hodgley. He was not there, of course. ‘Well, he expects me, and will soon be here,” Jerry declared, confidently. ‘I don’t know about that,’ the man started to say, but Jerry interruptéd him. “Oh, it is.all right, my man. I am a lawyer who is to attend to the signing of a certain paper, It is all right. Can I see the lady?’ There was scarcely room for doubt. “Who is the boy?” the man asked, fur- ‘ther. ‘‘A chap Mr. Hodgley sent for me. It is all right, my good man. But, if you prefer to wait until Mr. Hodgley gets here, weil and good. It will save time if I get things ready, however.” “Well, come this way.” Having closed the door, the man led the way up the stairs, and unlocked and opened the door of a room. , Jerry stepped in, and Timmy held back a little in order to let the policeman have the field all to himself. There was a mo- ment of silence, soon broken. ‘*My darling!’ cried Jerry, theatrically. “T find you at last!” “Mr. McKenna—Jerry!’’ the fair pris- oner exclaimed, and, true to Timmy’s pre- diction, she fell into his arms. The man who had admitted them stood for a moment paralyzed, almost, but new made a dash at Jerry. Watchful Timmy, however, deftly caught his foot and tripped him, and the next moment Jerry had made him prisoner! It had all been done so quickly and so quietly that no one else in the house was likely to be alarmed. Then explanations followed; the policeman and the rescued girl chatting away like two happy chil- | dren. Timmy did not interrupt them, but had an eye out for business. Presently the door below opened, and a heavy step was heard, : Then it was that the backer warned Jerry, and they stood ready to receive Mr. Hodgley when he came up. But he did not come; he stood below in the hall and ealled out “Samuels!” That was probably the name of the pris- oner. He did not get Samuels, but others in the house appeared, and by that time the detectives were at the door. Hodgley turned to open it, and when they had entered they covered him with a brace of revolvers, with a peremptory order to him to surrender. The rum magnate had no choice, and a more surprised man never lived, perhaps. “Right this way!’ called out Timmy Keen, then. “‘We are waiting for you, boys. Right this way! We have the lady | safe and sound. and all you have got to do is scoop in the prisoners! Come right along; don’t be amazed.” But, amazed they were, nevertheless— a joyous sort of amazement, and Timmy was congratulated. The woman after whom Julia Claverton had been named was a very rich and very - eccentric personage. Julia’s father had at one time rendered her a great service. At ¥, -her death she left her property all to her namesake, to become hers at her twenty- fifth birthday, provided her brother—the woman’s brother—did not perform certain conditions in the mean time. If he did that, half was to go to him. Meanwhile, Julia might resign her rights, if she chose. Mr. Claverton had kept the knowledge of this wealth from his daughter, and it Was 4a surprise to her. Rufus Hodgley was the brother in question. He made up his mind to have the wealth without per- forming the conditions, one of which was that he should give up saloon-keeping, the sister having been a strong temperance ad- vocate. He had laid well his plans, as we have seen, but, thanks to Timmy Keen and the others, his artful scheme had come to naught. And, as the time was brief, the property all fell into the young lady’s hands, as the testator had stipu- lated. The unprincipied schemers were pune ee ished as they deserved. oS And, of course, Jerry married the lady, to, in time, resign from the force. He had objected to this, but his protest was over- ruled by the plea: “Don’t you think more of me, Jerry, dear, than of your profes- sion?’ Of course he did! Tt turned out that Paul Clayman had eloped with a pretty actress, fearing his » mother and sisters might oppose the | (ae mateh if he allowed them to learn of it, . a but his bride proved herself a treasure and all were glad to welcome her among them at their home in Valewood. We have forgotten to mention one thing —the result of the oil on the face and neck of Ned Stainer. Timmy met him the next day—a Sunday, the day after the match and the events that followed—and he looked as if he had had a brush with a nest of hornets. The young backer was hilarious at the sight, and, as it was too good to keep, he let the fellow know who had done it for him. Then Ned was indeed “‘madder than a hornet,” and pitched into Timmy then 4 and there, but he got the worst of it in ~ ed about one minute, and Timmy went off om singing: ‘Some day I'll be a copper, And with them all parade, a And lay all other pg vr Away out in the shade. Roundsman, and then sergeant, And captain then, of course: Then, maybe, superintendent, Of the finest police force!’’ And so we take leave of him, happy in that proud ambition, and with a host of friends to back him. THE END. \ NEXT HALF-DIME LIBRARY, No. 948, Buffalo Bill’s Snap-Sho Wild Kid's ‘Texan Tally, es & BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM, © AUTHOR OF “BUFFALO BILL’S CRACK-SHOP PARD,” “‘BUFFALO BILL’S BOY MASCOT,” ETC, «