Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 960 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

other car and was hastéhing off in the crowd, and he had to follow or lose him, Fred watched him turn around the cor- ner of the station and disappear, and at once set about looking for some one of |: whom he could inquire the way to the | ——— Hotel, when whom should he see but | George Stroughtenberg himself coming along up the platform, having got out of a rear car. The moment the man caught sight of the boy he gaye a start. “ What are you doing here?” he asked. ‘‘Came to see you,” was the prompt an- he | Broadway Spor coming fmmediately after parting from me looks suspicious.”’ “If there is anything that I ean do, boss, you have only to say the word.” “T know it, Fred. Father had the great- est faith in you, and so have I, but just now I do not see what is to be done, One ‘that know to the contrary. But his thing, I must attend to the business that brought me here,” '“ Maybe ‘that is what brought Allen here, boss; maybe he came to attend to it for you.” Stroughtenberg gave a start. Looking around the place, he soon dis- — covered the man he had followed there — sitting at a table with another man, his face toward the front entrance, amd the two were talking. What a revelation this would have been. for red Fly, could he have seen them! Rummy Mike did not know the man. Stepping to the bar, Rummy ealled for a bottle of something he liked, and, pay- ing for it, took bottle and glass and sat down quietly at a table. The place he had chosen was directly be- hind Gardner and the other,man, and they would have to talk in low tones indeed swer. “ What do you know about the matter?” ‘How did you know that I was coming | he demanded. if he did not oyerhear at least a portion of | ’ here?” ““Not a thing more than I have told | What was said between them, —T <> — : -_ - - — netengs. gma on > —eee EE. — a ~~ a Sg ee —" : > . : ¥ se * - . . > ; 7 4 ; q - & Fred explained that part of it quickly, and got down immediately to the meat of the matter, “*T came to give you warning of some- thing that I happen to know,” he said. “My playing detective has worked the wrong way, and I want to undo whatever I have done wrong.” — “Tred, you amaze me. What dre you driving at?” “Do you know that detective has his eyes on you as the possible murderer?” George Stroughtenberg paled to the lips. “Tf he has, he is wrong,”’ he said. “Tell me whateyer you know, Fred, and I may be able to set him right.” “Well, I first had a suspicion of him, and followed him this morning; but I soon found out that he was a detective, and had the good luck to save his life for him,” person to catch Fred’s eye was the Broad- * Goon.” ~ way Sport. “No, not ina thing of this kind, for this “Well, he is too deep for me. He has| He was standing by a huge tree, looking | Will balance our account, you see, and made use of me; the first I knew I had | up the street as if watching some one, | neither of us will have an advantage. given him a pointer that pointed at you, and he is now making use of that, or | trying. ‘to. Not that he believes you are mf he says, but it is the way to clear | yo What Ww pe the Rote Pe al Fred thereupon told George of the mat ter between him and Allen, as it was known to the detective, George listening eagerly and biting his mustache, “Well, if you did any wrong, you did it in a gooth cause, my boy,” said he, “‘and if you were smart enough to do that much you are smart enough to do more. Your setting out to follow me here proves that you are in earnest in trying to help me.” “T am, sir, for I don’t believe you had anything to do with the awful crime.” you did, nor do I know who did it. Did I know, not long would he be out of jail. - different.” * I believe you, alr, and I’m on your side to the end, no matter what comes up.” “Thank you, Fred. You had better re- . turn to the city now, for you can do no _ good here, The business that has brought him.” } than the one from which he had just | now; the man he was after was — Wie?! Yom Dave’ told me something of inter- | come, stranger, He wanted learn Feo te act - ost now, Fred, enough. You have| Rummy Mike hesitated ‘about following was, for it might prove a gold done me a great service, too, What has “prought him here I cannot. imagine, but a to me T believe.” This other matter is something entirely me here is something that is quite, pri-- ‘“ Wred, I no more killed my father than | Bes: to fn out, for he has followed | the city. you, sir; but that fellow may know more.” aie red, that is a thought that would not have come to me. Maybe there is some- thing wrong; you have given me an idea, Come, we will take a cab and find out.” A cab was soon had, and after giving some whispered directions to the driver, Stroughtenberg got in, Fred having al- ready done so. “Now for it,” said George as the cab started. “What is going to be done?’ Fred in- quired, “Going to be a scrimmage?” ““Oh, no; but we'll see whether Allen is here to attend to any of my business for me or not.” Little was said, and after a time the cab entered a quiet Dby- street and came to a stop. Fred and Mr. Stroughtenberg looked out from behind the curtain, and the first and Fred knew at once which way to look to find Allen, if he was in sight. Strough- tenberg, meantime, Was watching a house some distance off, and thus they remained | for a time. Finally the door of that house opened and Allen came forth, stepping out at a brisk pace up the street. The Broadway Sport was after him straightway, and as soon as they had passed the corner Mr. Stroughtenberg gave his driver a signal and the cab turned and rattled away to the station again, where it was just in the nick of time to connect with a train for Allen and his shadower on not yet reached the station. . CHAPTER XIIT. RUMMY GETS A CINCH. At the time when Hen Gardner left the | n, as mentioned, Rummy Mike was not long behind him. y was determined to get to the bottom of the matter if he could, and he knew of but one way to do it, and that \ was to follow Gardner and find out who his principal was. Accordingly, giving Gardner some start, he slouched along after him, taking care not to run chances of being discovered if he could help it. He. took, every shelter that. offered There he entered a Wormedooking den } him at once, until he had time to make a _ that it is for some object $e work te aah | little preparation for the venture, for he did not want to be recognized. An accomplished crook, an escaped con- | viet evading the officers at every turn, he sl ge of | iS pte a tn me he? Cea ix lose sight of his man inwrha bs aa i 4 “Why, noy’ What is he doing here’ ” Gardner led him a Jong distance to an- | gone Rummy was out like a shot by hes ~ a at is” what the Broadway Sport | other part of the town. side door. “™ * Neitherf them gave him any attention. “Too bad that it was too late,” he heard. the stranger saying, “but I shall not ery about it, now that it is done.” “No use,” said Gardner. “You are sure it was done, are you?” “Oh, yes, no doubt about. that; I have got his’ watch and things here in my; pockets, if you want to see them,” “No, no! Not for the world!” and the man. looked nervously around. He saw Rummy, but ‘that worthy was bending low over his drink just at the moment, and no suspicion could attach to him. * The n you will pay the extra amount?” “Fit Rave to; no way Out of it. That was the original agreement, you know.” “Yes; but I thought maybe you might want to get out of it, after the thing was. done, seeing e 4 you have got a hold on me,”’ Both must observe our agreement to the: letter.” “That's right. fy “No other way will do.” | “That’s so, that’s so. I understand. 6 “And you are dealing perfectly square- oy with your tool?’ ae “ Dead square, you bet. He wanis his — money, and I am to pay it to him re ‘ night.’ “4 * Well, I'll hand it over to you now. No. ie one will know what I am paying you for, t of course. There, I believe that is bone sum. Count it.” “No; I'll take your word for it,” said. ie Gardner, shoving the money into his ae pocket quickly, looking around to see if — any one was looking at him. ‘You have ue got no call to cheat me.” ae “Then that settles our business.’ fs pee “Yes, I s’pose so.” | ik “ And it will never be known that tips thing has been transacted between us? My That i8, if you keep your share of the Se a eret. it you do not, by Heaven! you go up! “ Oh, you needn’t be afraid to trust mi a we are both in the same at now, ae see, 9 They are ARR and arose rye ‘the: | ie ee ’ Takin at the bar, passed out of something ‘piace, and When eh : Bea He cared nothing further for Gardne i 4 knowledge for the future. Rummy saw the two men sara going in one direction and pe og other, and he followed the one in “Gan’t I find out for you, boss?” -he had most interest: He would see Mr, | Let me think. we |S not without some means of disguise, ardner later, han there : ul | sti a | For ee. minutes Stro ster as occasion required and in a few minutes | ¢ me of reckoning with Li Sesh Rummy felt: — i | silent bg thoughtful, and at last he ed he had altered his appearance somewhat. that he held the whip now. Salih a Ae + That done, he entered... 4 e stranger presently took a car, Rum. mona er all, it may be only a co | He did not go in by the front way, as | my doing the same, and ere long they were _ a ie sry ores ‘He may live here, Nor aL Gardner had done, but by a side Ta0Fe ia Mp a ret er uart of the ci ye tn Ke nt Li iat Lice ‘4 ¥., Net et mane raise ue aria cr ryate ‘ tae oa ee TARA wy) Pia hia : eT: ts reer ices t atk at a ae 74 Be) Vier ate: a yeethe ‘af Wah ARs ko nN ae : a fs 3 e ae a et B) £3) pu t ue a ts os ue ! ee eee Beh 4, se ah be pe ree a Sa vit =_—* os rey ae Pe! : al ae 3 t Pee Li wee Ne