Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 960 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

ea ’ { sy ~~ i ~ SY or eraes - guppose he would trust me with such a job if he hadn’t?” _* The same as you trusted me, hey? You think because I am out on leg bail that you have got a cinch on me and I don’t dare to holler. If you don’t come down with that extra thousand this minute—’ * Great Scott! I haven't got a thousand eents about me, Mike. You have got to pe reasonable. Anyhow, you will have to wait till I can see that fellow again—” “Not a wait! Do you hear? Not a wait! -I want that ‘money now, right now, or I’ll make trouble.” * “Sh! Not so leud.” “TT don’t care how loud I talk. If you ‘want it blowed out, might as well be here ‘as any where else. See?” This in a. still louder tone, and some of those present turned to look at the speaker, and the anxious man fat a hand on his arm and ordered him again to be quiet. “Then pay me w nat was promised,” growled Mike. “T tell you I can't do it, not till I see him. Give me one day, and Ill have it for you.” *T want it right now. You take me to him, and I guess he will be glad to come to time. I have done my part, and I want ‘to get out of here as soon as I can do it.” a Haven’ t I told you why I ean’t do that? But what proof have you got to show me that you have done the job?” * What proof? Do you ‘want me to show you right here sy now ?” “No, no; tell me,”’ . .* Well, I have:s s popper, his watch, his bracelets,* d every thing he had about him. That’s fll I have got, though.” * What 6 you mean?’ , ‘‘T mean that I had to pay my helpers big, and that has about strapped me. You ain’t dealin’ fair with me, Hen Gardner,” * And I tell you it is not my fault. You seem determined not to understand the situation as it is.’ If I could have got word to you in time, there would be nothing to pay, would there?” _ “ Well, no, I s’pose not.” “Very well. The man thought that I could stop you, and hence he did not give me the balance.” . ** He had no business to suppose anything about it. A bargain is a bargain, and he’d orter had the money in your hands when '. that bargain was made. I didn’t expect to fhave to wait.’’ fore he paid it over. I have got to take (him proof that the work is done.” “Then take him right to the saloon and show him the job.” fo “Vou didn’t do it there!” iu “Why not?” a “Why, man, that will fasten it right on oe the, if the body is found there!” “All right; so much the better for me, _ ‘then. But you get me that thousand be- a se fore night, and I will take care that the i ge sun-up.” A Fe, Li do-it; if possible. Give me ie: proof— But not here; let’s go into the ‘back room.” - Gardner arose and led the way, and _ they passed into a rear room. - Here Rummy Mike disclosed the articles he had taken from the detective he claimed oe have murdered, yet knew he had not. ~* Are ye satisfied?” he demanded. ies “fe “Yos, I ean’t ask anything more,’ was A Soe response. “I'll show these things to him, and he'll pay the money.” “Maybe he will. If he don’t, you nave got to, and no fooling about it. I will Lx Pas, you until ten o’clock to-night, when Till meet you here, and if. the money ain’t | fortheomin’, look out!” | brea 4% ee, Was a strange game, truly. ae No, you. must B sie me until this time * é 1 aOR “ Well, he would want proof anyhow, be- Bat, body is got away with before another | won the | had heard ail. to-morrow, at leet, for I am not certain that I can find my man so soon,” ‘Not another minute! Do. you under- stand? Ten o’clock to-night, right here in this room, and you have. got to have the money with you. I don’t care how you get it.” * Well, I'll try my best. here at that time, anyhow. you had men to help you?” “ Sure.” “ And did you let them see my hand in it ?”’ “Say, think I’m a*fool? No, they think it is my own job, ’cause the sport has been houndin’ me.” ‘Well, let them think that. But you say you have paid them, so they are out of it. The main thing for you now is to lie low and keep out of sight till you get the money.” “Tll hang around here. Nobody. will think to look for me here, it ain’t likely— in fact, the Broadway Sport was the only one I had to fear.” * Well, I will meet you here at the ap- pointed time with the money to square up.” * Yes; don’t you dare to come without that.”’ They parted company, and Gardner left the place, Rummy Mike looking after him with an expression that ‘was made up of a commingled scowl and leer. He knew that he was upon dangerous ground, and yet he could not resist the temptation to risk all for the sake of that extra thousand, if he could get it. CHAPTER IX. WHAT SBCRET THIS? “ Hello, Frau Reizenstein! pie trade?” So the Flyer exclaimed when he came to een ere and approached the pie-woman’ s sta “Es ist nicht sehr gut,” the old woman responded, speaking in her native tongue, knowing that-Fred had a smattering of the language, thanks to her teaching at odd moments. ““Not very good, eh? Well, that is. ashe! but that is to be explained on the gone that the store is closed. Paddy Ga a. is not here to-day to help you out, to say I'll meet you But you say nothing of the rest of us who buy of you. oceasionally. gute Frau.” The old woman cut a piece of the pie in-. Tll try a piece of that one, dicated, while she rejoined to the boy’s re- marks, aud Fred dropped a nickel in her hand and set about munching the pie forthwith. “Did you know ein man vas arrested peen?” the old woman asked. “*Man arrested?” echoed the Flyer, his mouth full. “Yaw, yaw, dot yas so.” “ Who was it?’ The old woman told him all about the ar- rest peng had been made, Fred listening in er * Whew!’ the boy whistled, when he “This will be news for the Broadway Sport when he comes, sure enough. Wonder who the old fellow was? It will be for us to find out,” “Unt who vas dot?” inquired the pie- woman. d “Who is who?” ; ‘* Der sbort.’’ | “Oh, he is—he is a man that had bus- iness with Mr. Stroughtenberg this morn- ing, and is trying to find out what was wanted of him.” “Vell, vell; Wey:,. 1 wonder me who id vas did kill der poor oldt man, anyhow? I pet you id vas nefer find oudt, Meester Fred, but. id * be creat mystery always.” So ran shelr conversation, until the Fly- ‘he Broadway Sport. How is the : id vas creat peesness, any- ~nannane ine alll ae ae) er, catching sight of the Sraaawes Sport. coming, ‘said a hasty adieu to the ‘pie- woman and went to meet him. “Well, anything to report?” Kempton asked. “The police have made one arrest—’”’ “The old man? Yes, I know about that, and he is a puzzle to them, too. They cannot get a word out of him, not even his name; he absolutely refuses ‘to talk.” ‘*Do they think he is the right man? Do peo think he is the one that did the mur- er? ‘*No; they are satisfied that he did not do it, and that is what puzzles them. They mean to hold him, though, until he does talk, or until they can learn something about him eh Something queer about him, sure enough. But there is something else that is queer, and I don’t know whether I ought to tell you about it or not. If it wasn’t that we are both workin’ together I wouldn’ Ae but as. it is I think you’d ought to know.” “Why have you doubts about telling me?” ‘Because I don’t want you to look sus- picious at George Stroughtenberg.” ‘“ Hat’ and the secret detective’s face took on a grim expression instantly. * You don’t think ‘he, is guilty, do you?” Fred hastened to inquire. “I hope you don’t; it is impossible that he can be, loy- ing his father as he did; but—” “ But what?’ “You won't get him into trouble, will you?”’ “Why, certainly not, if he is innocent; and, as you say, he mast be innocent. Out. with it!’ “Well, a man named Frank Allen has ordered him to be here at the store at three o’clock to meet him, and for some reason George did not dare refuse to come, I'll tell you all about it.” Before the young shadower had time to finish, however, he caught sight of Allen and pointed him out, and barely had he done that when George Stroughtenberg was seen coming down the street, on the oppo- site side, and the two men met, both look- ing serious. “Boy,” said the Broadway Sport, ‘we must hear what these two men have to say to each other. ‘“T don’t know how we are going to do T ‘9 “We have got to do it. It may be the means of clearing George Stroughtenberg from suspicion, if suspicion falls his way. Go ahead and see how near “jis can get . to them.”’ ‘* All right.” ~ * And if they discover you, then I must try them. Be sure to remember everything you hear.” This was something the Flyer did not like to do, but if it was with the idea of saving George Stroughtenberg from sus- picion, he was ready for the task, Meantime, the two men had greeted, “* Well?” George Stroughtenberg had de- manded, on coming up. ‘‘T see you are here,” sneered the other. “T knew you would not dare to refuse.” “Do not be so boastful,’”’ and something in George’s tome gave warning. ‘ The wonder to me is that you had the nerve to send for me after what has happened.” “The nerve? What nerve quire?” They had stepped just around a corner, out of the stream of people, and just there stood several empty packing cases. “ A good deal, I should think. What if I tell that you had good cause to hate my father, from your point of view, and that you were at ‘the store yesterday upon an unsuccessful errand; what then?” The other laughed, | Just men a boyish . id it re-.