Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 963 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

exclania tions from the women and ihe Aeos bartender testified to their surprise. The 3 elderly man said nothing, but in his eyes "> eame a deadly, av aricious look, mt 23 ‘* Here is a go!” exclaimed Steve. “I guess we've caged a fine-feathered bird, after all he sings so poor.” The package was crammed with bank bills of large denominations. ‘ ’ CHAPTER IV. AT THE HOLE IN THE WALL. Great rolls of green notes were care- lessly wadded together, like rags in a bag. The total amount of the money thus ex- posed undoubtedly ran well up into the thousands. a Sn “Come, now, young feller,’ said the el- | —-s derily man, “I’m the boss: here, and I say 2 ee as you’ve got to square yourself afore I hands you over to the police. W here did you lag this swag? Come, now! None of ye’r shenanigan.” “Well, sir,’ began Rube, greatly dis- mayed, ‘ [—picked—it up. I did, sir, and that As a fact, sure as I’m an onfortinate boy.” yi? The ruffians gathered more Closely around + ‘the boy, with a cruel covetousness in their eyes. ~Rube felt that they were equal to ~~ eeeasion arise. Oh, how he w ished himself | paek in old Missouri. (Na “ Look here, kid!” said Steve, the sivuut nae man, whom Rube had encountered in the es alley. “Who d'ye think is going to swaller such stnffin’ as d’at? + he “ Dry up, Steve,” interposed the old man, Pe “Let d’e kid alone. He knows how he BOR come by d’e cash and he knows that I can take keer of it for him better than he can himself, Ain’t d’at d’e case, kid?’ a “T don’t know. I suppose so, only I ~~ don’t know but that I ought to take this ef) money back. I had no idea it was money, you know.” ‘ “Of course. We knows all d’at, and more, too.” The elderly man winked again and carefully. assumed the custody of the package. “ You don't want fer. take it back; you want ter send it. See? You - want ter send it by me. I'll explain every- eae thing so as you ‘won't have no trouble. . . Slooger is my name—Dan Slooger, of the | Hfole in the Wall. Here, barkeep! Set tem up all around. We'll drink to the Pa < bilth of our young friend, here. Sharp kid s he is an’ no mistake.” While the drinks were being prepared, ae the two women could hardly refrain from . gnatehing at the protruding wads of bills, . as old Slooger tied up the bundle for safer keeping. Rube was again quizzed as to - where he had found the package. “Found it!” sneered Steve. “‘ Better ask the kid where he stole it. What the blamed --‘ mnischief should the likes of him be doin’ with d’at wad of stuff onless he cribbed the same?” “TJ didn’t steal nothing!’ Rube was an- f "gered by this accusation out of his pre- cautionary reticence. ‘“‘I found it. Want to know where?’ 2) “Am I askin’ for pir d’yer reckon?” ‘ = co as Nes ae’ where I saw you coming out of the back a9 4 gate not more than an hour or two ago—” a Sp “Ye'r’ a liar!’ Steve seized Rube by the —* interfered. “Let the kid alone!” roared Slooger to ops who was Slooger’s son. | *pe os ow de givin’ us a stiff!’ insisted y. “ Pl do him: yet for jollyin’ 2 ag bes ff I am not lying, <j cried Rube, feel- ps, he had better speak he at he had gone thus far murdering him for the money should the | “Well, then, I found it in the house | oat and shook the boy until the ssid “What is more, he felis the t truth. I saw Alm lane UN a" The Hast Side Sport — ee — _—- -- — in the auv>;. Then I went in. Never mind why. I went ins‘de the house.” “And there you lagged the dope.” It was Slooger who spoke, while Steve was looking uneasy in his wrath, “ You might get five years at Elmiry for d’is job, boy!” “T found the package there—found it on the floor in the house where I was; and, what is more, I saw there something else. There was a dead man—in a chair. He had a knife in his neck. Oh, he looked awful. That was just after I seen him” —pointing at Steve—‘“‘leave the back yard of that very house.”’ Dan Slooger fixed a lowering eye upon his brutal-looking son, for such Steve was. ‘The kid is a blamed liar, I say!’ shouted Steve, with rather unnecessary ve- hemence. “ Don’t I kiow his game?” *You’ve been tryin’ to bleed d’e old man again,’ said the father, angrily, as he brought his great fist down on the bar heavily. ‘sl believe the kid is tellin’ d’e See? You've done d'e ruined us troot—d’at I does— old man up at last and you've all.”’ ‘‘T ain’t done nothin’ of the kind,” re- turned Steve. “I does own up to goin’ to that there house—the house of old Eben Rawlins, there, but—but when I left the house d’e old man was cussin’ me blue—he was, for a fact. Nary a dollar would he give me—” , “You are lyin’, Steve!” interrupted Slooger, Senior, tucking the package under his arm. ‘“ But, whatever you done, this kid, here, knows too much. Here—you!’ to his bartender. ‘“ Take the bloke down cellar and lock him up in the coal hole till we gets at de straight of dis thing. Mind you, don’t let him get away, Jake.” “Lemme go!’ shouted Rube, as Jake Slosson seized him. “I won't be locked up! H—e—l—p! M—u—r—d—e—r!” The large hand of Steve Slooger closed over Rube’s mouth and his cries subsided into chokes and gurgles as he was dragged back, resisting as best he could. The boss swore lustily, but while his back was turned, the sight of the package under his arm was too much for one of the women, who made a wild lunge. The parcel, jerked away, disappeared be- neath a ragged shawl, and Leary Kate, as she was called, darted toward the front door. A great outcry arose, but at this juncture the door was thrown open and in ‘sprang a youngster in blue, who over- turned Kate as if she had been a sack of salt. The package flew from her grasp, but before any one else could reach it, the youthful stranger had picked it up, backed himseif against the wall, and drawn a gleaming, blue-barreled revolver. “Stand back!” he cried, his blue eyes scanning every person in the room, as if to make a “study of each one of them. CHAPTER. V. SEEKING A CLEW. Let us follow the messenger boy after making the appointment with Rube Raw- lins at the Grand Central Depot. His course was down-town, until, when in the neighborhood of the Rawlins resi- dence, he noticed a crowd’ gathered about the door of a house. A. policeman was at the door. ‘‘ What is the racket here?’ thought the messenger. ‘‘Hello! Blessed if it isn’t the very house I am hunting,” and he edged his way toward the door. From the glare from a street lamp op- posite into the hall, something in white could be seen on the stairs. A number of men were moving about inside. “Come, now!” said the officer, to the messenger boy. ‘“ You get back, * at the same time waving his hand at a patrol “wagon, which drew ‘presen hick see asf cd | ‘Some time. Ap is js igntiech ad magus ei ean ee them having words up-stairs, and finally Ty Mr. Raw lins put him out, I believe. the back stairway, Then “FAave a toessage for Mr Eben Rawlins, No. 183 Blank-Street,” retorted the Jad, — boldly. ‘ Don’t he live here?” “This is his house, youngster, mest the Bi man is dead.’’ “Dead? Well, ain’t there receipt for the message?” “Wait till I call the sergeant, and don’t ye stir from the step.” Presently a portly, self-important looking officer in plain clothes appeared at the anybody to door. He beekoned the messenger boy to- enter. Then he looked at the lad closely. “Give me the message,” he said. “I am Sergeant Sloper, of the Central detee- tive force. You wait here; we may re- quire your services when we see what the message is.” The lad entered with the sergeant, but stopped suddenly as he caught a yiew of the corpse in the chair: The ghastly sight gave the nervy boy ¢ shock. He walked quickly backward to the stairway, and began to ascend it. At the first landing sat the girl in white whose figure he had noticed from the Street. “That is a pretty girl,’ thought the mes- senger boy—whose name was Adam Hoke —as she raised her tear-moistened eyes to meet his gaze. “ What do they let her stay here for?” | “Can you tell me why they will not let me g away 2” she asked, in an anxious ~~ tone. “I have been kept here ever so long.” “It is a dead shame. But these coppers can be pretty mean when they want to be. I know their ways. Tell me all about your trouble, won't you? I shouldn’t wonder if I could help you, so tell me everything,” “T would if—if I thought it would do it at | any good. But you are only a boy, and I don’t see how you can help me any.” “True. I’m only a boy, but I am up to snuff. Don’t you forget that, sissy!” | “Well, I'll tell all I know, then,” re- marked Jennie, for it was she. “ As far as I know, Mr. Rawlins and I were the only ones in the house. I went out to do some marketing. Then I went to my own room’, by a back stairway. Then—oh, oh! hate to talk about it. It frightens me!”’ ‘Better explain all, sissy; that'll show me just what to do to help you. Who are you? Old gentleman’s daughter?’ “No, indeed! I am the servant. Rawlins had lots of money, yet he would’ — not keep any one to do the work but a half- — grown girl. Didn’t cost so much, you see, He used to quarrel dreadful at times with) Ve: aad ‘ ’most any one that would come about—me — especially. lived mostly to himself and was very queer, — a altogcther. He wouldn’t trust banks. I’ve heard him say so. I always thought he ps mus keep money in the house.” | sh en you saw no-one oe about at all?” asked Adam. “Nit. ‘The house has been’ as quiet as a | grave since—since—oh! I forgot! There was a boy came this afternoon.” ee is Px: ve ae ae t on : . on ale ne ten ~ ses *y “ Boy. eh? Well, what was this boy like? What did he say or do?’ <2 Bi “He first came an hour or so abet cop ‘ night, and Mr. Rawlins let him in, as I~ 4 nee was busy below about supper. I “heard | ae : After supper I started out to do - marketing, — when who should run up to nfe but a boy — who said he was the fellow whom Mr, Rawlins had fired out of the house. Said he Was a nephew of Mr. Rawlins, and — talked so pitiful that I gave him tition ia is cents of my own money to get him a bed.” pate a SY “That must be country dake, YP AY thought the messenger rag teh rt ; On returning from her marketing, s sie. © : % ye further stated, she ‘went to her room byes ie and remained there for ivi she became efraien over — Sing CoM Uy a “% eh ae _ - bP Nee | He Koen % wi * . « Ls | te G ayaa Oo fis cor p t- Ps — : .' > é I ¥ ¥ Vg 2 Jas Pay ‘2 # , He would do strange things, a : ae } 7 |