Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 902 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

7) re J - —e be™ BX ’ CHAPTER III. JOYFUL JIMMIE’S SCHEME. Felix Shea’s proposition evoked a hearty laugh. And that laugh worked a good dea] in Trump Finnegan’s favor, for laughing men can hardly be severe. “Let him go, mayor!’”’ spoke up Hand- some Harry. ‘ You all know me, and l am not afraid to voucn for him. Maybe Tom has made a. mistake, and it would be rough on the stranger.” The crowd supported that proposition by a shout. “You can’t lose anything by that,” assumed Finnegan. ‘‘ You are a whole town against one man, ana if you find, after all that I am the chap you want, it hadn’t ought to be much trouble to get me. I certainly have no intention of run- ning away from my accuser.” “What say, boy?” and the mayor turned to his son. “Do as you please,’ was the answer, and the young man turned on his heel. “Well, for the present you may Ire- main at large,’ announced the mayor to the newcomer. ‘“ Don’t forget, though, that you are under suspicion.” “Thank you for nothing,’ rejoined Finnegan, lowering his guns. ‘“‘ You ev}- dently have a live appreciation of tle value of good health. When you prove that I am Tiger Joe, I’ll walk into ycur jail without a murmur.” “You'll go in, whether you kick or not ”’ “Unless you mistake.” The mayor walked away with a sniff of disdain, motioning to the men be had brought with him to retire, and the crowd broke into a cheer—one that. cia not please the mayor greatly. Finnegan’s weapons had now disap- peared” as quickly as they had come to light, and he held out his hand to Hand- some Harry. “Much obliged to you,” he said. “For what?” Harry asked. ‘‘ Why, for chipping in on my side that time.” “Pshaw! that was nothing. You held the winning hand without any assist- ance.”’ “ Yis, and it is a trump ye are, fur fair,” averred Felix Shea. ‘“ An’ ye want any hilp at any toime, me and Harry are dhe bhoys to yure call, you bet.” “Thank you!” returned Finnegan. “I won’t forget your offer, if I get into a tight place any time while I’m here, and. the indications are that I may. By the way. what is going on here; a circus in vw town? ” “You may rely on us, if you are inno- cent, as you claim,” seconded Harry. . “You mean these new arrivals by the extra stage? Why, that is Professor _ Morritson and his assistants and serv- “ants. He is about opening a Keely cure in our town, for the benefit of all in need of that kind of thing.” “Ah! I see. Quite a novelty, for this part of the country, I should say.” Hy, “ Ves, decidedly.” “‘And that is the building over there? ‘They are going in on a grand scale, no denying that.” > “Yes, that is the building, but they did not erect it for that purpose.” And thereupon Handsome Harry proceeded to ae . ’ Y 4, - d - : . ' Ae ‘4 4 ~~ : ms { , * i Me ™ _-. -*-s»#give the newcomer a sketch of the town’s history. Meantime the Godwins, father and son, had entered the hotel office. | “You are sure that is the man?” the / mayor demanded. “Sure of it? Of course I am! Didn't you notice the way he handled his guns? ‘What other man you ever heard of could handle the poppers like that?” | Deadwood Dick, Jr.. “Well, that is good evidence, cer- tainly.” ‘““And then his cool nerve. Did ycu ever see the like? He had you and your gang completely balked.’ “I guess I'll have to admit it, Tom.” “And, if that were not enough, acd to it the fact that I have seen the fellow, and can solemnly swear he is the gentle- man.”’ “Well, that settles it, inen. Not likely that you could be mistaken, I suess. But, we will have to take care of him in some other way. He is too many for us, open.” Prof. Morritson had been busy register- ing for himself and company, for they were to take their dinner—rather sup- per—there at the Dalton House. He now turned to Godwin. “What is this my man Murphy tells me about our house being haunted?” he demanded. “Well, that is the story that is around,” said Godwin, laughing lightly. “IT hope that you are not going to take stock in any such old woman’s story as that.” ‘* But, it seems to be a fact.” “Like a good many other facts, my dear professor. Give a dog a bad name, and hang the dog, you know.” “But he tells me that you and your partner have a standing reward of five hundred dollars to any one who will lay the ghost. If there is no ghost, why a reward?” “ Don’t you see?” “I must confess that-I don’t, sir.” “Why, to lead men to investigate and prove the fallacy of the rumor.” “And by that means redeem the house from the stigma—I see, I see, Not a bad stroke of policy.” “Not believing the report ourselves. there was no use our spoiling a good chance by mentioning it to your man, and so no mention was made of it. You are too long-headed to take stock in any such folderol.” ‘And that offer. of five hundred dol- lars is still open? ”’ “Yes, it is still open.” “Then, if we succeed in establishing the fact that there is no ghost in the house, you will place it to our credit?” “TI will.” | “Good enough. That will be a big item to offset the rent.” “And it will by that much enhance the value of the property, so we shall come off about even by the transaction.” “Exactly so. It will be to our inter- est to lay the ghost, and to your interest to have it laid. I haven’t the slightest doubt but that we shall be able to prove it a myth.” ‘Nor I, Professor Morritson.” “YT say, mayor.” “Well, what is it, Joyful Jimmie?” It was that personage who had been Waiting to chip in. “Is this the perfesser what's goin’ to run the snake-annihilatin’ establish- ment?” “ Yes, he is the gentleman, Jimmie.” The professor smiled. “Well, jist give me a knock-down to him, will ye?” Joyful requested. Why, certainly. Professor Morrit- son, this is Mr. James Joy, better known here as Joyful Jimmie, on account of his | fondness for the flowing bowl and his happy disposition when in his cups.” ‘“ Ah! indeed,” said the professor, tek- ing the bummer’s hand. ‘“ Perhaps you want to inquire into the merits of cur gold cure my man.” “Wull, now, perfesser, you couldn’t ‘a’ hit the bull’s-eye closer 'n that if you had tried,” said ae Jimmie, with a : | sured Joyful. inyasion of the haunted domains. at Gold Dust. i Bi. ~ broad smile. ‘‘ That is jist what ia dor | want to quire about.” 4) Ae oe “Very well, what do you want th oe | ak know? If you are tired of being a slave to strong drink, I will give you a written. guarantee to rid you of the appetite or oR refund your money and pay you for your ah. lost time while you are in the sanitarium. Wel, besides.” o>) “You must have fuilest faith in yeur © cure,” remarked Mr. Godwin, with a. smile. “We have, sir.’ “ And ye don’t kill the patient?” quer- ied Joyful. “No, we don’t kill the patient,” the professor assured. ‘‘ We guarantee to cure him.” “Wull, now, it would be well vigh a miracle, in my case, perfesser,”’ said the old camp bummer. “Iam a genuine cld soak, and I opine my veins run likker instead of blood.” c “No matter about that, sir; you place ~*~ yourself under my care, and I guarantee to cure you and put blood in your veins ; instead of alcohol. I would like to get me ht hold of just such an impossible case as } i, yours, to show the people here just what. we can do.” “Is that so?” “That is so, my friend. “ bebe ve Paull £ . Y Pee 4 < £0 ttl atone wel” : ad S * ‘ i Son co - " ‘“Wull, now, that is right along the bP line of what I was goin’ to propose to ye.” SNe: “What was the proposition you had mre, in mind?” ~ |», OSE es “Ye see, it is like this: I ain't got no hundred dollars, nor even a hundred | cents, fer matter of that, but I thought | mebbe we could hit off a bargain. Tam —§| well known here as the worst old chronic in Hungry Gulch, and’if you can cure me it willy be a card worth more’n a hundred dollars five times over.” Be “TI don’t know but that you are right.” J) “TI know I am.” \ RS fe “When can you put yourself under mete fee treatment, if we accept your proposi-_ a ee hese tion?” eae 1 “Hold on jist a minnit before we talk about that,” urged Joyful. “You are — on the winnin’ side in the game, rccord- in’ to your own say, and I want io know © a ee more about it before we hegin.” ery well; what do you want to. “]T hear said that you allow a patient’) to swig and swill to his heart’s content = = before you ’ply the remedy.” y ane (oe “Well, that is about right, my friend, = We give our patients to drink just as long as they will drink. When they ab- | « ”%, . Ps x ~ % ; > f 7 solutely refuse it, and will not even bps = smell of it, we pronounce the cure * effected.” nie, | - “That is all I wanted to know,” as- ah : “T’m ready to begin abe ua oncet, and the sooner the better.” at igesaee sf Very well; come to-morrow morn- ing. PB \ 4 Joyful Jimmie hastened out, with: Bain ot ae joyous smile on his face, and just around j the corner he found Felix Shea, “Et worked!” he cried, slapping his knee and almost dancing in nis delight. | “Pay day is ten days off, but to-morrow I am goin’ to have jist the biggest old glorification on record, you bet!” CHAPTER IV. PLANNING A PRETTY PROGRAMME. Prof. Morritson, after learning the ‘story of the house, that it was haunted, decided not to open until the following — “j morning. a _ He would allow his assistants and the others to spend the night at the hotel, and would take daylight for their i e believed that would be the better plan. By that means his Sait or Re would heve- 0% Ma