Beadle's Dime Library No. 211 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

aA See c . sight of the bona fide roll of hundred-dollar bills offered him, showed him that something else was needed of him by the Boss Better, and made him hesitate. “Take the money, you won it fairly,” said Crooke, heartily. ‘I know well enough the mare was the betier horse. But any fool can win a race on the best horse. It takes a jockey to lose by a neck amd no one to know be’s pulling. Besides, I want you to do some more for me.” “‘T thought so,” observed Billy, quietly, as be tucked away the notes in his pocket. ‘‘ What is it, boss?” “You're to ride Ambition next week in the four mile race, are you not?” “Yes, boss. Am I to pull bim?” “No; I don’t want you to do any such thing. All I want is that be should win the lead and keep it as long as he can. Give him all the whip and spur he needs and force the pace from the very start.” “ How much for that?’ asked Billy, dryty. * You've taken my gal, and you ought to pay high.” xs Good joke, good joke. You're right. Well, Billy, I'll make it two thousand if you'll run Ambition down in the third mile. Beat all the time on record for a mile, two and three, but let some other horse take the last mile.” Bilty nodded meaningly. ‘AW right, boss, I understands the racket. All you’ve got to do is to come down with the stamps and you'll find methere. Half down, and balf more when the job’s done.” “You shall have it, Billy,” said the gam- bler, who seemed to be in a remarkably con- ciliating mvod that day. “Til give you a thousand the night before the race, and the rest the day he comes in second or third in tho ‘our-mile stakes.” ‘Tm agreeable, boss,” replied Billy, shortly. ‘‘ But we don’t want no more fixin’ of hosses, like you tried on Fanny Flyaway. I ain’t in on any sich racket.” Crooke affected surprise and anger. “You don’t imagine I was into that scrape, do you, Billy? I heard of that attempt, and all I can say is that I was glad to hear from Burton tat it failed, though he was not there as be ought to have been.” Billy grinned ratber scornfully. ‘*The feller that tried it on has a mark that he'll remember,” he observed. ‘I guess he won’t try i¢ on again till his shoulder gits well. We're goin’ to have shot-guns next time in- stead of pistols. Well, boss, there ain’t nothin’ more for me to do hereabouts. I reckon, I come to see Miss Mary there, but since she ain’t Miss Mary no Jonger, I ain’t sich a fool as to hauker arter other men’s wives, Good-day, sir.” “Good day. Billy,” returned the gambler, cordially, ‘Remember, if you stick to our side you’!] come out righbtin the end, I| don’t go back on my friends.” “All right, sir,” returned Billy. Then he turned to Mary, and his face worked slightly with an emotion he eould not conceal, as he said: “Good by, Miss Mary.” ‘'Good-by, Charley,” she said, softly. ‘“ You won't keep any bad feeling, will you?” “ Against youf No,” he answered, and then he left the room quietly and went down-stairs to the door, unaccompanied. It was a change to Billy, who bad been courted before that day, aud was used to innumerable tender adieux behind the street door; but no one seemed to care for him now, and be heard a whisper near him, and Katie, the sewing-girl came up to bim and said bastily, in a low voice: ‘You poor dear young man, there’s them as will be true to ye, if you only knew them. I could tell you a lot if you’d meet me some- where.” ‘“ All right,” returned Billy, ip the same tone. ‘Say the word when.” “Meet mo to-night at eight o’clo-k, in the Atlantic Garden,” whispered Katie, rapidiy. T’'ll tell you something you'll want to hear,” hardly knew how it eame about in the dark, -. bat he kigsed Katie, and she kissed bim, when he went out inte the street and deparied, while Katie returned up-stairs, a6 meek and quiet as and Mary Madden never sus- pected bow ae bad been occupied, as the ex- dresemaker set to work to pack up her wear- ing apparel) te mowe away from the house, i ES ei Colonel Plunger. For Mary. Madden was fairly intoxicated at the idea of having been married, no matter how secretly and suddenly, to a distinguished- looking gentleman who boarded at a first-class hotel and sported so many diamonds, while Crooke, who saw in the girl a ready end quick- witted instrument that might aid bim io his purposes, bad really married her the night be- tore, after bis return from the clob, and was meditating, with her assistance, a plan by which he hoped to retrieve his own discom- fiture and overthrow his foes, An hour later there, when the frate Mrs. MacCarty arrived at the door of the little es- tablishment in Rivington stri et, ready to over- whelm Miss Madden with just indignation, she was met by the sight of Miss Katie O’Rafferty taking down the sign, conversing witha young man, whose paint spotted overalls announced his trade, and to whom she was saying: ‘‘T want it put in the best style, Mr. Sweet, and I don’t mind if it coste three dollars. ‘Mamzelle O’Rafferty, from Paris, Modist.’ That’s all. I don’t wantto carry on shirt-mak- ing. It don’t pay.” ‘* And what's the matter wid Miss Madden, at all?’ demanded Mrs. MacCarty, as rhe heard the last remark, Katie smiled sweetly in the face of the gro- cery queen, and replied: ‘‘Miss Madden’s gone out of the trade, Mrs, MacCarty, and left me the fixtures and good-will.” ‘“ Sorra much good-will is there to leave,” returned Mrs. MacCarty, sternly. ‘* When will my dress be done, Katie?” ‘Miss O’Rafferty, if ye please,” said Katie, with a toss of her head; *' I'm brad of the business now, ye’ll mind, and I'll have the dress, done on Friday. If that’s too late, ye’re welcome to take it elsewhere, if ye pay me for the day’s work that’s on it already.” “And sure and ye promised it to-morrow,” cried Mrs. MacCarty, angrily. ‘‘ What's yer word worth anyhow?” “When I said to-morrow, Miss Madden’s name was up here,” returned Katie, in the calmest of tones. ‘‘ Now I promise for myself and I'll keep me word,” And as Mrs. MacCarty knew that the girl was a skillful fitter and that good dressmakers were scarce in the neighborhood, she was forced to take out her displeasure in grum- bling and take berself away, while Katie went out to hunt up assistants to carry on the busi. ness, But that evening, at half-past seven, Miss Katie left the business to take care of itself, although evening visitors were likely to be plentiful with orders, for she locked up the house, leaving it dark and signless, while she sallied forth to the Atlantic Garden to keep ber appointment with Billy, Katie’s taste in dress and her means for in- dulging it, were not «qual to those of her former principal, but she hed one acvantage over her, which she made the mot of. Katie was vot yet eighteen, had a fine na- tural figure, a pretty face, jet-black hair, even white teeth and real Irish gray eyes *‘laid in wid a dirty finger” according to a Milesian proverb:—that is to say furnished with long dark lashes of extreme beauty. And all of Katie's savi for years had gone into a single dress which looked well un- der the Bowery gaslight. To be sure it was only cotton velvet, but the effect is just as good at night as the most ex- pensive silk velvet, and Katie had it made up stylishly, with a sbort cape of imitation jet bugles and beads, and some showy dollar jewelry which glittered in the gaslight as well as if it had cost a fortune. When she arrived in the Bowery and strolled slowly past the Atlantic Garden all aione, the began to feel frightened, for there were plenty of loungers there who stared at her curiously; but there is one thing to say in favor of the Bowery lounger. much of a roffian as bis brother of B:oadway, and rarely, if ever, insults a woman, So that Katie bad no offers of exeort to i ingly, with his hand on his hip, at which Katie said hastily: “Ob, mercy, no. Wéerat a temper you’ve got. I declare I’m quite afraid of you, myself.” ‘You needn’t be,” returned Billy, in a lord- ly tone; ‘1 ainu’t big, but I’m able to take keer of any Jady aos trusts herself to my purtection, if she don’t go back on me,” ‘‘T wouldn't go back on ye, Billy, dear,” was the answer, spokenin a tone of tenderness, aud then they went into the great glass roofed hall, and proc: eded to the elevated stage at the end, where they could command a view of all that passed in tbe hall below while the tables near them were not yet full. The orchestra was playing eirs from Btrauss and Offenbach, the hall was full of smoke and beer glasses, while the birds in their cages under the chandeliers were singing away aos hard as they could pipe in an effort to overtop the loud buzz of conversation in the hall. Billy Boots was not unmindful of hie duty to his fair guest, and ordered @ bottle of the most expensive Rbine wine he could find on the list, answering when Katie gently remon- strated at the extravagance: ‘* Never mind, Miss Katie, I’ve got heaps of movey to spend now, and I don’t care how soon it’s spent. I don't care for nothin’ no more.” “Why not, Billy! I’m sure sich a nice young man as you ought not to talk that way.” Billy affected a tone of lofty cynicism, ‘““Tt’s all very well, I ain’t sayin’ it win’s. But I don’t keer how soon I’m laid in the eold ground, I don’t. I've be’n a good boy til! to- day. Now I’m goin’ to be a bad cne, jist to see how it feels.” Katie gave him a tap as rhe answered: ‘*You always was a bad boy, I leliove. Lut I wouldn't take on #0 jest becau-e Muory Madden give you the sack. You don't know what I know about her.” Billy looked at the girl rather sullenly. Le had taken three glasses of wine already, in rapid succession, and felt still more reckless than when he had come in; but the idea of hearing something against the gir} he had adored grated on him yer. **T don’t want to hear nothes ‘hout her”): retorted, ‘‘if #’s agin’ her, She treated n bad, bad as kin be; but Tove her ill, and Va go through fire and water fur Ler. T ain't false, if she is.” Katie bit herlip. She had come out that evening bent on taking Billy's heurt captive on the rebound, and his sudden rece-s of fidelity to the woman he had Jost piqued and | vzzled her. ** Falke you may say,” she answered eta: ply. “There ain’t nothen “bout her hard » that ais false, only you don’t know berusxs «0. Yon ain’t lived in the bouse with her, ined sen ber a-dressin’,” ‘*T should hope not.” resied Pilly, with a blush. ‘“‘I ain’t used to por’ onto Mdses’ bed- rooms, I ain’t.” This made Katie blush an! stan him, “Go along with you. A’n't you Vbamed to talk so! I didn’t mean avy sie! tuiny,” “Then what did you men {' *-ked Billy. “You said you had suthin’ to tel me “bout Mary. What is it?’ For the boy was in no wise teken with Katie, such is the mysterions influence of affinities in love, Mary Madden had been small, slender, blonde, quick, capricious, and a great flirt, with tiny feet and bands, and the darkest of brown eyes, with the whitest of blonde hair. Katie was two inches taller than the boy himself, with the figure of a Venus, and ie honest hands and feet, but she weighed at least one hundred and forty pouvdr, while Bily tipped the sasle at ninety-five. The very qua.ities which made him se valuable ax a jorkey rendered bim an object of . scorn to the jair sex in general, aod disposed He is pot as | him to evo'd them far fear of being treated as a boy, while be felt he was a8 wuch a man os any six-footer of them all, Katie hed a vort f glimmering of the trath - frightened her, till she saw the smu'l day pr | 6 ‘0 tue pature, and haa » t watehed the arts “Pll be there,” whiepered billy. and then he | figure of the jockey approaching, dressed ine | of ber late princip.! in vaiw. She knew that new sporting suit, with a new and glittering Billy was likely to be worth money as @ jockey, watch chain depending over bis white vest. She at once went up to bim and tock his arm, saying: “IT thought you’d never come, Billy, and I was frightened to death at these rude men,” “Did any of ‘em in-ult yet? asked Billy, and as he spoke he kw ked round him menac- jend like most girls who work for a living Katie had a keen ambition t get ae that she might work for herself and a bus- band, The fect of Mary Madden's success had made ber doubly eager, and she was quit determined now to win Billy for herself. MUICLOOOKS (E(0) (E(@) (Lf