Beadle's Dime Library No. 260: The Masked Mystery; or, The Black Crescent — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

’ a te SS a e ? "7 —__———— > Pee hy 4 21 The Masked Mystery. LE Sssssssssssssssststssssssnseeeeneseeensenneet oe was evident he did not expect his partner back | « Boy!’ Haxon hissed, angrily; ‘‘ I’ve paid | sO soon. | you to tell me what you know. If you know | Frowning, breathing hard, excited, Haxon | where the parties have gone, and can put me appropriated a chair aud slapped down his | on their track, I'll give you half a dollar | pose we may step in and wait until his re- turn—” “Mr, Forde’s left town, sir.” A scarce perceptible frown appeared om hat violently on the table, “Careful, Haxy; that ‘ere hat cost seven dollars,” eying the other, coolly. ‘‘ Well, Gil Bret,” fell from Haxon’s lips, in a strained tone, ‘I bave some news.” ‘“News, eb? Js ’t all right? Got things fixed? Galina good humor? Day set—” ‘That would be news!” with a deeper frown, and a fierce light in the dark eyes, ‘Then spit it out. What’s up?’ ‘Well, they're gone!” Haxon communi- cated the news with a snappish accent, and leaned half-way across the table, to speak in a lower tone. “Gone! Humph! You n.ean Forde—” ‘Who else?” cried Haxon, biting his lips in vexation at the quiet way in which Bret re- ceived the intelligence, ‘“* An’ where have they gone to, eh?” ‘I do not know—cannot find out. I tried to bribe the servant, and only got snubbed for my pains, Now what’s to be done? Say? Will you ever wake up to the realization of trouble, when we get into it?” ; “Now, just you keep cool—” ‘<* Gool,’ Gil Bret!” starting up and glancing half wildly. ‘There ain't no use in all this ’ere fumin’ every time your hip’s pinned, Just— Well, what d’ you want?” “Tsay, mister, why I’ve run like snakes, all the way from Eutaw street after you! I saw you ’n the car—but J couldn’t get in, ‘cause I hadn’t no money. I saw you at the old gent’s house, up on Eutaw, an’ I knew ’at you was asking forthe fam’ly; an’ I didn’t s’pect you foun’ out what you wanted to know—judgin’ from the ugly look, you give thet ‘soupy’ at the door. An’ I thought, why, ’at maybe you'd like to know some- thin’ ’at J know, an’ so, why, I come after you,” It was tie newsboy who had been paid by Haxon to give Austin Burns the false note, He addressed himself to Harold Haxon. Harold Haxon contemplated the ragged urchin who kad intruded upon them, and whose words were so significant to the vil- lains. About fourteen years old, with a counte- nance stamped with intellligence, and tbe openness of which was only marred by sun- dry dirt-stains and not a few bruises—as if he combined in his wild nature a propensity for fighting—and there was tbat in his bright, piercing eyes and peculiar speech which de- manded attention, Bret and Haxon exchanged glances, ‘What is it you want to tell me?’ asked the latter, “T ain’t got nothin’ I want to tell you,” was the reply, with a knowing glance; ‘ but there’s somethin’ I can tell you, if ’'m a mind.” ‘And what is that?” continued Haxon, sur- vey ing the bedraggled garments of the youth. “Well, now, you must take me for a green ‘un, don’t you?’ T’ve got somethin’ to tell about the old gent up on Eutaw, an’ his gal— crimminy! she’s red warm!—she is,” * Look ’e haere, younker,” said Bret, vif you've got anythin’ to say, Why ’n thunder don’t you spit it out? We'll give you— “Give us the ducats!” holding out -his dirty band, Haxon placed a quarter in the outstretched communicate, relative'to Forde. __ After pocketing the money, the little fellow said: “Now, you'd like to know where them folks on Kutaw’s gone to?’ ‘Can you tell us?” Haxon spoke quickly, eagerly, and grasped the boy’s arm. ; “ Hold on now, you; that’s the on’y coat I’ve got. Don’t you bu'st a hole in jt” “Tell me what you know about Forde and the girl!” was the impatient interruption. ' “That purty gal with the golden hair a0 ‘eyes like indigo?” p Yes, yes; be quick! “Well, they’ve gone out of the city—” “Bah!” exclaimed Bret, “ we knowed that ere long ago.” ‘ “Yen: bat Ir ooen you don’t know where ‘they’ve gone,” with the air of one who accymes the importance of exclusive knowledge, ° : ‘ i SS 5," x. eee eo . —_ Se 2 more,” “ Will you? Crimminy! Well now, they’ve just gone to Washington, an’ nowberes else, That’s all.” “To Wasbington!” two mouths uttered the | exclamation simultaneously, Striking the table a forcible blow with his —_ ———— — - ee -rncnnnw»-—'—— -—-—————-- os es ee, <q fist, Bret declared, vehemently: ‘‘ By thunder!—Haxy, I b'lieve it!” “* How do you know this?” questioned Haxon, with a slight doubt asto the reliability of the information. ‘* Well, I was sellin’ papers right by the win- der, down to the depot, las’ night, an’ [ saw ’em, I was clost enough to see’at the tickets was for Washington. I knew ’em, ’cause I’ve of’en lef? a paper at the old gent’s house, and there’s where I seen his gal, too. Then, to day, here I see you a-askin’ after ’em at the front door; an’ I seen you go’way mud like, as if you couldn’t find out what you wanted to, Then, thinks I, Jack—here’s stamps! ’cause I knew you was good pay. So I come after you, An’ there’s the whole on’t.” This speech in a brief, concise, comprehensive delivery, that would have been creditable to the argument of a law- er, The additional half-dollar was paid over, and the boy departed, counting, in mind, how many Bulletins he would buy for tbat night’s sale, With one impulse, Bret and Haxcn left the restaurant, Without losing a moment, they took a car for Howard street. Their destination was Wasnington—their ob- ject to find Harnden Forde, Satan favored them in sending the newsboy —who dreamt not of the harm he was doing— to relieve them of their embarrassment; for, plain it was, that, without the unlooked-for aid, they were completely baffled. Already, they were hounding after their prey. Once found—Haxon’s eyes gleame:l like the orbs of a devil, as he anticipated once more grinding beneath his heel, the proud gentleman who had thus far felt but the smoothest sting of the venomed serpent hovering upon his path. Not alone the fierce ardor of determination to wed Eola now fired the breast of the scheming Villain; but with it mingled an inward vow to punish Forde for daring to defy him, They were too late for the afternoon train, and a tiresome period must elapse ere the de- parture of the four o’clock cars, Passing their time, partially in the bar-room, and in walking the platform, the time slipped by. People were purchasing tickets and crowding to their seats, Bret and Haxon stood upon the bind plat- form of the last car, watching the thronging passengers, when, suddenly, and at the same moment, the two stood trausfixed, as if power- less to move a muscle, That which they saw appeared to startle them. CHAPTER XXI, CROSS-PURPOSES, Wat BLAKE and the lawyer lost no time in going to Forde’s house. They were not a little surprised to find it ‘closed and dreary-looking (it was one of those old-fashioned buildings which, nowadays, re- quire all the dressing and brilliancy of open- ness and embellishment, to prevent the passer- by imagining it a historical sepulcher) as if the eccupants hed deserted it. “Buried himself, I reckon,” said Crewly, Surveying the building as though in doubt whether to risk ‘his body inside the doorway. “* Looks like he’d been sold out by the sheriff,” and now he stood still at the bottom of the steps, “Come on, Mr.'Crewly,” said Blake, ringing the bell as he spoke. “Any danger?” inquired the lawyer, dubi- ously, " Danger of what?” ‘a Bless me! I don’t know. But it seems like going into a tomb.” _ At this point James opened tbe door. ang. two strangers, he bowed respectfully. "Mr. Forde in?’ asked Blake. No, sir; he-is not,” in-a polite tone. “Notin! But he will be, shortly? I sup- See- 4 A —_.— - — —-_-—_—-_ -_—_----n Blake’s brow; and Crewly, screwing bis mouth into its habitual pucker, looked at the servant. with the hardest scrutiny of bis expressionless. eyes. Tien the lawyer stroked his chin ard said, wisely: * There’s a spider in our dumpling! or, to be idiomatic, our flea’s jumped!” Blake asked no more questions, and turned? away. ‘‘How’s that for beat?’ Crewly inquired, when they had walked a short distance, Wat Blake was unusually silent. Forde gone! Did he mean to defy himi—to defy Bertba’s order? And, finally, was the object: of bis flight to escape them, that be might sac-- rifice Eola? The reader knows bow to answer these que. tions, but Wat Blake did not, and his mi \ was sO absorbed that he paid no heed tos , companion’s remark. ‘““Umph! lost your Blake?” ‘Mr, Crew'y, I am perplexed,”—striving to: shake off the unpleasant surmises which vol- umed in his brain, ‘I can not think other— wise than that Forde bes fled, in order to defy~ us and satisfy the demands of Harold Haxen!: Yet, how can tbat be?’—relapsing into his: meditative humor—‘' when he knows we will) not permit bis escape!— we will not allow the: consummation of such villainy—” - ** What's the new dodge with them, eh?’ “Why, to bave Eola marry Harold Hax: on.” ; “Oh, me,” ‘“‘Tam in a quandary,” pursued Blake; and Crewly inserted with comical gravity: “ Whetber it is better to stay beat, or prove one’s self a plotter for one’s good. See? Now then, wake up. Ahem! No time to lose. Forde’s vamosed. So. Logic: after him. with a jump—’ | ‘ But how?’ 1 “Ay, there’s the rvb!” finished Crewly, iim — | the words of the poet; and he added: ‘‘Now, ii you see, or you don’t see, but you ought to, b | tongue, eh, Wat. certainly, I forgot. Excuse yes; and maybe you will—they’ve left town.” Pa) ac Yes,” ‘Exactly. And we’re to find out where they’ve gone.” ‘Yes, yes; but L ask again, ‘how? ” ** Well, that’s something I can’t say,” What little hopes had been inspired by the lawyer’s manner were dashed down by these words; and Blake felt a slight anger toward) the other for bis delusive speeches, Ta But Crewly had accomplished his object. WW Blake was aroused, and he walked alongr — faster. ! he They repaired straightway back to Mrs. | Lenner’s boarding-house. a In fact, Blake was very anxious to returm there soon; fearing that Bertha might start for Forde’s. a, df * She had not gone out when they arrived, and was, with Ora, in Austin’s room, as. Wat Blake, upon entering, threw himself! into the nearest chair, without a word. He | wore a frown, and seemed bent upon main- taining a mysterious silence, eis, Crewly was, also, silent; but his moye- | ments were more elaborate than Blake's. Gently depositing his hat on the table, and’ standing bis umbrella in the corner, he ap~ propriated a chair, twisted bis lank limbs, worm like, together, and letting his pointed Pe, chin fall between bis bands—while bis elbow: pay were insecurely fixed upon the arm-rests—be gozed steadfastly at the carpet, as if strivi to remind himself of something be could not — recollect. aihin Bertha marked the troubled look on her brother’s face, and knew that some unusua) circumstance bad crossed him. oa . ‘Has anything happened, Wat?” she asked, quietly: iv “Yes,” he said, and the tone was so ve- | hement that Crewly’s arm slipped, and that | individual jumped all over. ey The lawyer’s comical figure evidently broke: the spell of Blake’s half-sullen state, for he added, more calmly: \. ham “Yes, sister, something has happened, | Forde bas left the city.” Ab Pare PN |: She started visibly; and Austin Burns, a} mention of the father of his betrothed, listene, interestedly. ' Be Gomicbooks con = > ie *y F , et ae ey See th of =. Ay