Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 262 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 Now we've got him. You say you recognized his face, and that be broke into the house.” ‘‘ No, no,” said Harvey burri-dly. ‘I didn’t see it then. ‘ It was where bis friends set on me Isaw bim, but 1 suspected it was he,. Stay, the girl Kate O'Donnell, she’ll be able to swear to bim.”. - * We'll bring. her here then,” said Samuels, ‘and we'll go for my man at once... We'll see if this Murderer’s Row Gang will face us in day- light, confound ’em!” A whole platoon of police was ordered out, and made the descent on Murderer’s Row. at . once, with the result of finding no one there but women. and children, the men. having taken themselvés off before dawn, in anticipation. of what was coming; ; .The wounded policeman was taken away in an ambulance, and every house inthe row was searched wit. out result for the tin box, while the stern-looking captain questioned and cross- nestioned: all the women and found nothing or his pains bat.the story of the raps which — confused every one so much, the night be- ore, No excuse could, be found for arresting any one on. suspicion; for even the wounded man could identify. none of his assailants and Kate O’Donnell, much to Harvey’s surprise, had sud- denly turned noncommittal to the. last degree, and pretended not to know. who had assailed her the night before. She swore she had never told. Harvey a word about Back Jarvis, and so irritated the young man by ber denials, that be broke out on ber when the captain left the room: “* You’re betraying us, Kate, You're betray- ing, Miss Nina. you want her to get into that man’s power again? without your, evidence, and as long as_ he’s abroad your youog mistress is in danger.” - Kate hung ber head, and looked sulky; but did not anewer till he asked: ‘* Why wouldn’t you tell the truth, Kate?” The woman looked up at bim. “‘And is it meself wants to disgrace Miss Nina, by. bringing her into coort before them all; as that villain’s daughter? Ye’re no friend of\ hers, av. ye doit, sur,”, _oddarvey. was struck by her words. He had been thinking only of arresting Jarvis, and certain that Kate was right, » ‘Po, arrest Jarvis was to bring out before the reporters—who could tell what.depths of family ‘seandal?—and the youog man was by no means certain what would be the result of it. ‘*t You’reright, Kate,” he said, with penitence ‘and I was wrong. It’s:lucky Miss Nina is out of a power, Will you, come with me, and see “ And..that I will,” said Kate, more cheer- rege pom bad luek to the day we iver came _ to that unlucky bouse, sur, and bad luck to the thief.that stole the tin box. .Oh, mister, wull ) we iver see, it again? 'Twas the ould mistress berself tould.-me ’twas all that. Miss Nina had in the world between: her and: the poor-house, and ay wre seal find it, what’ll become of her at all, at all; . Harvey clinched his teeth. ooo *tPU find it, if I die for it,” he said, as CHAPTER XVL | THE GOVERNMENT BONDS, ‘“ We,” said Captain Samuels to Harvey, a little.while after Kate had spoken, ‘+ This girl won't say anything about the burglary, so we'll have to goon the assault. Tl give yo an _to go over to Brooklyn after this Jarvi§, if you |, Harvey shrugged bis shoulders, » 1t\ He never assaulted me, It was his friend . Jim Nelson,.and I gave him all he wanted, I don’t want to make a complaint.” Samuels stared, and then observed in a voice of great ill-tem per: t ‘You're as bad asthe woman, It’s the first | time we’ve had a square chance at this Buck . : age and now you're backing out. All rigbt. ext time, don’t come to me for help, with our,cock-and-bull stories about ghosts in uni- eLuiteuah ina butt, while H i 40 . ina w ‘rvey | betook himself to the and went ashen aBrookl ye with Kate, to: see his old friend, : Olaf Svenson, the fencing- master. He, found. the colonel in bis academy, giving a lesson to two very clumsy young men, who were learning to modded to him, say ng: : “De senora is up-stairs. De senorita is vell. » You go to see her, ha? Excuse me till dis lesson _,isjover., Mr.. Brown, go on. Now! Lead at me!, Quick, quick! Parry, and return! Take of dat head! Ah, you are too slow! Quicker! One, two! one, two! Better!” = Harvey did not take much interest in the lesson, so he took Kate to the upper part of the house, the honest woman seeming to be deeply .. mystified by all. she saw, especially the trophies’ , and the colonel merely of weapons that hung everywhere there was a place for them. Mr. Harvey,” she whispered at last, Harvey, whisper, sur!’ ‘cc Mr. We can’t arrest him | a thus ridding Nina of her persecution, but it was | tle. Fighting Tom. ‘« Well, Kate?” be answered. “ Is it a barricks here, sur?” she asked, with wide-open eyer. ‘* A what, Kate?” ‘* A barricks, sur.” ‘What's a barricks, Kate?” ‘« Where the sogers lives, sur.” **Ob! a barrack, you mean?’ ‘* Yes, sur, Is it.a barricks?’ “ No, Why do you ask?’ ‘Sure, I saw all the swoords and bay’nets, sur; and the ould man down stairs—isn’t he a | gineral, or a sergeant, or something?” Harvey laughed. ‘** No; only a colonel. ter.” ** And what’s that, sur?’ ‘* He teaches people how to fight.” ‘* And is he t’achin’ Miss Nina, sur?” Harvey couldn’t belp another laugh. ‘No, no. Miss Nina is with the colonel’s mother, a Spanish lady, up-stairs.” Kate looked disappointed, , “Sure it w’u’d bea noice thing av he'd t’ache Miss Nina how to fight that baste of a Jarvis whin be comes afther her,” -* But ladies never fight, Kate. He’s a fencing-mas- Tt’s a man’s | business to take care of them,” ‘But they don’t do it all the time, sur.” Their conversation took place on the stair, and was interrupted, the senora putting her head out of the room, aud asking: ‘Whois dat? Ah, Senor ’Arvia, it eez you! De senorita is bettair.. Come in,” When she saw Kate, sbe seemed at once to understand what was. going on, for she said, animatedly: ‘Dat is raizht. Dat is de Kate she talk of all de time. Come in—come in,” -The next,moment Kaie uttered a scream of joy, as she caught sightef her young mistress through the open door; and the faithful creature rushed in, threw berself on ber knees by Nina, and began to rock to and fro with the girl in her arms, sobbing: ‘‘Ochone, Miss Nina—ochone!. -Wirastru! We won’t never see her no more. She’s gone to the holy saints! Ochone, ocbone!” And so, with her impulsive wailing, set Nina to crying, too, though she bad been quiet, be- fore, till the old senora: came and took her away with gentle force, saying: “ Dere, dere, my girl, dat is enough. You make de senorita, seek, you go on, You moss be gu'et—quiet.” Kute waus.docile enough, and submitted to be taken away, when Nina dried her eyes hur- riedlv, saying:to Harvey: ‘*Forzive me. 1 am better to-day, and oh! so thankful to you,” ‘There is no need of that,” he returned, rather sadly. ‘I have not done much for you. She glanced keenly at him, and noticed that he had been burt, His face had not been injured, but it was very e, and he kept his right arm in the breast of is coat, for it had very nearly becn broken the ‘night before. be turned pale and stammered: ‘* You bave been hurt—and for me?” ‘* Not much,” be returned, evasively, ‘ But I’ve a great deal to tell, and more to ask.” im i on,” she replied. “Til tell you all ” me Well,” he said, ‘‘T went to your house—” ‘Yes, and found Kate there. How good of you to bring her back with you!” ‘‘T found ber there, and Buck Jarvis at the door, trying to get in.” ‘* Did he succeed?’ asked Nina, with evident trepidation in ber tone, ‘*No; I came up in time to stop it.” “Thank God! But it was there you were hurt, was it?’ ...**No, not much—that is. I beat him off, and his two friends, thanks to the colonel’s lessons and my own youth.” : 4 ? what a good man he is!” said she, im- pulsivel —‘'so kind and generous, and so gen- No. ene would imagine be,could be so terri- ble as the senora says he can be.” i he is all you ay, and he has taught me that is useful. ell, I got Kate to She hesita at first, m let me into the house. and I don’t blame her,” Nina smiled. ‘* Poor Kate! She's so faithful. Excuse her if she doubted you, She’s so jealous for me.” “I don’t blame her. Well, she let me in. And now comes the question, Do you know what was in that tin box?” Nina changed color, ‘Yes. It held all my mother’s papers and the bonds she depended on for her living.” ‘*The bonds? Government bonds?” > vs Yes.” “Do you know the numbers?” he asked very anxiously. ‘‘It has been stolen, and we can probably trace it if we have a list.” N ions face was full of doubt. : 0, I don’t ree Mother ist separate, and. away. ~~ © Do you know where?” P She thought a moment, **] think I do.” always kept the ** And where was it?” “In our bedroom under the carpet, in the corner behind the bureau.” “Is there anything clse there?’ ‘*No, It is a large paper in*an envelope. is a list of all the papers in the box.” Harvey instantly took bis bat. “Vil go and get it. That's a clew. If the robbers try. to sell the bonds we can trace them,” He was leaving the room, when she said: ‘** Don’t go yet. Don’t risk your life for that. If it is gone, it can’t be helped.” | ne it contains your whole fortune,” he said. ‘Yes, but it was not much, I assure you,” she answered witha sad smile. ‘Poor mother and I had to live very close. We had not much.” ** Enough to make it worth saving,” he retort- ed. “ll go and find it somehow.” Again be was going, when she said: “ At least tell me how it was lost. You have told me nothirg of what happened or of how you brought Kate bere.” Thus urged, Harvey gave a rapid recital of the past night and the girl listened like one pet- rified to bis recita! of the perils through which be bad till be came to the mysterious raps that bad caused so much disturhance, when she said: "Why, that’s nothing strange,” ““ Nothing strange?’ echoed Harvey. “No. I used to hear bim every night if I woke up about two or three. J used to listen to tbem screaming and yelling down in that fearful place they call Murderer’s Row, and when those raps came the noise always stopped. I used to think it was so reassuring, so restful I always slept better for it.” Harvey was interested at once. ** You tay bhi heard these raps before?” he asked. “Why, I understood tbat the police never ventured there after dark.” Nina shuddered slightly. ‘““ No more they did, It was a dreadful place to live in at night, but they never hurt us. Every one in that row was so poor. Noone knew we had any money, orl eybp eae we should bave been robbed. Mother used to tell me it was the safest place for us. No one would ever think of looking for us there,” ‘*But the raps? You say you heard them often?” ‘Yes, almost every night, but generally when all was quiet.” o a did you bear nothing about them?” ‘* How? I don’t understand.” ‘*] mean, about the man who made them. He wust have been a bold fellow to come into that nelgnPornocs at night, and sound a chal- lenge to those rvffians.”’ Nina shook her head. ‘I never asked. I thought it was all right. The people in our block used to call him the Spirit Walker. No one ever saw him, so far as now,” ‘* Well,” said Harvey gravely, ‘‘ wherever he ig and whatever he does, he has your box.” And he proceeded to tell the story of his strange experience with the mysterious police- man who bad carried off the box, and of what Captain Samuels had said about advertising the property if he boped to get it back again, ‘But what’s the use of advertising?” he said, in conclusion. ‘‘If he’s one of the Murderer’s Row Gang, be’ll want a larger reward than you can. pay: How much was there in the box? “1 don’t know,” she said, calmly, “but if I were you, I would advertise. He’s not one of those horrid men. He was our only protec- tion. I do believe if it bad not been for him, those wretches would bave robbed us all of the little we had, some night.” “Tf you say so I'll write,” he said, “ but if he does not belong to them, he certainly does not to ithe police,’ They don’t go round bare- footed quietly, “It It ed, ‘“T would advertise,” she said, can do no harm, and may do good, “* What shall I say?” he asked, She thought a little. ‘Put in, if the gentleman who has Mrs. Somers’s box of pa will communicate with ou, he will hear of something to his advantage. on’t that do?” ‘* Possibly it might. Ill it. Butsu e he comes, what am I to give rey im?” ** Oh, give him one of the bonds. Mother used to cut the little slips off, whenever she wanted any money.” ~ Harvey looked doubtful. I might ‘“‘That is rather a vagye direction. you might lose all that not stop at one bond an yon had meet me.” ina sm “Tl trust you, I know you would never de- tue sect oad answered he, with a ood deal of feeling. ‘‘Iiltry to deserve your confidence,” me He was going away again, when she ‘said rather timidly +4 Bae BS ce ”» eg lt Sie * Do you know I think—” SS com Eboo €o =) ee ee a”