Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 288 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

> = Air, Mey you relieve my mind of an enormous suspense - Electro Pete, the Man of } Fire. CHAPTER XXIV. A LITTLE CHANGE IN THE TABLEAU, As the Italian paused at this point in bis recital, West interrogated, calmly: ‘‘You are so very accommodating, suppose and tell me which of you—yourself or this Guiseppe Duoro—is known as Electro Pete?” “On, readily. We are both of us that per- son. In the same way that we pass for one an- other at the hotel, so do we pass among our ex- cellent little gang. Electro Pete is always in disguise, however.” ‘And which of you was it who entered the room of Miss St, Dyer, at the Mansion House?” ‘it was Guiseppe.” ‘*‘ How was it accomplished?’ ‘‘ Aha! you detectives cannot see everything. The window of Guiseppe’s room opens on the court of the hotel—so does that of the young lady’s room, The last is directly beneath the window of Guiseppe’s apartment, The young lady never thinks to fasten the catch on the top of the sash. You begin to see, eh?’ and he rubbed his white bands over and over. ** Well, no, I don’t exactly catch on,” ‘Guiseppe is strong and was once the best acrobat in his school of the gymnasium. How very easy; then, for bim to let himself down to the sill of the poang lady’s room with a rope, and when he shall choose, climb up again,” ‘Quite clever,” acknowledged West, ‘‘ And what bas been the object of his monkey-like visits?” ‘To kill her. But each time be has made some noise which awoke her, and he knew that he could not accomplish an assassination with- out bringing the hotel about his ears if she should cry out. So, be grasped her in his elec- tric jacket, which stops the cry instantly and give her such a shock that she fall senseless,” ‘* The electric—what?” ‘* The jacket. See—we both wear one. It is impossible for one to come in contact with us without receiving a, shock sufficient to hurl him or her backward into insensibility,” The Italian threw open his coat. Beneath was a vest of mail-like glass so fine as to be pliant in its minute links, Throughout these links ran a series of wires which, illuminated by electricity, would give the wearer the appearance of being suddenly resolved into a blaze, At the back of the vest was a non-conducting case charged with the fluid. A small affair apes. iy to the shape of the body, and being hardly observable above the hip. The operator had simply to push a slide on the top of the case, and the effect was instantly produced, Iu addition, there was a small glass cylinder that rested in a socket on the top, baving me- tallic terminais, something like the cylinders of an ordinary battery, The hand that moved the slide could simul- taneously snatch forth this cylinder and apply it to any object within reach of the little coil of wire with which it was supplied. Then foliowed the phenomenon, accompanied by the downfall of any human being beneath tbe terrible shock, The person of the operator was thorougbly pemmeence by the wires of the mail passing en- irely within the glass links; the hand that de- livered the shock was free from burt because of the glass top of the cylinder, A novel and formidable piece of armament. ‘It is am invention of Guiseppe’s,” said the Italian, as he freely displayed and explained the apparatus, ‘‘Suppose you tell me another thing,” West aid, ‘*T shall with pleasure tell you anything.” re- joined Pietro, grinning in his infernal way. “What was the object in trying to put us on the track of the young lady, St. Dyer, as the murderess of Pedro Catazky?” ‘** Ah, that is a part of my little plan to kee Guiseppe trom finding the real Anice Idello,” “You are a smart fellow.” Pietro bowed. ‘But you have overstepped yourself a little in this ease.” ‘Oh, no I have not.” ; ‘**T shall convince you against your will pre- sently,” declared West, signifieantly. And he added, turning to the girl: ‘Do you realize what you are doing, wher you consent to be a party to this scoundrel’s plot—this man who has murdered your father and who now boasts of it to your face?” _“ Tonly know that if you are destroyed, I am safe: for the net that is woven around me ‘would convict me of patricide. [ join hands with this man, because lam afraid of death~— ah! ves, | am a coward, and afraid to die!” ‘ But you are all wrens, I can prove your innocetice, after what this over-smart féllow has given away. Your best plan is to aid me in getting out of this fix; and I can promise you that very sbortly I will have this murderer and his accomplice, Guiseppe Duoro, behind prison bars ” He was interrupted by a loud and demoniac Jaugh from the Italian, who said, at the same time producing a gleaming knife: Ss entities isthe rel il ge — _ - ~—e ee ——» el ‘¢ You will have us bebind the prison bars, eb? Ha, ha, ha! Well, let ussee if a dead man can place Pietro Idello there. For in exactly five minutes I shall cut your throat from ear to ear! As he uttered the ghastly threat, he began to roll up the sleeve of his right arm the hand of which grasped firmly the blade of stzel. Nota muscle of the detective’s face or form quivered. Steadily he eyed the man. The fated seconds were passing. Then one minute was gone, ‘‘Tf you wish to say your prayers, be quick about it,” bissed the Italian, when he had pre- pared arm and hand for the murderous stroke, ‘* For see: the hand of this watch is going round rapidly and sure, When the time is up—you die!’ ‘*Go ahead with your racket, old man,” The other’s calmness caused the eyes of the Italian to fix upon him searchingly. ‘* You do not fear death,” ‘‘Oh, L guess I’m not going to die just yet.” “Why do you a that?” ‘‘Did you think I was such a fool as to come into this place without any of my assistants knowing where I was? Why, I have but to give a signal—and of a kind that I know can be eard beyond these old frame walls—and you will find yourself in the clutch of the law.” ‘* You will give a signal?” ‘*That’s what I said.” ‘Bab! I do not believe you have any one near, ‘You will find out to the contrary soon enough.” ‘* How will you signal any one through these walis—” ** With this!” As he uttered the words, West drew his re- volver with a lightning-like movement and leveled it at the head of the Italian. The latter gave one glance. Then he laughed again in his discordant tone, ‘Ha, ha, ha! You think to frighten me with that?” ‘‘Oh, I wouldn’t frighten you for the world.” ‘* Your weapon is not cocked; and before you can cock it—” He made as if to spring upon his intended. victim, the knife poised for the stroke, But he paused, He saw something that he had not calculated upon. There was a motion of the hammer slightly upward without the hold upon the stock being altered in the least. Pietro Idello knew by what he saw, that the detective had a self-cocking weapon. ‘‘Yes, it is cocked, old man, Take care there. If you come a single step nigher, I shall press a little harder on this trigger, and—down you go!” Pietro recoiled, gnashing his teeth. For he fully realized that, under the circumstances, the detective would not hesitate to fire a bullet into bis body. ‘*Curse you!” ‘Take care, my friend, Curses sometimes come home to roost, you know— Hold! not a move there, or down you go, I said that if you advanced, | would bore a hole through you; I now promise to do the same thing if you attempt to retreat. Stand exactly where ne are. Do not budge either forward or ackward. I think it is now my turn,to make a little speech.” Steadily as a carven image sat the detec- tive, with the leveled revolver. . The astounded and enraged Italian glanced straight into the deadly tube and saw that a bead was drawn upon his bead. He knew too well the character of the man he was dealing with to disregard his dan- ger and make any attempt to evade that un- wavering aim. The tables were completely turned. Knife in hand, and with one sleeve rolled up, stood the baffled wretch, and the expres- sion of his visage—though he obeyed the com- mand to stand where he was—presented a picture so terrifically satanic, that even the de- tective gazed curiously at him. : Keeping the Italian under his eye and aim, West addressed himself to the girl. ** Look here, miss, as I said, you are going all wrong. Don’t you see, after what this fellow has confessed—like a fool—in your presence, I can put the whole blame of the murder of your father on him, with you as a wit- ness? And I can bag his partner, Guiseppe Duoro, who will be glad enough to bear evi- dence against him, when he learns of the shabby trick this rogue would have played upon him. Come, I am the man for you to tie to—not bim. And I am the friend you need to place you where neither this mur- derer or the law can break up the peave of your life. Be sensible. If there is a way to release me from the fix I believe I am in, avail of it. Destroy the connection with the battery that is charging me and only waiting for a completion of the circuit to cause my death, You will do a deed worthy of yourself and one mentee y bring its reward in the way I have sta Already a revulsion had taken place in the feelings of the girl. It needed but this incen- tive to spur her fo the very thing West wished, Truly he was a man of nerve to remain so calm throughout the peril which he realized must be no idle boast on the part of Anice, And despite bis wonderful self-control, he could scarcely repress a start of joy, as she cried; “*T will! I will!” = sprung to one side and grasped up a small chair. This she raised above her head and ran to- ward the rear of the chair on which the detec- tive sat, still with the raging Italian under the cover of his revolver. CHAPTER XXV. THE DARK ROOM GAME, THE girl’s object was apparent. Phe small wire that connected with the chair, and carried thereto the current of electricity, was at its back. So small was it that it had esca the notice of the detective when he seated himself—as much because the darkened room, with its single sconce at a far side, afforded but scant oppor- tunity for distinguishing it. The wire was then taut. A blow from the poised chair would assur- edly break it from its clinching in the back of the chair, after which the detective might a from the glass-bottomed mat with perfect safety. But ere the chair could descend, there was an interruption. . ‘‘ Hold you there, girl!” Out from the panel stepped the slim figure of the other Italian, Guiseppe Duoro. She paused, turning in a startled way toward the comer. **So you, Pietro Idello, you have play me a smart, eh? You have fool me witb the other girl, while this one is she whom I swore to kill. And you will go to Italy and make her the rich wife of yours, while I shall be pursued by. the law? Aba! I have overhear milan! f pS Iam just in time. You are armed. e are talians, my friend Pietro; we know what treachery shall call for between companions. repare yourself for a fight with me, my com- rade Pietro!” As he hissed the words, Guiseppe drew a knife similar to that which was in the hand of Pietro. Like Pietro, he rolled up the sleeve of his right m. In the faces of both men there was a flame of passion. he detective nodded toward the girl signifi- cantly, Realizing his peril still, he feared something might further happen to deter her from her in- tention, and he saw that motion with the chair bad an important something to do with his lib- eration. ‘* Bring down that chair,” he whispered, while Guiseppe was speaking and glaring upon the cornered Pietro. ‘‘Strike! Make me. free, or it may go hard with both you and me!” Crash! fell the chair. The wire was severed. ‘The danger is past,” she said. The evil pair, attracted by the sound, both turned to look, ~ And they beheld the detective on_his feet, now with two revolvers leveled, covering both their persons. 2 My gay birds, surrender—” zone oath from Pietro broke in upon his speech. “I can play my game best in the dark,” he cried, accompanying the oath. With a motion rapid as the lightning’s flash, he burled his knife toward the sconce at the opposite side of the room, shatter of glass followed, and—darkness. There was a silence like the tomb, West transferred both weapons to one band. With his disengaged hand he reached outward. and gently but firmly grasped the wrist of the girl, pulling her toward him. For be half-believed that this divertisement was but a move in concert between the two Italians, and the death of both himself and the gir! was to be attempted in the impenetrable lackness which ensued upon.the destruction of the sconce. , He drew her noiselessly behind bim, deter- mined to shield her with his own body from the knives of the pair of assassins, . And silence—aching, terri le silence within that room, This suddenly broken by a sound as of two hodies coming together; then a groan and a flame, which West knew was caused by the wonderful electric mail worn by the rogues, By the light that flashed thus for an instant only, be saw the figure of Pietro Idello reel of and fall heavily. re Quickly at the other figure that stood in the attitude of one who has delivered a death-blow, he discharged his revolver. Aga cry answered the shot, as of a man n pain. Then again the terrible silence. ; West felt a slight chill in his veins as he con- GomiGghbooks 19 (Elo) -_—— a . _ ~ . - — . . . »~* 4 4 - ee ge