Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 288 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 Electro Pete, the Man of Fire. knew that she had committed the crime, was trembling in his shoes lest the probing spies of the police at last ascertain the cause of the mys- terious death and pounce upon the man who could explain it. ‘‘In a certain locality lived one Guiseppe Duoro, a manufacturer of electric apparatus. On the afternoon of the day the night of which was signalized by the death of Catazky, there called upon Guiseppe Duoro a vailed female Not so closely vailed, however to prevent his recognizing the beautiful child of Catazky. She wanted, so she said, a machine that would, ata single shock kill an animal or a human being. She had a favorite spaniel that was suffering with spasms, not continually, but periodically. She had at last determined to kill the pet, and believed the stroke of electricity to be the quickest means in which there was no time to experience any pain. Considerate of her, was it not, eh?’ ‘Oh, quite,” rejoined the detective, who, - while he listened was engrossed with trying to read the peculiar countenance of the man be- fore him. **'Yes, it was considerate. She was very careful to repeat again and again the inquiry whether the shock would be certain death, and she said to this Guiseppe: ‘ | hope you will make no mistake about my want. I am sure that my pet, the spaniel, will be very hard to kill; the shock must be heavy—understand, I say heavy —heavy enough to kill a man. The constitu- tion of the spaniel is as strong as that of a man. And I have no wish to disfigure my beautiful spaniel. The apparatus must be of a kind that can be applied without leaving any mark. ** Ab, she was particular about it, eh? ** Well, she procured of the man, Guiseppe, a little box so small that it could be carried in the pocket. By placing the box on the head of the animal, among the hair, and by*touching a spring which released a magnetic point to come in contact with the head, there would be at once delivered such a shock from a battery within the box, that nothing human or of the lower size of beasts could possibly survive. This was the contrivance that Anice Catazky procured of the electrician, Guiseppe Duoro. “Well, the next day, Pedro Catazky was a corpse. And Guiseppe knew that it was not a spaniel for which the deadly box was wanted. e knew that the beautiful child-wife had killed her father that she might still inherit his wealth. But she had disappeared; she has never been seen. Why? Because the revela- tion which Guiseppe at last made, in the terrors of his remorseful conscience, showed the author- ities exactly how Catazky had died and who was his murderer. The husband of the lovel Anice had also vanished. But it was we known, by testimony that was volunteered b companions of the fellow Anice had married, that be could not possibly have been a party to the crime or a party to her flight, for after having been discharged from the service of Cat- azky, he went into France, where he was for some years held under secret police surveillance, which surveillance convinced the Italian au- thorities that he did not even know where Anice Cata was. But, mark you, the chase was and is still being kept up for the apprehen- sion of the constantly-fleeing Anice. She has been traced to America; she has been seen in this very city. And there are papers ready under special treaty between America and Italy, for the apprehension of her and such as her. In addition, there is an enormous reward waiting the lucky finder of the murderess. ‘*Tam here to tell you this and to give you a description of her. There is a chance of a | hes reward for you when you shall have found her and presented her to the Italian Consul.” ‘You say this girl has been seen in Balti- more?” questioned the detective. ‘Ten ‘* By whom?” ‘‘ Myself—these eyes of mine.” Strange and dangerous eyes, thought the de- tective. ‘*Then why did not you yourself cause her immediate arrest?” ‘*Ah, my dear sir, I have said that I wasa poe by the crime of this beautiful child- wife, ‘*T believe you did.” ‘*T will tell you more. Behold in me an un- lucky scion, am of a noble line; but like many, | became reduced to the position of the common servant and was forced to hide my accomplishments, else the proud family of Cat- azky would never have permitted me to enter its service through fear of the very thing which did eventually happen—that is, the winning of the affection of the daughter of Pedro Cataz- RY. ‘*Oh, then you are—” ** Pietro Idello, the husband of Anice Cataz- ky. CHAPTER IV. TWO DETECTIVES OV A TRAIL, “* AND because of this fact,” the Italian pur- sued, ‘“‘I have lost the best part of my life through a wasted affection. I could not, would not, live with one who was the murderer of her father. I saw her once after the commission of the terrible deed, and while she pleaded in vain, on bended knee, for a restoration to my heart, she did succeed in exacting a solemn oath from me that | would not then and there give her up to the law. Iwas, as | told you, under surveillance, and could not leave France for years after this. In all that time, my mind was in a condition it is impossible to describe. This beautiful being had broken up my life by her perfidious deed; more, she bad wrecked the life of her aged mother, who died soon after- ward from the effects of the shock of her good busband’s violent death. As soon as I could, I began a search for her. I determined that such a devil as this child wife should not go un- punished; I joined in the chase after the mur- derer of Pedro Catazky. But, that it is solely with the desire of bringing a criminal to jus- tice, you may see we the fact that | would not be the one to bring her: before the consul where the reward will be promptly offered.” “The Baltimore Consul is advised of the af- fair then?’ queried the detective, Yes, fully.” ‘Do you know more of the girl than the mere fact that she is in the city?” ‘* Nothing.” ‘** Describe her to me, please.” ‘*She is of good hight for a female—her age now about twenty years. Her eyes are as black as midnight, and they are not dull and cold, like many black eyes, but shine with a mag- nificent luster. Her hair is noticeably elegant, even when confined, and she at times has the habit of wearing it loose over the shoulders, as was her custom in her younger days; this too is very black. Her complexion is of the usual darkness of a child of Italy. Her manner is prompt and vigorous, of a fearless kind, not- withstanding the nightmare of her crime. In all she is a charming young lady of speech and manner, and has a penchant for diamonds.” ‘“* How long bas it been since you saw her?” “This very morning.” ‘Why did not you follow her?” “‘T came straight to you. It is for the detec- tives to follow the young and beautiful fiend. I wish not to ever so much as stand face to face with her. Besides, she was gone from my gaze on the crowded street before I was sure of its being her,” ‘*' Very well, I will look into the matter.” “You understand, I do what I do only for justice,” said the Italian, in a voice that was whiningly soft. ‘*Oh, I understand,” rejoined the detective, who was busy jotting down the description of the girl who was wanted by the Italian authori- ties for murder. And when his visitor had withdrawn, after giving his address, he said to himself, mus- ngly: e There's something behind this. I do not like the looks of a lover busband being so eager to put the hounds of the detective force on the trail of his wife, even for the crime he men- tions. Pietro Idello—let me not forget that name also. I consider this Pietro Idello a strange character; I do not like the glance of his eyes—snaky and treacherous eyes.” The chief had other business to engross him just then, and the matter of the beautiful ns ee was for the time banished from his mind. He was = greg om in the back office by the entrance of Mark Daniels. ** Anything in the wind?” he asked, noting a studious look in the face of his brother pro- fessional. ** Yes, and I don’t object to telling you of it.” ** Spin it out then.” bby mystery of the hotel was related to the chief. Atits conclusion a keen expression glanced over the countenance of the senior. ‘** Describe this girl to me—the one who has, you say,a diamond precisely similar to those which have been lost, in all points save the mat- ter of size,” For instantly he recollected the declaration of his recent visitor, that Anice Catazky—or ra- ther Anice Idello—had a penchant for dia- monds, And when the description was given, he ex- claimed: ‘*T think this young lady who calls herself Oriele St. Dyer is the thief who stole the dia- monds of the drummer, Dimble.” se do you think such a thing as that?” Daniels was very much astonished. Then to Daniels was given the memorandum of the recent visit from the Italian. At the conclusion of which Daniels in turn exclaimed: ‘* Why, the man you have described to me, lives at the same hotel with Miss St. Dyer—not with her, but in the same hotel.” The two gazed at one another. ** Mark, my friend, I believe there is some re- markable plot at work here.” ‘*Looks very much like it. And let me say that such a thing as the young lady’s havin taken the diamonds is simply impossible,” an Daniels went on to explain the improbability of any access to the drummer’s room. ‘*’Yet somebody has been in that room,” re- minded his chief. “ must confess that diamonds cannot walk off.” ‘* Let me give you a suggestion.” * What is it?” Js “‘ Keep an eye on this Oriele St. Dyer.” **T think I will, anybow. I don’t altogether like her story of a man who resolved bimself into a column of flame—bah!” and at the recol- lection of the assertion, he seemed to be dis- gusted. It was a fortunate resolution of Mark Daniels’s to watch Oriele St. Dyer, though he had no definite idea why he did so resolve—fortunate for the young girl, as an after event was to prove. When Daniels had left the Agency, the chief ae his bead in a reflective way and mut- tered: ‘* And I shall make it my business to ‘ind out more about this man who calls himself Pietro Idello. Until I have accomplished that, I shall not act in any way on the suspicion that the oung girl is the Anice Catazky who murdered er fatber. I will visit the consul to see if such a murder was even committed.” At the close of that day both detectives were absent from the seiner The senior was at the Mansion House, regis- tered as a guest, and disguised so that even the ee who under other circumstances knew im well, had not the slightest suspicion of his identity. Around the buge stove which bad only a few days before been erected in the space in front of the counter sauntered the keen-eyed sleuth looking for the personage who called himself Pietro Idello. And by a little diplomacy, coupled to a famil- jarity with the rooms of the hotel, he bad secured an apartment that adjoined the one occupied by the man he was bent upon watching. At about the same hour Mark Daniels was approaching the hotel for another interview with Dimble. He wished to ask that individual whether it was positive that all the diamonds which had been made for the actress’s coronet had been of the same size. He was still impressed by the resemblance of the diamond in the tiara of Miss St. Dyer, shown to him that day. As he advanced along Fayette street a female form brushed oe ey Co bim. There would have been nothing striking in the mere fact, but the passage occurred at a lamp, and though the female was just then engaged in fastening a vail over her face, sbe bad not so far accomplished this as to hide from the detective the features of the very party he was then determined upon watching— Oriele St. Dyer. She appeared to be in great haste as she moved eastward. Immediately be turned and followed her. Had she recognized him? No matter. Before she reached the blaze of the electric lights in the vicinity of the monument he bad completely altered his appearance, after the usual detective fashion when following a quarry. Onward went the girl to Gay street. Here she turned to the t toward the bridge, | Gay street bridge, on its western footpath, is, by night, but little used. Though the street swarms with people, beyond either end of the bridge, it is remarkable that there are compar- atively few upon the bridge itself at any one time. On the bridge, near its center, Oriele St. Dyer paused and glanced around her, as if expecting to meet some one there, The great electric globes on the elevated lamps at both ends of the span showed the detective plainly every action of the girl; and though her eyes were searching about her, she seemed not to see or heed the shadowy form that had followed her and was creeping light- footed near in the shadow of the network of high railings and girders, cea figure of a man advanced swiftly from the Front street side of the bridge and paused before her, The words that were uttered came plainly to the ears of the lurking detective. ‘*- You call yourself Oriele St. Dyer?” “That is my name. You see, Iam here in answer to the mysterious missive that was cast over the transom to-day.” And she added, in a tone that was a de- mand: ‘‘If you were the one who cast that paper into my room, tell me what you want—what it means?” ‘‘Ha, ha, ha! So you feared to disregard the | summons, eh?” ‘* What is it you want?” she reneated. ‘“To say to you, Anice Idello, that if you do not immediately give me five hundred dollars I shall ex you to the law. Come, Il am ver short of funds, and you shall supply me, or will place you where you shou ave been heh long ago at the Italian capital!” cS (E(0) Eomicboo