Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 288 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

ES ~ - - ee | A — . & ~ es ied <---> ~~ ee | = > |= oe _ > : me le tn a lage So A eee _ a G . + . ee Pen, Mie wo Eg we tL . ° ae Sts = ea = = « tie Hi eT oe ME. 2 bs Oo? PP cE Se is iy : 4 , ‘% a en) ms —— - —-—-—— “*T do. It is one of the most indefatigable detectives of this city. And by what I showed you through the peep-hole, he was investigating the presence of that valise in the other room. You may infer from that how keen is this par- ticular sleuth; he is already scenting close to the diamonds.” Ah! diamonds they were talking about. And the last speaker was probably Pietro Idello, though Daniels could not distinguish exactly in the man’s tones whether they were the same as those of the man who had so mir- aculously changed himself into the column of fire on the Gay street bridge. ““Hide that valise,” continued the sup voice of Pietro Idello. ‘‘ You had best give it to one of the rats to-night and have it sunk in the basin—” ‘*Look a you here,” broke in the Jew. ‘I haf not anyt’ing more to do mit dose wharf rats py de Locust Poind. I wos afrait of my liberty py dose vellers. Dey make me some troubles one of dose days—” ‘““What mean you? Are you not a sworn member of the gang? Do you intend to do any- thing like dirt—?” ‘*No, no; my goot Pietro,” whined the Is- raelite. Pietro! Ah! the listening detective caught ' the name eagerly. *Umph! ell, do asIsay. Give the valise to some one of the rats at the meeting to-night, and when it is sunk in the basin—where the body of that accursed detective is by this time —we need not have so much fear for ourselves. We will go to Europe with our little booty and live in luxury for the balance of our days, Ha! what is that? Iam sure l heard a noise, under the floor, Jacobs. Raise the trap and let me take a look. Perhaps that fellow did not go all the way down.” In some trepidation at the idea that the mur- derous job might have miscarried, the Jew has- tened to let the trap fall a second time, and the two looked long and with listening ears down into the abyss. Seeming satisfied that they must have made an end of the man whom the shrewd Pietro bad discovered to be, or suspected to be, a city detective, the trap was restored to its original fastness, and Pietro said: ‘That is the first intimation I have had that they are after the thief who got the diamonds from the hotel. They have kept prey quiet about it up there, and I believe the haul made last night was a trap to catch the thief. But they failed—ha! ha! ha! they failed miserably. No one can catch Electro Pete when he na the wealth of the unwary!” and the Italian in- eulgey in another laugh, suppressed and chuck- ing. Probably never did a detective ¢hance in such a place for the gathering of inforntation as Mark Daniels now was, Every word uttered by the pair was eagerly drank in as a most important discovery. Pietro Idello, then, was the wonderful thief who could extract plunder from a secured room, and by means that defied even the lurking watcher who had set a bait on the round table the night before. Daniels was as much,determined to ascertain the means of the performance as he was to ar- rest the robber. . ‘* Now then, the girl. Come, I shall make a last effort; and if she does not yield, mark you, I shall keep my threat. I may get the Catazk wealth in Italy with her out of the way as well as with her for my companion. And J—I alone —can clear her of the charge for which she is wanted at the Italian eapital at this moment. Come—the girl!” There could be no doubt that these remarks had reference to Anice Idello—the Oriele St. Dyer of the detective’s acquaintance, and who was then known to him to be so mysteriously ‘within that very house. What could the Italian villain mean in regard to her? And the Jew was strangely interested in whatever was being played by them, for he said: “Yahs, yahs, of she don’d yield her to what I haf say, ant what you shall say, den by shim- menhettys! we make our little game mitout t’e aid of Rachel, eh?’ “Yes!"—with an oath. “Come.” Daniels heard their tramping feet leave the room. More, he could hear them ascending a flight of steps to a room, probably in the second story. - door opened and closed. Then all was still. Satisfied that his enemies had departed, he set immediately about an investigation of his chances for extricating himself from bis extraor- dinary predicament. ; He crawled forward away from the edge of the pit between the heavy ie feeling the planking above him at intervals as he went. He hardly expected to find an outlet, and was age surprised and delighted to find, sudden- y, a giving way iv the floor above him in the at nt space. _ He reached another trap. Electro a eeeSs—s—s—— NS... een eeeee en eee... ..____.______ ee TL —_—_COCOS:.0... sO SF | + _—n—nnnn— “4 ———S eo Se What the utility of this second trap might have been he did not pause to consider. He only realized that it afforded him an opportunity to complete his escape from a violent death, and within a few seconds he was standing in a dark entry which he judged was a part of the house occupied by the Jew, Voices sounded as if coming from above, He was now “in for it,” to use the term, and on tip-toe he ascended the stairs, which he dis- cerned when his eyes had become accustomed to the surroundings. At the head of the stairs, a door. Beyond the door the voices of the Jew, of sed | Pietro Idello, of the girl, Rachel—and the latter was assuredly the voice of the girl, Oriele St. Dyer, who had so mysteriously disappeared from the hotel. , iy upper entry, like the lower, was very ark. Through the key-hole of the door there came a faint streak of artificial light, as if the room was darkened, too, and a lamp or gas was burning. Those within the room were not in the line of vision afforded by the keyhole. Daniels could not see gh a the persons whose voices be heard. But he heard this: ‘* Look you: Lhave my watchin my hand. By it, I give you thirty seconds to decide. You will | go back with me to Italy and acknowledge that you were lawfully wedded to Pietro Idello, and assist bim in ning the estate of Catazky; or I shall kill you here and go myself, with such tes- Pete, the Man of Fire. | walking through the archway, so that Jacobs | though he gave a glance at the two who passed | his sho , did net recognize the man whom he _ believed to be at that moment at the bottom of the pit which had its outlet in the basin. Going a short distance, they entered a saloon. ‘What is it you have to say?” inquired the senior, ‘*T have seen Oriele St. Dyer.” ** Where?” ‘In the building at the rear of the junk-shop. And I am greatly afraid that this time she has been murdered indeed.” ‘* What have you discovered?” Daniels related his experience within the house, ‘**] do not believe she has been hurt at all.” ‘*'What is your reason?” ‘Your interruption of the scene was too prompt for their intentions; they may have sus- _ pected that it was you, risen from the pit; the _ blood-stain on the carpet may have been but a _ blind to get you onto another trail,” ‘* Why get me on another trail?” ‘** To cover the trail of the diamonds.” This was not altogether improbable, ‘‘ Besides,” added the senior, ‘I can tell you something that will greatly astonish you.” ‘What is it?’ “The girl you saw in that ‘fence’ was not Oriele St. Dyer.” ‘* But I am sure it was—” “The more sure you are, the more mistaken you are.” timony as’ will give the husband of Anice Idello| And when he had enjoyed his partner’s sur- (or Catazky) a share in it. You understand me? Be quick with your choice!” The voice of the whining Jew: ‘“My tear Rachel, you haf been one jackass long enough. Do as he says, and all will pe well—” ‘Oh, father! father!” wailed the voice of the girl “How canlI doit? Iam not the wife of Pietro Idello—” ‘*Bah! Iam counting. Thirty seconds!” ex- claimed the Italian in an angry accent, A terrible silence fell. The detective decided that a murder was about to be committed in that room. He knew by the tone of the girl that she might hesitate too long, while her mind was de- bating something that appeared to be wholly abhorrent to her. The thirty seconds were slipping by with aw- ful rapidity. Looking to his revolver, Daniels raised his fist and gave the door a mighty thump. The thump was to distract, the attention of the two villans from the girl, ~*~ Next, and instantly, be hurled himself against the door. Simultaneous’y there was a prolonged and curdling shriek inside the room, as of some one in excruciating agony. ‘** Ab!” muttered the sleuth, with a desperate vehemence; ‘‘ they have slaughtered her before I could get to her!” Again he hurled himself against the door. The obstruction gave way. He went pitching into the apartment. All was darkness, But a patent fuse wasin his hand in a trice. [ts small flame lit up a room that was dark- ened by curtains of extraordinary heaviness, and the glance he cast about him on all sides showed him that the apartment now was va- cant. Idello, and the Jew, and the girl had van- ished. But something on the carpet at his very feet attracted him, A large red stain and wet. Was it blood? : Had the two villains indeed killed the helpless victim and dragged her away through some secret ge? He did not linger in the room more than a minute. Hers - down the stairs by which he had gained the landing, he succeeded in reaching a door, and passing out at this into the light of day, he found himself on the line of the wharves that front the basin. Hardly bad he taken a step, wben a hand fell upon his shoulder, coming from around a brick Wall at his side. ** Daniels!” It was the voice of his chief. And he con- tinued: _ * What were you doing in that house?’ ‘Working the diamond trail, You had lost sight of your quarry, hadn't you/—for I saw him in there a moment since.” “By no means. I followed him here.” ‘ Step this way. I have something to tell Daniels and his chief walked through an arch- way toward Thames street. CHAPTER X. STEERING A COUNTRYMAN, AS they emerged on the thoroughfare, Daniels observed that the junk-shop was still open, and more, there was the Jew himself, busily engaged with a customer. ahd The detective had altered his disguise while prise for a few seconds, the chief said: “T saw the young man, Robert Rathwaite, and the girl, Oriele St. Dyer, in Patterson Park early this morning. I followed him from the | hotel and witnessed a deliberate meeting be- | tween the pair. They did not remain together long. He returned to the hotel; she disappeared toward Canton. I concluded that I could now easily keep track of Oriele St. Dyer, by watch- ing the movements of the young man, so | fol- lowed him, and when he was safe back again in the hotel, I went to the Agency and there met —who do you think?” ‘*The man I have determined to investigate: | Pietro Idello,” ‘* At what hour was this?” ** A little after ten.” ‘*‘ Impossible!” declared Daniels. ‘‘The man, Pietro Ideilo, was in that Junk-shop back there at the hour you mention.’ ‘“*T will show you how you are mistaken, He had called to ask if anything had been done toward the arrest of Anice Ideilo, saying he had learned of her whereabouts—naming the hotel— and had also learned that she bad left there. I ave him very little satisfaction, and when he fott, shadowed him into Harrison street, where he procured a disguise. From there I followed him here. It has not been. twenty-five minutes since I saw him go into the junk-shop,” est—” “ Well?” ‘There are two Pietro Idellos.” “Perhaps. And what about this Oriele St, Dyer?” ‘‘The same regarding her.” There was a twinkle in the senior’s eyes, Tbe query of his next words was a stunner. ss And wnat, abous phis- ols band, set with a single starry diamond, which was the propert of Oriele St. Dyer?’ ETRY A gold band set with a single diamond was not an unusual thing. But it will be remem- bered that Daniels, at his first interview with the beautiful girl, had noted that this particu- lar diamond was cut precisely according to the description given him by Dimble of the lost diamonds, and but for the fact of the drummer’s assertion that they were all alike in size, as well as cutting, the detective would bave suspected Oriele in connection with the robbery. It was hardly likely that two diamonds, owned by different persons would, by chance, be cut so alike. There could be no doubt that the diamond in the band worn by the girl called Rachel, was the identical diamond shown to Daniels by Oriele St. Dyer; and the likeness of Rachel to that lady was so striking, that he felt he could not be mis- taken in regard to her identity. His theory then was that if bis pertper had seen Oriele St. Dyer at the park, he bad seen only some one who greatly resembled her. Weare Sey mS aay the senior suddenly wa @ window : Pee Look there!” bsicsladh The window was one of those through which a person on the inside could see at tran- spired on the pavement, while a person on the outside could not see anything of what was go- ing on within. t the curbstone was standing a young man with a small sachel suspended from his neck, its halves forming a box-like tray. Between bis fingers be was manipulating a Jot of small, flar rea papers, and at the same time both han s fairly bulged with greenbacks of the denomina- tion of ten and twenty dollars. Several hun- dred dollars he oxidanty had there, and the notes were being adroitly folded within the GOMNE 100 ‘S co