Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 306 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

» ae —— i oe . - 18 As he started forth, he was closely followed by ‘Wing-Wing though he did not suspect it. The owing Chinaman, attired in his best suit, was close on the track of his allotted rari # when the latter went to the depot ticket office and bought a ticket for Baltimore, ria West Point, CHAPTER XX. JO CALL ’PLIES THE THUMB-SCREWS. EAr.y in the morning Jo Call notified Bob Boswick to acquaint the authorities with what had been re- vealed to him by the detectives regarding the house on Fourteenth street and the strange accident to the building on the night past. It was not long after Boswick acted upon this advice before the police were in possession of the premises. Daring workmen were easily obtainable who ven- tured into the dangerous structure to attempt the removal of the debris from the ingulfed chamber— po ites that was effected by entering the house | Sarat that of Arban, the astrologer. d it was discovered thereby that both houses formed a So in juncture of the mysterious temple in the underground passace. A close investigation showed that the girders sup- Peskin, the dark chamber which had fallen were in- ependent and did not really, by their falling, jeop- ize the balance of the building. Then the work went speedily onward, and the ublic, only catching a mere hint that there had n several bodies buried in the singular ruins. congregated in little crowds to see when the work- men should bring forth the expected ghastly co F While this work proceeded on Fourteenth street Jo Call was in his office waiting for a report from aoe ee ee ad he had pee 9D, ps Signor Mur- o and on the young post-office clerk. e The latter waste first to come in. Wing-Wing came dancing into the agency, his copper-colored face beaming in a smile that stretch- ed his mouth almost from ear to éar. *Plos’ clerk hop skipee—buy tlickee—git, you blet,’’ he announced in a somewhat enigmal man- ner, “Bought a ticket, you say?” interrogated Call. e ae tlickee—bullah git outee, Weegee Pontee,”’ Albert Royal was going to West Point, he caught from the Chinaman’s broken and not altogether pro- nounceable sentences. Wing-Wing nodded as his employer stated the words correctly. ‘Where is he now?” Wing-Wing made a motion to indicate that his quarry was then not far off. " After him again, then. Don't lose sight of As Wing-Wing danced out again, Tuff entered. “I can’t do anything with the fellow up at the station,” he said, frowningly. Adding: ‘You try your hand, Jo. You generally have had better luck at that kind of thing.” “Allright. But I have something for you to take a smart hold of, Tuff.’ “What is it?’ ” ree Royal intends to skip the town.” ‘ 1 bad **He has bought a ticket for West Point already. The train doesn’t go until this afternoon, to make the ccnnection with the York river boat up to Balti- more; nevertheless, you must watch the depot. That rau man must not leave town until I have investigated him a little.” “That's fixed. What next? You're captaining the case,” “Jug him and try and frighten him into telling the meaning of the mysterious figure hart oid y and on the slate brought to me from his room Wing-Wing—101, you know.” “ All right. I'll take the trail at once and keep it till he boards the train.” Tuff de Hardly parted. had he gone when a very young man en- tered the agency and said: “T would like to see one of the firm,” ‘Mr. Call isin the back room—”’ * Step this way, young man,” called the detective, And when the youth had entered the rear office, he asked: “Well, what can I do for you?” “I'm afraid, sir, I've got some intelligence of foul play. ” “Have you?” “My employer is missing ” *Youremployer’ Who is your employer?” “Mr. Cau Brown.” ‘What is his business?” ** Broker.’’ ‘What kind of a broker?” + oy rege and bonds.”’ There was something about the mention of bonds just then that parti rly interested Jo Call * Well, what about youremployer? He is missing —how? Runoff? Anything crooked—” “Oh, no, sir. But he is always punctual at the office and comes earlier than most ess men <0 to their offices. He has never been late since I have been in his employ, and that has been over a year.” **How do you know that he is missing?”’ ‘Because I have been to his house to inquire whether he was sick, and his family was worried almost to death when they heard that he hadn't been to the office since yesterday, because he hasn’t been home either, and there’s no word about him to be found among those with whom he dealt mostly.” ‘‘ Why do you not consult the police?” ‘‘T have a reason, sir. If there is a fuss made, and everything turns out all right—that there is nothing the :natter—Mr. Brown might consider it a meddling too far in his movements by his clerks. And again, a@ most unaccountable thing has happened for a man e Mr. Brown.” ** What like?” “He went away from the office yesterday without locking the safe, after an interview from a dark- man from whom he received a package of faced bonds; and the bonds are in the safe.” **What kind of bonds?! demanded Call with an | abrupt suddenness. *T didn't care to examine them, sir, but I know s~ertee LLL LLL NN they are bonds, for I heard the man of whom he re- ceived them say that they had better be negotiated as soon as p le.” And the youth added: me locked the safe, sir, and took the key up to his wife,”’ ‘What do you want me to do?” ** Weli, if fifty dollars will pay you, we clerks have agreed to make up the amount to aid in finding Mr. Brown. For he always paid us well, sir, and promptly, and was a icnient man to get along with ps = is, he made his clerks feel friendly toward 1im.”’ ** Describe him to me,.”’ The clerk did so. Instantly a peculiar look came into the detective’s eyes. ** You will pay fifty dollars for the finding of Mr. Brown, eh?” “Yes, sir.” “ We'll find him for you in short order, I think. There, you may return and say to your feliow clerks | that I busy.”’ excellent spirits at having so easily enlisted the ser- vices of what was considered the best detective firm in Richmond. The business that Jo Call said necessitated his cutting short the interview was of a kind that caused him to grab his hat and immediately there- after leave the office. He had paused long enough only to get the ad- dress of the home of Mr. Caudrey Brown. Within a minute succeeding his departure, a man have taken the job. Excuse me now, I’m | The Roughs of Richmond. depriving gold coin of its value with the intention of passing said coin upon the public forits full value. You are a criminal in possession of a damn- ing Brock that you were an accessory to the mur—" ‘It is not so!’ cried the prisoner, suddenly and with great vehemence. “I swear to you that I know nothing about the murder of Dorsey Fenwick, and I will tell you exactly how I came into posses- sion of the bonds; I will indicate to you their source. I will do anything—for I cannot, will not, be ac- suned wrongfully of being a murderer, I will con- ess!” CHAPTER XXIL. THE MISSING BOND—101. Ir was a strange picture there in the cell of the eep. . One of Richmond's wealthy brokers almost on his knees before the unrelenting sleuth who had trailed him down to a desperate corner while in the perpe- tration of a cunning crime. “TI do not ask you to spare me,’’ Brown said, brokenly. ‘‘But oh, have some pity for my wife ' and echildren—” ‘Thank you, sir,’ and the youth withdrew in | entered the office and inquired for him ina manner | ) | from erika d Fenwick. He was a member of the oO of haste. “Just gone out. sir,’ responded the clerk, to the comer’s inquiry, and paying him no particular at- tention as he bent over a large ledger. “Too bad!" muttered this party, withdrawing to the street and lookin: this way and that, as if in hopes of seeing the detective. ‘‘I have some- thing important to communicate regarding the Sig- nor ono lil Jo Call evidently tho would * keep” just at that time. A half-hour later he was hastenin tion of the station where was confin of the previous night’s episode. He was readily admitted to the cell Alone with him, he proceeded leisurely to light a cigar, the while eying the man who sat upon the edge of the rude cot, a dark scowl on his brow. t was plain to the detective that this man had made an attempt since being brought in to disguise his ap ce by smearing his faee and variously fev oer his attire, to give himself a rough ex- terior. ‘You are in a bad hole, my friend,’’ Call remark- ed, bringing forward the only stool the cell con- tained, and seating himself near the other. **Am I?” was the gruff reply. ‘*Decidedly. If I we e you, I’d make a clean breast of everything, and be let down easy, you see ” ‘“‘There’s nothing to make a clean breast of.” “TIsn’t there? Think again. Now, for instance this little racket of turning out the edges of old pieces and filling in with base metal—that isn’t altogether the proper thing, you know, is it?” The man gave him a scowling and searching glance. But he was silent. “It is all very plain, my friend; either you must make a clean confession that will result in the eatching of your leader, or you will surely swing as an accomplice to the murder.” ‘“*Swing?—murder?” * That, precisely.” *“*What are you driving at?” ‘*Why, this murder of Mr. Dorsey Fenwick, who is to be buried to-day at2P. u.; besides, complicity in the robbery of his body—the bonds—the Rich- mond ard Danville bonds, you know,” and Cal] fixed a keen gaze upon him. He saw that a portion at least of what he had said puzzled the prisoner considerably. ‘ ‘‘T heard through the announcement in the paper that Dorsey Fenwick had been waylaid by some one and killed,” he said, hig “Yes, and he was robbed of twenty railroad bonds, valued at one thousand dollars each, by the party. or parties who murdered him. We detectives ave been pretty hot on the trail since the hour in which he was brought home. Shall I tell you what we have discovered?” = ok sheuld I be interested? I know nothing about, the mishap to Dorsey Fenwick or any other man.” * Are ‘een quite sure?” **T will swear to it—” “To save your neck, no doubt.” A shade of pallor was settling in the man’s face. “Now, my friend, let me tell you something, I have found the railroad bonds—bonds of the Rich- mond and Danville—in exact accordance with the numbers in my diary, which I obtained from the bank president where the bonds had been deposited previous to the murder. They are in the safe ofa certain broker of this city whose name is Caudrey Brown. Here is the key to the safe,” and Call held aloft a large key. He had been to the home of the missing broker and obtained the key from Brown's wife. He had not yet been to the broker's office and examined the suspected bonds, as he asserted; his remark was a mere feeler. He must have derived some satisfaction from the effect produced by the exhibition of the key, for he at once added: ‘* And now, Mr. Caudrey Brown—for you are he— don’t you think you had best make a clean cone fession as to how you came into on of those bonds?—or shall I let matters simply take their course, which will assuredly result in your being convicted as a participant in the foul murder, the consequences of which you must be well aware of. In short,” and Jo Call arose, standing before the man sternly, ‘‘ Dorsey Fenwick was murdered, and the bonds were on his person at the time; the bonds their prisoner | same order | wick. I swear to you that w “Why did you not think of your wife and child- ren?” asked Call. “Because I guess I have been a ‘cursed fool.” - Probably. But you say you will confess?” *“Go ahead, then.” “Tf I am to fall in disgrace, at least I shall not leave to my children the legacy of the saying that their father was hung as an accomplice at murder —no! Iam innocent of bi a Pepto Dorsey Fen- en I took the bonds to negotiate, I had no idea that they had been taken which I belonged—its chief. in fact. | Ll was as much shocked at the account of his death | | | as any one, the more because no one had ever been of such good service to the order as bad he—” ‘* You refer to the Order of the Golden Beetle?” ‘“Yes. That name was given to it at his own a gestion when we first banded ea to promul- gate our scheme of retaining from all the gokd t that the Signor Murguio | pieces we could gather a certain proportion of the pure metal and substitute a baser stuff, which was in the direc- | easily accomplished after some practice. The very night it was known that Dorsey Fenwick had been killed, the next in command, a man known as Alvaro Mandez, assumed control. And he sug- gested that we try and induce, by fright if neces- sary, the wife of Dorsey Fenwick to join us, be- cause, as he said. he could reveal in the council- chamber when she had been. persuaded there, that she was a remarkably shrewd woman and could do . much that Dorsey Fenwick had done to further our scheme, she being very ambitious of wealth. This —— Se OO was effected, and under the alluring title of Queen of the Order of the Golden Beetle, she became one of us, swearing solemnly to assist in such plans as the council might devise for the distribution of the de- teriorated coin—”’ ‘“But the bonds?” broke in the detective. ‘*Tam coming now to that. ‘* Alvaro Mandez visited my office and showed me a package of Richmond and Danville bonds, which he suggested that I should try and dispose of for more gold with which to continue the operations at the rendezvous: I was to offer them at a heavy dis- count if I could find Foy Marae at all,in order to expedite the matter. e proposition coming from one of my most trusted members of the order, of eourse I undertook the task in my capacity as broker, never—never, so help me Heaven—for one moment dreaming that they had been taken from the murdered body of Dorsey Fenwick.” As he thus declared, the detective, with his long experience at reading the human countenance, con- cluded either that Brown spoke the truth or that he was himself a most deceived person. ‘You have given this perfectly straight?” * As straight and true as Holy Writ. j ‘‘This confession implicates Mrs. Fenwick as an utterer of the false coin.” ‘Tam sure that she has rot yet had time todo anything; I know that no money was as yet given to her—that is, none of the coin that was tampered with. Everything was in the direct say of the new leader, Alvaro Mandez; what his plans were none of the band had Jearned, up to the time when I be- lieve all perished but So A in the crash of the floor at the rendezvous.” “Were you one of those who destroyed the sight of Ischan, the Indian boy?” Brown was evidently honest in his astonishment. **No!”’ he exclaimed. ‘‘I did not know that any- thing like that had been done.” “Were you present when I was iv the council- chamber of the Golden Beetle last night, at an early hour comparatively?” “What hour?” The detective named the hour. **No, 1 was not there.” ‘‘ Did you see me there during the day?” ** Brown, if all that ie have said is true, you will be lucky to a certain degree. That is, you will not have to answer for the horrible outrage that has been inflicted on the Indian boy; you will escape trial for complicity in the murder of Dorsey Fenwick. Nevertheless—”’ ‘Well?’ with a return of his former sullerness, and regaining the seat he had occupied on the edge of the cot, “ ate will have to‘ go up,’ aud there’s no help for it.” “So be it !""—doggedly. Jo Call left the prisoner. . His mind was now ina t state of elation. He was fairly on the track of Dorsey Fenwick's murderer, through a combination of circumstances which, he had to admit to himself, were as much gp of chance as through any effort on his part. or ‘s. He immediately sought the office of the broker, wine pe clerk who had visited the agency at once nquired: A ap you learned anything of Mr. Brown, sir?” *e , yes. ? “Found him?” and several of the other clerks making his could not be found until they were found in your | gathered around the detective, who was way toward the huge safe, , * Yes, I've found him.” ao } safe as the property of a man—your property—w o has just been caught engaged in the criminal act of =~ (E(@) Cc JOOKS.' a