Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 306 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

20 ‘Ing that it is imperative yc u should see him at once, at your house, here in the library. Sign your name, We will see that he receives the note. If we can surprise him some bloodshed may be prevented, for he isa ees: fellow and will not easily cap- tured openly.” Even while he was speaking, Mrs. Fenwick, in some excitement, was penning the summons he dic- ted. Then a little plot was arranged between the two, and he took his departure—tirst handing to her the morning paper, which she had not yet seen, and which contained an account that showed her tbe facts related by the detective were not exaggerated. The woman was thoroughly aroused against the treacherous Italian who, she argued, might not hesitate to strike at her, as he had at her husbend, “when he had used her for his purpose in circulating the spurious coin. ~ CHAPTER XXIIL ALBERT ROYAL TRIES TO EXPLAIN NO, 101, Wuen Jo Call went out from the mansion, already ‘there were several arrivals of carriages before the curb, and those who had only known Dorsey Fen- wick as a prominent and successful citizen were be- ‘ing ushered into the darkened room where lay the co 4 The ateemblage increased rapidly until the parlors were quite packed; and many merchants were prom- inent among those who had come to thus evince their final respect for the dead. As funerals generally are, this one was late in the starting. It was long after two o’clock when Mrs, Fenwick sand her er had taken their last look through the glass at the white face. | And as the cortege moved away in the direction of ‘the cemetery, the whistle of the afternoon train for West Point was sounding finally as the rushing pas- -sengers hustled one another for seats, | bert Royal was in the act of mounting the steps 4 of acar, as the train was even in motion, whena | hard hand fell upon his shoulder, pulling him back and holding him firmly. ** You will not take that train, young man.” ‘Who are you?” he demanded, angrily, as he saw that the other would not loose his hold, and mean- time the train had almost receded from the plat- form. “Timothy Tuff, at your service.” ‘“‘Unhand me instantly! I want to catch that “train,” and he made an effort to throw off the grip- ie held on. Then the young Southerner, with his blood up, was ' about to give an exhibition of his muscular powers e “in a positive fight, when Tuff said, coolly: | **Better not try taat, young man. If you don’t know the firm of Call & Tuff, detectives, [ll intro- i -duce myself,” and he displayed his badge. “ What does this mean?” | *““That you're wanted.” ** Wanted?” ‘*You are arrested, if you want it that way.” iP ** Arrested! What for?’ in amazement, * You areattracting a crowd. You had best come uit -along quietly.” Though apparently not comprehending what he ‘could have nm arrested for, Albert Royal realized 7 that he was indeed in the grasp of a detective, and é “with flushed face he glanced around upon the curi- .ous crowd which the little scene bad attracted. if “Will you . fh oan: fe asked Tuff. in a way that hy “meant: “For if you will not, I shall take you forci- | 4 2 , | *T will go.” As they moved toward the pate, the broad ae ‘face of Wing-Wing appeared slyly around the jam of the dressing-room door, and his almond eyes ie glanced twinklingly after the ee The Chinaman kept out of sight. He could not afford to let it be known, by even a surmise, that he was ar arly employed **shadow,"’ else he quant on his usefulness in that vocation suddenly e , * Plos’ man no hop skipee—no glood tlickee—buy *em half pricee. ing-Wing top heap, you blet!” - Agreeably to the understanding between himself and Call, Timothy Tuff was conducting the prisoner pth hated station bay hg —— —_ to Supt oyal recognized rh ey thus met the dena: who had recently ins ted. upon the interview with Mrs, Fenwick. . “Tye altered my mind a little, Tuff. Bring your yrs ok «a to our office first. I want to question m aS TS < = be * All right."" And to Royal: ‘ About face, young ive 4 Mman—mareh!”’ : “Will you not tell me what I am arrested for?” Albert inquired. Adding with some spirit: *T would like to see your authority for such a sin- . gular proceeding, anyhow. Where is it?” | ae “Right here,’ tapping his badge. att “You will get all the explanation you want pres- or, Call said, with a significant nod. - “T tell you plainly gentlemen, if I did not know of your firm, and I was not aware that you are in reality conducting me to your agency in the neigh- / ‘borhood of Capitol Square, I would nor submit to fate any such proceeding. {oie o more passed between the detectives and their ___ »prisoner during the remainder of the walk. oe ck Upon his promise to go quietly, Royal had been 3g ‘permitted to act with freecom, hence there was no plates attention attracted by their movement OF eed gh the upper part of the city. "When they had reached the agency and entered _——s thes private room, Call’ placed a chair for their -___ »prisoner, saying: 7s * Sit down and take it cool. sy few questions, Will “That depends.” Well, the quicker and the more truthfully the are answered, the better it wil! be for you, that’s “What do you wish to know?” “Did you ever see this before!’’ producing the diary given him by Mrs. Fenwick. We want to ask you you answer them?” “Yes; it is my diary. - You admit that it is yours?” ' ‘MXes.” The -Roughs of Richm« ts : <-"S, F t . 4 uid * ove ce” ¥. me Ley oY ty t es , F ‘ se eo © 4s & a . tA _— * How came you to lose it?” Royal hesitated. To explain, he felt that he must involve the name of Erminie, for that he dropped it during their stolen interview by night, in the garden, he felt sure. Call relieved him of this dilemma by saying: “You were with Miss Erminie in the garden of her home at an hour preceding the bringing home of Mr. Fenwick by the police, were you not?” ‘Tt may be,’ ** And this number—what does that mean?’ sud- denly opening the diary at tae page where was the mysterious number— 101. ardly giving the young man time to speak, aud sae, 8 the diary quickly again, he stepped to the table, bringing forward the small slate, adding: * And this? Here it is again. You marked that | number down while in the room at your boarding: | house—I01,”"" ** Ah, I wondered what had become of the slate!”’ exclaimed Royal, involuntarily. “You did, eh? Well, it came to us, and the diary came tous. In the diary an: on the slate occur the same number—101. Will you te 1 me what it means —this 101?” “ Certainly,” with a smile, “It is the number of a railroad bond.” “You are candid.” “Why should I not be?’’ “You say it is a number of a bond—of a bond of the ae and Danville?” “ es,’”’ The two detectives exchanged glances. **How did you happen to have it? Who were you trying to negotiate it for?” ‘ Will you tell me one thing?” put in Royal, with an eas geile pogseasion and still smiling. ‘* What is it?” “ Has that bond anything to do with my arrest?’’ ** Suppose it has?” “ Then there is some mistake, and it has inconve- nienced me in preventin ay ceperne on the train, I can fully explain how the bond came into my pos- session,”’ “You can, eh?” codhe ‘hight of tal Pertine sounie Oak ago—the night of the Fenwick murder, I t _ when, on my return in the buggy which I had hired I saw something like a folded document in the road on the Richmond end of the foot-bridge. I alighted and gee it up. Onexamination it proved to bea bond, as you seem to know. Its number was 101, I have several times written down the number in an idle manner, or ‘perhaps to keepit in my memory the better, while waiting to see an advertisement from the loser. To-day, meaning to leave Rich- mond, I inclosed the bond in an envelope and left it at the office of the Dispztch, accompanied by an ad- vertisement—which will appear in to-morrow’s edi- tion—inviting the owner to call at the office and rove his property. That is all there is about the nd, to my knowledge.”’ ** Sleek !"’ ** Sir!’’ from the clerk in the outer office. e pe around to the office of the Dispatch with nie note,’’ and he gave the clerk a hastily scribbled note. It was not long before an answer to the written inquiry came back that a young man giving his name as Albert Royal had deposited such a bond with the proprietors of the eee to be returned to the party answering the fort coming advertisement, if he could give satisfactory proof of his owner- s * . ** Are you satisfied?’ Royal asked. ** Not quite,” and as he said this he beckoned his partner aside. “What do fea think about it, Tuff?" “Simply, that this young man, having learned that the Order of the Golden Beetle had been de- stroyed, and that Caudrey Brown isin limbo, has taken fright, invented this story, and taken the nae tothe newspaper office to bear him out in that story.” ‘My idea senor Call step to the telegraph instrument and tick- ed off a quick message. Inside of five minutes a policeman presented him- self at the agency. Call, pointing to Albert Royal, astonished the lat- ter by sare “Take th young man ‘in,’ and, hold him until you hear from me! ** What now?’ queried Tuff. when the two ners were alone—for notwithstanding a vehement protest he was marched off, under the threat that if he did not go peaceably he would be taken by main force. . * Plenty of work ahead. We'll close in to-night on the man who killed Dorsey Fenwick,”’ and he rejated what had transpired in his interview with Mrs. Fenwick. “She has completely turned since she learned the fact that the Master of the Order of the Golden Beetle is undoubtedly the murderer of her husband. I guess you and I are a sufficient match for the Italian, are we not?"’ . **Presumably,’’ with a smile. * Then there need not be a great racket over his capture. We will just quietly slide him in almost before he knows it himself. I have laid a trap; and even the gente will not see any little scene accom- penwing his bagging. Listen to this,’’ and he laid efore Tuff the plot he had arranged with é Fenwick for enticing the Italian into her library. Half an hour later he was at the Exchange Hotel, But who would have suspected that in the obse. quious negro-waiter who brought a note to the room of the Signor Murguio was the dwarf detective? or M o had returned from the scene of the disaster on Fourteenth str his interest there having abruptly ceased when it was known that bea could not. be any more bodies buried in the He was on the point of going out when arrested at his room door by the apparent negro youth, who on Royal’s part, i Heyar’s a letter fo’ you, sah.”’ ‘Ah, a letter forme? Giveitme. And—a—here, my boy,’ dropping a dime into the black palm. “Any answer, sah?’ ' 1 shall see—no, there is none,”’ with a sudden And as the Signor Murguio moved rapidly off mad. | along the corridor he muttered, unintentionally had | | wash-room, ' black from his face an | ll abware ii =— loud enough for the disguised detective to hear: “The perdition! How she have discovered who and where I am?” When the negro had descended to the office, close behind the signor, he was beckoned to by the chief clerk of the hotel. ‘* A word with you, Mr, Call.” They retired into a room bebind the office—a where Call proceeded to remove the don his own garments, which were there, He had d_ sired to deliver the note in person thus, so as to read in the Italian’s face. be could, would obey whether it was ga that the quar a summons and walk into the net being spread for m. He felt sssured that Alvaro Mandez would go to the Fenwick mansion. Since the discovery about the spurious gold coin that is being circulated, we have taken | ains, for the first time, to exantine some of the coin with which this Signor Murguio has been accustomed to pay his bills.’ * Well?” ‘““Every piece bas been tampered with. Had we not best arrest him at once?” ; ‘Tam attending to that. Signor Murguio will be in the jug before twenty-four hours. He cannot escape.’ CHAPTER XXIV. ‘vou ARE THE MAN WHO KILLED MY HUSBAND!” Ir was near the fall of another ch fers when a close cab came whirling up tothe curb before the detec- tive agency. A female alighted. Upon entering, she found there both Call and 7 uff. Throwing aside the vail that hid her face, she re- vealed herself as Erminie Fenwick. She was greatly agitated. “Gentlemen, you have made a cruel mistake.” ~ ** Have we?”’ ns aS arrested Albert Royal to-day?” ‘* Yes.’ “On the supposition that he is a thief. AndI have come here totell you that you are wronging him yori He did not steal or criminally get the bond at all.”’ “The bond? You know something about the bond found in the possession of the young man, then?’ “T know this: that on the very same night on which he found it, he told me of it apd told me how he found it. It was at my own suggestion that he waited to hear from the loser through an advertise- ment, and I too have watched for such an advertise- ment,"’ “How did you know that he was arrested and on i eta ay aving criminally gained possession of the bond?’ ‘“* He set me this note after his arrest.’ She handed Call a note in the young man’s Only these few words were contained in it: ‘‘ ERMINIE:—I am uner arrest and am confined because of the bond. For Heaven's sake call at the detective agency through which I was arrested, and explain to them what you know about it. Call , Capitol Square. } hand. ** ALBERT,.”’ To the two detectives it appeared that, if there was any collusion between the lovers, it was admirably sustained. The wording of the communication could not give any instruction as to what she should say. “The young man did not tell us that you were his having the bond. Why did he omit that?” said Call, suspiciously. ‘*He may have preferred not to mix me up in it as long as there was any possibility of escaping other- wise the suspicion that has been cast upon him, But what I tell you is the truth, and I will swear to “Very well, Miss Fenwick, if you can swear to this, and if it with an inquiry I am about to make in that direction, Ihave no doubt the young man will be promptly released.”’ ee beg ae you will onrene to es before it becomes a matter of newspaper "she urged. “TI will. hea now, Miss Gonwick. we must tell ou that we intend to capture the murderer of your ather te-night.”’ **So soon’ But Iam pleased beyond expression to hear it,” “You must not ply us with questions, I warn you; but will you Oe oul @ us by remaining weelorls away from the vicinity of the library at your home this evening—at least until you are apprised that you may appear there?’’ “You do not mean tosay that you expect to cap- ture the wretch in the library of my own home!" ‘Precisely that and nothing else, And it is for your own good that we advise you to remain as far as possible away from that apartment, as there may be some pistol shooting. The servants will be dis- dof by your mother, who is fully aware of our ntentions and has some instructions from us to facilitate the little affair.”’ “T will do as you request. But about this matter concerning Albert Royal. You will lose no time with that smportent inquiry you say you intend to make, and which may corroborate my assertion of his innocence?” “Tt will be attended to at once. And now, please excuse us.”’ When Erminie had departed, Call said: “Now, Tuff, we'll goand see the broker in limbo.” They hastened to the station. Caudrey Brown wosin a more talkative humor than when Call had seen him last. “We have come to ask a question,’’ announced Call, when they were admi to conversation with the prisoner, ‘* which will either condemn or another prisoner we have in a box.” ‘Well, gentlemen, what is it?” ‘‘When Alvaro Mandez brought those bonds to you, did you count them? If so, how many were there?’ ; “Yes, I counted them. ‘There were nineteen bonds of one thousand dollars each.” “You are sure of this?” ** Positive.” ‘There should have been twenty.” aby, os ~comicbooks.c ; ' / { ; | a : ste