Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

| the lady exelaimed, indi ‘Wot? do you mean to say that your name ain’t Roxy Merivale?” ‘* Certainly not; [am Mrs, Judge Jones,” the lady responded with dignity. ** Oh, i know all about that—I know that you have roped another sucker in, but you’re Roxy Merivaie all the same!” the old bummer ex- claimed rudely, fairly losing his temper at being thus treated. ** Tow dare you address me in such a manner? antly. ‘‘ You must be crazy; begone, sir, or I will call my servants to thrust you into the street!” ‘* Crazy!” exclaimed Old Lead Pencil, angrily. “Not a bit of it. It’s you who are crazy or else you would never dare to attempt to defy me. ‘* You think that you are so strong now that you can laugh at me; ’m only a miserable old wreck, and nobody would be apt to believe any- thing I might say ag’in’ such a lady hte are, but if I can’t spike at you myself I can put somebody else on the track who kin; an’ high as yer Judge Jones holds his head, this man is as good as he any day in the week, and that’s Howard Crowilnpatiteld: Pll go straight to him an’ tell a tale that will be mighty apt to make him open his eyes.” ‘Yes, my good man, I would,” the lady re- plied in soothing tones. ‘‘Go right away, so I can shut the door.” This being treated like a crank maddened Old Lead Pencil, “Think twice afore yer pull the house down on yer head!” he warned, withdrawing his foot from the threshold, and the lady took advantage of this to close the portal, and drawing down the inside curtain, disappeared from sight. Almost choking with rage, the tramp descend- ed to the street, ‘‘ I'll give youaway to Crown- ingshield this night!” he cried. CHAPTER XIII. THE BARGAIN. NEVER in all this wide world wasa man much more overcome with rage than was Old Lead Pencil, as he fairly staggered like a drunken man along the street after having been dis- missed by the lady,-who he was sure was she who had once been called Roxanna Merivale, in such a cavalier manner. Nine years before, when she had tricked him by suddenly taking flight, he had been fearfully enraged at being so craftily duped; but now, when he had again hunted her down, to be open- V defied—to be dismissed with the suggestion a t he was crazy—was altogether too much, lt was adding insult to injury. As a general thing, when the old bummer was enraged he swore like a trooper, but in the pre- sent caso he felt that all the oaths that were ever invented would not do justice to the subject or soothe his outraged feelings. Although passion raged so A age in every vein that he could not walk straight until he had cooled down a little, yet he did not swear and rage as usual, But his voice was husky, though with suppressed Pa a as he went along muttering to himsel ‘* Defies me, does she?” he growled. ‘‘ Makes out that she thinks I am crazy, an’ calls me ‘my good man,’ jest like as if she was some princess, an’ I wasn’t nothin’ but a beggar. ‘‘Shedrives me from her door as though I was a dog—an’ a dog she'll find me, too, when she feels my bite.” And then the old vagabond chuckled hoarsely, and clinched his fists and struck out at the air, as though he thought he was striking at the woman who had defied him. ‘‘Oho! yerthink ye’r’ mighty smart, but mebbe youll change yer mind afore you are many ours older, ‘**Crowningshield is no slouch; anybody can see that by lookin’ at his face, and I’m a-bettin’ all the ducats I kin scare up, which ain’t much jest now, that he’ll give my lady the liveliest tussle she ever had in her life, an’ won’t an old man ’bout my size be glad of it? Oh, no, not much!” And so, communing with himself now swear- ing vengeance against the woman who had tricked him, and then chuckling over the thought that Crowningshield would avenge him in the most ample manner, he proceeded straight to the house of that gentleman. Walking up the front steps he rung the bell with the air of a man who felt sure of his wel- come. " Howard Crowningshield himself came to the oor. There was an anxious look upon his face, and he gazed inquiringly at the old tramp. ‘*This is Mister Crowningshield, ain’t it— Mister Howard Crowningshield?’? Old Lead Pencil said, ‘Yes, sir, that is my name.” ** Wal, boss, my handle is Lead Pencil—Cld Lead Pencil, the gang call me, ’cos selling lead- pencils is the leetle racket I work. **T’ve come to see you on a mighty important little bit of business. I ain’t fixed up like I was a-goin’ to make an evening call, but I reckon you won’t pay much attention to my clothes when you know w’ot I’ve got to say.” Crowningshield fixed his keen eyes upon the Crowningshield, the Sleuth. face of the old man as intently as if to read him to the heart. Old Lead Pencil bore the scrutiny without flinching. For once in his life, at any rate, he had spoken the truth, and did not fear investigation. ‘* Follow me, please,” Crowningshield said, after a moment’s hesitation. Then he led the way through the entry to a smoking-room, which was on the first floor at the rear of the house. The gas was lit, and the evening papers were on the table. Crowningshield had occupied the room when the tramp’s ring summoned him to the door, He had been anxiously awaiting the return of his boy, and when he heard the ring, he im- agined that it was his little Goldenlocks., As the two eed through the entry, the ser- vant, whose business it was to attend to the door, began to ascend the stairs from the base- ment, “You need not come up, James,” warned Crowningshield, and then after he conducted his visitor into the smoking-room, he carefully closed the door. ‘* Sit down,” the young man continued, mo- tioning the old fellow to a seat. ‘You can speak freely here, and without danger of being overheard.” There was something about the man that sug- gested to Crowningshield that he would not freely unfold his business if he thought there was any danger of any one overhearing his words, “Pm goin’ to speak bout a rayther delicate subject,” began the old tramp, ‘‘an’ it goes back to a pint in your life ’bout nine psi ago.” A look of amazement appeared upon the face of the young man, for this was entirely unex- pected. ‘* Nine years ago?” he said in a tone of ques- tion. ‘Yas, that is what I sed. Mebbe you'll won- der how I came to know anything ‘bout the matter, but that is neither here nor there. I come by my knowledge honestly enough, an’, as long as I give yer the information you want, I s’pose you don’t keer ’bout pokin’ yer nose into how I got hold on it.” ‘*T have no wish to pry into your secrets.” ‘Wal, it’s *bout yer wife that scooted away from yer nine years ago!” Old Lead Pencil ex- claimed, abruptly. Crowningshield grew a trifle paler, and drew a long breath. He was in a measure prepared for this revelation by what the old man had previously said. ‘*T was arter her on a leetle matter of busi- oa Jost about that time, an’ she gi’n me the slip 00, A strange expression passed over Crowning- shield’s face as he listened to these words, and the thought immediately came into his mind: ‘**'What possible connection could there be be- tween his young, innocent girl-wife and this weather-beaten old tramp?” But he did not put the thought into words and so after a brief pause Old Lead Pencil con- tinued: ‘Tt was jest by accident I found out that she had got married to you since I had seen her an’ when I diskivered next day that she had skipped, I reckoned you would be apt to feel mighty bad about it. ‘“[’ve been on the lookout for her ever since, an’ I suppose you have too?” Crowningshield nodded. ‘Wal, I run across the critter yesterday jest by accident, you know, ’cos I hadn’t the least idee that shoe would ever come back to Bostin, arter scootin’ out of it, the way she did. ‘¢ Jest for greens, you know, arter I found out that she had come back I went to work for to find out all about her, an’ I did it right up to-the handle, an’ then I jest meditated a bit ’bout it an’ I come to the conclusion that mebbe the in- formation would be wu’th somethin’ to you an’ so I thought I had better see you. ‘*Tt was a mean reg, ba the gal to run away from you an’ her little babby, arter all you did for her too, for I reckoned she must have been mighty down on her luck when you picked her up These words so confidently spoken sent a flood of horrible suspicions tearing through the brain of Crowningshield. What dark mystery was there in connection with the life of the beautiful young girl he had wedded before he encountered her? True there might be some mistake in the matter; the woman to whom this miserable old wretch referred so confidently might not be the girl who had dealt him such a terribe blow in the long ago. Yet his knowledge of the matter seemed to be complete. If the woman of whom he spoke was not the Roxanna whom he had loved and lost, how did it happen that he was acquainted with all the particulars of the affair? To not a soul in the world with the ex- ception of his uncle and his two chums had he breathed a word in rhea to the departure of his wife, so he mentally said, and then the next instant the remembrance flashed across his 11 memory that the particulars of the affair had been confided to the chief of police at the time when his efforts had been invoked, The chief himself counseled that the matter should be kept strictly private, and had said he would put men on the case who could be de- pended upon not to ‘‘ give it away.” The secret might have leaked out in that di- rection, and this old fellow’s object. might be to obtain money by professing to be master of in- formation which really he did not possess, Acting upon this idea he spoke, ‘** Naturally Iam anxious to unravel the mys- tery which has cast a shadow over my life, and if you can put me in possession of any informa- tion in regard to the whereabouts of my wife who so strangely disappeared nine years ago, I shall be glad to pay you liberally for your trouble.” ‘* In course, guv’nor, I don’t want for to go for to pretend that [am above makin’ a stake out of this’ere thing,” Old Lead Pencil admitted, honestly. °Cos that’s the leetle game that I’m up too, every time, an’ don’t you forget it. ‘*But [Pm actin’ on the squar’ with you—I wish I may die if I ain’t. Ikin tell you where your wife is—I kin fix it so that if you like you kin stand face to face with her inside of a half- an-hour—an’ I ain’t e-givin’ you any ghost story either when I say it. ‘‘T may as well own up too, that I’m arter a leetle bit of revenge in this matter. I’ve got a grudge to settle. “She played me a nasty trick when she cut her stick without takin’ the trouble for to sa good-by to any one, an’ I'm a-tryim for to git squar’ with her now by tryin’ the swap away to you, for of all the men that there are in this world, you are about the last one that she wants for to see, ‘She hates the sight of me bad enough, but then I’m only a poor, miserable, old, played-out wretch, an’ she is rich and powerful enuff for to laugh at me, but when you get in on her track, I reckon she won’t do much laughing,” and the old fellow chuckled at the idea, ‘Tam willing to pay you liberally for any in- formation as I have said, but, to speak plainly Ido not desire to be tricked in the matter,” Crowningshield remarked. Old Lead Pencil laughed at the idea. It was nothing new to him to have his word doubted. In fact he thought it was a compliment to his ability. Oh, ’m Begin a squar’ game this time!” he asserted. ‘*‘ Youneedn’t pay me a cent until you have met the woman an’ satisfied yerself that it is all correct. Ye’r’ a gen’leman an’ I’m will- ing to trust yer, but, guv’nor, I wants for to strike you for ’bout a hundred dollars, W’ot do yer say? Isita go?” CHAPTER XIV. A CLEW, CROWNINGSHIELD surveyed his visitor for a moment with a searching glance, but the old fellow never flinched and the young man became satisfied that no matter how great a rascal he was generally, on this occasion he could be de~ pended upon. ‘Tt isa bargain,” Crowningshield said. ‘‘T agree to the conditions, é ‘‘Give meaclew so that I can come face to face with the woman who fled from me nine yeah ago and I will gladly pay you the sum you as ‘One hundred dollars!” exclaimed Old Lead Pencil eagerly, asif he was afraid that there might be some mistake about the matter. he prompt acceptance of his offer surprised him. © had asked a hundred with the idea of etting fifty, and now that his own figure had — een accepted he was angry with himself at hav- ing been such a fool as toset so low a value upon the information. ““T might just as well struck him for two or three hundred while I war ’bout it,” he thought. ‘*T would have got it jest as quick. W’ot’s money to these big bugs who are jest rolling in riches?” ‘Yes, one hundred dollars.” Just at this moment there came a tap at the door, Crowningshield bade the applicant enter and one of the servants made his appearance with a letter. ‘‘T found this, sir, shoved under the front door. It’s addressed to you, sir.” Crowningshield took the letter which bore his name upon it in printed characters, instead of written ones. The servant directly retired. ‘‘Excuse me,” the young man said, as he opened the letter, to the tramp, as polite to the old wretch as though he had been a millionaire. Old Lead Pencil ducked his head. The letter contained the page torn from the memorandum book, upon which little Golden- locks had written his message to his father. “T’ve gone to see mamma and will be back soon."’ Slowly the father read the lines, but not aloud so as to reach the listening ears of the old tramp. Here was more mystery. ‘ And after a moment’s reflection Crowning- shield determined to make known the contents of the note to his visitor. EoOmicbdooks: