Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

Crowningshield, the Sleuth. “Tt is from my boy,” he said. ‘‘ My little Adonis. Ihave been expecting him home ever since the darkness came, and when you run I thought it was my lad, and when I discover that it wasn’t I sup he had gone to some neighbor’s house with one of his playmates, although I never knew him to stay away from home without permission, ‘* He writes, ‘ I’ve gone tosee mamma and will : be back soon,’” Old Lead Pencil stared in amazement. Here was a move in the game which was en- tirely unexpected and the suddenness of the sur- prise staggered him for a moment. But when he came to reflect upon the mat- ter he thought he understood it. Roxanna had seen her child and recognized him when she rode by in her carriage, but was politic enough to conceal the fact. Then she had contrived to get rid of the *ndge and had returned, found the boy on the common, and persuaded him to go with her. It was a neat scheme and had been splendid- ly worked, yet why she should reveal to the boy that she was his mother and then permit him to write a note which would be certain to bring Crowningshield upon her track was 2 mystery which was beyond the old tramp’s power to fathom. “Tis too much for me, I give it up,” he murmured to himself, and then he said aloud: ‘Wal, I kin tell you where she is an’ then *-ou kin find yer boy too.” ‘* She lives in Commonwealth avenue, and is Inown now as Mrs. Judge Jefferson Jones.” ‘* Indeed?” and a look of astonishment swept rapidly over Crowningshield’s face. The intelligence astounded the young man; the idea that the girl whom he had cherished end loved as few women are loved in this ~yorld had coolly deserted him for another was terrible. ‘*You are sure that you hav'’n’t made any mistake in this matter?’ he asked in bewilder- ment for he could not bring himself to believe tha‘ it was possible. By reputation he well knew the great co per king, as the judge was| sometimes termed ; and in the circle in which Crowningshield moved Judge Jefferson Jones was not looked upon with favor. Since his advent in Boston he had striven with all his might to gain access to the charmed circle composed of the old aristocracy of our modern Athens. But these exclusive beings would have nothing to do with the millionaire from the howling wilderness adjacent to the shores of Lake Superior. Boston culture and blue blood would have nothing to do with the coarse-grained, clodhop- per copper man. He might be a great being in Marquette and Escanaba, but Boston would have none of him. And the idea that this bull-headed brute of a man had possession of the woman whom he had loved so well and lost so strangely was palling in the extremo to the proud, sensitive Howar Crowningshield. “Nary bit of mistake!” cried Old Lead Pencil, firmly. Ain't I risking a hundred “cases’ on it? How better kina man back his words than with the solid old stuff? ‘*Tt can’t be did,” the tramp continued. “Give me a keerd an’ I'll write the address for pees an’ I'll sign my name to the document so that my lady will know that the blow comes from me.” The card was avon him and upon it Old Lead Pencil scribbled the address of Judge Jef- ferson Jones. ‘‘ This it is, right as ninepence!” heexclaimed with a grin of triumph as he handed the card to Crowningshield. ‘* Mind you, guv’nor, the chances are "bout ten to one that she won’t acknowledge the corn an’ will try for to cheek it out that she hain’t never seen you afore,” Old Lead Pencil continued. “‘That’s the lay-out she give me an’ when I wouldn’t have it she told me right out and out that I was crazy an’ threatened for to call her servants for to put me out.” All this seemed so inexplicable to Crowning- shield that he was sorely puzzled. Surely the gentle, though rather odd-acting irl whom he had married in defiance of what e world might think or say would never act in such a manner. There surely must be some terrible mistake in the matter and the moment he came face to - face with this Mrs. Judge Jefferson Jones ho would discover what it was. His suspicions though tended to the idea that it was a case of mistaken identity, and that when he encountered the lady he would discover she was a stranger to him. But then his boy’s letter stating that ho had gone to see his mamma— Altogether it was a most perplexing puzzle and he knew not what to think. ‘‘T will call wpon the lady immediately,” he said, ‘‘ for the quicker my doubts are solved the better.” “That's right, guv’nor, that’s the way to talk!” exclaimed the old tramp and he rubbed 440 . his hands gleefully together, overjoyed at the 2 vy Sek ht of the vengeance which his hand was 2 ae sae Sat be ‘ ~~ po ee re ' pepe 2 _ aes te about to hurl at the woman who had dared to defy him. ‘* An’ when can I come in arter the ducats, guv’nor?” he continued. ‘To-morrow morning, at nine o’clock.” ‘* Couldn’t advance me ten on account now, could you, guv’nor?’ Old Lead Pencil asked, persuasively, a leering smile upon his ugly face. ‘** T could, but I will not,” Crowningshield an- swered, quietly. The old bummer’s smile vanished, a regretful look taking its place, and he shook his head in a mournful way. ** Now, guv’nor, this is really too bad. I reckon you don’t trust me.” ‘* You are right, I do not; and I most decided- ly object to paying any money until I have an opportunity to discover whether the informa- tion you have given me can be relied upon.” ** Guv’nor, | wish I may die if it din’t the blessed truth!” Old Lead Pencilexclaimed in the most earnest way ible. “*T wouldn’t strike you for the ten if I wasn’t strapped in the worst kind of way, clean down to hard-pan, so to speak; durn me for a liar if I’ve got a copper for to pay for anight’s lodgin’, an’ it’s pretty hard lines on an old man like me for to have to walk the streets all night, or else to be forced to get a lay-out on the soft side of a hard plank in some station-house,” and the wily tramp wrinkled his face up and tried hard to force out some tears from his bleared eyes as he made this pathetic appeal. But the young man was no fool to be cajoled out of his money in any such fashion. He had seen whining beggars before, and knew exactly how much reliance could be placed upon any of their statements. **- You will not be forced to either of those al- ternatives,” Crowningshield observed. ‘*You can have your money to-night—the whole sum, if you like.” ‘““You don’t mean it, guv’nor?” cried Old Lead Pencil, joyously, his face lighting up. ‘* Yes, Ido. I will visit the la iaatiediataly, and it is not probable that I will be detained af- ter ten. ‘So if you will come here at any time after that hour you can have your money.” The alacrity with which the old fellow jumped to this proposition seemed to Crowning- shield to argue that whether his information was true or not, he thoroughly believed that it w as. ‘* All right, guv’nor, that will do,” r nded the.old: mam, wubbing chie' hande sleeftily to- | gether, as was his custom when pleased with anything. ‘That will do, bully!” he repeated. ‘‘ And, guv’nor, you needn’t to hurry yourself on my ac- | count, you know; I’m my own master, and my | time ain’t worth much anyhow. ‘* Eleven or twelve will suit me jest as well as ten, so don’t hurry yourself, an’ I'll be on hand.” ith this assurance, Old Lead Pencil depart- ed, chuckling gleefully at his good fortune at not only being able to be revenged upon the wo- man who had braved him, butat the luck which had enabled him to gain a hundred dollars by the operation. | After the tramp’s departure, Crowningshield | arrayed himself for the street, and within fif- | teen minutes he stood before the door of the ele- ane mansion wherein, in almost regal splendor, welt Mrs. Judge Jefferson Jones. CHAPTER XV. FACE TO FACE. Tum keen eyes of the young man noted all the surroundings and he murmured to himself as he laid his hand upon the bell-knob. “Tf it is my Roxanna who dwells here, her | liens have fallen in pleasant places, as far as | worldly comfort goes.’ And then as the peal of the tinkling beil within the mansion died away, his thoughts took another turn. ‘* Suppose it is my Roxanna?’ he murmured, ‘* suppose it is she, and that she has been as false and fickle as this old man’s story makes her out to be; when she finds out who it is that wishes to see her will she not deny herself? ‘‘Tf it is Roxanna, surely she will never dare to face me—to face the man whom she has wronged so bitterly. ‘‘ And if she refuses to see me, what am I to dot I cannot force ay way to her presence. ‘*No, no! that would be impossible. If she takes the alarm and refuses me an audience, my only recourse will be to invoke the aid of the detectives and the law. ‘But then, if she means to play any such game as that, ee, § on earth did she attract the attention of the boy, for it is evident that she did do so, for it is hardly possible that the little fellow could have recognized her without she attracted his attention. ‘‘Oh, what a dark mystery the whole matter is from beginning to end!” The appearance of the colored servant put an end to Crowningshield’s meditation. ‘**Ts Mrs, Jones at home?” he inquired. ** Yes, sah.” **Please give her my card and say that I should like the pleasure of a few minutes’ con- | : versation, with her.” a =} 5 ea LA es ne ee LL GA LLL aS SESEO ‘Yes, sah; it’s Mrs. Jones, sah, you want?” asked the man, as if to make sure ke had heard correctly. ‘*- Yes, Mrs. Jones,” ‘“‘Dat’s all right, she’s at home, but de judge is out—he’s out of town, sah, on business and won’t be home for two or free days.” ‘‘Tt is the lady that I wish to see.” *¢ Yes, sah; hab de kindness, sah, to step into de parlor.” d the black with all possible politeness led the way into the gorgeously-furnished apart- ment. The man was a first-class servant, understook his business thoroughly, and was seldom deceived in regard to a visitor. He had perceived that Crowningshield ranked A No. 1, first chop, as he would have ex- pressed it, and so treated him with due respect. wiAclng an easy-chair for the visitor, he re- quested him to be seated, and then turned the: gas lights in the chandelier up full, so that the: parlor was illuminated by a flood of light. This done, he departed to the upper regions: of the house to warn his mistress. ‘* Now, then, when she sees my card, if she is: my Roxanna will she dare to come and face me?’ Crowningshield muttered as the servant, cineppenter He not long to wait in regard to the solv- ing of the question of whether the lady would see him or not, for in a very few minutes the servant returned. ‘“‘Tf you will have de kindness to wait, sah,. for a few minutes, de Mrs. Jones will be down.’” She would see him, then, but did she compre- hend who he was? ** You gave the lady my card?” ‘* Yes, sah!” and then, with his best bow, the o retired. e had glanced at the name inscribed on the card as he went up-stairs, and being an old Bostonian, had quickly fecognized it as belong- ing to one of the Beacon Hill aristocracy. ‘Dem Crowningshields are one of dem ole- fashioned kind,” he had commented, as he pre- ceeded to his quarters in the lower part of the house. ‘‘None of yer shoddy biz ’bout dem, you kim bet your boots,” he remarked, as he went down the stairs. . The suspense of the few moments that inter- vened between the departure of the servant and the moment when to the listening ears of Crown- ingshield there came the sound of the light rustle of a woman’s dress, as the mistress of the man- ne oe sion descended from the upper region, was al- | most unbearable to the waiting man. She came lightly down the stairs, clad in a superb costume, designed by no less an artists than the famous man-milliner of Paris. Diamonds, costly enough to buy the ransom of a king, sparkled in her ears, a brooch of the same precious stones sparkled upon her bosom, and a pair of exquisitely beautiful bracelets, richly adorned, too, with diamonds, clasped her slender wrists. 3 Beautiful as an angel looked she thus elegant- ly dressed, and it needed only one glance at ber face to convince Howard Crowni ings hield that Old Lead Pencil had not deceived him, and had fairly earned his hundred dollars. He rose to his feet to meet her, his heart beat- ing high with excitement, every pulse within his: form quivering, and yet outwardly he appeared perfectly calm, his face betraying no more mo of Bay emotion than if it had been the face of a marble statue, with the exception that his eyes appeared unusually bright, and there was a peculiar expression visible within them. The woman looked almost the same; she had not seemed to have aged a particle during the nine years which had elapsed since Crowning- shield last looked upon her face. It was the fair young girl Roxanna Merivale, whom he had so recklessly married, without taking the trouble to ascertain anything about oi ae ion fully and implicitly the story she to There was not the least doubt about it, and et she came into the room and looked at*him in an inquiring manner, as though he was a per- fect stranger. The look sent a cold chill to the heart of Crowningshield, and acting on the impulse of the moment, he extended his hands and cried, in a voice which trembled with emotion: ‘Roxanna, is it possible that you do not re- member me?” The lady halted abruptly; a look of astonish- ment appeared upon her features, slightly min- gled with alarm. “T beg your pardon, sir, but what did you say?” she asked. Thon the remembrance of what Old Lead Pen- cil had said came back to the mind of Crown- ingshield. She was about to try on him the same game which had so discomfited the bummer. It was her intent to pretend that she was not the person he took her to be, and that she had. never seen him before. The truth was plain, and the young man was too sensible to attempt to ignore it. The woman whom he had loved, whom he had picked out of the gutter, as it were, and for AMIEL oveyve) KS.€O ~~.