Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

in 2 16 CHAPTER XX. THE COPPER KING. “Tr is hardly possible,” **that a man like Judge J come mixed up in a case of this kind, particular- ly where there is a child concerned. **Tt won’t do any harm to see him and have a quict talk over the matter. Then we can ascer- tain just exactly how far he is prepared to back the woman. ‘*It may be, you know, that he didn’t know anything about the matter, and the lady may be pulling the wool over his eyes as expertly as when she performed the operation with you. ** Judging from your story she is at the top of the heap in her line, and it is gust possible she has roped the judge in for a flat and that he doesn’t understand what kind of a heifer she is, anyway.” That may be true; ieee she seemed very sure of her position and did not shrink in the least when I told her I was resolved to hunt her down,” Crowningshield remarked. ‘* Oh, she was trying to bluff you, you know; that’s the game they always try to play; but speculation won’t help us any, so let’s bo off and get at some facts.’ It was an easy matter for the pair to find the office of Judge Jones, which was located within a stone’s throw of the old State House, down in the region sacred to the busy money-makers. | The judge’s rooms were {jtted up in magnifi- «ent style; there were a pair of apartments: an outer office, where a sober-faced, elderly clerk presided, and an inner one where the judge re- ceived the callers who desired to see him on par- ticular business. Crowningshield acted as spokesman, and to the clerk expressed his desire to see Judge Jones on some matter of importance. ‘“‘ Certainly, sir; the judge is always ready to receive visitors when not engaged,” the clerk said. ‘‘ What name, sir?” ‘* Crowningshield.” Thereupon the clerk led the way into the judge’s sanctum. ‘Mr. Crowningshield,” the clerk said, intro- ducing the visitors, and then discreetly retired. The judge was one of those kind of men who prided himself on the fact that he never put on any airs, he was won't to remark: ‘““T’m a true democrat from ’way back, and you won’t find any frills about me.” On the present occasion, when the visitors en- tered, he was enjoying a cigar, with his chair t.lted back and his legs on the desk before which he sat, ‘‘ Crowningshield, eh?” he exclaimed, remov- ing his legs from the desk, rising to his feet, and shaking hands with both of the gentlemen in the most cordial manner, Crowningshield would fain have drawn back, but the judge was so extremely cordial that it was impossible to do so without being rude. ‘*Sit down, gentlemen, sit down and mako yourselves at home! You're as welcome as the flowersin May. Havea cigar?” and the judge roduced a box from one of the recesses of tho ““No cabbage-leaves about these—genuine article, I assure you; I import’em myself, a hundred boxes at a time, and so I know what I’m talking about. It costs me a small for- tune for cigars, but then a man who is in public life, as I am, must expect to stand the racket, “There isn’t anything that smooths the way to a business transaction like a good cigar or a glass of good liquor. ‘* And that reminds me, gentlemen, will you take something with me? | “Call for almost anything you like, and I guess I will be able to fill the bill,” and he waved his hand toward a large and imposing -book-case which was apparently stocked with law books in the regulation sheep. ‘* All dummies, gentlemen, and -inside is as fine a stock of liquors as any man will be able to serve up from Maine to California, bar none!” ‘ “Tam much obliged for your kind offer, but must decline,” Crowningshield remarked as he sat down. “You must try something?” said the judge, ‘““ Really you'll have to excuse me,” the chief replied, as he too took a seat, but at the same time there was a wistful look in his eyes as he glanced at the bookcase. ‘“Oh, that’s all right, only wanted to make you feel comfortable and at home, you know,” and then the judge deposited his solid substance in the chair from which he had arisen. ** Crowningshield?” he remarked, in a tone of question. ‘‘ That’s a good old Boston name, I’m a Boston boy myself, you know, gentlemen, though I left the Hub years ago to seek my for- tune in the West, and didn’t come back until I made my leetle pile. ‘By Jove! Crowningshield, I'd like to rope you into one of my mining speculations—your name at the head of the concern, president, or something of that sort, would be a big thing— get confidence, you know, and confidence in this world is a big aid in making money. , “Tve got some big schemes on hand, and, if | you cared to invest fifty or a hundred thousand ones would like to be- ! dred ——— ee a a a ea SN dollars, I could let you in on the ground floor— the chief explained, | fix it, you know, sothat you could makea hun- sr cent. on your investment, and that sort of thing, I take it, is a pretty good rake for any man to corralin these hard times,” and then the copper king leaned back in his chair and ** beamed ” on his visitors. ‘*?’'m very much obliged to you for your offer, but I'm not dabbling in any speculations at present,” Crowningshield replied. ‘*T come to see you, Mr. Jones—” ‘‘ Judge Jones, if you please, Mr. Crowning- shield. on’t forget my handle, for heaven’s sake!” interrupted the other, pathetically. ‘You see I’m so used to the title that it sounds real unpleasant to be mistered, although once in a while, outin the Superior region, some of the boys who don’t like me as well as they might, call me Old Jones, but not tomy face you know, except when there’s a strike and trouble,” The judgo was evidently a character. “ve not the least objection to giving you your title, judge,” the young man remarked. ‘* But, as I was about to say, I came to see you on particular business—a private personal mat- ter, and delicate in its import.” ‘Great Scott!” exclaimed the old man, pet iat “I tell you what it is, Crowning- shield, I know exactly what you are driving at, and I don’t see any use to beat about the bush. **T’m jest one of the plainest, bluntest men hs can scare up from here to California, and ’m old business right from the word go. ‘My little woman told me last mght about this little trouble, aud I kinder had an idea that you a pe come in to see me this morning, be- cause that is the way I do business. fie L ve get aay eis to say to a man I al- ways go right to him and say it, and have the matter out then and there. ‘*That’s my idea of how business should be worked in this here life. The plain, straight- forward way is always the best. ‘** But I say, old fellow, this little matter is a rather delicate one to discuss before Bee aM he added abruptly, with a look at the Chief of Po- lice. **T suppose, though, that you have perfect confidence in your friend here?” ‘The gentleman is the Chief of Police,” re- plied Crowningshield, gravely, not at all inclin- ed to treat the matter with the levity the judgo displayed. ones instantly bounded to his feet, and walking over to the police chief shook hands with him in such a cordial way that the worthy thief-taker was almost overpowered by tho warmth of the greeting. ‘‘ Upon my word, I assure you, it gives me the utmost pleasure to make your acquaintance, chief!” the judge declared. ** There’s nothing like having a friend at court, you know, and if I should happen to get into any trouble one of these days, how handy it would be for me to be able to appeal to the Chief of Police on the score of personal acquaintance, D’yo see? And then the judge poked the chief in the ribs in the most friendly manner possible. There was no mistaking the fact that the judge was about as odd a man as one would be apt to encounter in a long day’s journey. ‘*Well, [always try to be useful to my friends,” the chief remarked. ‘‘ Oh, I can see that in your face,” responded the judge with a knowing wink, and then he re- sumed his seat. ** Now, old fellow, go ahead,” he said, nodding to Crowningshield. ‘*Tt’s a deuced ugly business, of course, all these women affairs are, but I reckon we can straighten it out someway, and I think it mighty lucky that you brought our friend, the chief, along with you, for he’s used to all kind of rack- ets of this sort, and will be able to give us good advice.” Crowningshield did not know exactly what to make of the judge. Surely the affair was too grave to be treated in this fashion, The only reasonableexplanation was that des- pite his statement the copper king was not ac- quainted with all the details of the matter, but was only partially informed. The siren might have made hima dupe also; to the mind of the young man this seemed very likely indeed, therefore Crowningshield deter- mined to explain the matter so that it could not be misunderstood. ‘*T presume the best way to get at it will be for me to make a statement of the posi- tion which I occupy,” Crowningshield remarked. ‘* Yes, yes, that will tend to simplify matters, but I say, gentlemen, as talking is dry work, suppose we all wet our whistles before we be- gin?” suggested the judge. ‘No, thank you,” said the young man. The chief also declined, but for all that there was a longing look in his eyes. . Pv caghe. some cigars, anyway,” persisted the judge. Benth Crowningshield declined, but the chief presnien a cigar, and the judge chose a fresh one - Crowningshield, the Sleuth. Then, when the ‘‘ weeds” were lighted, the copper king laying baék in his chair, assumed as comfortable an attitude as he could, and said; ‘* Now, fire away, old fellow!” CHAPTER XXI. THE JUDGE’S GAME, “*T must go back ten years,” began Crowning- shield. ‘* About that time I married a lady whose maiden name was Roxanna Merivale. <A child was the result of that union, and before the in- fant was a year old my wife suddenly disappear- ed, leaving a brief note behind in which she bade me farewell forever, but assigned no rea- son for her seemingly unaccountable action. ‘‘'The blow was a heavy one, and the stroke was all the more terrible from being so entirely unexpected.” ‘““Of course, of course, I can readily under- stand that,” the copper king commented. ‘T was satisfied that there must be some dark mystery connected with the affair, and I re- solved to solve it if the task took all the rest of my life, ‘*T have spared neither time nor money, but all to no avail, until at last accident brought me face to face with the lady known as your wife.” ‘*T see, I see!” exclaimed the judge, with a chuckle, as if he thought it was a good joke. ‘‘And the moment you saw my little woman you thought you recognized in her your long- ost spouse, hey?” ‘Yes, sir, [ am certain that she is the girl who once called herself Roxanna Merivale, and whom I married,” Crowningshield said, firmly. ‘“No wonder; the resemblance between her and Roxanna was truly wonderful; she explained to you all about her twin sister, of course. I must admit I never saw such a resemblance in my life. I’ve often heard of just such a thing, of course, but I never personally encountered it until I run across these two girls. Most wonder- ful, I assure you,” and then the judge leaned back in his chair and smiled upon his hearers as though he was perfectly satisfied that his words bad dispelled all the doubt that Crowningshield elt, And now came the difficult , for it isn’t a pleasant thing to be obliged to tell a man to his face that you don’t believe him, But the young man had all the dogged firm- ness of his old Puritan race latent in him, and on this occasion he was equal to the emergency. ‘* Do I understand you to say, judge, that of your own knowledge, you knew these two twin sisters, Roselle and Roxanna?” he asked, looking the copper king straight in the eye. ‘Yes, certainly, of my own knowledge,” re- plied the judge, never flinching from the gaze in the least, and smiling in the blandest manner possible. ‘‘ There were two sisters by the name of Meri- vale, Roselle and Roxanna. **Roxanna y-u married, and for certain rea- sons, as my wife explained, she thought herself obliged to go away from you. “Tt was a foolish thing for her to do, of course, but then women will do just such stupid things. She came to her sister in Chicago, got a divorce there from you, and shortly afterwards died. Just about that time I married her sister, and so happened to know all about the matter.” ‘** Judge, it is not a pleasant thing for a man to be obliged to tell another that he hasn’t any confidence in what he says, but under the cir- cumstances I am forced to do so.” ‘*Ha! ha! ha!” laughed the copper king, as shape the other had given utterance to a good joke. ‘“My wife told me that I would find you a doubting Thomas, but I ‘ allowed,’ as we say in the Southwest, that I would be able to convince you that the story was a true one. ‘¢There’s ample proof of the death of Rox- anna Merivale in Chicago, you know, and I can post you so that you can put your band right on it.” Crowningshield shook his head. ‘¢ Deception in such a matter as this is easy, and after this lapse of years it would be an al- most impossible matter to prove that the girl who died in Chicago and was buried under the name of Roxanna erivals, either Was or was not the woman to whom I refer.” ‘Very true, very true,” remarked the judge, nodding his head sagely. ‘‘One point you cen get at, though, without the leas bit of trouble, and there’s no getting around it, either—Roxanna Merivale got a di- vorce from you in Chicago,” ‘* But without giving me any notice, and pos- sibly our laws in this State would not be apt to regard the decree as possessing any weight.” ‘*‘'That’s a question for the lawyers to settle, ou know, and law is a mighty uncertain thing can tell you. I’ve been ‘thar’ many a time, and I know what I’m talking about. ‘‘But it seems to me—meaning no offense, you know—that you are a hard man to satisfy.” ‘** No; on the contrary, I can be easily satisfied. Give me proof that there were two Merivale sisters—that they were twins. Such evidence can be easily gotten at in the town of Chetopa, Kansas, where the family resided.” he ‘S (@ (@) comicboo