Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

B) a -) Crowningshield, the Sleuth. ‘Well, hang me, if you ain’t posted,” and again the copper king chuckled. He was not seemingly disposed to look upon the matter in a serious light at all. ‘*‘ Now see here, Crowningshield, old fellow, all I know about the matter goes back ten years only, and not beyond. . **T don’t know anything about the twin sis- ters in Chetopa; don’t know anything about the family anyway, and don’t want to, either. ‘*T happened to run across my little woman in Chicago, and she suited me, so I took her. I hate like thunder to get mixed up in this busi- ness, anyway, but I’ve got to stand up for my w fe, you know. ** Now, when a man gets tangled up in an af- fair of this sort, the best thing for him to do is to ascertain exactly how he stands, Ain’t that So **'Yes, most decidedly.” ** Well, s’pose I calculate the thing out as it seems to me?” “Very well.” Crowningshield did not exactly comprehend the meaning of the other, but hoe judged it wise to allow him to explain. ‘*Now, then, first and foremost,” said the judge, ‘* you believe that the lady you saw last night, and who is now called Mrs, Judge Jones, is the same woman whom you married ten eas ago, and who was then called Roxanna erivale?? “You are right, I do, sir,” Crowningshield an- swered firmly. ‘Well, now, just for the sake of argument let us admit that she is,” observed the judge greatly to the astonishment of the others. ‘* Let us admit that your suspicions are right and that she is Roxanna Merivale, the woman who was your wife ten years ago and who fled from you oe Late | without reason. **She went to Chicago and got a divorce. ‘You'll find, sir, that there isn’t any mistake about that. ‘* Whether that divorce will stand in case you attempt to fight is a question which can only be decided by a suit at law. ‘In my opinion the decree is good, for all the forms of the law were complied with, and if the Dlinois divorce law happens to be a loose one, calculated to aid in the easy shuffling off of the nuptial yoke, it isn’t any business of any other State and I reckon in such a case as this Massa- chusetts will not attempt to ride over Illinois. ‘Then there’s the identity question, always a difficult one to handle after the lapse of years. You'll have to prove to the satisfaction of the lawyers that the woman who denies so stoutly that she was ever known as Roxanna Merivale is that party. ** And now, supposing you goin for all this, what are you going to make out of it? ‘* Just consider that point. ** Of course I tell you frankly I will be obliged to defend her to the best of my ability. She’s my wife, you know, and [’ve got to stand up for her, no matter if it costs mo a million. ‘* And, old fellow, if you have kept your eyes peeled in regard to little disturbances in this line you must know that a pretty woman with good looks generally succeeds in getting out of these scrapes. ** All you could do, you see, would be to go for her for bigamy;she pleads the Chicago di- vorce and then where are you? ** You raise an awful row, cover yourself with mud and me too, and all for what? ** Revenge, that’s all you can gain,” he con- ae answering the question which he had asked. ‘She wouldn’t come back to live with you, and if she would, you wouldn’t have her, if you are the man I take you to be, even if she was to go down on her bended knees and beg for the chance.” “You are right, I admit that,” Crowning- shield remarked. ‘* A woman who has deceived me once never should have the chance to repeat the offense.” ‘Exactly! that is what I thought. I would have bet money on it!” the judge declared, emphatically. 8 hae é ‘Now for my position in this matter: I’m an odd old codger and always had the name of being so. When a whim seizes me I carry it out regardless of the cost. ‘“ When I was a poor man I made a resolu- tion that if I was ever a rich one two things in this world I'd have; the fastest horse and the handsomest woman that could be found. “The pacer is in my stable and the woman in my house. I didn’t ask her either whether she cared for me or not, but I bought her— bougbt her without asking any questions, and now that I’ve got her, why, old fellow, you can’t blame me if I try to keep her.” ‘‘ But my child—my boy who has been taken away?’ exclaimed Crowningshield abruptly. “There you are out—upon my word you are!” protested the judge. “Mrs. J. says she doesn’t know anything about him, and that you are entirely mistaken in thinking that he is in her care, and, Crown- ingshield, I believe she speaks the truth; why should she want the child? ; “Td put a veto on that business mighty quick, I tell you; but if you don’t believe me, you are at perfect liberty to search the house, and question every one in it, for I won’t have any child business in mine, I can tell you that.” Both of the visitors were convinced that the judge was not deceiving them, and so expressed hemselves. ‘Take time to think the matter over before you make a move,” the copper king suggested, as the two rose to depart. ‘But if you'll take my advice you'll let the thing slide.’ Crowningshield Be gr that he would con- sider the matter, and then accompanied by the Chief of Police, he left the apartment. CHAPTER XXII. THE DECISION. No words a between Crowningshield and the Chief of Police until they were in the street. Then the chief remarked, abruptly: ‘* Tt’s an ugly business, isn’t it?’ Yes, and zled.” ‘That old fellow is a character,” the other observed. ‘ “He knew that you had come to see him on an extremely disagreeable bit of busi- ness, and yet he tried to talk you into taking a flyer in his mining speculation. “T tell you, Mr. Crowningshield, the judge has got an awful nerve, and that good natured way Of his is all put on; ‘but it wouldn’t prevent him from being ugly though. He’s like the fel- low in the play who says, ‘I can smile, and mur- der while a smile.’” ‘Yes, there is no doubt about that, and he has made up his mind to protect the woman, too, at all hazards.” ‘Oh, you can bet on that! He came out flat- flooted as far as that was concerned. And really, Mr. Crowningshield, there was a good deal of sound sense in what he said. ‘* Ti’s a mighty difficult case, and although in my mind there isn’t the least bit of doubt that tho woman is the same one who deserted you ears ago; yet it will be a very difficult matter prove it to the satisfaction of an average \ must confess I am sorely puz- fe) jury. ‘You see the way I came to my conclusion was this. Your story was fresh in my memory and when I heard his yarn, it was easy to get at the truth. ‘‘The woman was an adventuress—one of the Bohemian kind, you know, who couldn’t con- tent herself with a quiet life, and then such a man as yourself was a living reproach to her. ‘“'You see her position with you was some- thing similar to the old-time fellow who had the sword suspended over him by a single hair. **She was living over a volcano, you see, which was likely to burst forth and overwhelm her at any moment.” ‘** Yes, that was probably the truth, although I had no suspicion of it at the time.” ‘*Not the least doubt about 1t; now that I have the clews in my hands, it’s as plain to me as the nose on your face. ‘‘ In the first place, here was Old Lead Pencil pecans on her. She was under his thumb, of course, for if she didn’t pony up the cash when he called for it, he’d be certain to raise a row. ‘*Then there was the danger that some one who knew her when she was traveling round with the gambler might run across and recog- nize her, and then there would be the deuce to ay. Pee T had such perfect faith in her though, that T should not have believed anything that might have been said against her,” the young man ob- served. ‘Yes, but some of your folks would have been apt to raise a breeze about the matter, and she was shrewd enough to take into consideration all such points. **This old fellow happened to come across her at that time, and she understood that he was a man who didn’t care a continental for her past life. Of course she might have met him after she left you, but I have jumped to the conclu- sion that she made sure of him before she left you. ‘Then she went to Chicago and got the di- vorce from you; that done, she was free to marry him. « ‘*Do you see how shrewdly the woman played her cards? ‘She was careful to cut loose from you before she entangled herself with him, and then she was wise enough to get him to tie the knot which bound them together in the most secure manner. ‘** She wasn’t taking any chances, and made up her mind to have things arranged so that if he ever became tired of her, she could not be sent adrift without warning.” ‘Who could believe that with that angelic face and portent form, she was such a cunning demon?” Crowningshield exclaimed. ‘**No one; and on that fact she trades,” the Chief of Police replied lh a “That is her cash capital, and you can bet your life she handles it for all it is worth.” ‘* Then in your judgment, it will be useless to attempt to punish her?” id mining — ‘Yes, I am sorry to be obliged to say it, but | sharps. The biggest of them bu’st up some- =| 1'7 that is my belief, and it’s no use for me to at- tempt to deny it, She has played her cards so well, and with the judge’s money to back her, in my opinion the odds are about ten to one that she would win the fight; and then consider your boy, what a reproach it would be to him if you punished the mother. ‘*No, no, Mr. Crowningshield, take my advice and let the matter drop. The woman is dead, for all the world at large knows; where igno- rance is bliss, tis folly to be wise, you know, so let the matter drop. ‘You have satisfied your mind, you have solved the mystery of her sudden disappearance, and so be content.” ** But my boy—I cannot allow him to remain with her!” Crowningshield exclaimed. ‘‘ Des- pite the judge’s denial, I am sure the child is with its mother.” ‘**Ob, we must attend to that, of course,” the chief replied. ‘*T think the judge was speaking the truth as far as he was concerned—that is to the best of his knowledge and belief, as the lawyers say— for most assuredly he wouldn’t want your child, and despite all his a die ood nature, I’ve an idea that he would be just the kind of a man to rule with a rod of iron any woman whom he had bought for her looks, just as if she wasa dog or horse. ‘You can depend upon it, as far as he is con- cerned, he will not allow her to have anything to do with the child.” ‘“‘T believe you are right there; I think he spoke the truth when he said he did not wish to be mixed up in the matter.” ‘*Oh, that was honest; there isn’t any doubt about itin my mind. But a woman like this one, is apt to be up to all sorts of tricks, and ou can bet that she knows the old man like a ook, She understands that he wouldn’t back her up as far as the child is concerned and that she must work in the dark if she tried any funny business with the boy. ‘*Now the game is to put a watch upon the woman and upon everybody who goes in or comes out of the house, ** She has caused the child to be carried away and secreted somewhere and sooner or later she will have communications with the party who has the child. ‘*T confess her action puzzles me for I don’t see what she wants with the child anyway, ex- cept as a hostage to make yon come to terms if you show an inclination to be ugly.” ‘Yes, that may be the idea.” ‘* Suppose I wait upon the lady and tell her that you have made up your mind not to trouble her,” the chief suggested, but Crowningshield in- terrupted him quickly. ** Ah, but [haven’t made up my mind to any- thing of the kind,” he said, firm] ‘*f admit that your opinion that it will be an | almost impossible matter to punish this vile creature has many things to sustain it; but 1 should be false to the duty I owe to the world at large if I did not attempt to expose and punish this woman. ‘* She has wrecked all my life and there is no justice in this world if a fearful vengeance does not fall upon her guilty head. ‘‘ Ever since the time of her unaccountable disappearance I have labored faithfully to solve the mystery and now that I have discovered how fearfully I have been wronged I will devote all my energies to punishing this heartless creature who beneath an angelic guise conceals the heart of a fiend, ‘*She must be taught that there is such a thing as justice in this world and that such guilt as hers will not be allowed to go unpun- ished.” The chief did not speak for a few moments, being busy in reflection. In his practical way he had come to the con- clusion that the whole thing was an ugly bit of | business and that the sooner it was dropped the better, yet still he could not gainsay that Crowningshield was right, and when he came to question himself about the affair, he could not deny that if he was in the situation of the — other, he would not be a whit more ready to allow the woman to enjoy the fruits of her guilt “Youre right, sir!” he exclaimed at last. | ‘‘ You're right for a thousand dollars. “T was only giving you a lawyer’s opinion when I advocated letting the matter drop, but as aman, I’d be mighty apt to think as you do about the matter.” ‘Yes, and to that end I shall from this mo-— ment forth bend all my energies. The presumed cult matter to tell how these speculators really stand sometimes. ‘* His wealth may be alla sham and a single severe reverse would reveal the truth to the world. Take this last year for instance; think how many of these so-called millionaire specula- tors have been forced to the well—think how tie many of these reputed colossal fortunes have =|) taken unto themselves wings and flown away || | when a sudden commercial crash let in the light, me and creditors demanded cash instead of paper.” | “That's very true, we can never tell any- IK thing certain about these railroad and © ES (E@ANIICEl evexe) (C <S judge is © to be a wealthy man, but it is a aif. - ——————