Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 363 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

} eal | j } —— —7 — 7 ——i=—— === eee . a" sides there’s dozens here in the city who can avet identify you.” ‘It’s a lie, [ tell you!” Curly Kid repeated, his rage unbounded upon finding that he was recognized, and he bitterly repented that he allowed himself to be handcuffed and regretted he had not made a struggle for freedom even though he risked instant death. “Oh, you are the man, surely enough,” Crowningshield observed. ‘‘ There isn’t any mistake about it and I think this time you will not escape the State Prison, although you did cheat the gallows.” ** What have I done?” ** Abducted my boy—where is he?” CHAPTER XXXII. STORMING THE FORTRESS. “THIS accusation is ridiculous, know anything about your boy.” ‘* Oh, yes you do,” Crowningshield replied. There isn’t the least bit of use for you to attempt to lie out of it. ‘The best thing you can do js to make a full and frank confession and throw yourself upon my mercy.” ‘Your mercy? ha, ha, ha!” and the despera- do laughed scornfully as though there was some- thing absurd in the idea, ‘*Yes, you will fare better than if you at- tempt to deceive me,” “Well, ?m not so sure of that!” Curly Kid re- torted, defiantly. ‘You will find you will gain more by such a course than by pursuing any other.” ‘*Oh, this is an outrage!” the desperado cried. ‘* You have no right to put handcuffs upon me. Why, I don’t believe you have even got a war- rant for my arrest.” ‘You are quite right. shield remarked, quietly. " By Heaven! ’ll make you sweat for this then.’ ‘*Perhaps you will and perhaps you won’t,” the other retorted. ‘‘There is likely to be some doubt about that, but there won’t be any doubt about your going to the State prison for a long term of years just as soon as the machinery of the law can send you there.” ‘* You don’t seem to understand, my man, that we have gota pretty, strong case against you,” a abi remarked after Crowningshield had fin- ished, ‘“‘This gentleman’s boy has been kidnapped under pretense of taking him to see his mother. ‘‘'The house of that mother has been constant- ere ever since the absence of the boy was iscovered, ‘‘This friend of yours came from there to- night, met you ina saloon near the Providence depot, and you held quite a confab there to- gether. Then you took the train and came out here, and we followed you like your shadow, “You went into the house and we waited to give you a warm reception when you came out, which I think we have managed to do. ‘** Tt isn't of any use for you to deny the thing, you know, for you and your companion were discussing the matter as you walked along, ‘* A very foolish trick, by the way, and I won- der that a man as skillful and cunning as your- sclf should make so terrible a blunder, as-to dis- cuss such important business in so open a man- ner, ‘Of course you didn’t dream that at such an hour of the night as this any one would be with- in earshot, but then you were stupid to take a such chance: a wise man wouldn’t do it.” ‘urly Kid glared at the speaker for a moment as though he would like to strangle him, but then sober second thought came to his aid, and he saw that there wasn’t anything to be gained by allowing his temper to run away with him. “Well, I must admit that you have worked the trick pretty well; but I say, suppose I make a clean breast of it, what will you do for me?” “Oh, well, I don’t know; we mustn’t make any rash promises you know,” the lawyer replied evasively. **Can you give any information which will bring home the guilt of this outrage to the woman who instigated it?’ Crowningshield I don’t I haven’t,” Crowning- sked. The desperado fancied that he perceived a loop- hole for escape in this speech. - “Well, I oat exactly know about that,” he replied, slowly, as if he. was deliberating over the matter. But Randolph quickly put a stop to this. Hoe guessed that Carly Kid in order to save himself might be induced to swear that Roxanna had something to do with it and he was determined that no scandal should attach itself to her if he had any say in the matter. ‘* What’s the use of lying about the thing?” he cried. ‘‘I’m the man who saw the woman to whom you refer, and I'm ready to swear under oath that she knows nothing at all about the matter, and so far I hayen’t seen you produce any proof that we do either, Talk isn’t proof, you know,” ““How about the conversation between you and your partner here, as you came from the house?” the lawyer asked. ** You misunderstood what we said!” declared the gambler. ‘Search the two,” suggested the doctor. ‘‘ We may find something which will give us a clew upon their persons.” ‘Don’t you dare to lay your hands upon me!” cried Curly Kid, indignantly. The boy’s letter was in his breast-pocket, and he knew that if he was searched it would surely be discovered. But the search was made despite his struggles and curses, and as he had anticipated, the letter came to light. With trembling hands the father perused the touching little note. ‘* He is alive and well, thank Heaven!” he ex- claimed, when he had finished the reading of the letter, and then he read the note aloud, while his companions listened with eagerness. * “The letter is freshly written!” exclaimed the lawyer; ‘‘ the boy must be near at hand.” And then, intuitively, the three looked to- ward the house, ‘* My boy is there, is he not?” Crowningshield asked, addressing Curly Kid. ‘* Pll never tell you!” the desperado answered defiantlv. ‘Oh, yes, not a doubt of it!” the lawyer ex- claimed, ‘* And this letter explains why these two fel- lows came out here to-night. It was to get this document so as to use it upon you. ‘*Come, that’s the truth now, Curly, isn’t it?” he added, addressing the master scoundrel. ‘*T don’t know anything about it; you won’t get any information out of me unless you want to make a bargain with me,” Curly Kid replied. ‘‘If you want to be reasonable, now, and will agree to hold me blameless for any share that I may have had in this matter, I will hunt in a certain locality in Boston, and I’ve no doubt I shall be able to find the youngster.” “Oh, I guess we'll find him without having to take the trouble to go all the way to Boston for him,” said Endicott. ‘* Winslow, if you will guard this precious al Crowningshield and [ will go through the ouse. ‘* All right,” replied the doctor, ‘‘ ll take care of ’em.” ‘* And if they attempt to escape give them a dose of leaden pills.” * Never fear; they will not get away from me, Then Endicott and Crowningshield hurried away toward the house, leaving the prisoners in charge of the doctor. ‘‘ They will have a lively time in getting into the house,” Curly Kid observed, grimly, after the two had departed. _ ‘**Oh, I guess they'll get in; they have a very persuasive way with them.” ‘* Moll will give them a warm reception when she discovers who they are,” the desperado re- marked, with a chuckle, ‘‘ Tf they try to force their way into the house and the woman shoots either one or both of them, as she will be ark to do, for she is a regu- lar tiger-cat when she gets going, any jury would be certain to bring in a verdict of justifi- able homicide.’ But neither of the two who had gone to the house had any intention of going to work in the manner anticipated by Curly Kid. - When the confederates had entered the house the spies were near enough to observe their mo- tions, and the lawyer, who had eyes almost as sharp as a hawk, had noticed that the master scoundrel did not attempt to touch the ancient knocker, but ran his hand up on the framework by the side of the door. On the way through the garden Endicott ex- plained his ideas in regard to this matter. He had hit upon the truth, for he suspect- ed there was a secret spring there which com- municated with a bell inside of the house. It did not take the lawyer long to discover the secret knob. The bell within was rung and the woman came nurrying to the door, thinking that it was the conspirators returned. d the moment she opened the door the law- yer, all prepared, was quick to act. He sprung in, pushed the woman back, and before she recovered from her surprise he had dexterously sprung a pair of handcuffs upon her wrists. s There, there, don’t attempt to make any fuss, now!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ You are in the hands of the law. ‘‘Curly Kid and his pal are captured, and they will be lucky if they get off with less than ten years in State prison for this job!” ‘‘Oh, I had a presentiment that this would bring ruin to all of us,’”? mourned the woman, who never for an instant suspected that the law- yer was not a police detective. ** And now, where is the boy?” Endicott in- quired, briskly. ‘*T hope, for your sake, that he is alive and well, for I tell you, frankly, that if anytaing has happened to him it will go hard with “Oh, don’t be alarmed about that, sir, the little fellow is all right. Itook care of him as carer any. as though he had been: my own,” she replied. **I don’t believe in this thing, and didn’t know Crowningshield, the Sleuth. ———— rel anything about it until he was in the house, but Lil take you to him.” A few moments later Little Goldenlocks was in his father’s arms. CHAPTER XXXIII. ON THE ROAD. THE meeting between the father and son was a joyful one and great was the relief {o the anx- ious heart of the father when he found that his boy had not suffered any material damage by his detention. Thank heaven that you have not been harmed by the villains,” Crowningshield exclaimed after ree party had descended to the lower part of the ouse, The woman was sullen and angry, although she did not yet understand the full extent of the blow which had fallen. She realized that the desperate scheme of Curly Kid had come to naught, but had no sus- icion that both of his confederates were in the ands of the law. ‘* Oh, no, papa, they have taken good care of me. This lady has been very kind,” and the honest little fellow looked gratefully at the stern~- faced woman, who despite the years that she had been associated with rascals of various degrees, and her rough, sak rw 9 exterior, still had a motherly heart within her bosom, probably on the same idea that the roughest shelled nut sometimes contains the richest kernel. ‘* Madam, despite the associations among which I find you Iam really grateful to you for your kindness to my son,” ‘* Yes, papa, she told me that I couldn’t go out and that she was sorry, but the gentleman who left me in her care was afraid if | went out that I might get hurt, and sol must be content to stay in the house for a while. ‘*She said it was a pity that she didn’t have any toys such as little Bee liked to play with but she would bring me all the things she coul think of that were in the house that would be likely to amuse me, ‘‘And I didn’t really have such a real bad time, papa, although I was dreadfully lonesome eight the lady was kind enough to come an sit with me nearly all day so as to keep me com- i ‘‘Madam, again I thank you for your kind- ness, and I must say that I am really astonished that a woman who has shown she possessed true motherly feelings should be induced to take part in any such plot as this.” ‘* Well, I don’t suppose it will do memuch good. to say anything in defense of my conduct con- sidering the circumstances under which you found me,” she replied, slowly, evidently touched by Crowningshield’s kindly manner. ‘*T will say this much though—perhaps you won't believe me but it is the truth. ‘‘T knew absolutely nothing about the matter until the boy was in the house, and then when I discovered the nature of the plot I warned the man who contrived it that it wouldn’t bring him any luck and that if he was wise he’d give it up. Of course he was too old a gamester to pay any attention to the babblings of a foolish woman and the result is, I suppose, I will have to pay the penalty of five or more years in the State prison for being mixed up in the matter. ‘‘ Of course I presume if I was willing to give the snap away and turn state’s evidence, you would be willing to let upon me a little, but = is something I never yet was guilty of oing. d Tan hold my tongue if I am a woman and as faras I am concerned wild horses could not tear from me the name of the man who worked this job.” ‘Your fidelity will not be tested, for both of your confederates are in our hands,” the lawyer remarked. ‘* Both captured!” exclaimed the woman, half stunned for a moment by this unexpected intel- ligence. ‘‘Yes, they are in the road outside of the house and if they are willing to bear witness that you have told the truth in this matter—in my own mind there isn’t the least doubt that you have—you shall go free, as aslight testime- nial of my appreciation of your kindness to my boy.’ is I’m very much obliged to you, sir,” the wo- man replied, evidently touched by this kind offer. ‘<T supposed I ought to have refused to have anything to do with the matter when I saw what kind of a game was afoot, but then in this life we are not always free agents, you know.” : “Very true; but come outside and I will ques- tion the men.” The woman bad been careful not to mention names for she did not feel certain that the truth had been told her. Tt was an old detective dodge to pretend that everything was known and that certain impor- tant parties had been captured in order to in- duce the prisoner who was in their hands to ‘‘rive away the snap” and betray his pal. When the ay reached the front gate though and she beheld Curly Kid and the gambler hand- cuffed and guarded by the young doctor with drawn revolver, she saw that her captors had not attempted to deceive her micbooks: (E(©) Cc