Beadle's Dime Library No. 366 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 The Telegraph Detective. ; ‘*T must return to the men,” said Dorsett, uickly. the house when the fire broke out.”’ few hours.” ““ Which is granted freely,” responded Dorsett, ‘heartily. ‘*We had just gained an entrance to > Of course; I must remain unknown to every one. ** And then?” him with a detaining hand—a barrier to his further progress. ‘You are in charge of this case?” asked Mar- ‘*Tam empowered to act in the case in con- nection with you,” he explained. They stared at his unfamiliar face and form, at a word, and the trio enter structure. Marvin paused at the doorway and drew Dor- the gloomy ‘You can do better service by remaining ‘‘Then I will endeavor to force yonder man | but bowed courteously, one of them leading the Be fe here,” assured Marvin. to a confession by the same extraordinary mea- | way to the library. : Dorsett regarded him inquiringly. sures he and his confederates have employed in ‘Ts he dead?’ inquired Marvin, as they “This man?” he asked, with a penetrating | their plans.” reached the apartment. glance at Barnes. ‘** And that is—” No need to ask. He did not hear the assent- “* Ts my prisoner.” ‘To return in half an hour with a carriage | ing reply of the officer as he gazed at the floor Y “Your prisoner?” and the means of putting my project into execu- , of the library, There, lying prone ue the - Yes, and a most important one. Have you | tion. Watch him till I return, forI see he is | blood-stained carpet, his eyes fixed in the star- a pair of handcuffs with you?” retting uneasy at our whispered conversation. | ing rigidity of death, a ghastly wound in his ‘Yes,” and Dorsett, the central station de- | He is a thorough desperado, and will require es- | breast, lay the murdered banker, In an ad- tective ohm a pair from his pocket. pecial watching.” joining apartment the wailing of the frightened ** Hold out your hands!” ** Will you remove him to the station?” servants told that, although childless and wife- The rogue sullenly obeyed Marvin's order. its CoS less, the old man had sincere mourners among They had drawn him aside. from the hurrying ** Where then?” his household. throng, and as Dorsett locked the steel wristlets The eyes of the Telegraph Detective gleamed The disguised detective glanced quickly about on his hands, Marvin spoke quickly in his | with a wild enthusiasm in his secret project as the apartment. His searching vision was re- -_ r: he whispered impressively, in Dorsett’s startled warded by evidences of the recent struggle. ‘*This man holds the entire secrets of a terri- | ears: | The door communicating with the iron steps, ble crime—of a series of crimes—murder, rob- ** Into the presence of the murdered banker !” | through which the stranger had entered, was bery and fraud.” still open, and the little cabinet-safe wheeled ‘* And you wish me to take him in charge?” CHAPTER IX. close to the desk bore evidence of having been ‘Yes, for his accomplices are somewhere in A GHASTLY SURPRISE. ransacked, The cherry shelves were broken the vicinity, and I know them. I wish you to ‘‘To the presence of the murdered banker!” | and several large bundles of papers were scat- take him in charge and guard him carefully, | Marvin had said, as he hurried from the room | tered over the floor. for his friends are desperate men, and he a | containing Dorsett and his prisoner, and the The officers had brought a lamp to the scene criminal of more than ordinary ingenuity.” words gave the clew to his newly-conceived plan. | and its rays showed the broken one near the “IT will take him to the station at once,” and He knew not positively if Hiram Arnold | desk, and revealed also the package of illu- Dorsett started. was dead, but he had seen his face in the ghastly | minating paint, its contents dripping from the *“Not now,” restrained the young man; “‘he | glare of the pistol explosion, and familiarity green baize of the desk to the carpet, where a is not to be locked me Listen to me, Dorsett,” | with such scenes had entouraged the belief that | few drops had touched the banker’s outstretched spoke Marvin, rapidly. ‘The superintendent ’ the expression on that aged face was the death- | hand. has given me peculiar privileges in working this | gleam of an expiring soul. | There the illumination had faded, turning to case. It is essential to my plans that this man His feet bore no laggard weight of indolence | a deep, somber purple in hue. éf should not become a prisoner in the hands of | or indecision as he traversed the streets. He A small piece of paper—the end jagged and the police until I have learned something fur- | made but one stop. Ata large pawn-shop, with | rough as if torn from a string—attracted the ther about his crimes and associates.” its gions sign, he paused, ascending the re- | detective’s attention. He picked it up and ** What shall I do?” tired stairway and in a few minutes appeared | perused it witha start. It read: **Remove him to some safe oe for an hour | in the store below, with the proprietor rudely | «7, trust for Robert Marvin.” or so. See; yonder is the Galaxy restaurant,” | awakened from his slumbers, but anxious to Y continued Marvin, glancing around and indi- | please a customer who came from the police | .‘*The casket was taken,” he decided; “ this cating an all-night eating-house, ‘‘The propri- | whose favors he most earnestly coveted. evidences that fact,” etor is a stanch friend of ours. Take him there; | Ten minutes later, com letely disguised as to| His two companions watched him interested- secure a private room and watch him closely | hirsute appearance, Willis Marvin reappeared nS They saw him turn the body to examine until I return, in about an hour.” on the street, a large, square package iadar his | the wound, observed him pick up the bullet ** All right,” and Dorsett crossed the road | arm, which, penetrating the heart, had gone clear with his prisoner, while the Telegraph Detective ‘Tt is fortunate that Isaacs had such an a through the body, and they marveled at his lost himself amid the crowd, seeking for the | paratus as I desire to use,” he reflected. ‘It | methodical coolness as he RPE DSS it in a piece men he believed to be in the vicinity. saves the time and trouble of a protracted | of pape and placed it in his pocket. : But his search was unsuccessful. He did not | search.” ‘“Had the body better be disturbed until the make himself known to the police, who were el- He hailed a carriage driving by and ordered | coroner comes?” suggested oneofthemen. __ deavoring to gain access to the burning build- | the man to conyey im to the Galaxy restau- Marvin did not look up, but prepared to litt ing, but, after skirting the crowd, and convinc- | rant. Once there he ascended the stairs at quick | the corpse. ; ing himself that Torrance and his companion | bounds as he alighted, leaving his package in ‘‘ T will take the risk of what I do, Help me had disappeared, he started for the restaurant. | the carriage. As he reached the corridor where | to get the body into this chair.” ; J He found no difficulty in locating his asso- | the room was located, he started forward to in- ey obeyed him mutely, but wondering}ly. < ciate, Dorsett, in a private room. The latter | tercept a man who, at his approach, had risen | They lif the dead banker to the chair, i sat sharply eying the sullen, angry-faced pris- | from a kneeling posture near the door of the | wheeled it to the desk, and stared in the wildest oner, who did not deign to speak a word, room occupied by Dorsett and his prisoner. amazement at Marvin as they saw him arrange Marvin closed the door, beckoned to Dorsett, The man was too quick for him, however, for | the body in a position as natural as though the and drew him to onecorner of the room. His | he hastened to the window at the end of the | victim of the murder were still in life. face was alight with new and excited thoughts. | hall and swung himself out to the roof of an ad-| He turned to the men, finally, ' The first words of Dorsett were: joining structure with the rapidity of asquirrel. | _ ‘‘ What I have done,” he said, impressively, ‘What does all this mystery mean?” “A spy,” murmured Marvin, with knit brows, | ‘‘ has been done to attempt to secure the con- **Success or failure in the tracing down of a | “* but we must not delay to follow him.” fession of one of the accomplices of the real series of terrible crimes,” replied the detective Dorsett arose and regarded him curiously as | murderer. Will one of you go to the carriage seriously. ‘‘ There is no time to lose, The first | he burst unceremoniously into his presence, outside and bring me the package it con- important step is to investigate to-night’s mur- ‘‘ Come!” ordered Marvin; ‘‘ we will go. You | tains?” der—the killing of Hiram Arnold, a banker, by | did not know me?” Both men started to obey his request. They ‘yonder man and his colleagues. Was my mes- ‘* No, your disguise is perfect.” returned in a few moments and placed the sage understood at head-quarters?” Dorsett led Barnes down the stairs into the | heavy package they bore on the desk. Yes,” answered Dorsett. ‘Vague as it} carriage, and Marvin, with a low order to the The intensest curiosity was in their startled was, we knew something unusual had occurred. | driver of the vehicle, joined them. eyes as they saw Marvin rapidly tear the out- An old telegraph operator myself, I readily He was silent and thoughtful, evidently im- | side paper from this package. The polished comprehended that the sender of the message | patient to reach his projected destination, Once | ebony box which met their view offered no so- vas terribly excited from the rapidity wi as they whirled by the building, where he had | lution of his mysterious proceedings, but as he which it was clicked out. The chief quickly | seen the mysterious stranger ga ue) he | threw back the cover each gave utterance to a sent a man to the place of the murder and our- | glanced up at the place quickly. His cheek | little ery of surprise. selves to your aid, although we had a difficult meer as he saw, standing in the doorway, ‘“You don’t mean—” began one of the men, time in locating the house, and two officers to | an officer, and evidences of an unusual commo- | excitedly. : the building where one of the murderers was | tion about the place, but he did not order a stop ‘To galvanize the body of the murdered man located by you.” making his anxiety regarding the stranger—if —yes,” responded Marvin, quietly. A cry of dismay and grief broke from Mar- | he really was his father—subservient to his he box contained a fine electrical apparatus, vin’s lips at these words, and his fave paled | newly-formed plan of action through which he | It was an expensive scientific relic, doubtlessly ‘visibly. hoped to trace the real murderer of the banker | pledged by some impoverished student, and an- | - Dorsett stared at him, bewildered, but | —the man with the hand of fire. swered the projected | price of the detective | the other vouchsafed no immediate explana- The carriage came to a stop under the trees | exactly. e removed it to one corner of the tion. His mind foreseeing that if the mys- | lining the walk in front of the gloomy mansion | room, drew a fire-screen in front of it, adjusted terious stranger was his father, he ern om | sur- | of the murdered man! A little knot of men | the wires, examined the dynamo-galvanic jars, mised that his appearance at the banker’s house | stood at the iron gateway conversing in low | and then tested it, and drawing the wires under <a | was not one of crime, but to anticipate and out- | tones, and at the open doorway two men whom the screen applied them to the neck and elbows ' ‘wit his enemies, and he trusted to cireum- | he recognizod as detectives, were comparing | of the dead man. | stances to correct the mistake he had made and | notes in a confidential manner. ‘Tt is a ghastly and unpleasant experiment,” turned his attention to the vital issues of the | He glanced at the prisoner, whose face was | he said, as he noticed the mute horror in the present. le and startled, his eyes gleaming restlessly, | faces of his companions, ** but the end justifies * Dorsett,” he went on, gravely, ‘‘ the League But he vailed their expression to sullen uncon- | the means. One of you take his place behind of criminals to which this man”—indicating the | cern as he saw that he was observed. re es screen; answer all questions asked in a prisover—‘* belongs is a confederation of des- The detective leaned over to Dorsett. ow voice, and when the signal is given start f peradoes who do not hesitate to employ extra- ‘“‘ Let no one approach the prisoner,” he whis- | the current of electricity. You,’ indicating ordinary measures to outwit its foes. We have red, ‘and under no circumstances allow him | the other, ‘‘ seat yourself opposite the dead man no time for details now. I have a plan to reach know whether the banker is dead or alive. | with pencil and paper as if talene. notes. Re- these men, first through the confession of the | I will return in afew minutes and explain my | tain an attitude and expression of face as though risoner, next through my escape not being | project to you.” listening to his words.” fl be fnown to his confederates.” Then he leaped from the carriage, carefully | He saw the men take up their positions, and ‘* A plan?’ repeated Dorsett, interestedly. closing the door after him. The men at the | then repaired to the carriage. He made a ges- “ee ‘Yes, No matter what it is. I only ask | gate stared at him curiously, and as he ascend- | ture to Dorsett, and the latter alighted with his | your implicit confidence and co-operation for a | ed the steps the two men at the door intercepted | prisoner. He transferred his charge to Marvin | 4 sett close to him. ) ‘* Yes,” was the reply. Rapidly, in a low whisper, he conveyed to Marvin threw back his coat and revealed his . him his intentions and projects. The detective badge of authority. ' started in excited amazement while listening “i | Ie Ee comilcbooks: cor AS Ji, ‘“Then do not intimate that 1 am alive, nor ee my true identity to any one,” requested Mar- vin. *©You will disguise yourself?”