Beadle's Dime Library No. 384 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

: 18 sidered by the detectives to be Malachi Everest’s rigut-band man. ** The other party, the old fellow, I am a little out on. “T don’t know any of the gang that answers to the description at ail unless the man is in dis- | guise, and then it is just as likely to be the head | {ion Lin person us anybody else,”’ ‘Do you think it is Malachi Everest dis- | ; | I had never been anything but a source of mis- all surprised—the circum- | guised?” Talbot asked. ‘*T should not be at Injun Dick, Detective. en father having died a few months before I was | born, and that was all she knew or cared to | know, ‘‘Once, I remember, I plucked up courage enough to question my mother, on the occasion of one of her rare visits, but [ never repeated the experiment, for she became quite angry and | | bade me be satisfied that a comfortable living stances seem to point that way,” the detective | answered, ‘* He must be exceedingly clever then at tha sort of thin, for I must confess I did not recog- nize him, aud after the experience I have had with him it does not hardly seem possible to me | that he could assume any disguise which I would not be able to penetrate.” ‘This fellow is a geniusin that line. I pre- sume to be a pretty good judge of that sort of thing myself, but I have met men of this Ever- est stamp who have been able to pull the wool over my eyes. isnot Malachi Everest in disguise he is one of | ety ep upon it, gentlemen, if this old man was provided for me, and she added that though ery to her, yet she felt in duty bound to take care of me until I was able to look out for my- | self. ‘*T had received a good common-school edu- cation and when I was fourteen it was decided | that I was old enough to make some exertions looking toward my own support. The detective was as good as his word. Murphy being badly hurt by his fall had been carried to a hospital, but when ques- tioned by Phenix in regard to the affair, he protested utter ignorance in regard to his com- pany. His tale was that he had grown tired of lead- ing a ‘‘crooked” life, had determined to reform and procured a situation as a hack-driver and the old man had been his first customer, ** worse luck!” as he pathetically exclaimed. Phenix was convinced that the fellow was lying, but he stuck like a Trojan to his story, and the detective retired bafiled, Just a week the detective had sojovrned in Phenix’s house, when a strange event hap- | pened. ‘‘ A situation was procured for me in adry- | goods store on Eighth avenue, my mother in- | structing me to be careful not to speak of my family matters to any one. ‘* The firm into whose establishment I entered was a large one, employing over a hundred girs, and of course among so large a number I was completely lost as it were. * Ko long as I attended to my duties in a sat- his principal men, although I must own he is a isfactory manner no one took any notice of me new hand to me, ‘* But, thanks to this adventure, I think you | will be able to get some information that may be of value to you. ‘‘ from the determined attempt that was made | nor a deapes me with curious questions. ‘ With this firm I have remained, my wages have risen from three dollars per week to eight so that I was able to take care of myself with- | out calling upon any one for aid. to abduct the girl itis evident that Everest takes | ‘* My mother I have neither seen nor heard of _ considerable interest in her, and if we can induce | for three years until to-night when this man stopped me in the street as I was on my way from the store to my boarding-house, ““T neglected to mention that just two weeks ago the old nurse in whose house I have resided ever since I was born died suddenly and I was forced to find a home among strangers. her to talk freely about herself and her affairs | we may be able to get at Everest in a way that he will despise.” Under the care of the housekeeper, who was a __ kind, motherly old soul, the maiden soon recov- | ered from the effects of the strange adventure | through which she had passed. | And when she felt that she was herself again | learned of the ‘Through one of the girls in the store | lace where I was treated so ' by either one of them. ‘an old Englishwoman, @ she expressed a desire to be granted a few words | with the gentleman who had come so timely to her rescue. “Certainly,” said Talbot, when the wish was made known to him. So the three gentlemen descended to the par- lor—they had been sitting in the library of the _ detective and the girl was conducted to their presence. ‘‘'This is Mr. Phenix, the detective,” remarked Talbot, introducing that gentleman, ‘and it is his roof that now shelters you.” The lady acknowledged the introduction and then the housekeeper discreetly withdrew and Bowers made an excus? to follow her example, cruelly this evening.” It was in the evening, and the three men— Phenix, Talbot and Bowers—had settled down for a quiet game of cards, when the servant brought the intelligence that a lady wished to have speech with Mr. Talbot. None of them knew exactly what to make of this, for Talbot had not a single acquaintance in | the city to his knowledge. Word was given to show the lady in, and | judge of the surprise of the twd pards when rs. Beaverwick made her appearance. She was magnificently dressed, but looked | pale and careworn. ‘‘T have come to see about my daughter, Fedelia, who, I believe, is now under your pro- tection, Mr. Talbot,” she said. CHAPTER XXVI AN ASTONISHING DISCLOSURE. Bots Talbot and Bowers were amazed; this was a development which had not been expected The detective was not so much surprised, for ‘The hard-hearted wretch!” exclaimed the | he did not know the woman. detective. her own to be so abused?” ** She is not an agrecehie personage and from ey first she formed an unfavorable impression of me. ‘‘ Being of a curious disposition she with all sorts of questions and when replied that I ha dislike to me and I could plainly see she be- lieved I was deceiving her.” ‘* How would she like a daughter of | | wicks, but there wasn’t anything to lead him to Of course he had heard the story of the Beaver- suppose that the lady stood before him, Miss Heverstar is your daughter?’ Talbot | asked, as though he rather doubted the asser- lied me | tion. simply no story to tell, she took a | word, of my ‘*She is, and if you do not believe m call the girl, and she will affirm the trut statement.” ‘* Excuse me, madam, will you allow me to ‘This accounts for her harsh treatment of | offer you a chair?” Phenix hastened to interpose, you this evening,” Talbot observed. ‘Yes, a young girl like myself without either for the veteran had a shrewd idea that the girl | relatives or friends must expect, I presume, to had something of importance to communicate be looked upon with suspicion by narrow-minded and he thought the fewer persons present the more freely she would speak. When she was alone with the two gentlemen she began. ‘*‘T am very much in need of counsel,” she said, ‘for I am alone and friendless, absolutely with- out a single person to whom I can apply for ad- vice,” people whose distrust is large and whose charity is small, ‘‘ But, now, what I wished to ask is this,” the | girl continued, her voice growing earnest and | her face serious. ‘‘My mother has never acted toward me like a mother, and it would be idle for me to pre- tend that I feel for her the affection which ‘Both this gentleman and myself will be glad | should spring in the breast of a child for its to aid you to the utmost of our power, I am sure,” Phenix remarked, in his grave, fatherly way, so calculated to give confidence to a young | and inexperienced person. shin “To this gentleman,” and she indicated Tal- bot, ‘‘ Lalready owe a debt of gratitude, for to- of a man who was evidently a black-hearted and remorseless villain,” “ Don't mention it, I beg,” Talbot replied. “I had partly, too, a selfish interest in interfering for by bringing the scoundrel to an account I was only paying off old scores. ‘Tf T mistake not the fellow is aman whom Ihave hunted clear from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic seaboard, a villain whose hands are red with blood, and who will not receive his just deserts until he feels the noose of the neman’s rope tightening around his neck.” A shudder shook the slight form of the girl when she reflected how narrowly sha escaped falling into the power of such a wretch, ‘‘My life has been a strange one, and yet almost utterly devoid of interest,” she re- marked, ‘““T am called Fedelia Heverstar, and heve just passed my seventeenth birthday, ‘*] was born in this city, and brought up by rofessional nurse, in whose house I first saw the light. ‘‘ My earliest remembrance of my mother re- calls to me a tall, queenly, beautiful woman, who came to see me at rare intervals, and who never seemed to betray the true affection which a mother should exhibit toward her child. ‘As I grew in years I became curious, and questioned Mrs. Higginbotham—that was the name of the nurse—in regard to my mother, Lut obtained very little information. ‘ ‘‘ She said she did not know aught of impor- tance. I was incredulous at first, but as 1 grew older I began to believe she had told the truth. “Mrs, Higginbotham was a kind-hearted wo- man, though extremely strict and formal in her ways. ‘She was well “one by my mother for taking charge of me. My mother was a widow, my | night he saved me from falling into the power — ent. ‘* All that she has ever given me has been a bare support and she has told me twenty times at least it was not her money that paid for me but that a sum sufficient for my support until i shonld be old enough to take care of myself had been provided by my dea ! father. ‘‘ Now, then, if this ruffian really was sent by my mother, will I be obliged to go to her?” “That depends upon circumstances,” the de- tective answered in his cautious way. ‘‘I am not sufficiently posted yet in all re particu- lars to give a decided answer, but the chances are that you will not be obliged to do anything that will be distasteful to you. ‘* We must wait and allow matters to develop; meanwhile consider this bee home and this gen- tleman and myself your brothers who will fight your battles to the best of our power.” The maiden was deeply touched by this gen- erous offer and did her best to express her thanks. After she had retired in company with the ; | tendering the lady a seat in his most gallant manner. Mrs. Beaverwick looked at the smoothly-f spoken detective as though she intended her eyes to pierce into his vi ry soul, but Phenix was used to things of the kind, and bore the scrutiny without flinching. ‘*T do not think it is necessary for me to be seated,” she answered, coldly, ‘‘ for I do not in- | tend to remain but a few minutes, ‘‘T came merely to get my daughter, and then I will depart.” ‘*In that case, madam, you certainly ought to take a chair, for it is a matter that cannot be settled in a moment,” Phenix observed. ‘* And why not?” she demanded, a stern look upon her handsome features, ‘Tt will surely not take the child long to get herself ready to accompany me.” ‘*T perceive you do not understand the situ- ation,” Phenix rejoined. ‘You have evidently come here with the idea that all you had to do was to ask for the girl—” ‘Certainly! she is my daughter, isshe not?” ** So you assert,” the detective observed in an off-hand, careless way, ‘‘ but as the person is now under my roof, and trusting to my protec~ tion, I trust you will excuse me when I say J shall require scmething more than Mere asser- tion before I permit her to depart.” Mrs. Beaverwick first grew red and then pale, There wasn’t eny mistaking the sense of the detective’s clear-cut sentences, “Call the girl, let her decide!” the woman ex- ! claimed, indignantly. ‘Tf she does not say I am her mother, I am 7 housekeeper, Phenix and Talbot held a brief | quite willing to depart without her!” consultation, asked. “It is a mysterious affair,” the detective re- | ment, of the slightest value, “The mother and Malachi Everest are | what she has Leen told. plied. evidently connected in some way, although it is ue possible that they are not, and that the Old Man had ne authority from the mother to take away the girl. ‘But it is plain that Everest has some inter- est in the girl, or else he would not have had adopted so bold an expedient to get her into his wer. } | | contrived “What do you think of the matter?” Dick | the perceive you do not exactly understand osition,” Phenix remarked, quietly. e evicence cf the girl js not, in my judg- &he merely knows ‘*Something more will be needed to prove that you are actually her parent, and bave a legal claim upon her.” ‘You are quite a lawyer,” Mrs. Beaverwicl: remarked, with a sneer, evidently deeply en- raged at the determination of the detective. “Oh, yes, in my’ business experience I have to pick up considerable legal knowl- ‘‘ T assume, of course, that this old ruffian was | edge,” ee Phenix with a smile, as though Everest himself disguised. ‘“* Now, by holding on to the girl, we may be able to lure our man into a trap. ‘* Of course, I know he is a sharp, shrewd fel- of us put our foot in a hole sometimes, and as Malachi Everest is only human, I argue that he may slip up one of these days, “Tl get after Red Murphy to-morrow, see if I can make anything out of him.” . be thong | low, who seldom makes a mistake, but the best | could get a hold on and | t the lady intended to pay bim a com- pliment. In fact the detective felt extremely good-na- tured, for through the woman he believed he the arch-rogue whom he had been endeavoring to entrap for so many years. ‘* Well, you will have a chance to use it all if you endeavor to separate me from my child!” the lady exclaimed, tartly. ‘‘T beg your pardon, how may I call your Ecomicboo (é cS) (E(o)