Beadle's Dime Library No. 386 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Hawk Heron, the Falcon | ‘A pretty story, to be sure! could you possibly have learned—” ‘*Don’t imagine yourself cleverer than you really are, young man, until you’ve heard me t ”? ** All right.” ‘‘The young man had been terribly beaten. I had no conveniences for attending to his hurts, even if carrying him into my room had been the roper thing for a lonely young woman, with no dependence save her spotless reputation, to do. You are wrong in smiling, sir, but I shall let it pass. I sounded the alarm, and followed the young man to the hospital, on his being con- veyocd thither in an ambulance that was present- ly summoned by the policeman who answered my cal.” both kind and thoughtful, How, then, ** That Clarisse,” A momentary gleam of genuine pleasure leaped into the girl’s comely face. ‘Thanks, Mr. Heron,” said she, ‘‘ But there is little more to tell. I remained by the young man’s couch, after his hurts had been dressed, until he recovered his senses. Then he besought me to hasten here to you. Although it was then past midnight, I gave him my promise, and here | am,” ‘““You left him at the point of death, you ” was say? ‘He looked that way to me, though the doc- tors may have been a little more hopeful. ‘‘ Ah, indeed. But you have not told me the nature of the message.” “‘T forgot. Itis to beseech you to go to him without an instant’s delay.” ‘¢ No more?” ‘* No more, save that he hinted of an import- ant secret between you two that might be lost if you did not hasten to him at once.” “Indeed! Yet he must have known that I cannot leave my post here under any circum- stances whatever.” ‘* Not even to receive the young man’s dying words?” ‘* Not even for that!” ** How strangely youtalk. Nobody wouldrun pi? with these poor murdered bodies, ‘* And another glance, which she threw about the room, rested upon Olga’s white, upturned face. A harsh, stern look suddenly came into the detective's face. | ‘*Clarisse, you have overdone your part,” said he, Fenn ane: *“What! do you not believe my story?” *“'Yes; the story part hangs together well enough, but the message does not.” ‘What do you mean?” “That the message is false on its face—a miserable fabrication.” ‘Sir, upon my honor—” “Enough! Itis simply impossible that Sea- grave should have sent such a message, if even at the point of death.” ‘Mr. Heron, I swear by all—” ** Begone!” and here there was an ugly ring in the detective’s voice. Clarisse faded back into the dark passage to- ward the head of the stairs, She made a motion, as though to renew her entreaties, but met with a gesture even more un- compromising than his tone of voice. Then, turning suddenly away, she hurried down the stairs. She had hardly been gone more than a minute when a sudden idea occurred to Hawk, and, go- ing to the head of the stairs, he called aloud upon Nixey’s name, ‘“« Ay, ay, boss!” came promptly from the pas- e on the ground floor. zy) moment later, the boy appeared, before his master. ‘* Have you been constantly at your post down there?” asked Hawk. ‘* All the time, boss.” A young woman, though, just passed you on her way out?” ‘ Right you are, boss. The same what stood on the stoop in Melton place when you crawled out of the man-hole.” ‘True, But why did you let her pass you on her way 1m, without first ascertaining if it was agreeable for me to see her?” ‘¢ She hadn’t passed me on her way in, boss,” ‘¢ What?” ‘‘Tt’s a puzzler, but true, boss, Both I and ‘the policeman down at the entrance will swear to it.” “How did she get in, then?” “The Lord only knows, boss, and he won't tell. It’s a screecher.” Hawk remained for a moment buried in thought. ; “Resume your post, and let this pass for the present,” said he, at length. ‘“ By the way, as you have opportunity, inquire into the reputa- tion of the other houses in this row.” ** All right, be : $2,” il little fellow disappeared down The faithf id et and Hawk hurried back to his own post. Everything was just as he had left it as he re-entered the room, locking the door behind him. ‘Fresh mystery, ever fresh mystery!” he said to himself, halt. deuperately. ‘But I can only <a geett—tSeSsSSsrsss S Ssts Ssessssnesnnsy Sr rrr a a attend to one thing ata time. This accident to Seagrave, if truly reported, may necessitate my taking the old German up-stairs into my confi- dence. But my first care must be to once more resuscitate Olga, and supplant her fears and be- wilderment with some degree of prudence and common-sense.” He was about to apply a restorative when the thought occurred to him that it would be better to bring Olga back to consciousness elsewhere— say, in the next room, which had been her own —apart from her funereal and terror-inspiring surroundings, He speedily acted upon this suggestion. Hay- ing lifted her out of the coffin, he laid her gently on the bed in the adjoining room. Then, having found and lighted another lamp, he was not long in arousing the girl out of her swoon, through the alternative application of cold water and some smelling-salts, which latter he was so lucky as to find in a toilette-table near at hand, when a few drops of brandy from his flask completed her restoration. She was again starting up in a wildly bewild- ered manner, when he gently restrained her, and at the same time riveted her attention with the soothing yet inspiriting powers of his mag- netic gaze. ‘* Now listen, with all the calmness at your command, to the story Iam about to tell you, Miss Ashcombe,” said he, in his low, thrilling and intense voice, ‘‘ and do not offer to answer any question I ap ag ~~ to you, unless you can do so with a degree of composure.” In answer to his questioning gaze, her eyes gradually lost their dazed expression. ‘This was succeeded by a look of horror, showing that recollections pertaining to her mother’s as- sassination were at work, To this succeeded an inquisitive look, doubtless in view of her presenti situation. And finally, as the sympathy and earnestness of his gaze mastered her, she seemed to control her emotions by a powerful effort, and there came into her eyes an expression of mingled trustfulness, intelligence and _ self- restraint, Satisfied with what he at last interpreted in the sad, answering gaze, Hawk rapidly but suc- cinctly pictured to her mind everything that had passed since the tragedy, his own connec- tion therewith, her present extraordinary posi- tion, his ae of keeping her restoration a secret even to the extent of promoting a sham funeral in her case, until the ends of justice should have been served, and the embarrassment he was still laboring under. The intelligence deepened in her eyes, as she drank in his words, though sbe kept them closed for several minutes after he had finished. Presently she opened them again, and delight- ed him by saying, in a calm, collected voice: ‘*T agree to all you propose, sir, you seem so wise and good. In the mean time, how and where will you hide me?” Hawk mentioned the name of the old music- master. | ** Ah, the good, the kind old mynheer!” she murmured. ' ‘‘ Yes; that will be well.” ** Capital!” said Hawk; ‘‘but now my first care must be to arrange a lay-figure to occupy your ei in the—the—perhaps you understand what I hesitate to say?” She shuddered, partly covering her face, ‘Yes, yes,” she murmured, disjointedly. ‘It is horrible, but—but I will try to collect my thoughts—my recollections. Ah, yes! my ge mother—she not only made wax flowers, ut also wax faces and busts for the modistes— and I was sometimes her model. Wardrobe— next room—ah! Those drops on the dressing- case—quick !” Hawk had understood enough, He snatched from the dressing-case a small vial which she had indicated, and administered a few drops of its contents Their effect was almost immediate. After he had seen her sink back upon the couch, with closed eyes and a general expression of tran- quillity, he whispered a parting word of en- couragement, an eat back into the front room, partly closing the intervening door. He had before this noticed a large wardrobe, which occupied the space between the fireplace and one of the windows, An examination of its contents now, to his great satisfaction, discovered an entire full- ength figure, attired very much as Olga’s form had been while lying in the coffin, and whose neck, face and head, even to the color and ar- rangement of the hair, were fairly modeled after the young girl’s characteristics, Still more apropos to the emergency, the life- like colors had not yet been applied to the waxen features, which therefore appropriately counter- feited death. ‘“‘ Wonderful!” muttered Hawk, while taking the figure in his arms, and composing it in the coffin. ‘‘Could anything have chanced more fortunately?” While engaged in refastening the lid upon the casket, he thought he heard a soft move- ment in the adjoining room, and was about to ascertain the cause, but a sense of delicacy re- strained him, and he went on with his task. In a few minutes all was completed. Thetwo coffins occupied the trestles, side by side, as at Detective. 2 eee eee — — ———— EEE Dennen ene ee aman 9 the outset, the lids being equally secured, and the faces of the actual and counterfeit dead, as seen under the glass gece seeming alike com- posed for the eternal sleep, while maintaining the characteristic family resemblance that had existed between mother and daughter. ‘* There,” said Hawk to himself, viewing the completion of his work with much complacency, though beginning to feel faint and dizzy from lack of nourishment and the nervous strains he had undergone; ‘‘the forms will doubtless be thus committed to the grave, withott any fur- ther examination, and the secret of Olga’s re- suscitation and continued existence will be safe. It may be a questionable proceeding to deceive both justice and the public in sucha solen.n affair, but it is only for the time being, and I firmly believe that the means are justified hy the end in view. Now for a look at my fair patient.” Thinking that Olga might have fallen into a recuperative sleep, inasmuch as not a sound had issued from the next room since the slight move. ment he had noticed, he stole to the half-ajar door and peered through the opening. Then, with a half-frantic cry, he flung the door wide, and sprung into the room, The bed was unoccupied, Olga had disap- peared ! The window on the opposite side of the bed was wide open, showing the outlines of an iron fire-escape platform just outside of it, He dashed to the opening, and, as he reached it, the inflowing air flaunted in his face a broad sheet of white paper that had been pinned tothe curtain. Holding it up to the light, he read the fcllow- ing words, scrawled upon the paper in hurried characters: “Sm Dupr AnD Foou:—Be of good cheer! Both your secret and its fair subject are safe in the pos- session of Korzka, THE PROSCRIBED.” Crumpling the paper in his clinched hands and gnashing Wis teeth, the detective sprung out upon the fire-escape staging. No ladders connected it with the correspond- ing platforms either below or above, but a stcut knotted rope was dangling before his eyes. Just as he was looking upward, however, and, he as he caught a glimpse of feminine drapery eing dragged back over the roof-ledge, a low, diabolical laugh thrilled down from above, and this was followed by a falling mass of brick and stone dislodged from the coping. Receiving part of it on his head, the detective had just enough strength to stagger back into the room, when he swooned away upon the couch, CHAPTER IX. NIXEY’S HARD LUCK. WHEN Hawk recovered his senses, with a splitting headache, it was to perceive the early daylight streaming into the room where he lay, and to hear old Mr. Schmidt’s gentle voice in the passage pleading for admittance, ‘‘A moment’s patience, Mr. Schmidt, and Pll admit you,” called out the detective, springing to his feet. Realizing that it would now he best to keep the old man wholly in the dark as to what had occurred, he first went into the kitchen, to ascertain what injuries he might have received, + and remove all traces of such as far as possi- @, His clothing was covered with mortar dust, but, on consulting a looking-glass, he found to his great relief that whatever shock he had sus- tained had only soiled and grimed his head and as without causing either contusion or blood- 4 shed. He therefore concluded that he hadescaped § the heavier materials of the mass that had been hurled at him with such murderous intent and a brisk application of soap and water and a wisp-broom, all of which were fortunate] at hand, soon put him in a more phonantable condition. - “Ah, Mr. Heron!” said Mr, Schmidt, glanc- ing mournfully at the closed caskets as he was | admitted a fow moments later; ‘‘ how did you pass the watching hours, and where is your companion /? “Mr. Seagrave went away some hours ago, and, as for myself, I have been faithful to n.y trust,” said Pawk, counterfeiting a cheerfulness ® he was far from feeling, ‘‘ But tell me, wore you disturbed by an unusual noise some hours agot “Ah, mein Gott, it is true, mynheer!” exclaim- ed the German. ‘‘ The side of the house seemed falling out, and my fire-escape above is littered with rubbish.” “So is the fire-esca pe belonging to these rooms,” said Hawk. ‘*We have bad many frosts and thaws of late, which must have caused part of the roof-ledge to give way,” ‘* Ah, like enough, mynheer!” ‘Now, look you, Mr. Schmidt, I em worn out and in need of rest. So, you will have to take my lace this afternoon.” ‘Yes, mynheer, and I will take charge til) \ the poor remains are buried away in my cw 4 plot in Woodlawn,” He passed between the coffins and his tc: rs flowed afresh as he looked from one lifeless lace st AMIE LeKeVey <Saqre (E(0) (0)