Beadle's Dime Library No. 391 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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if I can get her, I will be able to cry quits with the world. ‘‘No moze risks—no more desperate adven- tures, but a life of ease and luxury. I can go into politics backed by a million, run for Presi- dent, maybe, one of these days. Who knows?” ' “Durn me if you ain’t got the head for it!” the other exclaimed, emphatically. “Everything is possible to a man with brains and courage, if he has capital at his back.” ‘‘That’s true enough. The only obstacle I see is the girl herself,” the secretary observed, thoughtfully. ‘‘How do you stand with her? These women are such durned peculiar cattle that there’s no telling how to take ’em some- times.” ‘*She likes me well enough; has not exactly fallen in love with me, but I fancy she thinks more of methan of any other man whom she has ever met; and if circumstances arise so that it would seem to her to be the proper thing to wed me, I do not think she would object, and at this point Alcibiades’s gambling debts to me come in.” ‘‘-You’re too deep for me,” the other remark- ed. ny I’m over my head, and shall have to swim eut.’ ‘‘Tt’s as plain as the nose on your face when you get the hang of the matter,” Andrews re-~ lied. wii In a day or two this miserable cur will come whimpering to me about the notes. He knew when he gave them that there wasn’t any chance for him to pay them, or at least not for | ears, me I shall suggest that if he made a clean breast | ef it to his sister, she might be able to help him eut; let fall a covert suggestion that if she came to me about the notes I would only be too glad to find some way by means of which they could be paid, and without letting the old folks know anything about it. ‘The rascal is deadly afraid of the news eoming to his father’s ears that he has been ambling, for the old man has sworn he will Fate nothing to do with him if he persists in playing cards.” ‘*T think I begin to see your game,” the sec- retary observed. ‘‘ You will help the young fellow out of the scrape, and so earn the grati- tude of the girl.” ‘‘That is about the size of it; then I. O. U,’s, mind you, will all be in my hands; I get short of cash, you understand, and I part with a few of them to a banker friend, who kindly accom- modates me with a loan, I indorsing the paper. Of course it will be easy for me to give up those which I hold, but rather difficult to get at the ones which I have parted with until the period ef their redemption comes. “The friend is a Jew broker, ahard man to do business with, and care must be exercised not to allow him to suspect that the paper is anything but gilt-edged and all right and regu- lar.” ; -: ‘‘Oh, yes, I understand; the old dodge; it is very convenient sometimes to have _ these ‘friends’ in the background who will do just as you require. But snppose this don’t fetch the girl? It ought to, I know,” he hastened to add ‘* but these women are so deuced uncertain.” ‘‘Oh, I have yet another string to my bow,” Andrews replied, with a meaning smile and a peculiar light shining in his dark eyes. ‘At the last moment, when it came to the final coup in the game, the young scoundrel had exhausted his resources, and produced a check drawn by his father to his order for ten thousand dollars; but he said that while he would like to risk it upon the hand he held, yet in case he lost he did not want the check to be presented, for he had promised the old man not to use it except fcr actual necessities, so he asked mewould I agree, if I won the pot, to hold the check for him until he could get a chance to redeem it?” ‘“‘T see, I see,” and the secretary laid his fore- finger alongside of his nose, and then winked in a knowing way. ‘Tt was fishy, of course; I understood that the moment the bit of paper made its appear- ance, and that made me determined to get it into my hands, for it would be a weapon which would to me be invaluable.” “I bet you!” cried the other, with decided emphasis. : ; ‘I agreed immediately, any MEDS to oblige my dear friend, Alcibiades,’ and Andrews laughed in a way that was anything but amus- ing. mi I knew that the game was in my hands as surely as though the faces of the cards were ex- posed instead of the backs. When the show of cards came of course I raked the pile, and here is the forged check,” the host displayed the bit of pens as he spoke. My esteemed frierd put himself ina hole, I told him I would hold on to the check until he could redeem it, but I’m afraid I shall be so much in want of money that I will be obliged to raise some on it. ‘Tt goes into the hands of a third party—an innocent holder for value. My same Hebrew friend again, who is a believer in the old Jewish law, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and —_—_—_ not at all the kind of man to compromise a felony, unless subjected to a powerful pressure.” ‘* Beautiful!” and the secretary rubbed his hands in glee. ‘‘It is as fine as silk! To save her brother from the State Prison the lady will undoubtedly consent.” ‘Yes, for I shall have to almost ruin myself PEP Kate Scott, the Decoy Detective. a1 who made such claims were a little cracked im the upper story,” Andrews suggested. ** Honestly, i reckoned their heads wasn’t screwed on exactly right, and in this matter the idea of your being troubled by this beggarly Italian boy seems absurd. ‘* What possible hurt can the tawny rascal de to work the trick, and she surely will be willing } you?” to reward my sacrifice,” and Andrews laugh ain. ‘‘ But I say, about the Italian boy.” said the secretary, abruptly, as if the thought had just occurred to him. ‘I heard a couple of the ser- vants talking about the beggar. What is your idea in bringing him into the house?” “Mike, the monmtent my eyes fell upon that boy, when I encountered him in the boat, a cold chill ran all over me!” the master of Blithe- wood exclaimed, his tone low and earnest, ‘*T felt that in some mysterious way he boded danger to me. I am a slave to my presenti- ments, and in this case I acted promptly.” CHAPTER XXX, A CROSS-EXAMINATION, THE secretary nodded his head. ‘*T can understand a feeling of that kind, but in this case [ don’t really see what harm the boy could possibly do you.” ** Neither do I; yet in my heart of hearts, the moment I caught sight of the face of this Italian boy, something whispered that he was fated to prove dangerous to me,” Andrews remarked, slowly and reflectively. ‘** It is one of those odd things which cannot be explained. There wasn’t the slightest reason in the world why I should take the least notice of the boy. “Italian lads are common enough; I see, probably, fifty a day, on the average, every time I go to the city, and do not remember ever seeing one whose face produced enough impres- sion upon me to warrant a second glance,” ‘** But this one did, eh?” ** Mike, the moment I looked upon him, a sud- den cold chill ran all over me. ou know the old superstition that when a man experiences a sudden and uliar chill, it is produced by some one walking over his grave?” **Oh, yes, but that’s all nonsense!” exclaimed the other, who was evidently of a practical na- ture and not at all given to such fancies, ‘* Perhaps it is, but some of the wisest and most successful men that the world has ever known believed in just such superstition,” the other replied slowly. ‘*That may be, but I don’t take any stock in the game.” ‘“* We are not all constituted alike in this world, and what seems natural and reasonable to one man will not so appear to his neighbor, “Take the gift of genius, for instance; here and there comes a child into the world who, with- out the least training, is able to perform feats that are impossible tasks to another, apparently equal to the first in every way. “So it is with these strange presentiments. Some men are born with natures so sensitive that, as the mercury in the thermometer responds to heat and cold, an evil influence makes an im- mediate impression upon them.” ‘Oh, you’re getting too deep for me now; I’m over my head again,” the secretary re- marked, . ‘“‘T suppose you think that sort of thing is all imagination, eh?” the master of the mansion re- marked with a quiet smile, apparently not in the least annoyed by the unbelief of the other. ‘Well, yes, to put it plainly, I think that is about the size of it.” ** Of course, in a matter of this kind it is im- possible for a man to offer much proof outside of his own experiences, and the world at large is apt to think that such evidence is not as reliable as it might be.” “That is natural enough, isn’t it?” ‘Yes, but then we might as well deny that certain men have genius for particular things.” '; People don’t believe unless the thing is proved,” replied the other, in his abrupt, blunt way. The possession of the faculty of which T speak is not so easily made manifest to the world at large as many other peculiar gifts which might be mentioned, but the men so favored by nature are positive enough on the point. ** Now, [ am as certain that I possess this gift as [am that I am in this room this minute. ‘* A hundred times at least in the course of my career I have escaped serious peril by being timely warned by these peculiar presentiments. ‘A face catches my eyes and immediately something whispers to me that I must be on my guard, for the owner of the face is a foe.” ** And it has turned out afterward that there was something in it?” the secretary asked, in- credulously, ‘Yes, and in not a solitary instance has the presentiment failed to come true.” The other shook his head dubiously; he did not know what to make of this coattin state- ment. “ Well, all I’ve got to say is that it beats m time; I’ve heard of such things, but I never too the least bit of stock in them.” ‘“Pve no doubt that you thought the fellows Te eee nnn AA “That is just exactly what I have got to find out. I can imagine, though, a scheme in which he might be able to play an extremely prominen‘’ rt. ‘‘The fellow is a shrewd rascal, I can detect that from his eyes, although otherwise he ap- pears to be rather stupid. ‘* Would not such a smart rat be just the one to play the part ofa 1 Ae “Oh, yes, he would do well enough for that, but it seems to me that if you suspected any- thing of the kind you have made a great mistake in taking the young scoundrel into your service,” the secretary remarked, reflectively. ‘Not at all; how could I watch the fellow better than by having him right under my eyes?” Andrews replied. The other stared: such an idea had never oc- curred to bim. “Well, governor, you just take the cake, you do!” he exclaimed, in admiration. ‘“ This is about the shrewdest dodge I ever heard of!” ‘* The idea is a good one, 1 think myself. If he is a spy I will find it out before he bas been in the bouse a week.” ** And then?” and a dark look came over the face of the secretary as he put the question. ‘*! think I shall be able to find some way to deal with him.” A simple sentence, and yet there was a world of fearful meaning in it as delivered by the speaker. > ‘* Have you had any talk with the boy yet?” ‘* No, but I ordered John to bring him here after having him properly dressed, and it is about time he made his appearance.” Hardly had the words left the lips of the speaker when a whistle sounded from the speak- ing-tube which connected the room with the servants’ quarters, ““There’s John and the boy now, I guess; see!” remarked Andrews, The secretary went to the speaking-tube and asked what was wanted. As the master of the mansion bad anticipated, it was the butler, who desired to inform his mas- = that the boy was in readiness to wait upon im. **Send him in,” commanded Andrews, ‘*Shall I remain?’ the secretary asked. _ ** Oh, yes, I want you to inspect the fellow and pass judgment upon him. Just see what you make of him, and after the inspection is over we will compare notes.” Five minutes later the butler introduced the Italian boy, and then directly retired. The lad’s measure had been taken and a mes- 7 dispatched to the city, who had returned with a full suit of common dark clothes, in which the boy was now arrayed, and he looked uite respectable, although, despite his new clothes, there was a wild, brigandish air about him, caused, no coubt, by his swarthy skin, his keen black eyes and the crispy ebon-hued curls which adorned his bead. He had come into the room, twirling his new cap between his fingers, evidently abashed by the situation. Andrews reclined in the easy-chair, puffed away at his cigar, and regarded the boy with a. languid sort of curiosity. The secretary, on the contrary, fastened his eyes upon the lad with a hawk-like glance. ‘Well, they have dressed you up like a gentle- sx the master gcees ‘a eel . ‘* Si, signor,” replied the boy, with a ; ‘* Do you like to wear good clothes?” ‘“* Si, signor,” again he responded, and the grim increased. | ‘* Like good things to eat, too?” ‘Si, si,” and the boy pressed both hands upon his stomach, and the grin widened until he ex- posed every tooth he had in his head. ‘Did my people give you a good breakfast, as I ordered?” ‘* Si, si, nice-a break-a-fast.” ** We will not starve you to death while you remain here.” ‘Oh, no, no, no starve-a!” “ What is your name?” — ‘* Billa,” and the boy grinned again as though he had given utterance to a good joke, . ‘No, no, I don’t mean that one; I don’t mean own.” si, Pablo.” “That name is fully as easy to remember and pronounce as the other, ro we'll have no mcre of the Billy, if you please,” Andrews observed. ** What is your last name?” re ay misao ‘ nd from what part of Italy do you come?” ** Ze citee of Wagies.” ase your « “Si, ‘You cannot speak very good English, I sup- — pose?” “No k mooch English,” replied the boy, shaking his head eee, 7 “You understand it pretty well, though?” eomicel KS ojoye) the name that the old fisherman gave you, but. com - * ¥: “a> Vane 4 4 amy . { Ce 17a Ve.