Beadle's Dime Library No. 391 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

% 4 _ ‘ ' F * me rae . Kate Scott, the Dec a3 * “(* - ° " . ; x. + : af é 18 oy Detective. 25 First, the speculators who had bought for a rise were forced to sacrifice their holdings and cry enough, and now the other ones who had rushed in, thinking that the decline was the be- ginning of a panic, were treated to a sudden rally of four or five points which pinched their pocketbooks in a most dreadful manner. An@rews had just finished reading the ac- count when the Jew broker made his appear- ance, rubbing his fat hands together in a man- ner indicative of complete satisfaction. Joe Phenix, thanks to the aid of his powerful glass, recognized the Hebrew the moment he made his appearance. ‘* Aha, Abraham Goodchild, the jolly Jew broker, eh?” the keen-eyed detective muttered, as he caught sight of Wall street man, ‘Well, he is allright. There isn’t anything crooked about him—that is, nothing that the law can take hold of. He is too careful for . that. ‘*He wouldn’t pick a man’s pocket, or steal any of his valuables for the world, but if he could fleece him out of his money by inducing him to bet that a stock would Bo up, when he knew that all the arrangements had n made to put it down, he would do it in a moment. ‘But that is not robbery—that is business!” and a contemptuous sneer appeared on the stern and massive face of the detective as he uttered the reflection. ‘“You look happy, my dear Goodchild,” An- drews remarked, as he waved his visitor into a chair, and then producing his cigar-case, ten- dered him a ‘‘ weed.” , The Hebrew accepted the cigar readily enough, for past experience had informed him that the master of Blithewood never carried anything but the best of Havanas. A cigar which could be purchased for less than a quarter he disdained. There was no denying the fact that the ad- venturer carried himself with the air of a prince. ‘* Mine gootness, mine friend, I am so happ as der clam at high water!” the Jew respon ad: after he got his cigar well-lighted, and settled po comfortably in the embrace of the easy- chair. “You had a lively time in Wall street to-day, I see,” and Andrews tapped the journal which he had in his hand. ‘* Oh, yesh, it was lively for a while; der cold types can’t do justice to a thing like this, you know, my fr’end.” “We pulled through all right, I suppose,” Andrews observed in the most languid way pos- sible, as though he took but little interest in the matter. ‘“Yesh, yesh, we got through, thank good- ness!” and the Jew heaved a deep sigh of relief. ‘*T supposed so, for I observe that neither your name nor mine are given among the lame ducks, although the financial man intimates, I see, at the conclusion of his article that the end is not yet, and that there are several prominent opera- rs who are supposed to be skating on extremely thin ice, and that if there are any violent fluctu- ations in the market to-morrow the chances are ood that a couple of dozen more victims may compelled to throw up the sponge.” ‘** Ah, yesh, der newspaper fellows must say somet’ings sensational you know, or else der bapers will not sell.” **But how are things as far as you and I are concerned!” ‘** Vell, we are all right. There was a rumor dat we would be in troubles if der figures were smashed, and der beastly banks were stiff as der duyvel mit their loans,” *“ They had a suspicion that we were in a tight place, and, instead of being willing to do what they could to help us out, they adopted the oppo- ‘site course and tried all they could to push us to the wall.” ‘* Dat ish der truth, so help me Christmas!” This was about as near to an oath as the wily Hebrew ever came. ‘That is the way that banks and bankers act the world over. Their gold dazzles their eyes so that they can’t see beyond their noses, ‘‘ When the time of trouble comes, in endeay- oring to protect themselves, they usually bring disaster upon all who are unfortunate enough to have any dealings with them.” “That ish der truth—it ish always dat way,” the Hebrew affirmed with a solemn shake of the ead. ‘*T suppose we had plenty of kind friends in the street who looked joyously forward to seeing us go broke?” Andrews remarked with a fine touch of sarcasm. **Oh, yesh; it is always dot way, you know. ut still there was not many of dem. “You see, my dear fr’end, the storm was so violent, mit der lightning striking all around, dot der most of der boys had all they could do ter look out for themselves,” ‘* When the fall began they called on us for More margin of course?” ‘Yesh, yesh, and I ponied up der cash so quick dot it made de’r heads swim. Baw my dear fr’end, I did not do as well as I expected.” ** How so?” _‘ 4*Tf you remember, it vash my calculations for to be able to hold back some stamps so ash to go infor a profit when der tide turned?” Andrews nodded. ‘*Tt could not be done; I could not make der turn. Der drop was more than I expected and it took about all der cash to meet der margins.” ‘* That was a pity.” ‘*-Yesh, yesh, and there will be a fine chance for monish to-morrow. It is on der cards to on der screws and lift der market four or five points and when der shorts are squeezed, let her slump again.” ‘*T see, a nice little scheme!” ‘‘ Ah, my dear fr’end Andrews, if you only had twenty or dirty t?ousand dollars more—” and the Jew rubbed his fat hands together, smacked his lips and looked as if he saw a most brilliant prospect ahead. “Twenty or thirty thousand dollars more?” Andrews remarked in a tone of question. ‘*'Yesh, my dear fr’end; I believe dot if we had dot monev we could collar feefty t’ousand before business closes to-morrow.” ‘* Do you think so?” ** Ah, yesh; de big guns t’ink we are among the lame ducks, not absolutely crippled, you un- derstand, my dear fr’end, but hurt so badly dot it ish all we can do to keep our heads above de water. ‘** In de calculations dot they have made for de mpage a to-morrow, they have not counted on us at all. ‘** We are hurt badly, you understand; we are not strong enough to take another dose and we will not be in der game.” sé I see,” ** Now if we had twenty or thirty thousand, we might be able to catch some of dese smarties where de’r hair is short and make dem squeal. ‘** Exactly; it would be a deuced good joke,” Andrews observed in a careless sort-of-way blowing out a cloud of smoke. ‘*But dot ish always de way de old ting works in dis oncertain world,” the Jew ob- served, whepidteten ‘* When we strike a chance like dis, der money is non est !” ‘*Oh, no, not always.” There was a tone in the voice of the adven- turer which at once aroused the hopes of the broker. ‘* Mine gootness, my goot fr’end Andrews, do you think you can raise der monish?” he cried, eagerly. ‘I think so. I have wired to my agent in Texas to send me all he can raise, for I had an idea that a few thousand more might come in handy to-morrow, and as he knows that any- thing under twenty thousand isn’t of much. use to me, the chances are that it will be over that amount.” The Jew was delighted at the prospect and after a few more words withdrew to dress for dinner as he was to be Blithewood’s guest for a few days. CHAPTER XXXVI. PLANNING A GREAT SCHEME, Nort a single detail of the interview had been lost upon the acute police spy, who by the aid of his powerful glass had been able to observe every expression which appeared upon the faces of the two as distinctly as though he was seated in the same room, Of course the words of the conversation were lost, but as Andrews had the newspaper in his hand, and chanced to nod to it during the inter- view and the Jew also glanced toward it, the de- tective quickly came to the opinion that they were discussing the movements of the stock mar- ket as repor in the financial column of the journal. “Nothing crooked about that,” Phenix ob- served, communing with himself. ' ‘The Jew is his broker and he is relating how the market has gone to-day. Nothing at all wrong there. , a ‘* The Jew is a robber, but in a legitimate way so that it don’t count. ‘‘ If this dashing Mr. Bernard Andrews never has any associates worse than the Jew broker, he will not be likely to see the inside of a prison cell, excepting as a visitor.” Although it had been but a short time since Joe Phenix had struck upon the track of Ber- nard Andrews, “ piping him off,” to use the ex- ression dear to the hearts of the detective raternity, yet he had become as fully posted regarding his history as any man in the city. All that was known of the master of Blithe- wood he knew, and when he came to sum the matter up, he came to the conclusion that the ast life of Mr. Bernard Andrews was almost a lank, as far as the public at large was con- cerned. He had made his appearance in the city as the agent of an obscure Southwestern railroad, a concern so small that it hardly needed a New York agent at all. : But when Phenix in his peculiar, quiet way, made inquiries with the idea of finding out how it was that Andrews had become connected with the railroad i ram is sig eS the disguise of a Texan stock-raiser, a cattle with mone to invest, for this purpose—he found the tra uf } was like the ancient one renowned in story, which, after quitting the plain, went into a wood, then ran up a tree and there ended. The railroad company had ‘‘ bu’sted,” the ac- tive officers of the concern had managed matters after such a fashion that when the explesion came they were forced to seek refuge in the con- genial clime of Canada, the land so dear to the hearts of the men of genius whose figures will not stand the scrutiny of an expert. The road itself had been swallowed up by a big trunk line whcse officials, of course, knew nothing about Bernard Andrews. So, when the detective came to the end of his inquiries, he was as much in the dark in regard to the gentleman whose history he was anxious to learn as when he began. Bernard Andrews might be all right—exactly what he represented himself to be—or the big- gest rascal in the world, for all anybody knew to the contrary. ‘**The Spider Captain would be apt to assume just such a character as this fellow bears,” Phe- nix observed, musing over the matter. ‘*He is evidently a first-class rascal, as far removed from the common herd of law-breakers as the banker is from the man who keeps the peanut-stand on the corner. ‘* My Spider Captain would be apt to masque- rade in some such disguise as this, and it will probably be a difficult job to trap him, although if I am on the right scent here, I have prospered wonderfully so far, for I have succeeded in not only getting Kate into the house, but have se- cured a footing on the premises myself.” At this point Phenix’s reflections were, sud- denly interrupted. All the time that he had been indulging in these reflections he had the glasses to his eyes and was keeping the most careful watch upon Andrews. After the departure of the Jew the adventurer had lain back in his chair and indulged in a ee laugh. ‘*‘He has tricked the Jew in some way,” was the detective’s muttered comment. Then Andrews glanced over the ne per until he finished his cigar, and just as he threw the butt from him, and tossed the journal upon the table, some noise at the rear part of the room seemed to attract his attention. He listened for a moment, then cast his eyes upon the door through which the Jew had just ri techy as if to assure himself that it was tightly closed, and then his lips moved as though he was eo And Phenix fancied from the movements of the lips that he said: ‘** Come in.” Rapidly the detective moved his glass so that he could command a view of the rear part of the room. He guessed from the movement that Andrews made that he spoke to some one in that direc- tion, _ there wasn’t any one in the room, nor was there a door there at which an applicant for admission might be. Judge of the detective’s astonishment and de- light then when a secret door in the wall opened and the secretary, the quiet, demure Mr. Michael Jones made his appearance. Despite his disguise Joe Phenix recognized the new-comer upon the instant. ‘Aha, Four Kings as | am a living man!” the detective cried. And it was the truth. Complete as was the disguise which the noted burglar had assumed, yet it did not for an in- stant deceive the experienced eyes of the veteran thief-taker. ‘‘ Now we are getting hot!” cried Joe Phenix, — using the old schoolboy expression. . ‘‘T am on the right scent, There isn’t the least doubt about it now. ‘* Four Kings is just the kind of man to act as the lieutenant of such a first-class scoundrel as this Spider Captain.” | Leaving the detective to his watch, we will proceed to relate the conversation which took’ place between the master of Blithewood and his **secretary.” *‘ Were you at the door long enough to over- hear anything of the conversation between the Jew and myself?’ Andrews asked, after Four Kings had entered the room and helped himseif to a chair. ‘‘ Yes, part of it,” the other answered. “ About raising the twenty or thirty thousand pet at Pe “Yes; and I say, captain, you carry the thin off with a fearful swagger, . S “You talk as freely of raising thousands of pon tee though you had a bank at your com- mand. ‘So I have,” responded Andrews, ‘a dozen | of them, for that matter.” rs You're too deep for me, captain.” | And when I deal with my banks I don’t bother with any formalities, either. I don’t draw a checks and put the cashier to the trouble of examining his books to see whether there is a balance to my account sufficient to meet the draft.or not. I simply walk in and one myself to what I want.” our ke grinned; this pleasantry was ex- actly to his , Eomicbooks eon