Beadle's Dime Library No. 391 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

= aia — + a a = ‘ - J als aoe ae th er aes a ahem so =z ; j : Kat ———$— —» = By Leaving this representative pair of the gilded = youths.of great Gotham to pursue their way, we will follow in the footsteps of the girl. After parting with her admirers she had hast- ened with light and springy footsteps toward the Brooklyn shore, never noticing that the quiet- looking, sober-faced man who had been leaning on the opposite railing, near enough to overhear the conversation indulged in by the three, was following her. He came close behind her, and after she had passed through the archway formed by the granite towers and began to descend the ap- ‘proach on the Brooklyn side, quickened his pace, then took advantage of the fact that no one was near enough to them on the footpath to notice what was happening, to address her. “*1 beg your pardon, miss, for speaking to you,” the stranger said, in the most respectful manner, ‘‘ but as I have something important to say to you, I trust you will pardon the in- trusion.” It would have been impossible for any woman not utterly and thoroughly a fool to take offense at the man, and the girl was by no means de- ficient in common sense, so, after rapidly sur- veying the speaker with her sharp eyes, she re- lied: ‘* T shall be pleased to hear you, sir.” “‘In the first place I overheard the conversa- tion between you and the two young men which took place on the bridge a few moments ago.” ‘‘-Yes?” queried the girl, seemingly not at all surprised. : ; The two were now walking slowly along, side by side. Med ‘‘'The part of an eavesdropper.or spy is not a particularly pleasant one to play,” he remarked, ‘and if it were not for the peculiar circum- stances of the case, most certainly I should have been the last man in the world to listen to a con- -vversation not intended for my ears. ‘* But I happen to know both of those young men, and when I saw them accost you I knew that they meant you no good, and so I thought it was in duty to keep an eye upon them, **T gathered from your conversation that you are a country girl and possibly not aware of the dangers that threaten an innocent maid in this great, overgrown city. ‘* Both of the names that those young men gave you were false.” ‘*Ts it possible?” she replied, and yet she did not seem to be much amazed at the intelli- ence, ‘“’Yes, I am acquainted with the pair, although neither of them know me tes y- They are good representatives of a large class common to all our big cities, rich young men with more money than brains, who stoop to follies which i} a if indulged in by a mechanic, would be terme crimes. : _ T think that they have marked you fora vic- tim, and so I deem it my duty to warn you against them. I overheard you make an appoint- a ment to meet those gentlemen in the park; be } , ided by ae a not keep that appointment, i= ' * cas not only that, acquaint your friends with all the particulars of this affair; do not walk heed- Jessly into the snare that these young wretches design to lay to entrap you.” The face of the girl did not betray the least emotion, for she listened with perfect calmness to the rather startling explanation. ‘*Tam very much obliged indeed to you for ‘your trouble,” she said. ‘* Indeed I am sincere- y grateful, and I assure you I shall heed your warning. Will you favor me with your name, please?” ‘* Certainly; Joseph Phenix.” And it was indeed the renowned detective ‘whose thrilling adventures and hairbreadth es- ih rays eth have so frequently chronicled. | a > oe Sd) en ete now for the first time a look of surprise ap upon' the face of the girl and she gazed Fila, at the features of the gentleman by her side, : | ‘Phenix — Joseph Phenix,” she repeated, slowly; ‘‘ it seems to me as if your name was familiar to me. It is an odd appellation, and one that, when once heard is not soon forgot- ‘ten,” ‘‘My name gets into the newspapers once in a while, although I do my best to keep it out, for in my business newspaper notoriety 1s about the last thing to be desired.” ‘‘ And what may your business be, pray ?” and as she put the question it was evident from her ' manner that she was deeply interested. ‘‘T am a detective officer, and that is the { reason why I made bold to interfere in your case. Knowing these young bloods, and ascer- aS a stranger, and probably not familiar with cit ; _ ways, J determined to spoil their little game if _ ** You are one of the police detectives?” “No, miss, not now, although the authorities when a difficult case comes up; Iam in a pri- vate line.” } —eried the girl, with sudden energy. ‘“* Heaven has surely sent you tomy aid. It is I who will taining from your conversation that you were could, dome the honor to ask my aid once in awhile _ “You are the very man I wish to see, then!” | 3 _ be the trapper, not these two silly fops!” - c - dence, > - z Ss 7 c. —_ ~+ rey ' © ‘ * >? i ‘ - + a € mr & 7? 4 , 7: rd - 7 =< _ — = CHAPTER ITT, KATE SCOTT’S STORY. AS a general thing, it was not easy to surprise cott, the Decoy Detective. 3 From my wages J Ee to indulge in her caprices. paid my sister’s board. ‘* With the lady I remained for five years, and then death removed my benefactress, but aman like Joe Phenix; he had seen too much | as a reward for my faithful services she be- of the world, had been engaged in too many startling adventures not to take with composure whatever might occur. Generally, too, he was able to make a shrewd guess at the character of the people whom he encountered; and it wasseldom that he was far from the truth, but in the present instance he was wide of the mark to judge from the girl’s exclamation. He had taken her to be a country maid, a vil- lage coquette, given to flirtation, and flattered by the attention bestowed upon her by the two well-dressed city bloods, and in order to save the girl from their wiles he had interfered. But lo! and behold! the dove had suddenly turned into a hawk. Instead of a victim she intended to become the executioner. ‘“*T must have played my part to perfection to deceive such a wonderful judge of human- kind as you are, Mr. Phenix,” the girl contin- ued, rapidly. ‘‘If am no country girl, sir, no maiden innocent of the traps and pitfalls of this world, for I have fought for my daily bread and gained my own living ever since I was ten years old, and not only supported myself, but since the time J was fifteen I have also taken care of my younger sister, who has resided with some of our relatives in Tannersville, a village up in the Catskill mountains.” Phenix nodded. *T know the place... I visited it on business, once. It is a charming country.” ‘Yes, if was a Paradise in which my beauti- ful sister dwelt until the serpént came and tempted her away,” the girl. remarked, with eT But fh is quite a 1ohg st d perhaps y¢ ut it is quite a long story, and perhaps you will not axes hear it. she added. **Tf you choose to honor me with your confi- shall only be too glad to listen,” Phe- nix replied. It was but seldom that the iron-hearted, stern- minded detective ever took a fancy to any one, but in the present case he had been attracted to the girl from the moment when he had first be- held her face, and now that she had abruptly revealed she was capable of playing a part well enough to deceive even such an experienced judge of human nature as himself, his interest in the girl deepened. **Oh, if I could only hope to arouse your in- terest so that you would aid in the terrible task which I have undertaken!” the girl exclaimed, her face flushing with an eager look born of the hope which heart. ‘Tam not a man to make any rash promise,” he said, in his sober, stolid way, ‘*‘ but I am ready to admit that I already take a great in- terest in you, and if I can be of any service I feel sure you will not have to call upon me in vain.” Oh sir, if you would only aid me!” she ex- claimed. “You are all-powerful, while I am naught but a weak girl, and yet I have taken upon my shoulders a task of vengeance which mi ght appall the stoutest-hearted man. ‘Tt is the old, old story, the tale of man’s perfidy and woman’s weakness which has been rehearsed so many times since the world was oung. ss ou overheard the conversation between myself and those two young men?” he detective nodded assent. “They gave me false names, and I paid them in their own coin. I knew them well enough, and was not deceived in their falsehoods. ‘‘'The taller one is called Charles Van Tromp, and his companion answers to the name of Alex- ander Clinton.” “That statement is correct. I am well ac- quainted with both of them by sight, although not personally.” ‘My name is not Flora Muir, but Kate Scott. I was born at Tannersville, in the shadows of the Catskill peaks, just twenty-one years ago. “When 1 reached my tenth year I had the misfortune of losing both of my parents. With only sister four years younger than myself I as cast upon the mercies of a cold and often- times cruel world, ‘* We were not absolutely helpless, as we had relatives, honest people enough, but poor, nar- row-minded and grasping. ‘‘Tt was in the summer-time when my uf ents died; the mountains were full of visitors, and I was pucky enough to find favor in the eyes of a rich lady, who, with her husband, was so- journing at the Mountain House.” ‘‘That was fortunate indeed,” observed the detective, who was listening to the tale with the deepest interest. ‘“¥es, she said I was a bright, sharp little thing, and took me into her service as a sort of lady’s-maid. ‘*T had received a good education for one of my age, and my mistress made a sort of pet of me, treating me more like a companion than a menial. . ‘** She paid me liberal wages besides providing all my clothes; she was rich, and could afford suddenly sprung up in her queathed me a thousand doilars, and her hus- band exerted his influence and procured a sit- uation for me in one of the leading photograph galleries of the city, where I remained until | about a month ago, when I gave up my position | to enter upon this task of vengeance which has | fallen to my share. ‘My sister, who was called Louise, grew up to be a beautiful girl; she was a blonde, with the most beautiful blue eyes and hair like threads of beaten gold. “She had artistic talent, and I spent my money freely to develop her genius. ‘* All went well until about a year ago; she was just sixteen then and oh! so beautiful. We were accustomed to exchange letters weekly. I wrote every Sunday, and she answered so that z would get the letter either Friday or Satur- ay. “The letters never failed to come by Satur- day until one week; then none arrived. ‘I did not feel at all alarmed, for I imagined the letter had miscarried, but when Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday passed and no tidings reached me, I became alarmed. I telegraphed to Tannersville and received a reply that my sister was not there. ‘*In hot haste [ took the first train for the Catskills, and when I arrived at Tannersville hurried to the house which had sheltered my sister so long, and when I questioned my rela- tives as to what had become of my sister, I found them as astonished as myself when they learned that I did not know anything about my beautiful Louise. ‘* They had been.led to suppose that I knew all about the matter. **One of the summer visitors, a young, hand- some, rich New Yorker, had become acquai with my sister, and it seemed to be a case of love at first sight om both sides, and after a courtship of a couple of weeks the two went ta a minister one night and were married; then they departed to the city, where they were to meet me, ‘‘My poor, misguided sister had said I waa aware of the affair, but was so busily engaged in the city that I was not able to come to the mountains, . ‘‘Henry Tappan was the name by which the New Yorker was known.” ‘‘Tt is an old New York name,” the detective observed. ‘“‘ But it was a false appellation!” the girl ex- claimed, ‘I returned immediately to the city. and set to work to discover what had become of my Louise. I feared for the worst despite © the fact that there was not. the least doubt she had been legally married, but her keeping me in utter ignorance of the entire affair I regarded as being a very bad sign. Rs I feared, I could not discover the least trace in New York of the young man who in the Catskills had called himself Henry Tappan. ‘‘None of the Tappans who resided in the ony knew aught of him; both he and my sister had disappeared and left no more trace behind a if the earth had opened and swallowed them. “‘T spent money like water, employed the de- tectives, advertised, but all tono purpose. For a year now I have not wavered in my purpose, but not the slightest clew have I gained until is afternoon. _*T attended 2 matinee at the Academy of Music, and as I was coming out after the per- formance, in the crowd I happened to be im- mediately behind these two young men. =| ‘‘A fragment of their conversation reached my ears. . | ‘*One said to the other, ‘I saw that Catskill fellow to-day.’ ‘Did he have the girl with him? the other asked. ‘No,’ was the reply, and then from what followed it seemed as if they had a knowledge of some wrong which bad been done by a fast young man in the Catskills to 'a coun- try girl. if Of course it was but a chance that they re- ferred to my sad affair, but I determined to fol- low it up and ascertain beyond a doubt, and when I gathered from their conversation that they intended to visit the bridge, I managed to meet and insnare them there.” “Tt was cere done, and the clew is worth following up. You ought to join the detective force: there is a dearth of good female detec- tives,” Phenix remarked. ‘I need a decoy de tective myself. Often there comes a bit of wor which only a woman can do,” ‘Will you take me?’ cried the gir), eagerly. ‘Tt is the life beyond all others that I desire, and I am sure, too, that I have natural talent for such a vocation.” **'Yes, I will, and gladly, and I will give you my aid in solving your riddle,” Phenix answer- , promptly. ‘I have a job on band4v-mor- row night. Can you come to my office—here is my card—disguised as an Italian boy, one of the street bootblack boys, you know?” “Oh, yes, I will be there, and I am sure I shall be perfectly at home in any disguise.” ooo) | Te Eomic S.CO