Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 396 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

7 - — is - ; a) . ai ‘ — — 9s ee ———— ee oe —— > — —_ The Piper Detective. —_ ———E A . j - . , vada night, of his meeting with Captain Hardy, Ss and how Hardy had his suspicions, and sent 2 him there in haste. we ‘*He may get on the track of the true mur- derer—for, of course, I do not believe that ou had a hand in it—but if he does not, it is more than likely he will be here soon. Then it seems to me it would be well to take him into your confidence and tell him the story that you have told me. I will wait here and, after an introduction, will vouch : for you, if you think that would be the Six) best.” ery ' ‘*Thanks—a thousand thanks. If he was here I would avail myself of the offer, though I care little to stay here to-night. It is not safe for me; but for Regina, if her iden- tity was once known, it would be more than dangerous. The blow struck at her may be ‘Pe at any moment repeated. After the hours of Pee: horror through which I passed until I dis- es covered that she still lived, I wish to run no ~~ _ more such risks, This place is full of dan- ger and she must leave it.” ‘* But when will you go?” _ “Never mind. Regina and I will find a safe place for her until our troubles shall be all all fixed up. Will you go with us?” Yelk The recollection of Captain. Hardy came to Blaine, and without hesitation he an- hs sivered: ia ‘‘T shall remain. I think it more than eae Jikely that Hardy will come soon, and he | ist would think it strange if he would not find ; me waiting. I must give an account of __—-my stewardship; and rest assured I shall do it in such a way that the protection of the police will be ready for you at any time you may claimit. Your Eastern stranglers are lready sought after, and from this time on ey will be marked men. If they once show their faces in daylight or lamplight + you will have no more to fear from them. | + Good-night. Here is mycard. Come in the ~~ morning, or send to that address your whereabouts; and if at any time you can use -_-'me, do not hesitate.” Rat With a parting hand-shake Blaine dismiss- P ° . See Bee’ ed the two, and again threw himself into his t= chair. hae It must be remembered that for some time one of the great objects of his life had been _. to bring to grief the crew of criminals known as the Gilt Edge Gang. Now it seemed cer- tain that he was hard on their trail, and with —@ better understanding of the wonderful facts in the case than any other living man. For this reason he was anxious that Hardy should come, since he acknowledged to him- self that he would be perfectly willing to * have assistance. If Hardy delayed, and the __ soi-disant General Rawle put in an appear- ance he intended to take him into custody at all hazards. If proof of aothing else should turn up to hand, the fact that he was not aware that the victim of the assassina- tion at his rooms was not the young lady he @laimed as his daughter, was so suspicious that he could be held until the result was , ie known of the investigations that would now be intelligently made. | Bs, He was willing to give Captain Hardy s ieee heal / ae 7 i » « eredit.for placing him in the way of the discoveries he had made; but he was sure that no one but himself could have obtained the information that he had come from the Fl As true General Rawle, or understood its true bearings as thoroughly. As he thought it over his hand from time to time wandered ~*~. to the revolver he carried; and though he did not shrink from it he understood the danger of the possible struggle with the des- -_. perate criminal he was seeking to entrap. a While he was considering all this, and every nerve was ready strung for action he heard a firm, quick step outside, with enough ofthe military about it to be strongly sug- + gestive of the general. | - ‘Blaine had no intention of showing his hand at once; and though recognizing the __ danger of it, intended to meet his quondam . friend as though he had learned nothing at all and see if hecould not learn a great deal ‘more. \ There was no hesitation or knocking at the door which flew open with areadiness that left Blaine little time for further thought. , To his surprise Hardy strode into the ~ room, looking keenly around, and giving a cat, pe of ne Aga but satisfaction at seeing the major sitting there by himself. Luby) ae “You're here, are you; nobody else about « * Ba ;: " 4 i I suppose? Might have known it. A crook would: get news to Rome and back again while I’m finding out what’s going on around the corner. If they'd put the entire police force into the City Hall and slump the whole thing off the nearest wharf there would be a chance to start fresh that wouldn't hurt any- body but the men on the cross. I'm sick of it all, and I’ve half a notion to resign to- morrow.” The captain seemed in a tearing bad humor, so much so that Preston Blaine held his peace for the time being, prefer- ring to wait and see what was to come of it. As he made no answer Hardy went on: ‘*Of course you didn’t see any one yet; and it’s justas well you didn’t or there would have been a botch! From what I heard at last the Gilt Edge Gang have the dead medi- cine on the general somewhere, and the painted fraud that was here has probably bolted with lots of his plunder. I was a fool for my suspicions, yet somehow they got away with me.” ‘*] don’t understand,” put in Blaine, hesi- tatingly.” ‘‘l mean that for about five minutes I took stock in what that young rooster said, and got ’way off. That was the reason [| sent you here. I came to my senses about the time we snatched a well known blud- geoner on the next corner. He gave the whole thing away. Who do you suppose our old man was, that was sneaking around 1ere after the general?” “Who was he? How can I tell? Per- haps General Rawle himself.”’ ‘* Rawle—the old Harry! It was the head of the gang; and he was trying to get word —as I suppose he did—to the precious female that posed as a sister to the vanished Lizzie. About her he wasn’t so definite; but, if two and two make four, then, when we find it will prove that the damsel aforesaid was the missing Miss Lizzie herself; and if she don’t know the exact inside history of the mur- der here you can call me a double-headed lunatic. I’ve passed the word around, though, and: when the pair are found, as found they shall be, there will be develop- ments enough to stir up the city.” The major listened in helpless amazement, and there was only one question suggesting itselfewhen the captain ceased. ‘You may have the key in your hand, all ready to unlock the mystery, though | doubt it. xplain one thing, and then perhaps [can see my way clear. Whois this Liz- zie, and what relationship do you think she really has, either to the atiie or the man you speak of? I can hardly beiieve that Miss Regina would have made an associate of one who was linked so closely with the criminal classes. Certainly she did not come unrecommended.” ‘*You’ve hit the blot without half trying. It was the one thing that staggered me. The rascal didn’t, and either couldn’t or wouldn’t speak straight out. But if he told the truth all through I recognize his picture, and the original of the likeness might well deceive the Rawles, as she has already de- ceived others that ought to know better. She is a wonderful woman, with nerve for a dozen, who has long held an equivocal posi- tion, though bya few only it was known that she was working for the New York detec- tive force. Her name, according to general repute—and, indeed, except when working in disguise she has no other—is Madam Velvet.” CHAPTER XXYV. THE PIPER STRIKES HARD-PAN. A 'rHorovuGH shock is sometimes all that is required to bring a man to his best senses. It was something that way with Preston Blaine, He had had a series of shocks of late, and perhaps this was the hardest of all. He looked at the captain keenly, but the somewhat grizzled face told no tales. ‘‘Look here, Captain Hardy, once for all, what are you telling me this for? It’s not the usual custom of the Department to take in outsiders, and either you are stuffing me with nonsense. to see how far you can play on my credulity, or you expect me in some way to serve your purpose. What is it?” ‘‘T'll tell you, Blaine. In the first place yon wanted to go into this thing on your own ook, and you started with so much nerve and success that you scented an outsider worth taking in. Besides that, since Rawle’s name got mixed in, you became valuable from the fact that you are the only man, so far as we know, in New York, who has any personal.acquaintance with the general that dates back any distance, or who would be likely to have his confidence. ‘And it is through him that the mystery must be solved. We may and will catch some of the rascals anyway; but it will take work to get clean to the inside, and learn all the springs and motives.” And the major was thinking to himself that if they waited for him to discover the mainspring of the concentrated attack on his friend, they would wait a good while, since he always just missed his chance. He had one at hand, no doubt, that evening, if he had acted with any wisdom since, from the exclamation of the false Katie, the paper she found in the dilapidated trunk was what she was after. And now she and her ally had got away with it, leaving nothing be- hind to draw them back, and were doubtless laughing at the extraordinary way in which they had befooled him. It was no wonder that he did not care to give a history of what had transpired there since he had entered the room, Neither cared to confess his own bungling, or yet to throw up his connection with the case. ““T can tell you one thing, Hardy,” said Blaine, speaking slowly. ‘* Perhaps you know it already; but if you don’t, it is worth making a note of. I un- derstand that Rawle is executor to the estate of Alvah Wharton, and that he suspects not only that there has been foul play, but that the gang was at the bottom of it. It is not certain that they succeeded in gathering in the plunder they were after, and it may be that the general in some way is standing be- tween them and their booty. That would explain a good deal; but it would not explain the murder here, unless that was an unpre- meditated affair. ‘To my mind you have got to go back to the Wharton matter, as a start- ing-point, and work from that down.” ‘‘Or from this back to that. Oh, I see. This brings us around to the ravings of that young Tyler again. ‘Do you think there can be anything in them.” Blaine spoke eagerly, for in that possibility he recognized the chance that Hardy might be entirely off of the scent, and be not so mucheof an idiot as he suspected. ‘‘ Perhaps. They will be investigated; but very quietly. They touch men who have been above suspicion—your friend for instance. I can tell you no more. There isno need for you tostay here longer. These rooms are now under surveillance, and I will know who comes and goes, though I have little hope that your friend will be in to-night. I. am only afraid that he will never come back. I wanted a little time to think and to rest and I have had it. I am off for work now, and as I cannot see any way to use you, my advice is for you to go home and go to bed. Ill post you in the morning.” ‘‘Thanks, but I am not neglecting business that badly. I’ve got half a column to write up about this affair, and I’m not sure but what I 1l give New York a sensation.” ‘Hold on, hold on! That won’t do. Not a word of this goes into the papers. There’s been too much said already.” ‘Sorry, Hardy, but this is business, you understand. I don’t intend to give away any of yowr secrets, but you can bet I’m going to make use of mine. There was some excuse for my being left on the tragedy here—I couldn't have written it upif I had been here, and they’ve forgiven me for it; but they never would forgive me if I let this chance slip, and any one else got ahead of me.” ‘No one else shall get ahead of you, that I promise. Store up all you choose, and the moment it is expedient I will give you the word, go. Promise me.” ‘‘Very well,” reluctantly responded the major. ‘‘Unless I learn something more definite I will hold in; but you have no idea what a retty story I have been mapping out. I'll ook around and if nothing turns up soon ‘savage 1 will take your advice. This is my day off, and they won’t expect anything from me anyhow.’ ‘Keep to that. Now1 am off to gather comicbooks * . 1 - a . - at . a . af) ase a *f . ‘, « ee ; » a ? oo s - - . ‘ 9 i =p. LAN _— et