Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 413 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

Requested to wait! Helen started slightly at the wording of the sentence, but did not choose to discuss. Te] him that he is wanted in the library,” she said, and the man disappeared. ‘* Inside again!” moved toward the library. ‘‘I am not to be turned out by anybody! The Dragon League scores its final success to-night or goes to pieces! It will win!” Helen opened the library door and entered. The desk lamp was burning with some power, and the appointments of the room were plainly | the chair, and watched him t seen. ‘‘ Nobody here! I know this place!” ejaculat- ed Queen Helen, and then she walked toward the millionaire’s desk with a satisfied smile. All at at once a slight noise struck her ear and the next moment the woman saw that Ferg Fowler’s arm-chair had an occupant. At first the object did not look larger than a lap-dog, but Helen Hotspur speedily saw that it was a human being. ; ‘My God!” cried the woman, recoiling with her eyes riveted upon the person in the chair. ‘¢ When did you come into the game?” Strange words were these, but they bubbled without effort to the surface. _ A mocking laugh with a devilish ring was the first reply Helen got. ‘“‘T’ve been in the game all along. I saw it opened in England.” ‘* You must be Duke Dado.” ‘‘T am the illustrious Duke,” smiled the per- son in the chair, and his eyes twinkled as they looked up into Helen’s face. ‘‘ Did you come back to finish up the move?” ‘‘What move?’ asked Helen, indignant over the dwarf’s impertinence. ‘‘ Why, the one you made the other night, or when Captain Claude came on.” ‘‘ Beware! you don’t want to be too fast!” cried the woman, leaning forward quickly. ‘‘ You have come back to the man you left some time ago—” ‘‘ Tt looks that way.” ‘‘ You know that you are deep in the English crime, and I say boldly to you, Duke Dado, that you don’t want to interfere with me.” The dwarf showed his teeth in a fearless grin. ‘‘T see you're still in the gold game,” he laughed. ‘*‘By Jerusalem! Queen Helen, you beat the mischief in ascheme of this kind. Do you want to see Mr, Fowler?” ‘‘ What is that to you?” cried the woman, clinching her hands, ‘‘Nota great deal, maybe, but very import- ant to you, perhaps. Maybe you want to see Nydia?” Helen Hotspur drew back with an exclama- tion on her lips. ‘‘No, you don’t want to meet Mr. Fowler’s ward, I see,” continued Duke Dado. ‘Since it is the banker himself whom you wish to inter- view, [ll conduct you to him.” Duke Dado left the chair and waved Helen to- ward the door with a mock politeness that was cutting. She did not stir. ‘‘Til wait for him here,” she said. ‘“ Ferg Fowler must come to me.” ‘““Qho! because you regard yourself mistress of the situation, eh?’ cried the dwarf, drawing his little figure een up. ‘‘T am!” said Helen flas ingly. Dado stepped back and looked at her without a word. There was insolence and insult in his snapping black eyes, and Helen felt like flying at his throat and hurling him through the win- dow into the street. “Tf you wait for Mr. Fowler here, you will not see him,” said the dwarf at length. ** Ts—he—sick?” The woman’s breath seemed to go in gasps with the words. Ae io She thought of her last whirlwind-like inter- view with the millionaire banker. What if the attack had thrown bim intosevere illness? Such a thing would not be uncommon. ‘Ferguson Fowler is not sick, but he can’t see you here,” the dwarf said. “Then the man has gone back to madness,” said Helen to herself, ‘* Where is he?” ‘‘ Up-stairs in his private room.” ** Alone?” ** Alone.” ‘**' Then I will see him.” The eager dwarf stepped nimbly across the floor and opened the door. Helen out and whee broad steps, watched like a hawk by Duke Dado. The strange little man led her to a door that was shut, and when he opened it, Helen saw that st beyond was small and rather dimly g ‘ ‘* Here’s your man!” the dwarf said, oy oe the adventuress. ‘‘ You see now why he coul not meet you in the library.” Helen Hotspur leaned forward with intense curiosity in her eyes. The next moment she uttered a startling "% Great God!” she started back. ‘ This man is dead!” From gazing at the man seated bolt upright | ' | F oh haa ie, rr ee in a chair, with the gaslight on a pale and ghastly face, she turned upon the dwarf. i Duke Dado had a triumphant smile at his ips. ‘*Dead? he’s nothing else!” said the little parted the siren’s lips as she | man. ‘* Why didn’t you tell me so?” ‘**T didn’t have to.” ‘* When did he die?” ‘‘ This afternoon, at four o’clock, It was sui- cide, Qneen Helen.” The woman riveted her eyes u n the man in her own bril- liant orbs got a flash of triumph. Duke Dado saw it. ‘* He left a lot of papers,” the dwarf said. ‘* Where are they?” ‘** Under lock and key!” ‘“In the safe in the library?’ cried Helen, starting forward. ‘You'd like to know, wouldn’t you?” grin- ned Dado, ‘* You'd like to see the confession of this man who killed Major Roger Percy in England for his fortune. You'd like to see what he has to say about you who came here the other night, and tried to bleed him for ten millions, claiming that you were the major’s heir! Yes, those | tg ange would be worth their weight in diamonds to you, if you could only get your hands on them; but I guess you won’t.” The woman before the dwarf changed color several times; she quivered with poorly-sup- pressed excitement, and the keen eyes of the little man told him that he was in danger, but he resolutely stood his ground. ‘‘ Ferg Fowler was warm yet when I came,” Duke Dado went on. ‘‘ The deed had not been done twenty minutes; the papers lay before him, and I put them away. Icame here to watch for a men whose trail l want tofind. Iam still wait- ing for Tom Keenear, the private Shadow of the Bowery. I guess your game is played out. Helen.” The last words seemed to transform the beauti- ful woman into a tigress, ** Played out? not yet! You don’t know what I _ prove if they force me to it,” she exclaim- ed. ‘* You can prove nothing against Ferg Fowler more than he has confessed,” was the answer. ‘“* He is dead and beyond reach of thelaw. Ican rove that you are not Frances Percy, but Helen otspur of the Dragon League, and Elegant Ahab’s pal. Ican also prove that your other come is Bowery Burt,thug—thief—murder- er! I can open the doors of Sing Sing to you ona dozen counts. Captain Coldgrip will find Floss, and then there’ll be justice at last.” ‘* Captain Coldgrip?” laughed the woman de- risively. ‘‘Ha, ha! You are behind the times, Duke Dado! Get cut of my path or Pll choke you to death.” 4 The little man turned and threw open the oor. ‘Tt was prepared for Ton Keenear, but I will not let you slip through my fingers!” he said. Helen took a step forward but stopped sudden- ly and then recoiled. ““Come in, gentlemen,” the dwarf said to some one. The next moment two policemen entered the room and advanced toward Helen. CHAPTER XXXIV. CONCLUSION, THAT same night, after an absence of several hours, Bowery Burt went back to the Canal street ‘* palace.” ** Mebbe thar’s a clew to Floss on the spotter’s corpse,” he said. ‘*‘ Why didn’t I think of it be- fore?” The Bowery villain let himself into the house by a secret back way, and proceeded to the pit into which Captain Coldgrip had been thrown by means of the trap sprung by the Queen of the Dragon League. The dark lantern carried by the man soon threw a strong light into the place, but all at once an exclamation of total surprise parted his ps. *‘Great Ceesar’s ghost! what has become of the ferret?” Bowery Burt stood in the cellar or pit like a person suddenly struck dumb. His sloe-black eyes dilated and his breath went in gasps. ‘Gods! has the man nine lives like a cat?” he cried, and then certain that he was the only occupant of the cellar he darted out. I must see Mrs. Simpson about this. She remained in the house after we left.” He went out upon the street again and dodg- ed into the nearest alley. Five minutes later he appeared abruptly to a keen-eyed woman who started on seeing him. This was the woman who had admitted Cap- tain Coldgrip to ‘‘ the palace ” and the eh : ‘The man is gone!’ said Bowery Burt. aptain Coldgrip is at large, if you haven’t buried him.” “I didn’t touch him,” replied the woman, turning white. ' ‘* Then he is on the trail once more!” ce Ss Meneteiied ieitetieesediidiine see ee en OL — — . Captain Coldgrip in New York. 4 ee eee ‘* And I leave New York before morning.” ‘‘That’s right—follow Mrs. Hoyle,” laughed Bowery Burt derisively, and before his accom-- plice could answer he was out of her sight. ‘“T’ve got somebody on my track; | feel it,” the man said to himself when he was a few squares from the place. ‘“‘If it is the Gotham sleuth by heavens! we'll play our game out here,” = walked slowly and threw sharp looks ack. The gaslight was strong and the street had its:| usual pedestrians. For a moment Bowery Burt, whose eyes were the keenest of the keen, saw nobody suspicious, but at last he noticed a man a few steps away. “. Just as J] thought,” he muttered through his: teeth. ‘* The ferret is after the game.” All at once the eyes of the two men met, and. Bowery Burt’s hand moved quickly toward a hip _—— : ds down!” suddenly rung out the voice of the. tracker, and up went his revolver as he spoke. ‘Stand where you are, Bowery Burt,. or the League loses its thug!” The rascal saw his peril. ‘In the toils once more!” he growled, as the man came toward him looking into his clouded face over the barrel of the leveled six-shooter. In a second they met. ‘“*Can’t you be killed, Captain Coldgrip?” exclaimed Bowery Burt. ‘‘ Not by the traps you set,” was the response: accompanied by the detective’s cool smile. “Once more to the station, Bowery Burt. This time there will be no boosy officer om guard.” The cleverly captured rascal had to beat down. his rage as best he could, He was once more in the hands of the man he feared—the detect- ive who seemed born to beat him at his deepest ame. : ‘““Your appearance on the street diverted me from another important trail,” said Captain © Coldgrip, looking into his prisoner’s face be- tween the scene of capture and the station- house. ‘“ What trail?’ asked the Bowery villain, dog- ‘“T am going to find Floss to-night.” ‘Where is she?” ‘‘In the hands of Ferg Fowler’s new tool— Tom Keenear, the private detective.” Bowery Burt shut his hands and gave vent to a strange sound. . “ Why didn’t I find it out by dogging him? I saw that man awhile ago!” he muttered. ae Cee smiled. ‘‘Fate decreed that you should drop into my hands,” he said. ‘* Curse fate!” grated Bowery Burt. ‘‘It has been oe me ever since this game opened I hope Helen will fail with her play.” ‘* Ah! where does Helen play next?” ‘* At Ferg Fowler's.” ‘‘Then she will find a silent antagonist.” The scoundrel started and gave his captor @. quick look. ‘“ What has happened?” he asked. ‘* Fowler is dead,” ‘““ Dead?” cried Bowery Burt, recoiling from the detective’s gaze. © by his own band!” “Then the — is up.” The voice of the speaker was tinctured with despair 3 “It is up, and you have more than lost it,” was the response. Bowery Burt dropped his eyes, and was silent. for some minutes. ‘‘ Floss is Frances Percy,” he said when he looked up. ‘‘ You must ~~ this, captain.” ‘‘T know it! I know that Fe a terrible hand in England scme years ago, that he deliberately killed his friend, Roger Percy, and made it appear a suicide; that he hid the true will and forged another which gave him the bulk of the property ; that he gave Mary May Cable, the child’s nurse, ten thousand pounds to run off with the girl, Frances—” ‘‘ Jehu! was it that bad?” interrupted Bowery Burt. : ‘“Yes, and worse still. He pretended to have a letter from the nurse saying that the child was dead. It, too, was a forgery, Mary May Cable is in this city, and bas been for five ears.” ““Where did you get all this?” asked the as— tonished villain. . ‘‘T unearthed a good deal of it; the rest came from Dado’s lips, and the confession left by Ferg Fowler. If the Dragon League had not played its hand, he would be living now. He discover- © ed that his crime was known, and that 1 had found Floss.” ; ‘‘Give her her own, captain!” cried Bowery Burt. ‘‘ She shall be in the banker’s mansion before — morning.” ‘“Thatis, if you find Tom Keenear!” laughed 7 . About an hour after the detective’s successful play against Elegant Ahab’s right bower, a man Gomicbooks rg Fowler played —— - Sees _—_ ——— - 4 j ae Kae