Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 413 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

—— Captain Coldgrip in New York. Eee —— —— —-- -— — ——— — OS ae oe + —_—— — portant secret? Men call you Elegant Abab, ' The man was not widely known in New | the contents of the Shall I add ‘ coward’ to the title?” York, although his handsome person attracted ‘* Don’t go off like powder!” laughed the man, | attention whenever he appeared in public. His garments were the best the tailor could looking up from his chair into the face, the | beauty of which was higntened by her display , make, his gloves the glossiest in the city, and of passion. ‘* You ought to know that I should | bis person and poise without a rival. This man was called Elegant Abab where he fear no living man. What was the League formed for, if this man, for whom Ferguson | was best known, which was at the largest gam- Fowler will send if he ever recovers his reason, | bling dens of Gotham. is to frighten us?” He was never out of money, and nearly al- ‘‘That is what I say,” cried the woman. | ways won. Cool at the table, sparing at the bar, and with manners that captivated whom with all/he came in contact, Elegant Ahab was well marked, Some people had noticed that he was some- times seen with a man of a different stripe —a person about the medium hight, with taper- ‘You don’t look like a coward, Elegant Ahab,” ‘* Thanks for the compliment,” was the reply, between two puffs, ‘‘I was just saying that | we have an elephant on our hands. We can’t | use our t pes) until Ferguson Fowler recovers, I would give a thousand dollars if I had this ; ing fingers like a pick-pocket’s, with a quick, velvet hand of mine at the throat of the man | springy step, and intensely black eyes that who made those pastilles.” seemed to see many things at once. ‘‘Did you ever ask him about them?” Elegant Ahab and this man, who was called ‘*T never got the chance. A week after, as I | ‘the Fashion’s Shadow’ were seen at different may have told you, the old fellow was found | places; but not for long at one time. dead in his dingy laboratory, his face devoured | They never went to the lair of the gold tiger by rats. Itserved himright. I didn’t intend to | together; the keepers of the various dens would serve Ferguson Fowler the trick I did.” have looked with suspicion upon the Shadow, ‘Well, it was against us,” and the woman | for his long fingers gave him away, if they did went back to the glass and begun to arrange | not actually stamp him a low criminal. her abundance of midnight hair, If the police took any notice of these two men, Elegant Ahab resumed his cigar, and as he | they said nothing about it. smoked in silence did not take hiseyesfromhis| Hlegant Ahab and his shadow were never companion, | mentioned at the haunts of the city detectives, ‘* She’s fit to be Queen of Sheba!” he mentally | although there was something darkly suspicious exclaimed. ‘ There’s not another woman like | about their companionship. her on the continent, I never want her to turn Now and then Elegant Abab was seen at the on me, and she would if she should make a cer- | Park with a woman whose gorgeous costume tain discovery. When she first sought me out | and rich beauty created a sensation, and told me of this scheme with millions in it, I Nobody knew her, and few attempted to dis- thought her crazy; when she stuck to it, and |, cover her identity. proved what she said, I believed her in league! Once or twice she was seen to incline ber with Satan. What a beautiful pantheress she , haughty head to a man—a lounger in the Park is! 1 will never forget how she looked when she | —and those who saw the motion caught a first saw te iron box and the papers that came | glimpse of a plainly dressed, gliding figure from Ferguson Fowler’s steel safe. She threat- | known to others as ‘ the Shadow.” ened to devour me, and Bowery Burt alone On the night when Elegant Ahab admired saved me. She says ‘ wait,’ and ‘ wait’ it must | Helen before the mirror, this Shadow, as he was be. We've got to wait till the millionaire re- | called, was hurrying down a certain street. covers, if he ever does. Curse that poisoned His walk was almost a run, so eager did he pastille! I took the word of a mad chemist, and | seem to reach a part cular place. it was a lie!” 4 ‘It has come at last!” he said, between his it was four months after the exciting robbery | breaths. ‘‘ Jehu! I wonder what the boss will at Ferguson Fowler’s luxurious home, and the say?—and the queen, too? We've been waiting banker was still in asiate of mind which ex-| for this ever since Elegant Ahab played his cited the pity and curiosity of all who saw | game. Now, I suppose, I'll have to show my hia. hand—Tll have to manipulate some of the man- Nydia, a beautiful young woman of nineteen, | traps of this great city. Don’t I know ’em, an‘ his ward, came home with her escort one though?’ andthe man laughed. ‘‘ Don’t I know night in November and found him inthe library, | *em all from the Battery to the Park, along the squatted in front of the steel safe and muttering | rivers and all? Show me a city trap I don’t some incoherent sentences. | know, and [ll show you to be a fool. Who Dado was roused from his cot up stairs, and | will they set on our heels besides the king sleuth made to tell all he knew, which was not much. | of New York? Sleek Simon,eh? Mebbe they’ll He had admitted a masked man about half- | add Luke Lynx, or Major Bullseye to the force. past ten—s. man whom his master was expect- | Anyhow, the trail’s to be taken up at last. I ing—that was all. is haven’t been on guard for nothing this week. Dado did not hear the visitor go, and knew | Ive got news for Ahab and Queen Helen to- nothing more about him, — night. The Dragon League will have to look There lingered in the library the faintness of out now. I wonder what my orders will be?” a peculiar odor whoss identity nobody could fix. | Talking thus, the man hurried along with his t was a singular case, hat crushed over his forehead, and his eyes All efforts to Lring Ferguson Fowler back to | twinkling like stars under the brim. his right mind met with failure. He was agile and rapid. The best physicians took the casein hand, and ‘The share’s a long while coming, but I guess the most they could do was to tell the girl to | it’ll get hyer after awhile,” he went on, with a “‘hope.” _ light chuckle. ‘‘ Mebbe we'll have to fight for They said that the fumes of some powerful | it, but it'll not be much of a fight if we ail com- poison had been conveyed to the banker’s brain, | bine against ope man. What d’yer say, Bow- and that he might in time overcome its effects | ery Burt? I'll feel at home when I git among and regain his reason, my old haunts and trapsagain. Some of the There were some who asserted that Fowler’s position when found by rs igre proved that the steel safe had been robbed, and suggested that experts open the treasury. pon this the girl, who was mistress in the elegant residence, put a firm veto. The doors should not be opened until they swung back at the command of Fowler himself! in running order.” This singular and his le‘t han to-do house, He was immediately admitted, and the next moment he appeared to Elegant Ahab and Helen where we saw them last. Nydia was determined on this. ‘*Bowery Burt!” exclaimed Ahab, ‘By Ju- ado, the Dwarf, remained with his mad | piter! old fellow, you look like a man with im- rson reached his master for several weeks after the mysterious portant news.” P al at last, jerked the door-bell of a well- occurrence, but one Tee he turned up miss- That's just what I’ve got—news that'll lift ing, leaving no good-by and no explanation for | you off yer feet,” and he threw a quick glance his absence, , | at the woman, who had sprung forward and Week after week reported Ferguson Fowler’s | now stood breathless and eager before him. condition the same. ‘Out with it!” cried Elegant Ahab. ‘‘ Has Day after day Nydia was his companion, | death claimed the mad banker?” watching, with that hope inspired by the doc- ‘It’s worse than that, mebbe, He’s got his tor’s decision, for the return of reason. reason at last !” ‘** Some enormous crime has been committed,” declared the girl while she watched him crouched before the steel safe, and muttering like a lunatic. ‘*The blow that fell was well struck and crushing. It took his reason, and may, in the end, take his life. He must know who came that night and what was done, He told me once, two days before the infamous stroke fell, that there was a league inst him, ut what kind of a league? and for what?” Nydia never got any further than this. Ferguson Fowler’s strange case had been dis- cused by the papers. He was a millionaire The woman uttered a startling cry. ‘IT told you all along to wait,” she said to the velvet tiger. ‘‘I knew this hour would come. He is himself again, is he? Ah! what do you say now?” Elegant Ahab did not speak, but his fingers were seen to tighten on the cigar he held, ‘* That isn’t all,” added Bowery Burt. ‘* What is the rest?” asked Helen. ‘‘He has sent for Captain Coldgrip, the famous detective.” The woman laughed. ‘‘For the captain, eh?” she exclaimed, and machinery’s a little rusty, but I kin soon git it: —EEE ———————— ee ———————— — — — — - —Sh —— oe papers, never! We can now begin the real work of the plot—the Dragon League can now push forward its hands. Fer- uson Fowler is back to his right mind. The octors were right, after all; his strong brain wore the poison out. What are you going to do —sit there in your chair and let this New York sleuth-hound pick up the threads of our play unopposed? Bowery burt, our ally, waits for orders. What is your first one, Elegaut Ahab?’ She stepped back and looked at the sport. ‘*@ueen Helen is right,” said the wiry man, **1’m hyer for orders.’ Elegant Ahab sprung up and threw his cigar away. ‘‘How are your man-traps?”’ he exclaimed, wheeling upon the Shadow, ‘*In working order, captain.” ‘‘Then we proceed toentrap this trail dog, Captain Comer. We will show him that he fights fate when he fights the Dragon League!” ‘‘That is business!” exclaimed the queen; ‘- That means victory !” CHAPTER III. THE GOTHAM SLEUTH. BowERY Bunt had delivered a true report. Ferguson Fowler had come “ back to life,” as it were. The ingenuity of the Shadow had succeeded in obtaining for himself a quick knowledge of the wonderful change, and, as we have seen, be was not long in transferring his report to the haunt of Elegant Ahab and the beautiful schemer who went by the name of Queen Helen. The millionaire banker bad come back unex- pectedly to the rational; the four long months of darkness, insanity and mystery were at an end, and, clothed in his Cees mind once more, Ferguson Fowler sat in his library waiting fora person for whom he had sent, This person was not the distinguished physi- cian who had visited him during his dark days; it was not his Wall street partner whom he . might wish to consult about the firm’s financial affairs. It was a man known as Captain Cold- grip, a detective of note, and said to be one of the shrewdest man-hunters in New York, The nabob’s mind had come back to kim in a moment. His first move was to the steel safe that occu- pied a prominent place in the library. The combination came back with the return of reason; he seized the polished knob and manipu- lated it until he could open the doors. His first look was into the inner compartment of the safe; then a sudden pallor overspread his face, and he drew back. ‘* Tt wasno dream! the visitand the theft were reality itself! 1 was actually robbed! The Dragon League has an existence after all, and L am its victim. Now, let me turn on the vipers!” He went back to his chair and jerked a cord that hung over his writing-desk. The person who answered the summons uttered acry at sight of him, and threatened to run away. ° Bdeie in while I write a message,” said Fowler in tones of command,.. “‘lam going to show my teeth hereafter.” The next moment he seized a pen and rapidly for a few moments, hat he penned ran as follows: ** CAPTAIN CLAUDE CoLDGRIP:— * No — Mulberry strvet:— | “ Youare wanted at No. 1610 —— street. immediate- ly. Ihave come back tolife, and have work for you. ** FerGuson Fow er.” He put this message in an envelope, sealed and addressed it. ‘‘ Deliver that as quickly as possible,” he said, tossing it to the servant. ‘‘Nydia has gone to bed, has she?” ‘ “That is well. Don’t disturb the girl. Ill surprise her in the morning.” The man with the letter for Captain Coldgrip was soon on the street ready to catch the first car down-town. wrote All at once a step came up behind him, and a hand touched his arm. ‘* Why this haste, Scotty?” a voice demanded. ** Has Old Bullion sent after a doctor?” ‘* Not this time,” laughed the banker’s servant. **He wants a detective.” ‘‘ Jehosaphat! What put that in bis head?” ** Oh, he’s come around all right at last!” ** Sane?” “* Perfectly sane!” | The questioner stood like a person thunder- struck for a moment. He seemed to regard Fowler’s change in the light of a catastrophe. ‘* And so you're going after a detective, Scot- ty?” he finally said. **T am.” ‘‘ Down-town, of course?” **'To Mulberry.” ‘‘ What is his name?” a ‘** Captain Coldgrip.” The inquisitive man, who was wirily built, and a keen dealer on Wall street, and bis promi- nence in business circles was enough to invest | shoulder, his case with public interest. Let us go back to Elegant Ahab and his beautiful companion, ~% AES 'H with glistening black eyes, gave a visible sta t. ‘Ts the captain to come back wi h you?” he asked. tt) ‘* Not unless he wants to, fetch him.” (<(0)/ 9) 7\/|(<| ooo) then her shapely hand fell upon Elegant Ahab’s ‘You know wknd is ‘fe be done now,” she went on. ‘Fe n Fowler will tell the story of the robbery cf the steel safe, @ may tell what was in the iron box, but SS — have no grders to S) Geom,