Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 419 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

| = * : - ' ~— o —. “ - “us ee sae a ay eg SE es fe d St ee ‘ > “= > . Py! Sie A a ee EF a 10 CHAPTER XVI, | INSNARED. WhHILk Phenix had decided to try about the same game which had resulted so fatally to the murdered detective. yet he proceeded in a slightly different manner. Irving had gone in for a big display, swaggered about considerably for the purpose of making a decided impression, so as to attract the notice of the bird whom he desired to snare, but of course it is pleasant ror her to meet some one who can converse with her in her own !an- guage. I mentioned the fact that yon were also from Rio, aad she said she had noticed you in the dining-room, and from your appearence 2on- jectured that you were not an American; she -Inquired your name; but did not remember |ever meeting you at home, when I told her | what it was. | Phenix thought that it would be Geuced manny This was Phenix’s idea also, but he did not | if she had remembered either himself cr his ap take the trouble to disguise himself. He had been absent from New York for some time; the hot sun of the tropics had bronzed his com- plexion, he bad allowed his mustache to grow and sported a small pointed chin-piece, after the foreign fashion, so that no one but an inti- mate acquaintance, like the superintendent of police, would be apt. to recognize him. As Irving had selected the Fifth Avenue Ho- tel for a headquarters, Phenix did likewise, He registered as Joseph Penia, Rio Janeiro, Brazil, and took occasion whenever opportunity offered, to display a big roll of bills, all appar- ently of large denominations, which be carried carelessly done up in a wad, in an inside breast- pocket of his coat. Phenix, being possessed of a noble, command- ing presence, well calculated to inspire respect at the first glance, made a most decided im- pression on baal ave whom he encountered, and all the attaches of the hotel set him down as one of the Brazilian diamond kings, of whose wealth New Yorkers have a high opinion. During his sojourn in South America the de- tective had become familiar with the language, and could converse quite freely. So completely did rhenix impress the hotel people with the idea that he was possessed of ‘stacks of money,” and was rather ignorant of the ways of a great city, particularly one so foll of rascals as the metropolis of the New World, and all without putting him to the ne- cessity of boasting about who and what he was, that three or four of therm took upon themselves the task of warning the supposed stranger to be more careful in regard to displaying the money he carried. Phenix thanked them for the caution, but re- plied in the calm tone of a man who knew not the meaning of the word fear, that whether in the wilds of his native pampas, or in Gotham’s crowded town, he felt amply able to defend himself either from open or secret foes, whether his valuables or life were threatened, The detective played the partof a rich for- pigner who had come to New York expressly for amusement, to perfection. His tall form was seen in the public places; all the leading theaters were honored by his presence, nor did he neplecti the gilded saloons where the bloods of New York and the excitement-seekers from afar meet to try their luck at beating the smooth aid oily gamblers at their own game. With the most superb indifference Phenix won or lost his money, always hazarding a goodly sum, as became a man to whom a thousand or two of dollars was a mere trifle. Two weeks went by, and not a single hite did the detective have. Even the lesser rogues, the confidence men and bunco operators, fought shy of the prince-like foreigner, although not baving . the slightest suspicion that he was otherwise than what he seemed; but there was something about the man that awed them. No doubt he would turn out a rich prize if he could be en- trapped, but they were afraid to run the risk, for the chances seemed to them to be those that accompany a tiger hunt—if the chase was not successful there was danger that the game would turn and rend the hunter. Phenix began to be- lieve that the attempt to entrap the secret as- sassin would prove a failure, ** Hither the fellow has given up business, or else he has penetrated my design and is going to keep quiet until I give up the chase, but if that is his intention, be’ll have to wait a deuced long while,” the detective mused. t afternoon one of the hotel clerks, whom he met in the ball and stopped to converse with for awhile, called his attention to a lady who pe to pass at the moment, , y the by, Mr. Penia, that is a countrywo- man of yours,” he said; *‘ she is a Brazillian, and from Rio Janeiro, too, Miss Guadaloupe Barce- lona. She is stopping bere, waiting for the coming of her father, who has been across the water on business, She’s high-toned, I tell you! Just notice her diamonds! Magnificent, ain’t they? Well, I should smile!” henix took a good look at the lady, who was now ascending the stairs; from where he was standing he commanded a view of her face. She was rather tall, with a fine figure and im- pressive features, It could not be really termed a handsome face, the features, though regular, were rather coarse; but she was stylish-iooking, a woman who would be apt to attract favorable attention everywhere, ** She’s a stunner, ain’t she?’ the clerk con- tinued; ‘‘a perfect lady, too. I had quite an agreeable conversation with her in the parlor “haga I’m tbe best hand at her language the house, you know.” ** Does she speak English?” * Ob, yes, and with a very slight accent too, pellation. ‘The lady isa stranger to me, but then you must remember that Rio is a big city.” ‘Oh, yes, butI say, wouldn’t you like to make her acquaintance? She intimated to me that it would be agreeable to her.” ‘*T shall be delighted to have the honor,” Phe- nix replied. ? The detective made it a rule to always make the acquaintance of everyboly that he could, for in his peculiar business there was no telling when the most unlikely person might turn out to be of great importance. | } | | | | —-—$ — — —— a deal of plensnre!” the clerk exclaimed. and al. though Phenix merely bowed and smiled, he thought it would be a good thing for him if the toast could be realized. Merrily the three pledged each other and then drained their glasses, Phenix drank without a suspicion that there | was anything wrong,.for so shrewdly had the trick been worked that it would have required - more than human knowledge to detect it. But the moment the detective swallowed the wine and resumed bis seat, following the exam- le of the hotel clerk, he became conscious that e had been ‘‘ dosed”—that there had been a drug administered in the wine, and he knew And he thought | that while be was waiting for the game to walk | into the trap he wnight as well amuse himself by making all the agreeable acquaintances pos- sible, ‘You'll enjoy her conversation, I’m sure,” the clerk remarked, ‘*She’s a really brilliant cirl—been everywhere and seen almost every- thing. She’s style all the way through, and there isn’t the least bit of nonsense about her, no stuck-up pride, although I don’t doubt that she is just rolling in money! I suppose, any- way, that down in Brazil you are not so deuced particular—don’t stand so much upon ceremony as wedo here?” ‘¢ We are less formal, I presume.” “‘T eness it is that way in all hot-weather countries,” ‘*T suppose it is due to the climate. The Sonthern races are not so much given to cere- mony as the dwellers in the North.” «| will tell her the first chance 1 get, and I’ve no doubt she will want me to bring you up to her parlors. I tell you, senor, she lives in style. She’s got about the best suite of apartments wo have inthe house. Any one can see from the way she spends her money that she must have one of those Brazilian diamond mines to draw upon, or else she would never be able to stand it.” Phenix again expressed the pleasure it would tive him to become acquainted with the lady, and the clerk passed on. Late that afternoon, just as the detective was jnishing his dinner, the clerk came up, and Phenix guessed from the expression of satisfac- sion that appeared upon his jolly face, that he uad succeeded in his design. ‘‘ It’s all right,” he said, leaning on Phenix’s chair, and whispering in his ear. ‘* Tve fixed the matter. She said she would be delighted to make the acquaintance of any gentleman from Rio, so, as son as you get through, I will carry you up, and in honor of the occasion ’m going to stand a bottle of the best wine that there is in the cellar.” ‘* All right, I will do justice to it if the lady doesn’t,” Phenix answered. And so, about an hour later, the detective was ushered by the hotel official into the recep- tion-room of Miss Guadaloupe Barcelona, The lady was richly attired, wore most magni- ficent jewelry and conducted herself with an ease and grace that gave ample proof she had been accustomed to the best society. After they had conversed together for some ten minutes, a grinning African made his ap- pearance, bearing a tray upov which was a bot- tel of champagne and three glasses, The clerk explained that be had taken the lib- erty of ordering the wine. +“ ade of a surprise party, you know,” he AC + Miss Guadaioupe laughed, shook her finger at the clerk and declared he was ‘‘a horrid fel- low!” but it was plain that she was pleased with the attention. ‘*There’s some dust in the glasses,” she said, et the wine, please, while I wipe them out, Then, while the clerk proceeded to show his skill with the corkscrew, the lady took the lasses under the chandelier, and, turning her k to the two gentlemen, apparently pro- ceeded to wipe the glasses with her handker- chief, but in reality she took a small vial, con- taining a colorless liquid, from her bosom, and with noiseless rapidity poured a few drops in the bottom of two of the glasses, This act was performed so quickly and so ceed ieM that neither of the gentlemen had the slightest suspicion. Then when the wine was poured out she man- aged to arrange it so that the glass which had not been tampered with fell to her. “Now, gentlemen, I will give you a toast!” she exclaimed, ‘‘ Success to al] our wishes!” CHAPTER XVII. A REVELATION, “Bravo! Miss Guadaloupe, that is a most ex- cellent toast and I will drink it with a great rR well enough what it was too, for no stranger was he to the peculiar way in which it worked upon the brain. The effect produced upon the clerk wasalmost instantaneous, and was really wonderful. He was occupying an easy-chair, and as the subtle drug coursed through his veins, he leaned back, totally regardless of the presence of the lady, and half-closed his eyes in a sleepy way. ‘* Well ’pon my word if that isn’t ’bout tho nicest wine I ever got hold of since 1 knew what wine was, you bet! Splendid wine—Il think I could drink a couple of bottles of that wine, all alone by myself—splendid tipple that ish—I think—1 think—that—I—dunno ’xactly what I think, but—bully wine ”—and then, with a sort a hoarse grunt, the clerk lapsed into insensi- uity. Phenix too had lolled back in his chair, his eyes half-closed, and a dazed, vacant sert of look upon his face; but if was evident the drug bad not mastered him so completely as it had his companion. Rither he had not taken so powerful a dose, or else having a stronger head was more able to resist the bewildering influence, The woman was quick to discover that thourh the drug bad worked to a charm upon the hotcl official, rendering him completely insensible to all that was passing around, yet, Phenix, gl- though deprived of muscular power, was yet conscious of what was going on. The woman, who had also sunk back into an easy-chair after drinking, now roso to her feet, with the look of a demon upon her face, She came close to Phenix and glared into his face with eyes that fairly seemed to blaze with livid light. ‘*-You understand me when I speak?” she ex- claimed. Phenix seemed to attempt to reply, but when he opened his mouth, he was like a mau whose tongue had been removed, all he could do was to articulate some discordant sounds, Tf you cannot speak, nod!” But Phenix plainly could no more do the one than the other, for when he attempted to obey the command, the best he could do was to move his eyes. This she instantly noticed. ** Ah, well, it doesn’t matter,” she remarked. **T see you understand what i am saying and that is a!l I care about. ‘You must have a head of iron to: teke such a dose andl yet bo able to understand what is going on around you while your muscular powers are so affected that you are not able to lift a finger.” Again there was a movement of Phenix’s eyes, and a light shone therein, which, when it was noticed by the woman, caused her to burst into a peal of if ughter. ‘* Oho, my stolid-faced, lion-hearted comrade!” she cried. ‘‘ You would make short work of me if you were not bound bard and fast as if by an iron chain! You are a wonderful man—there ‘are many wonderful men in the world, and yet there are very few of them who succeed in go- ing through life without, at some time or otber, happening to meet their master. You have met yours now, asI have no doubt you would frankly confess if you were able to speak. Itis strango though, when one comes to think of it, the dif ference that must exist between you and this shallow-brained idiot,” and she pointed con- temptuously, to the clerk. ‘‘He is good to re- main in this state of stupor for five or ten hours, while I have no doubt you would fully recover in an hour or two,if nature was allowed to have her way.” There was a world of menace in the intona- tion which the woman gave to the closing sen- tence of the speech, and Phenix, who plainly comprehended exactly what she meant, pos- sibly would not have been able to repress a shudder if he aye have cag te ~ aot th - “ But for an hour or two ite your stren —despite your wonderful skill and courage— you will be so helpiess that a child could slay you without the least trouble. Both the time and place, too, are propitious for such a deed. We are not liable to be interrupted, but tomake assurance dounly sure, I will lock the door and remove the key.” And by the time she had finished speaking the act was performed, Then she returned, drew up a chair and sat down in it, facin Phenix and so near him that by simply stretching out her hand she could touch his ied, ‘‘ Now then, before the last act of this do- lightful comed begins, permit me to say a few words and explain why it is that I have tal:en Eomicbooks Eom — A TT a A lta all als ..