Beadle's Dime Library No. 42 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

The California Detective. 13 ———— ———— certain that I can tell whether you are the pefson or not,” the old savant said. ‘* You really wish to see my face?” Coralie asked, slowly. ‘Yes, for in your face I shall be sure to trace the resem- bance of the child I once loved as if she were my own luuzhter, if you are indeed the same, and something within whispers me that you are.” Coralie hesitated for a moment; she did not know how to wt. Van Rensselaer had pointed the tall stranger out to her ws vhe old friend of his father—the subject of the wager which ne wished her help to win. If she yielded to Van Rensselaer’s request, she would be able to discover whether she was the child spoken of by the stranger or not. “Tf I am the child, grown to womanhood, what would be my age now?” Coralie asked, breaking the silence. The old man thought for # moment, calculated the time that had elapsed, then spoke: “Twenty-five,” he answered. | Coralie started in amazement. The old man had named her very age. Hartright noticed the movement. ‘‘Ts that your age?” he asked. ~re” ‘‘ And you are an orphan?” $6 Yes. ” «And have been so since your childhood?” ws Yes. ” ‘Father and mother you have never known?” ** Never,” the girl replied, sadly. ‘‘T am gure that you are the one I seek!” the old man said, in a tone of firm conviction. ‘Perhaps so; and yet it hardly seems possible that fate could have thus strangely brought us together after so many ‘years of separation,” Coralie said, doubtfully. ‘“ Fortune is strangely capricious sometimes,” he answered. ‘But I pray you yield to my request. You are the child I seek, I am sure. Every word you speak strengthens me in my conviction.” ‘‘Let me speak a moment to the gentleman who is with me, and then I will decide,” the girl said, suddenly, after a long pause. ‘“T shall wait your decision with great impatience,” the old man said, earnestly. ‘‘In a few minutes you shall have my answer.” Coralie advanced toward Van Rensselaer; he, perceiving her movement, left Bishop and came to her. “I gee that you have commenced operations,” he said, laughing; ‘have you decided then to act as my ally in this jest?” ‘Not yet decided,” she said, doubtfully. ‘*T am not sure that I fully understand the part which you wish me to play.” “Why, it is simple enough. The wager is to induce the old gentleman to leave this ball-room and go to the house of a friend of mine, there to drink a glass of wine. That wins the wager. If you only think of some jesting device to in- duce him to go with you, I will be in the carriage of course, 20 that there will be no impropriety.” “The device is already at hand,” the girl said, slowly. “Indeed!” Van Rensselaer was astonished. I'he old gentleman overheard me speaking to you as we passed him sometime ago in the ball-room, he fancied from ‘the tones of my voice that in former days he knew me, and he wishes to see.my face, so as to satisfy himself whether his guess is true or false.” “Excellent!” Van Rensselaer exclaimed; “‘ fortune aids us; no need to puzzle our wits here. Tell the old gentleman that you will remove your mask and let him see your face if he will leave the ball-room and come with us. Explain that it is only to the house of a friend of mine.” ‘*T do not know whether to consent or not,” the micl said, doubtfully. ‘‘ Why, Coralie, haven’t you any womanly curiosity?” asked Van Rensselaer, in astonishment. ‘‘ Haven’t you really a desire to know whether this old gentleman is right or wrony in his surmise?” ‘* Yes, the temptation is a very great one,” Coralie sai, slowly. ‘* Yield to it then; who knows but what he may be able to reveal to you something of great importance?” Van Renss claer said, persuasively. ‘*T will go,” the girl said, decidedly. **Good; our coach is all ready.” ‘*T will tell the old gentleman.” Coralie returned to the old savant. ‘* Let me venture to hope that you have decided to grant my request?” Hartright said, earnestly. “Yes, but on one condition.” “‘T accept, no matter what the condition is,” the savant exclaimed, hastily. ‘* Oh, it is a very simple one; only to leave this room and come with me—or with us, I should have said, for the gen- tleman yonder, my escort, will go with us.” **T accept the condition, and the sooner we depart the bet- ver. I feel certain that you are the one whom I seek.” ‘*'You shall soon know the truth.” Coralie beckoned, and Van Rensselaer approached. Dis- guised as he was, he had little fear of being recognized by the old man; so that in the future, when they should meet, his part in the present transaction would be unknown ‘** We are ready,” Coralie said. Van Rensselaer did not speak, only bowed and led the way to the door. Coralie and Hartright followed, while Bishop brought up the rear. ‘*T suppose that there will be no objections to my friena accompanying us?” the old gentleman said, referring to Bishop. ‘* None mm the least,” the girl answered. In a few words the savant explained to Bishop whither he was going, and his object, and requested his company, to which Bishop of course assented. The four left the ball-room and passed into the entry. Hardly had they passed through the door, when two men, without disguises of any kind, but in plain, dark clothes, only wearing black masks over their faces, detached them- selves from the crowd and followed the little party of four. Down through the passage-way into the street they fol- lowed, removing the masks from their faces as they emerged into the open air. ; The four were just getting into a carriage. The two men paused on the steps, until the carriage drove off. ‘¢ What’s our game now?” asked the taller of the two, who, as the light from the gaslights falls upon his face, we recognize as Joe Oward. “Trump their trick,” replied the other, laconically. It was the California detective, Bright, who spoke, ‘You mean, follow ’em?” “No; I mean to get ahead of them.” Then the detective drew a little whistle and blew a shrill note upon it. In a second or 80 a covered buggy, which had been stand- ing on the other side of the street, drew up in front of the Academy. A bright-looking negro drove the buggy. ** Now, jump in, Joe!” cried Bright, springing into the carriage, and tak{ng the reins from the driver’s hands, Oward got in at once. * Wait at the stable, Ned,” the detective said to the boy. “ You know where to go?” Oward asked, tw astonishment. Eomicbooks.co