Beadle's Dime Library No. 42 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

v Van Rensselaer saw at a glance the strength of the other’s position, and his face clouded over again. “Three years have changed me greatly,” continued the Californian. ‘‘ James Bright, the Californian detective, doesn’t look much like Royal Keene, the drunken Tombs lawyer. Any good legal gentleman will tell you that the ‘ndentity question is a very difficult one to handle sometimes. Besides, three years have elapsed since the little bit of paper that we speak of saw the light; that complicates the case a little. In regard to the identity question, of course, between ourselves, now that no witnesses are by, except the four walls that surround us, I frankly confess that Iam the man, buy at the same time defy you to prove it.” “Time will show, sir, which of us holds the winning hand,” returned Van Rensselaer, fiercely. ‘* Co’-rect,” said the Californian, in his off-hand, easy way. ‘* And now that I have delivered my cartel, that you are in possession of the fact that the war between us is tothe death, I will take my departure. Be on your guard, for I shall commence operations at once. Adieu.” And with graceful, easy politeness, the cool, careless stranger bowed himself out of the apartment. Van Rensselaer remained for a few moments silent in thought. _He paced slowly up and down the room, The sudden and unexpected appearance of the man who he sup- posed had perished in the flames of the burning house three years before, was an event calculated to interfere materially with his plans. Then the thought of the old savant from India, who carried with him the missing will, came into Van Rensselaer’s mind, ‘Tf this fellow, by any strange accident, should learn of the will,” he murmured, ‘‘ then, indeed, he might be able to strike a blow at me which would require all my skill to parry. I must act promptly. No time is to be lost. I need an agent in this matter, for it will not do for me to ap- pear at all in the affair.” Van Rensselaer caressed the ends of his silken mustache, reflectively. Suddenly his gloomy face lighted up. ‘*T have the very man!” he muttered. ‘Tom Bishop! He, evidently, lives by his wits; a cool, shrewd fellow I should judge from what I have seen of him; the very man for my purpose.” Van Rensselaer glanced at his watch. ‘‘ Twenty minutes past ten. Just about the time to catch him on Broadway: I have noticed him standing in front of the Fifth Avenue Hotel at this hour a dozen times or so. I may as well hunt him up at once. And now, Mr. Royal Keene, we shall see who will win in the struggle that is fated to take place between us.” Van Rensselaer procured his hat and gloves, and left the house. He took his way down the avenue. As he had anticipated, in front of the Fifth Avenue Hotel he saw the man he was in search of. Tom Bishop was a man of thirty, about the medium hight, with jet-black hair, cut tight to his head, and a mustache, which in color and stiffness resembled the bristles of a black- ing-brush. There was something of the air of the well- known class, generally termed ‘“‘ Bowery Boys,” about Mr. Bishop; what a newsboy would term “ gallus.” The New York “slang” is very expressive sometimes. Bishop was dressed in style, sported his yellow kids, and his dainty cane, yet, as Van Rensselaer hac remarked, he _ evidently lived by his wits, as no one of his acquaintance had ever heard him speak of following any occupation. Where he lived was also as great a mystery as how he lived. During the daytime, after ten a. M., he was generally to be found either in front of the Fifth Avenue Hotel or loungi.g carelessly up and down Broadway. At night the theater lobbies and the various club-reoms—gambling-hella The California Detective. 7 Ae A —»— —of Broadway and the up-town cross-streets were graced by his presence. Then, every once in a while, for a week or a month ata time, Mr. Bishop would suddenly disappear, and then again as suddenly reappear. Where he went to or what he did no one knew. Mr. Bishop had quite an extensive list of acquaintances He was a jolly, good-natured fellow, always flush with money, and not afraid to spend it; consequently his socicty was rather sought after by the young gentlemen desirous of seeing city life in all its various aspects. Of course it was whispered that Mr. Bishop was a “‘ sport,” by which title the world knows the men who run gambling. houses, bet on horse-races and kindred affairs; but no one could say, of their own personal knowledge, that they knew of any thing discreditable to Mr. Bishop’s character. Such was the man whom Van Rensselaer was in search of, whom he desired to use as an instrument to further his own ends. Van Rensselaer nodded to Bishop as he approached, and extended his hand in greeting, somewhat to that gentleman’s astonishment, CHAPTER VY. LAYING THE SNARE **G@ooD-MORNING,” Van Rensselaer said, shaking the hand of the other cordially. “‘ Good-morning,” replied Bishop, evidently amazed at the warm manner of the other. ** Didn’t see you about last night.” **No; I had a little business to attend to.” ‘* Ah, that reminds me, I’ve got a little bit of business that 1 want to talk to you about. If you have nothing bet. ter to do, join me in a stroll down Twenty-third street and I will explain matters.” “All right, I’m agreeable,” Bishop replied, tersely, and the two left the front of the hotel and turned down Twenty- third street. ‘“‘ Now, we will begin right at the beginning,” Van Renss- elaer said, commencing the conversation; ‘‘ there is nothing like speaking plainly. Is a hundred dollars of any service to you?” ‘* Not to be sneezed at,” replied Bishop, who perceived the drift of the question on the instant. “Good; now [ll come to the point at once. There is a certain matter which concerns me greatly and which I can not attend to in person. I want some one to look after my interests, and I thought, possibly, I might be able to come to some arrangement with you in regard to the matter. Of course | suppose that it is hardly necessary for me to say that the affair in a very delicate one and must be handled carefully ?” Bishop nodded intelligently. ‘7 don’t think that my lawyer could attend to it, nor my doctor. It requires a cool, experienced man of the world.” ‘*‘,es, I think that I understand; when you say, ‘ man of the yyorld,’ you mean a fellow up to all sorts of rascality?” ** Exactly.” ‘‘] think you’ve come to the right shop, then,” the New Yorker said, complacently; ‘there isn’t much going on ix this little town that I ain’t up to.” “That is what I thought. Of course this thing must be kept secret.” P | ‘Oh, of course; never do to tell tales out of school, you know.” | ‘‘T will explain all the particulars. A certain party is coming to New Yerk. When that party arrives in New York, I want him induced to go some place where he caa ~~ Ve0micbooks.¢o