Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 437 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

’ - ‘policy of silence. ee e- ---—- the outer side of the door, and given a turn of his hand, :; A click followed and the men were locked in. Dorgan wasted no time. He pushed Brown rena toward the outer door and soon had him on the porch. By this time there was a loud hammering inside, which showed that the other men were active, but he did not heed it. He marched Brown down to the street without ceremony. Now followed an important question: Was there a policeman in sight? There was not, and Dorgan mentally gave up ths other men. ln a few words he notilied Brown that his safe- ty depended on good behavior, and as the man’s nerve was about all gone, he did not find him contumacious, He was soon taken to the nearest station and locked up, and the detective then led several officers back to the old house. As was to be expected, the birds had flown and left no trace, Back to the station Dorgan went. Despite Brown’s stout denial he still believed that lie had been instigated by Peters, and he wanted a con- fession to that amount. H» went to Brown’s cell, where the prisoner sat on a chair ina ce- jected attitude. ‘‘Here I am again,” said the visitor, “and I wanta straight story from you. It'll be the worse for you if you don’t answer to the point. ‘Why did you try to capture me?” CHAPTER XX, A SUMMONS AT NIGHT. THe prisoner fixed his forehead in a sullen scowl, ‘‘T shall tell nothing,” he replied. ‘¢ Tt will be better for you,” Dorgan urged. ‘¢) shall tell nothing.” ‘* Then [ shall put you through for kidnapping and assaulting me, and Ill make the charge strong.” ** Go it!” ‘*' You're a fool, Brown.” ‘‘T’'m not big enough fool to squeal,” ‘¢ Come, confess that Levi Peters was the man who set you on,” ‘‘T never heard his name until you mentioned it in the house, and I don’t know who he is.” Brown spoke firmly, and the detective could not but be impressed with the belief that he spoke the truth. He might be lying, but, if so, he was a good actor. But, if the late attack was not due to Peters, who was at the bottom of it, and why hud it been made? Dorgan had made a good many enemies among the criminal classes during ‘his professional career, and any one of them might try to pay off a grudge, !ut from what Brown had said when be thought he held the winning cards, the detective had got the idea that the attack was made to stop him on some case he was then engaged upon. And the Rose-Woodside affair was the only one he was actively working. Duke did not give up so easily, but plied Brown with question after question for a consid- erable length of time. Ali his labor was thrown away, however—the prisoner persisted in his When convinced that he was only wasting time Dorgan left the cell and the station-house, took a car and started up-town. He had decided to see Mrs, Rose at once. W hen he reached the hous2, he found that she was notin, and he learned something more that rather’startled him. The landlady stated that Mrs. Rose had gone away with two men, stating that ‘‘ Mr. Dorgan had sent for lier.” The detective was.at once on the alert, and he asked for a description of the men, It was given, and he at once recognized Peters as one of the strangers. His first suspicion was thus confirmed, and he felt sure that Peters had p'ayed a sharp trick and decoyed Mrs. Rose away. The case grew more exciting, and it was clear that it was to be arace between them for honors, At present Peters held the leading card—Mrs, Rose. After questioning the landlady further, he left the house. He had in his mind two points for which the abductors might head, and to set- tle the first he went straight to Professor Wood- side’s. There he found the trail still warm. The servant told of the visit of Wilberson, an- other man and a woman, and bis description roved that they had been Peters and Mrs. Feose. Plainly, the private detective had made a bold push, but the professor’s refusal to see them had defeated bis first move, But what had been the second move? ‘Now that he has possession of the woman, he will not willingly give her up,” thought Dor- gan, as he left the house, ‘* He will try to hide her somewhere. Where? It does not seem as though he would be fool enough to take her to his own house; for, though he probably is not aware that I know where he lives, he must com- prehend that I can easily learn. Foolish as such a move would be, be may have made it—l’ll take a look at his house.” He hailed a cab and directed the driver to make haste. According to what Woodside’s servant had said, the kidnappers had been gone but a short time, and he might stumble upon them, OT TT TE LS TT RAE i LS a — eel then Dorgan stepped coolly into the hall. stood face to face with Mrs. Rose and Horace was the hall. once, and when he was asked to take Wilberson a ———$—_$_$—————— The cab-driver obeyed the injunction to make ! haste to the letter, and they rattled along ata | pace which made Dorgan expect a challenge | from a policeman every moment, but none came, He dismissed the cab when a block distant from Peters’s house, so as to avoid notice, and started to finish the journey on foot, As he rounded the corner he saw another cab approaching, and he could not help thinking that the manner of the driver indicated that he had just left a passenger near there. He was arranging his blanket as though he had just | mounted the box. eres on a sudden impulse, Dorgan stopped m, ‘‘Have you just dropped a fare here?” he asked. ‘* Three on ’em,” ** At which house?” * Now you ask too much. It ain’t my busi- oe A tell ail about my fares,” the cabman re- plied. _ Duke produced a dollar bank-note and held it before the driver's eyes, ‘‘Answer my question and describe your fares, and this shall be yours.” ‘It’sa bargain. I left °em at No. 23.” This was Peters’s own quarters, and when the man had added a description, the detective knew he was indeed on the right track. If he had been five minutes sooner, he would have headed the kidnappers off, but he owed it to the cxtra speed used by his own driver that he had come near enough to get positive evidence. He handed over the dollar and told the man to go, and then went straight to No, 25. He did not intend to give Peters time to spirit away his prisoner. His first idea ‘was to ring the bell, but as he reached the house he glanced down the area and saw that the basement door was ajar. His resolution was made in a moment; if he rung he might be denied admittance, but if he walked in et help, he would be inside the fort before any one knew it, and Peters would not dare ~— complain of the intrusion. In a few seconds he was in the basement hall. Caution now became necessary. The light was poor and he could hardly see his way, aud after listening for a moment, he failed to hear my one on the Jower floor, but did hear voices above. Accordingly, he decided to go up. He ascended the stairs with hight steps, but as he neared the top he became aware that people were speaking there in tones of unusual vele- mence, He paused a moment. Then came a cry of ‘* Mercy!” in a voice he well knew—it was that of Mrs, Rose. An angry reply followed, and then the door at the top of the stairs was opened in the detective’s face. The man. who had opened it recoiled, 5 e Wilberson. The little woman uttered a cry of glad sur- prise and fluttered toward the stout detective, hut Wilberson turned and would bave fled. Dorgan’s sharp voice, however, brought him to a balt. * Hold on, there! Attempt to run, and it will be the worse for you!” Wilberson paused, and stood in silent conster- nation, ‘‘ Pretty business I find you in!” Duke con- tinued, ‘‘ How long since you became a womap- stealer?” Not a word answered the discomfited villain. He could say nothing in extenuation, and he realized that anything else would be a waste of words. Dorgan was not a man to be hoodwink- ed or frightened. Mrs. nue began to explain, but the detective er, rs. Rose, will you step to the door and see if you can discover a policeman? If so, call him at once,” The request was obeyed, and as an officer chanced te be passing the door, he was soon in He knew Dorgan and spoke to him at to the station, he did not make the least opposi- tion. Neither did Wilberson. That person shot a malevolent glance at Dorgan, and quietly sub- initted to the patrolman’s grasp. When he was led out of the house, Dorgan turned smilingly to Mrs. Rose. ** Don’t look so frightened, madam. These are every-day occurrences, and not worth a thought. You are perfectly safe now, and it only remains to find your chief enemy, the man, Peters. Can you tell me where he is ‘** Just what I want to know. Where is the scamp?” It was a new voice, and Duke turned. to see a masculine-looking woman with her head cocked on one side and her arms akimbo, ‘*I’m the mistress o’ this house,” she added, ‘an’ that oily-tongued rascal was me boarder, but he’s a villain. He’s just asked me to keep this woman a pris’ner here, but, o’ course, I re- fused, an’ when you called the cop, that Peters shot out of the basement door like a rocket,” a . . “= = Deep Duke, the Silent Sieuth, eee ee LY? All this was rattled off volubly and the woman made such a muscular play that Mrs. Rose did not think of exposing the lie in regard to her answer to Peters about: keeping the prisoner, but Dorgan was not so easily impressed. ‘* Are you sure Peters is not now in the house?” he sharply asked, “Ef you doubt it,, you kin look ter your heart’s content,” was the ready reply. The detective decided that cne of the birds had indeed flown; but he did not give up with- out a trial. Accompanied by the accommodat- ing landlady and Mrs. Rose, he went all over the house. The result verified his belief; Peters was not in the house. Dorgan wasted no time. Peters would take good care not to venture back at once, so it would be the wisest way to get Mrs. Rose to a place where she could recover from the nervous state into which she bad been thrown. She was pale and trembling, and abso- lute quiet and rest were necessary. He called another cab and they left the vicin- ity. On the way Mrs. Rose told her story in ~ full. It revealed nothing new to the detective, though it showed how much in earnest Peters was, and rather confirmed the theory that he had not been concerned in the dcecoying of Dor- gan by Brown. If the latter point was admitted the detective had a new problem to grasp. He believed that he had the Rose case to thank for the plot again:t himself, and if he exonerated Peters, whom was he to suspect? What invisible hand was in the game? Knowing that it would not be safe for Mrs, Rose to go back to her former quarters, Dorgan took her to the house of a personal friend upon whom be knew he could rely, and left her there with injunctions not to go out of the house, nor ai any one who purported to come from im. Considering her present state of alarm, she was not likely to do this again. The detective then went home, and devoted the remainder of the afternoon to considerin the case and planning for the future. He petignd early, but before he could compose himself to sleep he was aroused and given a hastily-folded note. He opened it and saw one line of writing, with Claudia Woodside’s name below, ‘‘Come at once! Something terrible has hap- pene!” What did it mean? CHAPTER XXI. — DRIVEN TO DESPERATION. PROFESSOR WoOoDSIDE did not appear outside his study after so summarily dismissing Wil- berson, Peters and Mrs. Rose, until the dinner hour. Whether he made sure that the servants obeyed his order and rid the house of the un- welcome callers was even unknown, but as his was a front room he had means to satisfy him- self without asking questions, James had rapped at the study door and passed in the card upon which Peters had written that threatening message—‘‘ We obev this time, but before this affair ends you shall see all of the police that you want!”—but, Wood- — side had taken it, and reclosed the door, without iving James a chance to explain. What he thoucht of the message nobody knew, and when Claudia knocked, shortly after, her father had answered, without opening the door, that he was busy and could not be disturbed. Claudia was annoyed and troubled by the last occurrence. What the visit meant she did not know, but it had plainly disturbed the professor, and she was worried for his sake, She strongly suspected, without knowing why, that her father actually feared these people. And this seemed very strange when she con- — sidered how gentle and perfect the professor was —he was all of that in her estimation. When he appeared at dinner his manner was very much the same as usual. He was prone to periods of deep thought, even when with his children, and it was the same on this occasion; but was it fancy, or did his meditation seem troubled now? udia believed that she could discern a shadow on his usual offered no explanation. went out. Claudia supposed that he went to the street, but such was not the case. He n walking back and forth in the artistic w that wound around all through the grounds, his head bent and his manner one of deep though He looked up with some annoyance as he heard a step. join, him, and, much as he cared for her, he did not wish to see her then. ; But it was not Claudia. Instead, it was a man, and avery ragged, disreputable-loo person. Moreover, he was no stranger; thi professor had seen him only a few days <r when the disreputable person had claimed acquaintance with bim Yes, it was worse for his adventure at Sam If he had gone into the sewer . again all right, and there he stood with a pecu- liar mixture of humility, confidence and arro- gance in his manner. | Cc S) <€om oe y’s house. ICO Tt was probable that placidity, but he — When the meal was ended he took bis hat and e thought Claudia had cometo | Abe Benlow, and looking none the | he had'come out z. .- as ¢ Ti 4 ~ « 4 a Se ~ x « a ie f “a * - ot Me (oy - wm