Beadle's Dime Library No. 465: The Actor Detective — page 18: what you’re looking at

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To. judge inquired, somewhat astonished by this statement. ‘*T thought that talent was everything.” ‘Oh, no; brass is about as useful; brass and a little talent will do far better than no brass and a great deal of talent. I’ve been through the mill myself, you see, and know all about it, ‘‘Tf it hadn’t been for the natural impudence with which I have been gifted by Dame Nature I wouldn’t have been able to make my salt as an actress. ‘*But you see I always was a cheeky thing ever since I was a little zirl; to use the vernac- ular, I ont fy had gall enough to attempt any- thing, and I really believe I owe my success the weight of sheer impudence.” ‘““Tf any one but yourself made that state- ment I should most certainly take occasion to quarrel with them,” Judge Andy declared, in his most gallant manner. “You ought to succeed with women,” the actress remarked, with a grimace; ‘‘ you un- derstand the art of flattery to perfection.” ‘* And is that the most important thing in winning women?” ‘*The world considers it so, and sometimes when I look at the experience of my own life I am tempted to believe that the world is right.” **Ob, no, I think you are wrong about that. The world is apt to jump too hastily to conclu- sions,” the judge remarked, ‘‘ and is as often apt to be wrong as right. ‘Remember, Miss De Browne, yeu are at liberty to inform Miss Estelle, that my inten tions are strictly honorable, and that she need have no fear in permitting me to make her ac- quuintance, ‘You see, unless she allows me to make her acquaintance she will never be able to tell whether she likes me or not, and you cannot be- come intimately acquainted with a man by keeping him at arm’s length, you know.” ‘* That's true enough,” the actress observed. “As I said before, I am a wealthy man— wealthy enough to indulge my caprices without caring for the opinion of other people, and I am free to confess that [ have never met with a ew who pleased me as much as this Miss Es- “IT have spoken frankly to you, Miss De Browne, because [ want you to be able to fully explain to her my position in this matter. ‘Do the best you can for me, and whether I succeed or not, you shall have as handsome a bit of jewelry as you care to pick out.” ** Well, ’'m not proud; I'll take your gift, but you must pick it out yourself—I know you will give me a better present than I should dare to ag out for myself—there’s a woman’s stra ‘or you—and on my part I will promise to do my. for you.” he actress by this time was at the door, but the judge detained her with his uplifted finger. the by, I — to mention one thing,” er and sinking his voice, y be merely only a suspicion of mine, but I fancied that, possibly, the reason why Miss Estelle was not inclined to accept my a _ tentions was that this young actor, this Mr, 6, was in the way.” **Oh, I think not.” ‘Whenever they had a love scene together on the stage their love-making appeared so real that it seemed as if it could not be assumed.” ** Oh, yes, that’s the old story,” the actress re- — carelessly. ‘*That is what all non-pro- essionals think when they see love-makin But with the actors and actre ses it is purely a matter of business, and girl who clasps her like a wildcat if the fellow as much as laid a finger on scream like a screech-owl, and scratch her off the on “But that is something about the business that outsiders never have comprehended since the stage had a beginning, and I’ve no doubt they will go on misunderstanding until the drama comes to an untimely end.” And then the actress departed. By this time Freehigh had returned and find- wey ing that the interview was over, conducted the judge back to the box. ‘It’s a lucky chance for the girl,” Miss De Browne soliloquized, as she made her way to edressing-room. ‘Judge Andy is one of the big-bugs—that is, he’s got plenty of money, al- h I doubt his statement about being able - _ to select a wife from amid the first families, ** But for all that he would be a great catch _ for the girl. | “7 didn’t tell him what I thought about | Keene, for it isn’t my business to tell tales out’ ' —s of school, but I do thiuk there is a little love- | ' -—s affair between the two, for they were always together in the wings, and his note away in her bosom as though it was a precious thin ‘* But for all that, though, I'll keep fait Marg judge, and do my bes en “If I didn’t think he meant honest by the | girl, though, I wouldn’t open my mouth—no, Miss De Browne entered the dressing-room “i instead of a bit of waste ee | with | t to deserve my pres- | the curtain descended on the first play, and a few minutes after Estelle entered the room and began to disrobe. ‘* Let me see, you are through now, ain’t you, dear?’ the old actress said, ss Yes. ”? ** And you can go home; well, that’s jolly! I wish I were you.’ ‘* Yes, it is pleasant. I can get home early.” ‘‘No Mr. Keene to escort you to-night, though,” rejoined the other, with a laugh, The girl’s face flushed immediately, and then she laughed, as if to cover the confusion occa- sioned by the remark. **No, no Mr. Keene — ” she answered ; “and | am sorry for it, too, for I shall be dread- fully lonesome, aving become used to his com- ny. ‘‘T can get you an escort, if you like.” The Stk jacked surprised at the suggestion. **Oh, yes, I can, and a first-class one, too,” Miss De Browne continued. ‘‘ And I will guar- antee, too, that there won’t be a woman in the house, myself excepted, who won’t be mortally jealous.” ‘* Oh, you are joking” ‘* No, I’m not,” the old actress persisted. ‘** All you have to do is to say the word, and I will produce the man.” ** You are not in earnest,” ** He’s in the box.” The expression upon Estelle’s face changed in- stantly. She anticipated the disclosure. ‘*T see by your face that you guess who I It is the judge.” ** Yes, I sup d so.” **T had quite an interview with him to-night; he came in behind on purpose to see me, an what do you suppose he wanted?” ‘**T cannot guess,” and from the way she spoke Miss De Browne understood that the conversa- tion was distasteful to her. But she had promised the judge to do what she could for him, and she was a woman of her word. she went on: ‘*He came to get me to intercede for him with you. He is over head and ears in love with _ charming self; he’s one of the big men of ew York, with three or four millions, they say, and he is or Phen for a favorable op- portunity to cast self and his money-bags at your delicate feet. ‘In fine, if you'll only give him the chance he'll be lad to make you Mrs, Judge Andy lle shook her head. ‘* Don’t the proposal suit?” te No ” ‘You like some one else better?’ ‘“*T did not say that.” “But you put his letter in your bosom, though.” Estelle turned crimson. ** All ty, AP nes say a word; it’s none of my business, I’ve been there myself. I married my bald-headed old goose when I might have had a dozen young 4 rts, and some of them with the ei ne but I didn’t love them, and I wouldn’t ve it. , “* Don’t be angry with me, dear, because I have discovered your secret. It is perfectly safe with me, and I wish you all possible luck. ‘* Money is a very good thing, but a woman had better die than sell herself for it. **Go ahead with your dressing, and if you’re lonesome, walk home with hubby and I; we go right by your en ty and Ill take an early op- portunity to tell the judge that it’s no go,” Estelle thanked the old actress warmly. She felt she was a friend who could be trusted. CHAPTER XXVIII. ON THE TRACK. AND now we must turn our attention again to the young actor whom the murderous adventurer left for dead on the track of the Hudson River Railroad. laced the body on the up track; the warning whistle and the distant rumble and roar of the train notified the adventurer of the near approach of the iron horse, and he believed the train was coming from the city, and so placed the body on the outward track that the rapidly moving wheels might with their cruel edges destroy all evidence of his crime. His ears had deceived him, though. To one not used to the peculiar echoes which seem to haunt all railway trains in a rocky re- gion, it is extremely difficult, until] the train is close at hand, to distinguish the direction in which it is going. The train which Roe expected to utilize to do T am always glad when away with the evidence of the murder was going | yn0, | | h | has probably guessed by this time, was a man noticed in the | lightning-hke speed it rushed past the prostrate | whose name and person were not unfamiliar to dressing-room to-night she was careful to hide | to the city instead of coming from it, and so wit form of the helpless man without doing it any injury. The engineer caught sight of the man on the track and remarked to his fireman: ‘*There’s another galoot with a full cargo on board who has gone to sleep with a steel rail for a pillow, and will wake in eternity. Mighty big temperance lecture for you, Jim. ‘“* You bet,” responded the fireman. ‘* Number Twenty-four will be along in five minutes, and if the cuss don’t roll off the track he’ll be cut into mince-meat, for she’s the through Express, and bustles along here at the rate of a mile a min- This train was also a through Express and so it was impossible for the men to eve any warn- ing to the up train in regard to the man on the track. And the body had been adventurer in such a natu ition that nei- ther the engineer or fireman bad the slightest suspicion that the man was not an unfortunate wretch overcome with liquor, who of all places in the world to select for such a purpose had chosen to go to sleep on the railroad track, reck- less of the fact that he was exposing himself to certain death. A short distance below the —_ where the sup- drunken man lay, the down train passed the up Express, and the engineer and fireman of the first iron horse nodded to each other as the other train whizzed by them. ‘There she is; good-by to the drunken cuss!” But as there is in this uncertain life of ours many a slip between the cup and lip, and there has never been a truer sentence written than the poet’s conceit that the best-laid plans of mice and men oft gang aglee, so in this case fate did not destine that the long train with its merciless wheels should tear the soft flesh and grind to powder the bones of the helpless man, Just after the down Express passed, down the wooded slope on the east side of the track, about fifty feet below the spot where the prostrate man lay with his body on the rail—for the adven- turer, with scientific ingenuity, had placed the body in such a manner that a train could hardly fail to tear it all to pieces—came two men, who, from the way in which they hurried along, were evidently in great haste. They were thick-set, muscular fellows, rather roughly dressed and with forbidding faces, A man who had any judgment in such mat- ters would have set them down as belonging to that numerous class common to all large cities, know as ‘“ toughs.” One of the two carried a common carpet-bag, rather large-sized and tolerably well filled. When they reached the track they hurried along in a northern direction, as though there was urgent necessity for speed. But when they came to the my they halted, castiug an anxious glance behind them as they did so, as though they feared pursuit. ‘Hello! here’s a find!” ejaculated the man with the carpet-bag, who was rather taller and more muscular than his companion, ‘Oh, don’t bother with it—come on!” replied his companion, who was evidently in more of a hurry than the first man. ‘No, no, not till !'ve gone through the cuss!” rejoined the other. ‘The stiff looks as if he would pan out well, He’s bored a hole through his head, and then squatted on the track so as to make a sure die of i t. “Look at that pistol! ain’t it a beauty?” and as he spoke he stooped and picked up the revol- ver which had dropped from the actor’s nerve- less hand and lay by his side. ‘*'Yes, yes, but come o b what you like, but for God’s sake come on!” cried the other, nervously. ‘Don’t you know that they are likely to be hot after us by this time? Are you anxious to see the inside of a stone jug jest for the sake of a little boodle?” ‘Oh, no; but I’m fly allers to take a leetle risk, if I think the boodle will pay for it. “The trouble with you, Corkey Bull, is that you ain’t got no sand, and that’s what’s the matter with Hannab.” “Pve got sand enough,” grumbled the other, “but I’ve got sense enuff to know when I’m laced by the acute well off. ‘* We've got a good start, and we’re likely to git off with the swag, but if we stop to fool —— this feller, the fat may all git into the ‘““Come off! you’re losing Bg grip!” retorted the other, who was evidently the master spirit of the two. “T ain’t a-going to run away from sich a find as this without going for the le, jest ‘cause there’s a leetle bit of risk to it. ‘‘ Test look at the suit of clothes that the bloke has got on! Ill bet you what you like that the didn’t cost less than a fifty-spot, and they’ll fit me to a dot, too.” : yi ‘‘You can’t spare the time to strip him!” the second man igi still casting nervous glances behind him. ‘‘ Who sed I could, and who sed I was a-going to?” demanded the other, who, as the reader the police of New York, In fact Bill George, Bill the Smasher, as he was commonly termed, because he first ac- | quired eminence in police circles by indulging in some counterfeiting operations on a very ex- tensive scale, was one of the best-known “cross” men in the country. He was aman of decided genius, for instead of only being able to practice in one particular direction, like the most of the fraternity, he comicbooks — a1 4 oS as hee ~ —— i e as