Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 501 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

‘ ge, «sti - oe > 7 PY ays Oe ae Ee lent ll Ay le + ie ee : .. iy Pea Springsteel Steve. ein 2.8 ete ae Ee 1 nized him from the description I have been able to give?” “Yes; what you did recall of him would an- | sponse. It was | that rascally O’Meara’s movements prior to the swer, though of course not to the letter, O’Meara—Red O'Meara! not a doubt of it.” ‘* Perhaps I’ve met him in my official capacity. Any alias that you might know of?” ‘*He has probably worn as many names as suits of clothes. an Italian count, Count Omeerando, and it was | Litterly he hus been posing as | only this morning that the scoundrel had the | hardihood—” But the sheriff bad suddenly recoiled at the mention of the pseudonym, as if bitten by an adder, and was glaring wildly, with his eyes al- most popping out of his head, ‘‘Thunder and lightning!” he roared; ‘‘ you don’t mean to say that it’s that hound? Oh, Lord! Why didn’t I recognize him? How he must have monkeyed up his accursed face to de- ceive me!” ‘*- You know him, then?” ** Know him? Why, the infernal hound is the one who cut me out with Libby Webb—with Big Libby, who had treated me downright mean once before!” The unfortunate widower, who seemed to find it so hard to get a second bride, and whose cheery persistence was doubtless worthy of bet- ter success, bowed his head in mingled embar- rassment, fury and chagrin. “Tt is the same scoundrel,” said Edgar. ‘‘ Miss Libby was with him when he called at the manse this morning. That was the first in- timation [ had of his patent of nobility and of his boarding at the Webbs’.” ‘* Know him!” reiterated Tange through his grinding teeth. ‘‘ Why, I—I might have come to terms with Libby Wednesday but for the sudden ater opt this— Oh, woman! thy name is frailty! owever, Ill get even with him yet! Ah, my friends! trust in me to work out your revenge, and to effect the resto- ration of your child. [m a regular sleuth- hound, with a starved wolf’s appetite, when I get fairly on the war-path, and now—” Under happier circumstances his hearers might well have smiled at the incongruous cou ling of Miss Libby’s name with ‘frailty,’ even in the metaphor of apostrophe. But as it was, the good man’s rage and earnestness were altogether wo real to be anything but serious, He was hurrying out of the room when he accidentally rushed into the arms of a man who was entering it with a brisk, decided step, and simultaneously Edna started up with a cry of temporary relief, It was her father. She sprung to her feet to rush into his arms, ere the old detective had quite finished shaking hands with the sheriff. But Edgar could only look upon Mr. Gray with amazement. * ** Why, how is it possible you are here?” he exclaimed. “It is now but six hours in the evening, scarcely five hours since we received your return telegram from Long Beach!” “Which isn’t quite in Europe, my boy, as I hope you'll admit,” replied Springsteel, already pares Slag git his daughter’s renewed su ‘**Not quite, but—you still must have started for home almost instantly after receiving our dispatch.” ‘*So I did, my boy—circumstances prompted romptness, so to speak—I was uncommonly ucky in railroad ani ferry-boat counections, and here I am!” ‘¢'You know of our fresh misfortune?” ‘Gad! it isn’t for lack of the whole village telling me about it between this and the station, if I don’t, Come!” ‘‘ We shall do just as you advise, sir.” ‘Allright. Home atonce, then! Ednamust not remain here another ten minutes,” “Oh, father,” Edna sobbed; “home without my boy, my Willie?” ‘Yes, yes, yes! Shall you get him back by moping and sobbing here? Are you so crazy as to dream that real barm can come to him, when ll in Mary’s care, just as if there were no feeding-bottles outside the Manse?” “ But, father—” ‘* But me no buts! Come right along as I or- der. I fancy we can safely trust to Jake Lang- ley to keep on looking for the kid in our ab- sence.” ** Can’t you, though?” cried the sheriff. ‘* Oh, depend upon that, my friends! And when I do get my books on that cowardly, interloping, child-stealing Count Omeerando—” He finished the sentence in a species of ecstatic war-dance of rage, equally expressive, if some- what inarticulate, waoich las until he had seen them in the Surrey, and fairly driving away. Springsteel Steve had assumed the lines, while ar was doing his best to comfort bis wife. ‘* Ah, a good idea,” suddenly muttered the old detective to himself. CHAPTER XXVIII. A BAFFLING SURPRISE. THERE was still a good deal of daylight re- maining when Willard remarked that bis father- in-law was somewhat deviating from the most . direct route back ‘to the old manse, ‘ -_ a ss es i i SS a “* Where are you going?” he asked. ‘** Where else than to the Webbs’?” was the re- ‘*Could we flush a new inquiry as to kidnapping in a better spot, 1 should like to know?” ‘* Excellent!” cried Edgar. have occurred to me, at least so suddenly. ‘** Well, to tell the truth, it isn’t such an aged idea in my own mind,” admitted Gray. Even Edna, who had somewhat regained her desperate calmness, started up, somewhat brigntened. “They will know something that can put us on the villain’s track,” she exclaimed, clutching her hands. ‘ Yes, yes; it will be strange if they cannot tell us something |” ‘*It may open their eyes, at all events, as to the mixed character of their noble boarder,” said the detective, grimly. ‘‘ Poor Libby! I’m afraid her marriage-cake is still in the dough, though she's big enough to stand it, to be sure.’ ‘You, I presume,” observed Edgar, after a ause, ‘‘are equally certain with us that ’Meara alone has done the kidnapping?” ‘*Of course, of course! What the deuce! who else could be interestea in such a fiend’s plot?” ‘*But what could exactly be his interest and intention?” ‘* What! isn’t it patent to you?” ‘** Not exactly.” ** Why, he’s weakening on the first racket— your firmness was bidding fair to freeze him out, and it became necessary for him to have a fresh hold on you. Plain as the nose on your face ae boy!’ “Still, his calling on us with Miss Libby this morning didn’t exactly look like bis weakening.” * Didn’t it? It looks to me like just nothing else. It was his last feeler on the old dodge, before risking this new and dastardly one. But here we are.’ They drew up before Farmer Webb’s well- remembered gate with a clatter that was sug- gestive of both haste and business, Then every one of the trio experienced a a of surprise—of the absolutely unlooked- or. Prominent among the cairagrt group who came out from the piazza to greet their arrival was— Count Omeerando! He was putting on his mest languid and aris- tocratic saunter, doubtless to the covert admir- ation of Miss Libby, who was at his side, and nothing could bave surpassed the easy nonchal- ance of the cigarette between his white teeth. ‘* Ah!” he drawled; ‘‘our acquaintances of this morning. This is an unexpected pleasure.” And he even shot a glance at the detective himself, in which there was not a particle of recognition. But Edna was already out of the wagon, and the next instant, to the astonishment of her hus- band and father no less than the others, ske was upon the adventurer, with a frenzied bound, carriage-whip in hand. ** My child, scoundrel, my child!” she screamed, ‘How have you dared steal my baby away from me? hat have you done with him? Quick! answer me, or I will kill you!” She had clutched him by the throat, to the ruination of his shirt-collar and scarf, and was op wena waving the whip over his astonished ead, _Her father and husband; who had by this time alighted, hastened to draw her away from the fellow, and Edgar sternly confronted him, **O’Meara!” he exclaimed, pallid witti sup- pressed fury; ‘‘ there can be no doubt that you were the abductor of our child and his nurse in White Plains an bour or more ago. You were as good as identified by Sheriff Langley.” ‘*Good God!” cried the man, with a general aspect of amazement that it seemed impossible to be feigned; ‘‘ what are you raving about? I an abductor—a child-stealer, and a nurse-stealer, into the bargain, You’re crazy, the whole set of you—downright crazy !” ‘Yes, you—you! Your life isn’t worth a minute’s purchase, should you try me too far! It might be”—hissed in an undertone, and be- tween the teeth—‘‘a simplification of things, after all! You understand.” ‘*But, man alive! why— Stole your child, gE I, and in White Plains an hour or so ago ‘* Yes, yes!” \ The pseudo-nobleman shrugged his shoulders, and drew a Jong breath of mock relief, while making an appealing gesture to Miss Libby and her father and mother, who had come down out of the piazza with him, _ “An alibi. Tbave an alibi,” said he, burst- a Re alaugh. ‘‘But this is too outlandish, y: Heaven save your intellects, man! I haven’t been absent from this house for five minutes since our midday meal.” _“It is true,” interposed Miss Libby, by this time recovered from her individual astonish- ment, “* His lordship was indisposed in his own room till a short time ago, and hasn’t absent- uated himself from the house the whole after- noon,” heel Her father and mother confirmed the sub- stance of this rather original statement, though ‘‘Tt would never ” ‘ of course there was no direct testimony as to ' 4 _—— oO ee 2 i 4 y "vy yf Wy , ie \. i 4 . ~ aa eco Shes: nae euch. 7 awe ll ————————L LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LL f--) ‘his lordship’ having remained in his room after betaking bimself to its seclusion. But enough had been explained to make it generally appear that a grave mistake had been made, and the manse party once more got into their vehicle, after Mr. Gray had affably vouchsafed a few words as to the nature of the misfortune that had brought it about. Farmer and Mrs. Webb manifested instant sympathy with the young couple, especially with Edna, in their bereavement; while the count maintained a. stiffly distant demeanor, in which he was aped by Miss Libby with a gro- tesqueness that would have been highly enter- tertaining under less painful circumstances. Like most comely young women, ignorant of the art of dress,she was resplendent in a new summer-gown (probably the one criticised at Miss Raw’s by the detective), that emphasized her defects and detracted from her personal ad- vantages. Its fluffiness of material and super- abundance of trimmings enhanced the effect of ber oversize toa comical degree, and the worst of it was that her poseia the gown was inordi- nately self-complacent as though she were con- vinced of just the opposite effect having been attained. Miss Libby was, moreover, unwilling that Edna should drive off without having a taste of the quality she imagined to be reflected by her own person from her bigh-born companion. ‘*Dear Mrs, Willard!” she said, advancing to the side of the Surrey with a labored glide-droop- and-hauneh movement that was meant for an impressively majestic sweep; ‘‘no one kin have more complicitude over your retrievement than me, But surely you're not going to skip off with making a depology to our consulted guest, Ceunt Omeerando?” Notwithstanding that his countship suddenly stuffed his handkerchief ia bis mouth, as if threatened with an apopletic fit, Edna managed to get the scene over by murmuring out what mizht bave been construed into an apology, and the hapless visitors drove away. “Tm sorry you permitted your temper to master you, my poor dear,” said Edgar after a long pause, though with no reproof in his tone, **So am I,” was the simple reply. couldn’t help it.” ‘* No harm was done,” growled out the old detective. ‘* The gust has rather done her good than otherwise, and the guilty scoundrel will yet make sign.” ‘* What!” exclaimed Edgar, in a tone of relief: ‘vou also continue to hold O’Meara guilty of the outrage?” ‘* More than ever.” “Then you donot regard the alleged alibi problem?” ‘* Alibi fiddlesticks! What was to prevent him from hoodwinking the Webbs at pleasure by remaining absent from his room the greater ortion of the time he pretended to be in it? aat would have afforded time enough for the kidnapping trick and more than enough for such a consummate plotter,” ‘‘But, in that case, he must have trans- eas the custody of his captives to somebody else. ‘“‘Of course he would have had a confed- erate.” **Don’t you think the circumstance of the nurse, who is a robust and sensible girl, being pulled into the close coach after the baby, with- out making a noticeable struggle or outcry, as little short of incredible?” $ Yes} though it still might have been man- Y ‘** But how?” | ‘“‘TP}l tell you better when I know. But chlo- roform, combined with boldness, muscularity and cleverness, might have effected it. But, as I’ve edn 2 said, O'Meara will show his new hand, and that before long, depend on it.” This prediction was speedily verified. CHAPTER XXIX, AN INTERRUPTED STORY. NOTWITHSTANDING the agony of suspense the oung couple continued to endure, they tried to »@ responsive, directly after dinner, to Spring- steel Steve’s earnest request that they should listen to the story of his unsuccessful quest of the treasure-bunter. “T want you to force yourselves to listen to what I bave to say, my dears,” said he, ‘“ It will not only prove a rata 4 but may divert your thoughts somewhat, in how degree, from this misfortune, which both of you must see cannot in the least be mended by any rsonal action on the part of either of you. heriff Jake is awake in your best interests, and don’t you forget, my friends, that he is a whole donble team, with a tandem attachment, when fairly started.” Rain had begun to fall, and the consultation took place of necessity within doors, notwith- standing that the air was sultry and close. But it was destined to other interruptions than in all its fury. : Jn the first place, the ex-detective had just got well s in came from Langley. 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