Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 532 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

“ . Hw ** ‘3 U % me ee 14 Opening ‘the portal without noise, she let her small figure inside. A deathlike stillness pervaded the house, aud there were shadows everywhere which the growing morning could not chase away. Lucy went up y into the house proper on tip- toe. She glided down the ghostly hall to the arlor with her heart in her throat, and her limbs shaking beneath her. All was still in the luxuriously furnished room, and the heavy curtain hung close between the parlor and Juliette’s bed-chamber. Beyond the dark crimson folds of this curtain lay a mystery. Lucy felt’ this in the depths of her soul, yet while she would have given much to have been far away at that moment, no power could have kept her from going on. Bre took new breath, summoned additional courage, and went forward. Her footfalls on the velvet carpet seemed to sound like the reports of pistol caps. At length she put out her hand and took hold of the curtain, then she drew it aside on its woodea rings, and felt her heart stand still. At first Lucy saw nothing, for the bedroom was dark, but in a moment she knew she was confronted by a startling presence, It seemed to rise before her in all the ghostli- ness of death. Juliette occupied the same chair in which she had left her, but now her figure was thrown back, and her bead rested on the back of the seat. One hand was elinched on her bosom as if in keeping with the deep-set agony of the white face that looked out of the demi-gloom at the staring child. The other hand hung over the arm of the chair at its owner’s side, and Lucy saw that it was shut, too, but in a different | manner, as if it clasped something. All this bursting upon the gir!’s vision without much previous warning did not drive her back, It seemed to nail her to the spot. ** Juliette is dead!” cried Lucy, and then as if she repented of what she said, she finished with: **No! no! It cannot be,” But her first words were the terrible truth. The chair before her held a corpse and the hand hanging over the velvet held a vial with- out a cork and empty. : Lucy’ s first thought was: ‘‘ What “shall I of She had seen enough to drop tho curtain and retire to the shadows of the parlor, “They will find her soon enough. Juliette has killed herself, after giving me the last mes- sage she had for any one—for the detective, I don’t want the police to take me up and make me tell what I know, Captain Pygmy might find me then, and I am tired of being in that man’s employ. Perhaps I ought to leave the sealed packet on Juliette’s table and let the police find it when they find her. No! I prom- ised to deliver it to Javert, the detective. It was the last promise I ever ‘made J uliette, and she has been kind to me. I ought to keep my word to her.” The girl got new courage while she thought, but she did not go back to the chamber and its dead occupant. ‘*Tam going to keep my promise,” said she resolutely. ‘‘ I don’t know what has become of Javert, but I will find him! If I let the police find me they may find the packet, too, and then I could not keep my word with Juliette. By and by Lucy stole back to the hall, and thence up to the little room she sometimes occu- ied 4 tt ‘did not take her lon g to gather together her few worldly goods, When Juliette found her on the streets she was without a home, and the possessor of no more clothes than those which covered her. Now she was but little richer, and again she was going back to the streets. Down to the basement and up therefrom to the pavement was the journey of the dead woman’s protegee. Fortunately nobody saw her emerge from the house, and when she found herself away from the building, she almost ran. **T know nobody to whom I can gO, save Tom and his mother,” thought she. ‘‘The police oes, hardly look for me there. It is my only Oo Carrying the dread secret of Juliette’s house ' the house of Mrs. in her heart, and the sealed packet on the out- | side, the girl mystery of Gotham did not pause | till she knocked timidly at a door on the top | floor of a large wooden building. When it was opened by a thin-faced woman, who opened her eyes wide at sight of her visitor, Lucy walked in and let slip a breath of relief. A search in a closet brought to light the Bete | cles asked for by the girl, and in a short time she was writing at a table that shook on its insecure legs. When sbe had completed her task, she went over it and read as follows: “To CapraIn Knox, oF THE Potice:—Please go to Juliette Jansen, No — N— street, and see if she doesn’t need help. The house is locked, You are needed there. ‘ONE wHo Knows.” Sealing this message in the envelope, Lucy addressed it to Captain Knox of the New York police, and then looked up at Mrs. Ferris. “You cannot read, I believe I once heard you say?” said she. ‘*No, and not sorry, either, for it’s kept me from knowin’ how much misery there is in the you ” was the answer. ‘‘ Why do you ask me, girl? ‘*Oh, the thought just happened to enter my head. Will you go down to the drug-store, get a stamp, and drop my letter into the box?” ‘* Certainly, my little one,” and away went Mrs, Ferris with the letter and a penny. Lucy Lemon had no acquaintance with Cap- tain Knox of the police. She knew there was such a person, for she had heard him spoken to by name in Union Square Park. Beyond this he was as unknown to her as were the other thousands of the force, The letter was promptly mailed by Mrs. Ferris, and in course of time, and very short time at that, it fell into the hands of the stal- wart and handsome hoes captain to whom the girl bad addressed it By such means was the city acquainted with the tragic death of Mrs. Juliette Jansen, and the papers had the usual account and specula- tions, with Lucy’s letter to Captain Knox in fac-simile, Tom Ferris, a boy of fifteen, bright-eyed and keen, brought a penny paper up to Lucy the next da “Here!” heexclaimed. They’re lookin’ high an’ low for the girl Mrs. Jansen took to raise. The bull police force an’ all the reporters have their eyes open for you. They think you know something about the mystery of Neves street. Poke yer head out o’ doors, an’ you’re gobbled up! Now’ s yer chance, of course, to become famous an’— ‘* But I don’t want to be found!” interrupted Lucy, growing white. ‘‘I havea secret, and a deep one at that. I want to stay here till they have ceased to look for me, and then I want to jind aman!” ‘*Mebbe I kin help you,” proffered tne boy. ‘* No, you cannot. 1 have a message to de- liver to a certain person—I’ve promised the dead to deliver it—and I shall do so if I have to turn the city inside out in my work,” ‘* Ts he connected with the mystery?” ** Not much.” ‘Ts he related to Mrs. Jansen?” ‘*Tom! Tom! don’t botber Lucy with ques- tions,” broke in Mrs, Ferris, and the boy re- luctantly obeyed. The next day and the next the papers reported the failure of the police to find Mrs, Jansen’s protegee, and, at last, with the packet in red wax in her bosom, and still hunted, as she knew, Lucy Lemon went down the ric kety steps of the tenement and glided away among the shadows of night once more to find, if possible, the trail of Jack Javert, the Independent Detective. It was a mission that seemed futile. CHAPTER XIX, THE FLY IN THE THRALL, Lucy’s first journey was, as a matter of course, to the office formerly tenanted by the city sleuth, She thought that be might have come back during her hiding and taken the old quarters. Still fearful of being recognized and pounced upon by the argus-eyed police, she proceeded with caution, with her shaw! so arranged about her bead as to prevent recognition. She found the same placard of ‘‘ For Rent” on the office door, and the surroundings had the same empty look. Disappointed, she went down the stair again, and once more into the street. Now she was watched. If she had baffled the police still on the lookout for Juliette’s protegee, she had failed to keep out of the sight of a certain little man, whose short limbs seemed to possess the nimbleness of a monkey’s. The man kept close to Lucy, following her some distance, with his black eyes beaming with mingled delight and satisfaction. He did not appear anxious to overtake her, which he could have done at any time, but he was careful not to “What! have you left your rich age AB cried — the woman, glancing at the little pac girl carried, i te Don’t talk akcut her now, Mrs. Ferris,” said ucy ve: Dve invited you to come before, but you | thought you was in clover with—” The woman caught herself and stopped. **T want a bit cf paper and an envelope,” con- tinued the girl. age the | **T have come to stay with you awhile.” ; let her lengthen the space between them. **T guess I’ve got her where I can show my hand,” said the man to himself, accompanying the words with a light chuckle. ‘* 1 think the child has been in hiding a couple of days, for I’ve watched the house along with the police, and I am sure she has not been there.” Lucy was now several yards ahead, and her ' pursuer suddenly quickened his gait, and one of _ his bands droppea lightly upon her shoulder as “Pll have te rob Tom, but he won't object | he said: when he knows ¥ hy I did it.” ** My child?” Jack Javert, the Pe ea leak OO i CP oy eee ee © ene eee Detective. The girl broke away from Tee as Ua ave, | Ga ea IC | te da a touch with a cry of alarm, and turned to see who had spoken. It is I, ” continued the man, ‘ve been looking for you this long while. I don’t wen- der that you haven’t been about after what has happened.” Lucy stood trembling before the man who was the Just person she wanted to meet just then. If she could have chosen she would have preferred the police. ‘‘ We’re near the house fortunately. We won’t take the Park for it this time; it might not be safe, you know,” he went on, his hand tightening though gently on ber arm. ‘ | don’t want to go. Iam busy now,” plead- ed Lucy. ‘This is business for both of us,” was the re- sponse. ‘Let us get away from here. The police have sharp eyes, and they want you et.” Without making an effort to get away—the grip on her arm told her that a trial would have failed—the girl allowed herself to be taken along some distance, then down a side street, and into a house which her conductor unlocked like an old tenant, Lucy was taken into a room which was quite dark till a band turned on the gas, when she got a better view of her captor. She had fallen into the hands of the spider of the streets—Ca 4 eae Pygmy, the dwarf! ‘‘ 1m glad ve found you,” said the little man, with a broad smile, ‘‘ You can let in some light on several dark places, You wouldn’t have been in hiding if you did’t know something about the affair, eh, child?” ‘ About what affair?’ asked Lucy. ‘¢ Ho! vou must not try to hoodwink Captain Pygmy!” was the quick retort. ‘* You can’t get anything without his assistance. The name and the fortune wil! go glimmering if you don't play fair with me. Now, what do you know about the mystery ?” Lucy’s one desire was to get away. She had started out to find Javert, the detec- tive, and here she had fallen into the accursed clutches of Captain Pygmy. Young as she was, she bad come to see that the rascal was playing some deep and adroit game of his own, that be was using her to fur- ther his own ends, and that when he had suc- ceeded, he would laugh at the folly which had drawn her into the web. ‘¢ Did Juliette kill herself in your presence?” continued the dwarf, Lucy drew back. “No, Idon’t want to talk about the awful affair. I can’t throw any light on it and—” ‘¢ Why tnen have you been hiding from the olice?” broke in Captain Pygmy. ‘* You don’t faaw anything at all, and yet you shun the cops as if each one was a walking pestilence. You want to be known as quite innocent, my owiagc but, ?m an old fox, and they’re not often ucht, ” is manner was insulting and his eyes full of fire. Lucy, inspired by a resolution suddenly form- ed, looked at him without replying. “Take your time; I’m here for all day if necessary,” said the dwarf, crossing his legs. ‘¢J’m here for the truth, child. I want to know all that Juliette did before she died.” A thrill passed through Lucy’s brain, and she thought of the packet at that moment in her bosom where it had been ever since Juliette had intrusted it to her for delivery to Javert. ‘“‘T have said that I was not there when she did the deed,” said the girl. ‘¢ But you ‘were seen to leave the house some time before. What sort of mission did Juliette send you off on?” Lucy started. Had Captain Pygmy a suspicion of the truth? ‘* Don’t want to tell, eh? he went on, before she could frame a reply. ‘* Made up your mind to play against me, 1 presume? You don’t want to know the secret connected with your life, nor to put your hands on the fortune.’ ‘Tf they are to be mine , they will come any- how, no matter what I do.” “They will, hey? Giri, you have no concep- tion of how affairs stand. When you fight against me you fight against yourself. Come! act with some discretion and tell me what you know.” ‘‘Tf Thad known how Juliette died I would have told the police.” ‘No, it was not that which kept you back!” cried the dwarf. ‘‘ You didn’t want to be quiz- zed about your last relations with her. hat was ber last command?” Lucy’s lips seemed to meet with a firmness that irritated Captain Pygmy. He left the chair into which he had deposited his dwarfish body and went to a window, A sharp click followed his halt there, and then he threw a look toward the door. ‘‘ The police won’t look for you here, neither will any one,” said he turning upon Lucy whose wonderi ing gaze had followed him. ‘It is web against web and spider against spider. I know 4 all, child. ‘You’ve gone clean back on Captain ‘You want some ‘other one to laa g i Whe 5 you lett icomicbooks CO “4 ‘a /