Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 532 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Ee Jack Javert, the Independent Detective. 23 which he recognized. ‘‘ That is the magic cone. «Wherever it touches flesh it marks for life, and _ Captain Javert.” Zubiano brands you in her death trance!” Already the detective was feeling the nau- | | battle?” seating influence of the abominable cone. The adhering particles had burned their wa through his clothing, and were sinking into his | flesh like particles of red-hot iron. He wanted to throw himself beneath the | ‘*Do you mean the woman whom you have waves of a rushing river. In mortal agony as he was, and burned to the bone as he seemed to be, Javert rushed kack to the open cabinet and, despite the smoke which blinded him, gathered up the packages there and sprung from the room, It was by the merest chance that he went down the steps without falling headlong. The door of Zubiano’s. chamber was still closed, and be had no doubt that it was locked, Clutching the prizes he had obtained, he kept on to the front door and jerked it open. The draught of cold air that struck him was exhilarating. His lungs filled with the night atmosphere ex- pelled the noxious vapor, and the door had hardly closed behind bim ere be wished bimself back in the house to contend with the maid and her mistress’s magic. But Javert did not carry out his first thought and go back. ‘* By Jove!” cried he, “‘ the girl knows how to use some of Zubiano’s black-art appliances, if she does not share her secrets. I will go back to my lodgings and see what the visit netted e detective went up the street and vanished. A few minutes afterward he let himself into a small room, in a large building full of similar apartments, and placed bis spoil on a table, ** Now, my maid of fire, we will see what the trip yielded,” muttered Javert, with a smile. “* The serpent-headed ring may not be here, but the net result may be something just as conclu- sive. In the small hours of that night of adventure and peril, the city sleuth set to work to untangle still further the skein which had been placed in bis hands by Nora Raymont. He had found the murderess, but dead in her den of magic—ruthlessly killed by the merciless hand of Captain Cinnabar, the chief spider of the web. He first made sure that no keen eyes had been raised above the transom, that Monte was not in the narrow hall, watching as before, when he had seen him with Lucy, whom he had res- cued from the hands of Captain Pigmy and the wily Felix. avert broke the seal of one of the packages, and opened it, He found a number of letters which he did not understand, and they were laid aside. Packet after packet he took up and opened, At last but one remained. ‘¢ Tf it is not here I am beaten,” said he, He removed the outer covering of the last package with eager fingers, a small box like a jewel case fell out on the table. Javert picked it uP, and pressed a metallic button beneath the lid, At once the box flew open, and in the light above the table, something shone like two dia- monds. ‘* The proof!—the proof!” exclaimed Javert. Then his quick fingers darted into the velvet- covered little cabinet, and drew forth a ring, whose crest was a weird-looking serpent’s head, with two eyes that emitted flashes of light. For several seconds the detective held the ring between thumb and finger, and studied it with triumph. It was the same bauble which Mariette had seen on the hand of the vailed woman who called at the Raymont mansion on a certain ws and after whose departure the general, or ionel Nero, was found dead, suf- focated by a compound which the men of science could not name. He bad not worked in vain, but he could not band the slayer over to Nora and the law for punishment. — Captain Cinnabar had come between, and death reigned where he had struck. Javert put up the ring and closed the lid of the cabinet. He drew the papers together and tied them in one heap. As he finished bis task he heard several light “aps at the door. n @ moment he was there. ‘Do I disturb you, Captain Javert?” asked a voice as the door was opened. ‘‘ Another day has come and I am anxious to know what you have found.” \ The face of Lucy Lemon was full of eagerness as Javert admitted her and her eyes instantly rested on the burden of the table. ‘* You were not unsuccessful,” she said looking again at the Broadway sleuth. ‘* Not altogether so,” was the reply, ‘* Did you find Juliette’s ring?” Without a reply Javert walked over to the table and took the velvet cabinet from the pack- age there. ‘¢ That is it!” exclaimed the girl when she saw the ring lying in its nest of velvet. ‘‘ That is _Javert who could study her now in the soft day- | | | | the murderess and not the ring?” ; | self with the dead.” With a last look at the house, the New York | Juliette’s box, too, Ah, this was the missing link, ‘** It was the main one, Lucy.” ** Did its possessor surrender it without a ‘*T found her dead,” The girl recoiled with an exclamation of sur- prise on her tongue. called Zubiano the Sorceress?” she cried. “ Yes,” ** Dead? poison vial ? é ‘* Then, the web closed in on her, eh, Captain Javert?” ** It did.” Lucy stood for a moment without speaking, but all the time she turned the serpent-headed ring over and over in her band. Sbe was an object of watchful interest to Did she follow Juliette with the light that stole into the room by the window, ‘** Here it is,” said she at length handing back the ring. ‘‘It cost a life, and it bas become an object of horror tome, I have seen enough of the ring, Javert. Youcan give it to Nora who waits for the proof of c:ime. If it were my property and I were Nora Raymont, I would throw the bauble into the river!” ‘** Nora will not,” replied the detective. ‘* But she will wish that vou had brought her ‘* That is true, but I could not incumber my- The young girl went to the window, and with one band pushed back the plain curtain. ‘*{ wonder if she would tell me now?’ mur- mured the detective. ‘‘She does not seem to know how important she is in this strange game with its webs and spiders, I will ask er,” He let Lucy remain a moment longer at the window strangely absorbed in the scenes below, then he spoke her name. **Whatis it, Javert?” she asked, dropping the curtain and turning quickly upon him, ‘* Come here, girl.” She instantly obeyed, and as she halted in frout of him, she held out both hands as though she knew that he wanted to take them, ** Lucy, child, did you ever dream about your mother?’ he asked, catching her eyes f of wonder and fixed on him, ‘*My mother! A thousand times, Javert!” she replied, ‘* What was she like in your dreams, girl?” ‘*She was always the same person—tall and handsome,” ‘** Something like Juliette?” The girl started. “Why do you bring Juliette in for com- parison? Yes, she was like Juliette, only the creature of my dreams looked younger.” “Then you know pnothing about the real mother?” ‘* No, The woman from whom Juliette took me, told me that she was not my mother,”’. Javert looked at the girl again, and did not speak for awhile. ‘Why don’t you go on, Captain Javert? I am willing to teil you all I know.” “Which is not much, I’m afraid,” returned the sleuth. ‘‘ You have not discovered the life- secret Captain Pygmy, the dwarf, was going to share with you for playing spy on Juliette?” a! have not if he had a secret, the little rogue, He has one, Lucy.” ‘* About me?” a“ Yes.” “Then, why don’t you run it down, Captain Javert?” she asked with a smile, ** What if I should tell you that I had?” She came closer, a thrill of excitement shak- ing her hands in bis grasp. ‘Then you have been on more than one trail all the time!” she cried. ‘“‘I more than half suspected you some time ago. Was the little ware willing to give up his secret, or was he dead when you found it, like Zubiano the Sor- ceress?” “The captain has got into a bit of trouble, but his wits may get bim out. Lucy, I am ei to introduce you to a certain young ady. Ph A phe one, Captain Javert?” naively asked the girl. ‘** Yes, a rich one, too—one of the heiresses of Gotham,” ‘* When are you going to do this?” ‘To-morrow. I shall not be ready before that time.” _ ‘* Do you mind to tell me this lady’s name?” The detective met this question with a smile, “We call her Nora Raymont,” said he, Lucy withdrew her hands; her look became a stare, ~ “Why should she see me, Captain Javert?” she asked. “Wait and see,” CHAPTER XXXII. Nora RayMonr was alone in the reception was alone : room of her New York home. srs ass LL The howse had lately become one of the famous ones of the great city, and it had been pointed out to strangers as the dwelling of the millionaire, who, dying suddenly under sus- icious circumstances, had left but one heir—a beautiful young woman who had vowed to spend every dollar of her great wealth in clear- ing up the mystery of her father’s death, ‘he hour was ten in the morning, and a clock in an adjoining room had just struck the hour in silvery tones when the services of Mariette, the maid, were demanded at the front door. Nora waited quietly for the girl’s report. ‘* It is he, Miss Nora,” said Mariette, appear- ing at the door, and giving ber mistress a peculiar look which was fringed with a smile, ‘* Admit him, Mariette.” The next minute the heavier step of a man was heard, and Nora, with the same quiet de- meanor, saw a tall, well-built person, neatly at- tired, even to kids, enter the room. Dress as he would, Captain Cinnabar would be the California spider in spite of himself. He came forward with the one greeting which he had learned before he left the scene of his deadly webs woven in conjunction with Colonel Nero, the king of the gold banditti of the Sierras, Nora had not seen him since bis call shortly after the tragedy of the mansion, when she told him to his face that she intended to find the true claimants to Raymont’s wealth, even though it beggared her and exposed the past life of her father, She had been prepared for the present,call by Javert, who, concealed in the closet of Captain Cinnabar’s house, bad beard the last consulta- tion between the spider and his spies. “T bave not bothered you for some time, Miss Nora,” said Cinnabar, getting ‘“‘down to business” ashe mentally expressed it aftera few formalities, ‘‘You must have discovered by this time that your task is quite He culean.” ‘Do you think so, Captain Cinnabar?” smiled the heiress, ‘‘ Why, I have barely started in the matter.” The rascal frowned. ‘¢ Your advisers cannot know the magnitude of the task!’ be exclaimed. ‘‘ I assure you that the heirs of the Don Pedro Mine cannot be found at this late day.” ‘* What would a personal trip to the ground itself result mm?” ‘““What! you surely don’t expect to play a hand of that sort!” cried the Californian. ‘*] have not said so, I merely asked,” ‘‘ Neither you nor your agent would find any- thing. The Bon Pedro Mine failed long ago and the woman who claimed to own it disappeared as suddenly as she came forward, She left no children.” Wt Do you know this to be true, Captain Cin- nabar? ! He leaned forward with a cunning smile on his lips. dy You know who General Raymont was,” said he with a wave of his hand. ‘ Therefore, I need conceal nothing, The pretended owner of the Don Pedro ciaim disappeared by his orders, and I, as the immediate captain of the Spider League, and having in my charge tbe deadly web, executed those orders. You need not proceed another step toward the heirs of the Don Pedro, because they do not exist.” Nora received these words with an expression which led Captain Cinnabar to believe that they had made a favorable impression, ‘‘T kavenow a proposition to make,” he went on. ‘* You are anxious to find the supposed murderess of General Raymont.’! “Tt is one of the tasks on which I have set my life,” answere Nora, “Sol have observed. Well, you have not yet found her?” “Thus far the hunt bas not resulted in the success desired.” ‘‘[ thoueht as much because I had not beard of any arrests. Now, Miss Nora, coming back to my words of awhile ago, I wish to repeat that I have a proposition to submit.” **Go on, Captain Cinnabar,” “Tf you will let me name my reward, I will agree to deliver into your hands the wearer of the serpent-headed ring.” / Raymont’s heiress started as she looked at the man who coolly spoke in this strain. ‘*T would want no failure,” said she. ‘““There will be none. I fancy that I am quite as good on the trail as these city shadews whom the people employ nowadays. Besides I'm no novice in tracking people. What is your answer, Miss Nora?” ; ““1t comes without warning, captain,” re- lied the girl, “I confess that I have hada etective in my employ, and—” “In bargaining with me you break- your agreement with bim, eb?’ broke in Cinnobar. ‘“'To a certain extent I would.” — ‘But you gain your ends; that is much!” ex- claimed the western spider. ‘‘ He is liable to follow the trail long after it has become cold. I can throw the murderess at once into your hands, You may fail at last if you let this op- portunity slip. mise that I shall have the naming of my reward, and the triumph is yours. anil oyeye) (C S,CO (E(0) ©, ‘@.2y % ar, “Sudo eee nities 25 — we eS a a iene a