Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 532 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

i Jack Javert, the Independent Detective. 5 ** Jewelry, eh?” **T know of a ring.” | ‘“* Ho! that’s a trifle, nowadays, np itmay be something in Juliette’s eyes, Well, whom has she put on the scent?” Lucy wondered if the man standing a few feet away wanted her to tell of her errand for Juliette to the detective’s office, but his last words with her—‘‘ Get all out of the man you cap ’—seemed to assure her that she need con- ceal nothing! She evidently thought that her friend Javert was able to cope with any one, and by saying that he was Juliette’s sleuth might reveal the true motives of Captain Pygmy. ‘‘ Juliette is not slow to act,” said she. ‘She pei ready put a detective named Javerton the rail. ‘*The Broadway shadow, eh?” exclaimed the dwarf, ‘‘ Has he called at the house?” ‘* He has been there,” **'W bat does he say about the case?” **T do not know,” ** Javert—Javert!” muttered Captain Pygmy. ** T know something of him. He may interfere with our fortaue if he stays in Juliette’s service, I don’t like these shadows, and I reckon I have cause for hating them. ‘* Now, my child, I want to repeat a part of the letter you received. Eyes and ears are to be kept open night and day, You want to see a certain secret unfold; you want to know something about your life mystery. There is but one path toit, and that leads by Captain Pygmy. f ucy could not suppress the cry that bubbled to her li ‘* You know the secret then? You know who I am?” she demanded. ** Did I say so, girl?” ** No, but—” ‘‘T may talk by and by,” be interrupted, ** But it will surely come if you serve me well, I know more than they think I do,” ‘‘ Is my father dead?” eagerly asked the girl. ** Do you think he is?” ‘Ah! I hardly know what to think. More than once I bave conjectured till my brain whirled. I want to know who [ am, It is a terrible thing to go nameless through the world. It is torture which one can hardly endure and live. I am willing to do almost anything to establish my identity. I want to know about my parents, I want to see them if they are liv- ing. You say that the secret can te mine I serve you. What is it you want me to o? It was an appeal to which Captain Pygmy lis- tened with a smile on his lips. . “ae ‘** You want to do this: Go back to Juliette. Keep eyes and ears open more than ever before; find out whom she suspects of the robbery ; over- hear the detective’s reports when he makes them. Come here to-morrow night, and tell me all you know. Iam Captain Pygmy for a pur- pose, and it is closely connected with your in- terests. You will get your own and know the secret if you serve me, child. This is a i) I’ve wanted to see fairly under way a long time. Ah! Juhette is a shrewd one, She can play lamb and tigress in the same actif it suits her pups Ive seen her play them before, But, y the way, does she ever have visitors of her own sex?” ** Not often,” ‘“*That’s one point,” replied Pygmy. ‘* Who gave you the name you bear?” 2 I don’t know.” ‘ i ? x cnet uliette always call you Lucy? Se ip you ever catch her looking strangely at ou ‘* More than once, Captain my.” ** At night?” Fyemy o'Yaa™ ‘* In her house?” ‘¢ In her house.” ‘‘ Juliette has pretty eyes, eh, girl?” ‘*T think so.” ‘fer mother had before her, but they are @angerous eyes. The family eye has lured more n one victiin to the deadly rocks of fate, They’re at work again for the same purpose, But don’t let me run on at this rate. ou will stand by me, Lucy?” ee took the girl’s hand and held it while he spoke. Lucy glanced to the right and saw the detec- tive still on duty, She could not escape the dwarf’s question. It had to be met and firmly, too, er decision might involve all her future happiness, but it promised to help her to the solution of the mys- tery of her life. ‘I will belp you,” said she, catching Captain Pygmy’s eye, ao I pret ron bya !” he exclaimed. ‘Now I ill make up for the . Now I1 wi hand and crush Be a Beeman ny “Will that somebody be Juliette?” asked taney ‘““If she stands in my way, yes!” was the quick ri ‘IT am a crusher if Iam nota giant. Because lam small and misshapen "— and he held out his long, ppetiee arms so that the girl could see them, “‘I am not a weakling. Serve me—do m eternal heavens I’ll give you name and fortune. Keep track of this detective in any way you can. Play spy when he comes to Juhette’s house, and when Raymont calls don’t let him be out of your ment for a second. A spy in Ju- liette’s house! By Jove! Iam armednow! To- morrow night at eight again meet me here! Fail and lose all, girl. Serve me and win!” He sprung 9 gave the speechless Lucy a wild look and vanished in a twinkling. “In perarce name, what sort of master have I now?” exclaimed Lucy. ‘‘What will Javert ys to this?” he started toward the spot where she had seen the detective last, but he was gone. He was already Captain Pygmy’s shadow, CHAPTER VI. A LIGHTNING BOLT, Ir unaware that he had a tireless sleuth at his heels in the person of Jack Javert, Captain Pyg- my penne some very singular evolutions, Although night had taken full possession of the city, he dodged in and out among the shadows as if trying to escape some one, and his movements which were quick and nimble prom- ised to baffle Javert. Lucy had turned her steps toward Madam Juliette’s, The girl’s head was full of strange and excit- ing thoughts, and while she made her way through the streets with a shaw] drawn over her head for concealment, she wondered what would be the outcome of her night adventure. Javert, however, was not to be outwitted by the man whorn he followed with pertinacity. e had shadowed human game before, and was not going to let this one escape, t was some time after Captain Pygmy’s separation from Lucy in the Square before he halted, or indicated in any manner that the de- tective’s chase had ended. He plunged into a rickety-looking frame, whose second story windows overlooked the lamplit waters of the widening river and bay. ‘* The fox’s hole!” decided Javert. ‘*A long chase, Captain Pygmy, but I have run you down at last. Now are you alone in this game, or does some sharer of your secret inhabit the old house? [ll try to answer this question at another time. I’m satisfied with having track- ed you to the den. Good-night, captain! Oneof these times you will play dead for the wrong arty. Javert turned back. As he had said, he was satisfied with what he had done. He had another play in view. ‘* Now for the woman who is thought to have finished Raymont in some mysterious manner. Captain Pygmy seems to treat lightly Juliette’s loss of the serpent-headed ring, yet, at the same time, Lucy is to watch me, who have promised to find the thief for her mistress! hat makes the dwarf so eager? And he was found in Juliette’s house yesterday morning and was sent to the morgue for dead! I see I’ve got my hands full.” The detective at last ended his long tramp and entered his office, closing the door softly behind him, ‘Vm glad you’ve come,” said a voice as the gas flashed up, and with a start Javert looked around at a very unlooked-for tenant. He was coufronted by a young girl of nine- teen, with bright black eyes and a clear com- plexion. She occupied one of the office chairs and was looking at him with a smile for his surprise, ‘*Don’t you know me?” she continued, ‘I am Mariette, Mr. Raymont’s maid.” ‘** Yes, I know you, but I am not right sure how you got in.” ‘* By the door, to be sure,” laughed the girl, ** { knocked and got no reply, then I tried the knob and lo! the door opened.” ** It was not locked, then?” “It was not. I thought that you had just gone out for a few moments; so I concluded to wait,” ‘** How long have you been here, Mariette?” ‘** Perhaps an hour.” ‘** And you want to see me?” **T do,” ‘Did you forget to tell me something con- nected with the mysterious woman?” ‘*Not so much about her as about the dead man—Ruff Raymont.” ** Well, go ahead, Mariette.” The girl, who was not past twenty, settled back into the chair and remained silent for a second, _ “I wasinhis private room this evening. It is not the library where the fatal interview took place, but a small apartment on the floor above, where I never was before. Sometimes Mr. Raymont would repair to this room and remain there nearly a whole day ata time, When he came out he would look pale and sometimes he would seem to tremble. I always had a curi- osity to enter this Bluebeard-like closet, and this cron ye my eagerness got and kept the upper folds of ber gown, eye. Mariette’s right hand disap ed among the followed or the detective’s bidding, Lucy, and by the | | which was extended toward Javert, who took | it with an inquisitive look at the girl. When it came forth it held a small packet ‘From the look of the private chamber,” re- sumed Mariette, ‘‘ Mr. Raymont must bave been disturbed at his desk - the entrance of the strange visitor below. Nobody, not even Nora, seems to have thought of the room above, there- fore I found it in the state left by him for the last time. In the open desk lay this packet, and I would not have touched it if I had not seen on the topmost paper a name which struck me pe- culiarly, See what you think of my find, Cap- tain Javert.” The detective turned to the papers which were tied with a bit of plain cord, ‘* Did you tie these up?” he asked, ** Yes, They were slightly loose in the desk.” ** Did you lock them through?” ‘* Partly,” was the prompt confession. ‘t You know a.woman’s curiosity. I am troubled with | more than my share of it, I think. I looked at the top paper because of the name I bad seen,” By this time detective Jack had opened the packet and his bands had already unfolded a | paper headed: **Memoranda of Agreement between me and Cap- tain Cinnabar and others.”’ Below this followed the words: **Camp Satan, June 3d, 1867.” “Twenty years ago,” murmured Javert over the date, and then he caught Mariette’s eye: ‘* Was it the name of Captain Cinnabar that struck you?” asked he. ‘““Tt was.” ‘* What do you know about him?” ‘* He calls sometimes at Raymont’s house,” ** Have you seen him?’ ** Often.” ** What is the captain like?” ‘*He is tall and straight, with a dark-brown skin, long black hair, eagle-like eyes, and has a hand with one finger missing.” ‘*'You are a close observer, Mariette,” smiled Javert, “The man engaged my attention the first time ° he called. I think he is in love with Nora,” = bag young mistress, eh? Did she ever say so ‘** No, sir, but I have eyes, you see, captain.” **So you have, and good ones, too. Now, let me look over the dead man’s notes,” The young shadower spread the paper out be- fore him and began to decipber the bhastily- written manuscript. Once he looked up, a gleam of victory and astonishment in his eyes, but Mariette had ceased to watch him, and he went back to his task without remark or comment, ‘*Did you read this all through, Mariette?’ he asked when he had finished. st Gid.? eet you possess a secret. Don’t you think sO The girl colored. ‘** Yes, that paper holds a deep, dark secret, Ruff Raymont was once a mine king, a gold- camp boss in the Wild West. He drew about him men of desperate character, of whom Captain Cinnabar was leader,” “That is true.” ‘The notes are plain on that score,” she con- tinued. ‘‘But, that agreement between Ray- mont and the men provided for the commission of a crime. What are they to do, Captain Javert? You have read the paper carefully. A human life stood in Raymont’s way then— twenty years ago. Even then there was a woman in his road, and he found her there a few hours since.” ‘* The same woman, Mariette?” ‘**I do not know,” answered the girl, shaking her head. By Sarg Heike ago Captain Cinna- bar agreed to find ymont’s pest and silence her, Those notes make this very plain. Now, did the captain carry out his part of the cove- nant?” ‘We must find out?” ** We?” echoed Mariette with asmile, ‘ That is your work. Remember, I am notin this case. You are Nora’s sleuth-bound, as she calls you. She expects you to find the mysterious caller and to prove that, by some means, she killed her father. Nora wants vengeance. She does not dream that ber father ever had a compact with Captain Cinnabar, or Xerxes, or Monte, Do you see that a drama, begun in California, nas, by some means, been transferred to New York?” “*T have a mind to take you in with me and make a female shadow out of you!” exclaimed Javert, ‘*No! I will not assent!” was the retort, ‘I am already too much mixed up in this mystery. You will let me go back now? ae the papers if you wish. Their owner is dead, and Nora knows nothing of their existence.” ‘* I want them, so will retain them,” said the detective. He accompanied the maid down the stairs to the sidewalk. ‘* Has Captain Cinnabar, or the man known ae ed since the tragedy?” he asked. 0. ‘* Where does he live?” ‘* He did occupy a house on N—— street.” EGbooks.G © com