Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 574 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

«fj f yj . " _ | tined to be no 20 Old Falcon’s Double. —— ee But light head winds, in which the sloop’s sailing qualities were at the worst advantage, now prevailed. There was no sign of any boat, and the head- lands of St. George’s Harbor were in full view soon after sunrise of the following day. After the yacht had come to anchor, Eleanor anxiously awaited such news as should be brought her by Charles, who had already put off for the town, accompanied by Sherwood and Spender, in theall but certain anticipation of finding the castaways there, or word of them, as having arrived at Hamilton, the chief town of the adjoining island of Great Bermuda. But when she at last perceived the boat re- turning there wasa generally discouraging air about it, anda few minutes later both How- land and Spender déjectedly shook their heads at her. ** Scoundrel’s luck!” exclaimed Charles, as he came up over the side. “ What!” cried. Nelly; among the saved?’ ** Yes, with but two others. He has been on the island, and he is off again.” He pointed far away to the eastwurd, where a dim trail of gray smoke against the soft blue of the horizon line indicated the passage of an out- going ocean steamer. ** itis the French steam freighter La Touraine, from Martinique for Havre,” he said, bitterly. **She quitted St. George’s last night at ten o'clock, and John Burley is her passenger.” In brief: Burley and two others, Gando and Bertazzo, had alone survived the wreck of the Fearnaught, escaping in her only boat. One of the trio, Gando, had died on the passage from the nameless atoll to the Bermudas, The others had reached St. George’s at noon of the day preceding the Ganymede’s arrival. Bertazzo was ina dying condition, and was taken to the marine hospital, where he now was, delirious, and with no hope of recovery. Burley, however, had succeeded in bearing up wonderfully, and, as he was said to have been well provided with money, the probability was that he bad brought away with him all his ill-gotten gains, though this seemed scarcely credible by reason of the nature of the shipwreck. But there was no doubt whatever that he had taken passage for France on the Touraine. Such was the information that had been gath- ered from the authorities of the port. As the Touraine wasa notoriously sluggish craft, however, there was still a chance that, with favoring winds, the Ganymede could out- strip her steam-power with her imraense spread of sail. But, unfortunately, she bad suffered no little strain in the storm, which would render a full twenty-four hours’ detention for repairs ab- solutely indispensable. : Nothing could be done against the unavoida- ble, and while the repairs were in progress the ladies improved the opportunity to make some explorations on shore, where Miss Bigbee, who bad never been in the tropics before was es- pecially exercised over many of the strange sights revealed. ‘Goodness gracious!” she at-one time ex- claimed, as the party came toa pause at the head of an unsavory lane, lined with negro hovels in the suburbs of St. George’s; ‘‘ look at that, Eleanor. Negro boys and gals, half-grown, and as naked as when they were born, to say rhage of the urchins and babies splashing in the gutter yonder!” * Oh, that is nothing,” abstractedly replied Eleanor, chiefly occupied with the surrounding scenery, which was very fine. ‘‘I suppose they are used to it, and the weather is uncomfortably hot, one must admit.” ** Ciel ! Je le trouve tres comique,” (Heavens! I find it very comical), laughed Florine. ‘**A nigger baby especially is just too cunning for anything.” ** Comeek, eh?” snorted Aunt Jerusna. ‘* Rather me trageek and terrifeek, you heartless girl. Oh!” shaking her inseparable parasol aloft with both hands; “‘ why is it permitted? Why don’t heaven rain down scorpions and brimstone on the head of tyrant man, rather than permit bim to wreak this outrage upon whet he vainly terms—ba! ha!—tbe weaker sex?” ‘* Nonsense, aunt!” said Eleanor, a little fret- fully; ‘‘ 1 remark that tyrant woman is quite as ‘was not Burley promiscuous hereabouts as tyrant man, and surely the one sex is quite as Slack and dirty and primitive as the other, Let us go over among those rocks, They say there is a famous grotto with a legended spring in it somewhere around bere,” But Miss Bigtee even found fault with the rotto and its legended spring when they were iscovered, and hoth Eleanor and her maid secretly indulged the regret, as they had fre- quently done before, that the spinster had ever been made one of the voyagers, By inducing the shipyard hands, through - liberal pay, to work day and night, the Gany- mede was ready for seasoon after sunrise of the following day. _ No time was lost in getting under way, and the skimmer of the seas once more sheeted sea- ward upon a long stern chase, which was des- more successful than its prede- be J+? - \ iva. : “> v . hia ae ae of taf er re ee ..+- ° , * ’ ~« - 7 ‘4 . é —_ + . IS ao" <4. . re oes To abbreviate our story, itis enough to say that, after a long and tedious voyage, the Gany- mede reached the port of Havre just twelve hours after the Touraine had come to anchor, and to learn that Burley had instantly quitted ed with the avowed intention of starting for aris. The Ganymede’s passengers lost no time ip making for the same destination. CHAPTER XXXIII, IN PARIS. Upon reaching Paris, in pursuance with a pre- arranged plan of Eleanor’s, with her husband’s approval, Colonel Sherwood took Miss Bigbee and Florine with him to the Grande Hotel, while the young couple, accompanied by Hugh Spender, secured unobtrusive apartments in the Rue de Bandeur, a little by-street of the Montmartre, Eleanor, who had been to Paris several times before, while neither Howland nor Spender had, though both were fairly conversant with the language, bad formed this arrangement for a number of reasons. [n the first place, she wished to rid herself of Miss Bigbee on general principles, while Florine could also be dispensed with, no less than the colonel, Then 1t was her intention to make use of her detective’s disguise almost. exclusively in the prosecution of her quest, and she was more than willing to spare herself her father’s comments upon the same, which would scarcely have been of a complimentary nature. Therefore, almost directly upon the trio tak- ing possession of their new quarters, she made her appearance as the detective’s Double, which phe retained, with but few interruptions, to the end, Howland didn’t like it at first, but quickly became used to the transformation, and after that found no cause to object to it, Before quitting Havre, they had assured them- selves of Burley’s having really taken a train for Paris; and not long after their installment in the capital they had made themselves no less certain of his having arrived there, by applying at the Prefecture of Police, whose detectives, it seemed, had by a fortunate coincidence been on the lookout for an expected criminal from Bar- celona who bore a striking resemblance to Bur- ley, whom they had therefore briefly had under examination. With this as their first clew, Burley at the end of the second day had been traced to an obscure hotel at Chantilly, where, however, all further signs of him had been abruptly lost. ** Look here!” said Eleanor, when two or three more days had been wasted in fruitless trips and inquiries in various directions; “ this will never do. We must change our mode of procedure.” “* What do you propose, then, my major?” her husband asked, with tyvinkling eyes, for she was carrying her fictitious character more bravely than ever before, though still compa:a- tively new to him. ‘* You are the boss in the undertaking, as a matter of course.” ‘* Certainly,” seconded Cousin Hugh. “ We are but subordinate teil-tags to the detective kite of which our friend Falconbridge here con- trols the string—is, in other words, the guiding spirit. ‘* Thanks, messieurs,” nonchalantly, “ but there is little need of telling me what I am so well aware of already.” ‘* But what do you propose, my dear?’ How- land asked, more seriously, ‘* This, for one thing: We must no longer hunt together, or even in couples; but singly and individually —each on his own hook, as they say. ‘** Good idea! if I don’t lose myself or get into trouble when left to my own devices.” ‘ That is just as I feel,” observed Spender. “Paris is so big and intricate and universal, that this search of a single man among its mot- ley crowds is looking for a needle in a haystack, and a mighty big stack at that. And then Nell is persistent in refusing to employ the munici- pal detectives,” ‘* Yes—fcr the present, at least,” she replied. “IT do want to carry this thing through, with- out that sort of assistance. Perhaps it is a matter of pride; but I don’t care.” ** A very good sort of pride, anyway,” ob- served her husband, with one of his tender looks, which more than recalled all she had done for him. ‘* But what is your particular plan now?” “Let us survey the situation first. Unless Burley should have, unperceived, recognized us during the few days we have been in Paris, he can scarcely have any further apprehensions, I think, that we are on bis track,” ‘**No; the fact of his coming here direct from Havre, without much of any concealment, would seem to prove that,” ‘* But don’t let us take anything for granted, my friends,” advised Cousin Hugh, ‘ Besides, he will be on the alert for some sort of pursuit, He wouldn’t be such a fool as to suppose Colonel Sherwood would make no effort to recover the stolen money.” ‘Still, the interposition of the loss of the | would naturally make him feel th iat » < , i a Pa ‘el 1 MO TS tr Wr Pg ae \ ‘ aug aN é 2 . a ae Oh é teed Th 2 ed ee 2 a ee ee eee » =i tolerably secure here in Paris,” Eleanor resumed, ** But [ believe with you that it will be well to take nothing absolutely as granted, either with regard to his state of mind or his movements,” ** W nat is your plan?” ‘** This, for the present. There are still three slight clews to be investigated. One answering the description of our man, as you know, was seen recently in the vicinity of the Cemetery of Pere la Chaise. We have again heard of a sus- picious character who might possibly be among that nest of little streets near the northeastern corner of the Bois de Boulogne. And then the one clew that seemed to promise us the most certainty (barring the Chantilly trail, where we were all but upon him) was at that pretty little wine-shop in the neighborhood of the Tuil- eries,” ** Well.” ‘*T shall set each of you his especial scout,” with a smile, ‘‘ reserving for myself the one that remains.” ‘* That is fair,” said Spender. ‘* You, Charles,” continued the detective’s Double, ‘‘ shall take up the quarter of the Tuil- eries till further orders. Cousin Hugh, I shall intrust youu with the vicinity of Pere la Chaise. And I shall pay exclusive attention to the Bois de Boulogae, This was agreeable all around, and it was forthwith acted on, The first day of the new, or triple, order of in- vestigation, ended discouragingly enough. On meeting in the evening for consultation and a comparison of notes, at their apartments in the Rue de Bandeur, it was found that liter- ally nothing had been effected. / “Never mind,” said Eleanor, cheerfully. ‘There will not always be this monotony of non-success. We must try again.” On betaking themselves cff for the followin day, Eleanor bethought herself of an insignifi- cant little wine-room in the vicinity of the Bois, which had attracted her attention from tde first, yet which she had thus far neglected. She at once soughf it out, took a seat, and, picking up Le Petit Journal, ordered some wine. . The proprietress was a good-looking woman of middle age, and at the tables were two or three men in Llouses, who looked like workmen on a holiday, or out of employment. While she was observantly sipping her wine, a man, very swarthy, very heavily bearded, and attired something like a sailor, entered the place, took a table without seeing her, and or- dered some wine, with bread and cheese, with a slighly foreign accent, ‘leanor was instantly impressed with the no- tion that this man was in disguise, or decidedly anxious to appear other than his real self. He was about Burley’s height, but, as it seemed to her, thicker set and more muscular. She kept very quiet, and fell to secretly watching him narrowly. CHAPTER XXXIV. AN UNLOOKED-FOR ADVENTURE, PRESENTLY when the man bad finished eat~ ing, and was almost at the bottom of his bottle he chanced to turn his face and eyes full toward her. ~ paid for his refreshment, lounged out of the shep with a suspicious uneasiness in his pre- tended leisureliness. Eleanor had thought she recognized a never- to-be-forgotten expression in the black, piercing eyes that had momentarily encountered her own. Instantly she was in pursuit. Perceiving this, the man quickened his pace, crossing the boulevard, and entering the Ro , Then, inasmuch as she was still at his heels, he darted into the woods and broke into a run, She was after him, without an instant’s hesi- tation. Trained in all athletic sports to an extent that was most unusual in an American young woman, even at the present day when so much more attention is being paid to her physical culture than formerly, Eleanor was an especially good runner, and ever since she had taken to wearing her detective’s kabit, she had gloried greatly in the freedom of movement that it af, forded her. : She now put her best foot foremost, and soon had the satisfaction of perceiving her fugitive, fleet enough at the outset, show tyes of distress, chiefly it would seem by reason of his superfluity of flesh and consequent shortness of wind. Presently, wheu a lonely glade of the Park had been reached, he suddenly came to a pause, Then, confronting bis pursuer, he placed his hand warningly in{the boscm of his blouse, and calmly waited, Eleanor had also placed her hand upon her pistol, but, on coming up, a single searching glance was sufficient to convince her that the man was not Burley. ‘‘ My friend,” the detective’s Double hastened to say, ‘‘ Lowe you an apology. You are not the man I Lome ee for, though the resemblancs is somewhat strikin ” The man, who had something not a: a 4 4-3 He started, quickly rose, and having already ” uimtiractive in hia, Gag’r 4 pa; acon altogether “ |