Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 574 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

: sf ’ 4 Z ref ‘* You must be happy over that.” - 4 Oe . = oe. ay! ° ‘ ‘- ~ _-, prez returning at last. . * Yes, monsieur. i] 4 « - manifest any further curiosity‘ — ae ee ee 8 - after introducing Florine to the chefin the lat- ter’s own domain, ‘* By the way, major,” Mr. G—— made bold to observe at last, ‘‘ | presume your initial home business, after your long absence abroad, must be to look up those vanished waiters of ours, who were so sadly wanted as witnesses in the Howland forgery case?” ‘* What makes you think so?” asked the detec- tive’s Double, who was trying to dispose of a newly-lighted cigar, by making believe tosmoke or otherwise demolish it, little by little, without making bimself sick. ‘‘ Well,” with a knowing smile, ‘‘ Mr, Spender the lawyer made many unsuccessful inquiries here with regaad to them, you know, and [ am pretty certain that Miss Sherwood (Gad! with what pluck she stuck to the poor young fellow up to the very moment of his conviction, eh?) was eager to Spend any amount of money to the same end.” ‘*So I have heard; but the city is full of de- tectives, good, bad and indifferent. Why did they not secure the services of some of them?” ‘* Why, they did, asa matter of course, and we got tirel enough, I can tell you, giving the samme non-informative replies to their stupid questions over and over again. But to what end? The detective they were after was not to be secured for love or money, though at present on hand,” ‘Thanks! I don’t mind admitting that I am somewhat interested in the case.” Mr. G—— looked at ‘*‘ him ” keenly, ‘‘ You know the missing witnesses’ names, asa matter of course?” ‘* Yes; Peter Kelly and John Kennedy.” ‘*Correct. I think I can give you something of a pointer toward discovering the whereabouts _ of one of them,” ‘**T shall thank you kindly for it, Mr, G——.” ‘** Kennedy had an aunt, [ am but recently in- formed, who kept a saloon, or low drinking ‘shanty, somewhere in the vicinity of Eagle Rock in the Orange Mountains, over in Jersey.” ** Come, that is perhaps worth knowing, and I am acquainted with the locality, perhaps, What is the woman’s name?” ** Also Kennedy, [am told—the Widow Ken- nedy. John occasionally visited her, it is said,” ‘A drinking shanty? **'Yes; probably one of those itinerant con- veniences that follow up gangs of railroad, tun- nel or other laborers for the purpose of fleecing and poisoning them with rot-gut at the same ti ne.” * (ll look into this, Mr, G——, kindly for the hint.” ‘Don’t mention it, Only too glad to serve you, I am sure. However, the woman may have moved away, or be dead of her own whisky, by this time.” ‘Still the hint may be worth following up. By the way, let me retain it exclusively, will you?” **With all my heart! Though it isn’t likely any one else would apply for it at this late day.” ‘* There is that man Burley.” ** Ah! who secured Howland’s conviction?” ** The same,” ‘* He still comes here occasionally, though no longer with a pretended eagerness to discover the missing men’s whereabouts,” ‘* But you will keep this to yourself, should he ”? Thank you ‘To be sure, Glad to oblige you, though with such a trifle.” ‘* Thank you again, Isee Mademoiselle Du- She ought to have mas- tered, or mistressed, the cooking mysteries of your entire establishment by this time, Suppose you send us in another bottle of that superb claret of yours before we take our departure.” Tuis was done as *‘ Falconbridge” hastened to Fejoin his fair companion in No, 7. ‘Well?’ he demanded as soon as they were alone. ; Florine was somewhat flushed, probably from the heat of the region she had been exploring. - ** Ah, monsieur,” she replied, gayly, “what a place I have been investigating!” *“ No doubt!” ‘* Monsieur Gouter showed me everywhere; and the mystery of that delectable salad is no eis a mystery to me,” ; An Ww ** Overjoyed! the chef’s office! h , itis a regular little counting-house, and he ain orders an 1 directs like an autocrat. be- I don’t lieve be ever touches pot, kettle, pan or dish,” ‘* These chefs are great personages, no doubt,” “‘T stould say so! This one is a heavy brune and very agreeable.” : ** Indeed !” And how pleased he was that I could chat with bim in the true Parisian nch, though to the exposure of many of his ___ provincialisms. An Alsatian, you know.” on =e _— ~~ + “The deuce! and what of that?” Mi ‘‘But I believe he is more than half in love with me already.” eet #6 ea 3 will not forget my prior claims, I trust, 2 “sig thing else?” Aa | | a e burst into a laugh at her companion’s growing impatience. 7 | “ | si? es a i“ + _— - at Jet 4 ~~ » 2. — “ EE stents » S pen . ‘e ree . ae Old Falcon’s Double. Yes; that!” him, The detective’s Double seized it with avidity. “What is this?” he exclaimed, ina yet more guarded voice than had yet been used, ‘‘ A scrap of information worth having,” was the now serious reply, in the same tone. ** How did you get it?” ‘1 stole it from among a number of papers on the chef’s desk as a matter of course.” ‘* Stole it!” But the pretended detective’s repugnance was mitigated, inasmuch as the broken envelope bore a date five or six daysold. The superscription was in a painfully scrawling hand, searcely legi- ble, and he dismissed his scruples in deciphering the contents, which were as follows: ‘‘ ARMONK, WestTcHESTER Co., N. Y. * DEAR Mister GooTrer:— * Kepe this a secret. thow I do hop Mister G is keping my plase for me. This is a mene hole, and I shal only remane in it as long as Mister Burley kon- tinews to pay me well for dooing it. Ime bar-tender in a kuntry gin mill, and the bere aint no better than dishwatter. Imagine my feelings. ** Yours truly, “Pp, Keuty.” ** Falconbridge” examined the date on the en- velope once more, and then, with a frown, put the letter in his pocket. ‘* Six days old!” he exclaimed, in an agony of indignation. ‘* This chef is an infernal and heartless scoundrel!” **'Why so, monsieur?” “You have deciphered this scraw]?” 2) Yes. ”? “Do you not see that a revelation of the man’s whereabouts, at the time it was received, might have rescued Charles Howland from that accursed conviction?” Florine turned a little pale. ** Ah, I do now!” she murmured. ‘‘Come, let us go.” The detective’s Double was once more Calm, It was now the middle of the afternoon. On their way out of the restaurant entrance a man, who bad perbaps been lingering outside for the purpose, suddenly confronted them, with an angrily curious glance directed at ** Falcon- bridge’s” companion. Florine was not a little startled, for all her habitual address, for the man was Jobn Burley. The latter might have accosted her, but tbat he was anticipated by the ‘‘ detective,” who promptly tapped him on the shoulder, with a stern glance that was a very fair substitute for the falcon gaze of his celebrated prototype. ‘*'Your name is Burley, I believe?” ‘*T never deny my name,” ** Mine’s Falconbridge, of which you have per- haps beard before?” ‘*Whatif I have?’ impudently, and yet with au air of being ill at ease, ‘Just this: that your manner of looking at this young lady, at present under my protection, is highly displeasing tome, If you sbould fol- low us it will be afsyour peril,” Burley, who was by no means wanting in courage, though naturally somewhat abashed by the words and name of the Falcon Detective, with whose reputation he was familiar, might bave ventured upon yet another retort, but that he was rudely thrust aside by a strength of arm that slightly staggered him. Then the pseudo-Faleconbridge signaled a down-bound Broadway car, and coolly got into it with his companion, ** Look back,” he whispered, when they were seated, ‘‘ and see if be is venturing to follow us,” ‘* Quite the contrary, monsieur, He is walk- ing rapidly up the street, asif he were very angry.” ‘* Ab!” easily; “it will do him no harm, and we are all right now.” CHAPTER XII. A CLEW STRENGTHENED. ‘“* Micut I ask whither we are going now, monsieur?” asked Florine, after a pause. ‘‘ Certainly, my dear. To the manufac- turer's, whose trade-mark is on the fountain ** Ah, I begin to comprehend,” And the young woman gazed at her companion with un- qualified admiration, The car chanced to have no other occupants at the moment, it being a down trip, and already past the middle of the afternoon, when the tide of traffic sets northward or homeward from lower New York, unless to cross one or another of the rivers into Brooklyn or New Jersey. ‘* Ob, monsieur!” Florine exclaimed, in a low, earnest voice, ‘‘ bow 1 wish you really were a yd ion lan zhed er companion lauzhed. “Why? | ‘You are not only so clever, but vou are bold and brave. I would love you with my whole heart!” | “It’s a pity I can’t be what I seem, then. There is many a man who would barter bis all for your sprightly smiles, my dear, and I more than rt ge scoundrel, John Burley, to be one © n" Peste! that black-eyed little mesmerizer! I to de e- - ’ 4 £ ~ s”)* > 47 fa AR? a * Le ‘4 + > - * <ie i Ste . ne at tet : a And she threw a letter before | with mock gravity, “T am very glad to know More- over, his heart, or what does duty for that or- gan in his composition, is wholly and truly could fear, but never love, such a one, given to one Mademoiselle Eleanor. I know it.” ** Do you? Well, Mademoiselle Eleanor could dispense with the offering, besides cheerfully trampling it under her feet.” Florine Duprez was altogether sincere in the declaration she had made, Though having accepted the Creole’s gold, and perfectly willing to accept more, besides possess- ing little or no principle, she hadn't the slightest idea, at least as yet—of giving up her mistress’s secrets as an equivalent, however gayly she might be willing for the plotter to imagine the contrary. - Alighting near Broadway and Wall street, the pretended detective led the way into a little up- stairs work-shop and salesroom combined, whose external sign was an exaggerated gold pen, suspended, point downward, between two windows at the front, with an inconspicuous as- sociative legend in gilt letters. The proprietor, a crusty-looking little Eng- lishman, was alone as the visitors entered, ‘“You are the maker of this fountain pen, I believe, sir?’ queried the “* detective,” exhibiting the articie, after the exchange of a few common- places, in which he had been careful to be very polite, not to say ingratiating. ‘‘ Yes, and doubtless its seller, too,” was the response, after a mere glance at the pen. “* Few others but myself dispose, at first hand, of the pens I manufacture.” **Could you inform me, possibly, when you disposed of this one, and to whom?’ ‘‘ Hardly.” The man looked at him sur- prisedly. ‘* Who are you, to ask such an odd question, sir?” } ‘*A detective of some repute, Falconbridge by name,” ‘‘Humpb! never heard of you before. Yes; come to think it over, I believe I have, t me look at the pen,” taking it, and examining its inscription through bis glasses. ‘‘ You see, I sellso many pens, even fountain pens, without making any registry of their number or pur- chasers— recollection of this one, which is numbered eight thousand two hundred and forty.” ‘* You have?” ‘Certainly; I sold it late in the afternoon of May, several weeks ago, to Mr. Burley, one of Colonel Sherwood’s clerks, who had bought pens of another sort of me before.” Neither “‘ Falconbridge” nor his fair 1g ve ion could scarcely contain their joy at these words, ‘* Allow me to ask, sir,” continued the former, ‘Chow the date and circumstance happen to be so firmly fixed in your memory.” “Pye no objection. I had just received word of the death of my only brother, and was about to shut up shop, in order to visit bis widow in Brooklyn without delay, when Mr. Barley came hurrying in to make the purchase, I obliged him by uncovering my show-case again, glanced at the number of the pen selected, as invariably do from habit, and somehow this number has stuck in my memory every since,” . The date mentioned was the same on which Howland had declared that Burley wrote and gave him the ts Rparaander San “ok late in the afternoon, in compartment No. 7 of the wine- room, ‘Would you swear to this in a court of law, on occasion, sir?” , ‘©Of course, I would, if required to do so, though I don’t particularly admire courts of law. What’s up, my friend?” ‘‘ Nothing that can possibly cause you per- sonal annoyance. I hope you will excuse an ex- planation at present” ‘‘Oh, just as you please, It’s nothing to me, one way or another.” And, handing back the pen, the old fellow resumed a piece of delicate artisan work in which he bad been interrupted. The ‘* detective” obtained his business card, and then said, suavely: ‘‘ One more question of a less serious nature, if you will permit it, friend?” ; ‘Oh, fire away!” scarcely looking up from his work. ‘Do you read the newspapers?” ‘‘ American newspapers, never!” crabbedly. ‘They once libeled my poor brother Jem in a mining suit, and wouldn’t give him a particle of satisfaction when he applied for it, the devil fly away witb their lying sheets, and smash their dirty presses! Since then, the good old English or Canadian bulletins have been good enough for me.” s Accept my sincere thanks for your frank- ness, sir! And the Siw Spams Eleanor forthwith took her departure with ber companion. ‘* My dear Florine, we are in wonderful luck!” she exclaimed, as they were making their way to the west side Elevated Railway, ‘ heavens! I think we could almost make a case against Burley asve stand, though of course we must bag those Missing witnesses, to make as- surance doubly sure.” — “ Monsieur Mademoiselle,” replied Florine, all this, m (E(@) ait! Ihave, oddly enough, a perfect - Cc 9 1 te ‘1 Vere @ - ° | a 6 i © oO | ‘> ~Vore ee 3 « * 4 ; ‘s ee : = a + 4 ee ee er ee re Eee |