Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 580 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

Shadowing a Shadow. The banker went ahead and told the whole thing, holding nothing back. If anything, he added to the strength of it all. my right to know it, and know it I will. Of course you will be willing to belp me if there is anything you can do to unravel it.” His legs, his body, his left arm—all were bound securely by the steel arms, and only for his great dexterity his right arm would have shared the **]T think we are both of the same mind,” the ‘** Certainly, you can count on me for that.” same fate, r doctor agreed. ‘‘He must be put out of the ‘Thank you, sir. Mr, Armstrong has prom- For a second neither of the men spoke. way, and that without delay. He bas run far | ised to tell me all ina short time, but if he fails With an effort, however, the doctor recovered enough. We will attend to bim this very | to doso I intend to take the matter into my own | himself, and exclaimed: night.” hands for investigation.” | Confound my stupidness! I knew that chair ‘* A desperate disease demands desperate treat- Some further talk followed, and then the was set, but it slipped my mind when I asked : ment,” the banker observed, ‘It is strange | banker excused himself and left the house, ' you to sit down, Ha, ha, ha! it is quite a joke, | how these things should come about, just at this At the evening dinner-hour he was back | but rathbera rough one on you. ou see the time. A year ago we could have defied them | again, and at the table joked with his son con- | chair is intended for patients whom I find it 5 all, and a year later the same; but now they | cerning the adventure he had bad with the old | necessary to hold fast while they undergo treat- ‘ have caught us in a bad time.” lady who had claimed him for a husband, ment.” a * Right you are. But we are equal to them No one outside of the family was present, ** Oh, it is all right,” responded the detective, " all,I think. Whatever points are against us Waldemar took it all in good part, and it was | “‘and it caught me quite unprepared; but I ¥ that detective holds, and as soon as his voice is | soon passed, but the banker had obtained as | thought I would sbow you how we use the re- ¥ stilled the case ends, The woman being insane, | good a descri tion of the parties as the young | volver over on the Slope, Now if you were in if | we have nothing to fear from her alone.” map could give. earnest, and I were really in a trap, you see ‘e **So I look at it,” After dinver he left the house again, this time | that your life would not be worth a cent ” ¥ ‘* Don’t you think that I ought to have stuck | going to the Hotel.” ‘* So it looks;” and in spite of all] his efforts to i my scalpel into Pafmilye, for his blandering ‘‘Is there a Mr. Armstrong stopping here?” | remain cool, the doctor’s face was still very § work in leaving clews of the kind he did bebind | he asked of the clerk. pale. ‘* But,” be added, “it is all a mistake, } bim?” ‘“ There was such a person here, sir,” was the | and of course my life will not have to pay the a ‘*He deserved it, I agree with you,” growled | answer, “but he went away this evening, or | forfeit. 1 will release you immediately.” £ the banker. ‘‘He ought to have been kicked | rather late in the afternoon.” ‘*No harm done, but it was quite a surprise. ir well.” | ‘* And there were ladies with him?” Just undo the thing, and I will put away this if ‘* Have you anything to suggest?” «NO; 6.” shooter as soon as | can move enough to do so,” rt eS au : ‘“‘Humph! |I thought there were. Where did The doctor reached under the chair and fe “‘ Very well, then, come here at nine o’clock | he go to, do you know?” ulled a lever that was there concealed, and Wh to-night and I will have something to show you, ‘“T think he said something about taking a Kinworth was released. ; if I do not miss my guess,” train for the West,” He put away bis revolver at once, mia! **T will be here.” ** And the ladies—” ‘* You will think that a strange reception, I a With that understanding they parted, and ‘*“Come to think about it, there were two | am afraid,” the doctor observed, ** but I assure ‘the banker returned home. ladies bere with whom he was acquainted. | you again that it was all a mistake. I most i Essylt Parmilve was there, having come to | They went away, too,” humbly beg your pardon, sir.” A see him. ‘* Who were they? Sorry to trouble you, but ‘*Do not mention it,” the detective waved; y ‘*T have come here to ask you if you know | it is important to me.” ‘the best of us are likely to err. As long as it aa ‘what the secret of my father’s life was,” she de- The clerk looked at the register, and answered: | was not intended, there was no harm done.” iy manded. ‘They were Mrs. Morgan Milburn and lady ‘* And what if it had been intended?” the doc- if The banker was thunderstruck, Why this | companion, of San Francisco,” tor queried. ‘“ Whatif you bad really been in S question from ber, and at this time? What had Uttering a low whistle, the banker started | the hands of some enemy?” an she got hold of to bring her to him for informa- | for the door. ‘* In that case, sir, you would now be a dead ‘i tion? ‘‘Tf that woman has got the Widow Milburn | man, or I would be free, just as I am;” Kin- : He recovered himself with an effort, and an- | to back her,” he muttered, when he reached the | worth coolly declared. he swered: street, ‘‘ we may as weil give up the fight. Her ‘Then I ain thankful that I am not your { ‘In the first place, I do not know to what | pocketbook is longer than ours by several mill- | enemy!” and the doctor laughed. ‘* Here,” he By you refer; and next, | do not know areca ions, 1 guess.” added, ‘‘ take a cigar and smoke to steady your ie of your father’s that l am aware of. hy do nerves, They must be a little shaky after that 7 you come to me with such a question?” CHAPTER XXVI. experience.” He spoke kindly enough. KINWORTH IN A TRAP, ‘* Not a bit shaky, I assure you,” was the re- i ‘* Being his partner in business, [ thought you Dr. GONSALVO seemed in a lively mood as he | turn. ‘‘Thank you, but I do not desire to J might know more about him than any one else | and Kinworth set out from the hotel to goto | smoke now, You forget that we smoked as we ; would be likely to, that is all. The secret to | the doctor’s house, came along.” ia which 1 refer is that concerning the birth of my- The detective met him half-way, and if there As soon as released the detective bad taken 4 = self and my brother.” was any suspicion in his mind, the doctor could | another chair, one in which there was no uy Blackwall started now in earnest. He could | never guess it. chance for further tricks of that kind, and his mes, not help showing it. As ona previous occasion when he had gone | manner was the same as though nothing had wh ‘** Your brother!” he exclaimed. out with the doctor, the detective had nothing | happened. be - 28, SF. else to do for the time being. Dr. Gonsalvo, on the other band, was mental- hed **T never knew you had a brother.” He had telegraphed to San Francisco for Dr. | ly cursing himself in his rage. Jt was his in- ¥ ‘Nor did I until to-day, but it seems that I | Hubbler, and until be arrived he did not intend | tention, as the reader must be aware, to trap ie had.” to take any further important steps the detective and dispose of him for good. His | an ‘* And where did you get the information? I Likewise, too, he had taken steps toward find- | plan had failed. And now another scheme in | ®% never heard your father say anything about | ing the woman, Dorinda Snipes, if living. the way of a drugged cigar had met with simi- e having more than one child, and that yourself.” hen they reached the ductor’s house, and had | lar failure. Wy **T understand that he kept it a secret, and | entere |, the doctor said: Twice the latter plan bad failed, for he had | a ‘that he did not want me to know of it,” ‘*T will not treat you asa patient, and allow | tried to induce the detective to accept a cigar as ae ‘*T presume the housekeeper has told you, | you to see only my office, nor yet asa mere cal- | they neared the house, when Kinworth had ‘4 then, as she was in your father’s employ, and | ler, and allow you to see only the shed but I | thrown away his, aN would be likely to know about it if anybody.” will take you right into my den, as I do my per- It began to Jook as though the detective was en ‘** Not so, sir, It was an old gentleman who | sonal friends.” not so slow after all, and that be had suspicions ey said he was a friend of papa’s. He called atthe ‘““Thank you,” the detective acknowledged: | that all was not as it should be, ae house to-day to see if he could be of nny assist- | ‘ Lappreciate the honor.” There was nothing for the doctor to do, how- ae ance to me at this time, and he was he who told Their conversation on the way had been for | ever, but to make the best of it, and that he ws me,” the most part commonplace, and of little or no | tried todo while bis brain was busy trying to apt. ** What was his name?” interest to our story. hatch up another means of attack. a ** Armstrong.” The doctor led the way, and threw open the They chatted for a little while, and Kinworth ey “I guess I never heard of him, Well, what | door of his private room, saying: was about Jeading the conversation into a chan- a did he tell you? Iam as much interested in the ** Enter!” nel tosuit himself when the doctor suddenly “t matter as you are, and if I can help you to work Kinworth obeyed, and about the first things | sprung up, exclaiming: 2 it out 1 will gladly do so,” to catch his eyes were the skeleton sentinels and ‘‘There! I came near forgetting that! I | amy “TI must tell you first that I never knew who | the skulls lying around, have a preparation to put up for the person ns ‘my mother was, I asked papa on the night he **'You have quite a chamber of horrors here,” | whom I am expecting every minute, and I must el, died, but he would not tell me, saying that it | be observed, attend to it. lease excuse me,” a v was better that [ should never knov. Now this The dark-visaged doctor laughed. ** Certainly.” ear kind old gentleman bas given me that much in- ‘‘Men of my calling usually have something The doctor turned to a cupboard where he a: formation, if no more; and I thought that per- | of the sort around,” he remarked. ‘I may bea | had a store of medicines, etc., and began to put f 8 haps you might know all aboutit and would | little overloaded, but the skulls are good for | up a mixture in a four-ounce bottle, os, } ‘tell me.” paper-weights, if for nothing else. Sit down.” He taiked as he worked, giving a fictive ac- ug ** As I said, I know nothing. But what have As be gave the invitation he waved his hand | count of the ailment of the imaginary patient AS you learned? You have got me very much | toward a big, easy-looking chair at one end of | for whom the mixture was being made. aa nterested.” one of the tables. When he kad done he stepped to the table and ei ‘*Well he informed me that my mother’s Kinworth stepped over to it and sat down. tapped the office-bell. ae” name was Celeste Whitford, and that she was Instantly a surprising thing happened. There | ~At the same instant there came a ring at the a married July 30th, 1854; that my brother was | was a click, as the detective’s body touched the | front door. ‘ . born—No, be did not give me tbe date of bis birth, | seat of the chair, and several slender steel arms ‘‘Ha! that is the party now,” the doctor ob- : He said that I was born may 20th, 1858. That | shot out and folded themselves over his legs and | served, | 3 was all be told me, and you'can see that it was | around bis body, The door was heard to open, presently, then ee quite enetigh to make me want to know more.” He was in a trap! the door of the front office, and a moment later af ‘So I should imagine. I was not aware that | But that was not quiteall. Barely bad the | the colored man-servant poked his head in at - there was such a secret connected with you. | click been beard, when the detective’s right arm | the door of the doctor’s den and announced: hy Your father never disclosed it to me. What | straightened out and a cocked revolver was in| ‘‘ Mistah Woolerton, sab,” ee, did you say the old gentleman’s name is, by the ! his grasp. That was the name the doctor bad given the , way?” Dr. Gonsalvo turned toward him instantly, | imaginary personage. kK “Is name is Mr, Armstrong, and he is at the | with a smile of Satanic cunning upon his face, A word of explanation will not be out of ~ —— Hotel. I considered it right that I should tell | but at the sight of the revolver aimed straight | place. When the doctor tapped the office-bell, you about all this, as you are my friend,” at his head the smile faded into a ghastly grin | it was a signal to bis darky servant that he Rr ** Perfectly right, my child, but if I were you ! and his face paled. should ring the door-bel! and carry out his part _ I would not pry into the thingany further. Ido] The detective had been too quick for the | of the deception. ' not want to wound your feelings, but vou know rings of the chair, even after the warning ‘* You will excuse me for a moment,” the doc- » ae that where there is a family secret of this kind | click had been heard. His suspicion of some: | tor requested, as he started to go out, . 4 ay there is generally something back of it that is | thing wrong came with the click of the spring, ‘* Of course,” Kinworth answered, io ‘not pleasant. Perhaps you ‘would be none the | and with tbe suspicion his revolver sprung to bis Gonsalvo left the room and closed the door. reve a moos if you were to know it all.” hand—no other words can express the quickness | This latter plan of action bad been arranged as ‘That does not matter Mr, Blackwall. It is | of the movement that put it there, between the doctor and his servant, to be Bh it GOMIEDOOKS.cOomM | j i Ane * es tolt err ee