Beadle's Dime Library No. 628 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ee — +" -* > ee eee 14 “Oh, yes, there isn’t any mistake about the matter,” the supposed lawyer asserted. **T declare! l never expected to hear anything of that kind\” * Mr. Engleburt was a very wealthy man, one of the richest men in the country, and if this lady succeeds in proving that ene is his widow— and she will owe a deal of thanks to you if she does—there is no doubt that she will get three millions of dollars, perbaps four or five. ‘*That is a point that I cannot speak posi- tively upon, for Iam not well posted in regard to the exact value of the estate, but there is no doubt that if this lady establishes ber claim she will be one of the wealthiest women in the country. *“* Well, I must say that I am surprised!” Miss Jones declared, unable to get over her amazement. ‘“* So if she has agreed to give you anything in consideration of your testifying in her be- half it ought to be a handsome sum, for she can well afford to part with the money if she suc- ceeds in winning.” Miss Jones was not sharp enough to see the trap, but her honesty enabled her to keep out of it. “*Sakes alive!” she cried, ‘‘she never said that she would give me anything! I never thought of such athing! I guess 1 ain’t one of them kind of creatures that has to be paid for telling the truth. ** She is welcome to my story if it will do her any good, and I should not dream of charging her a cent for it, either! **T can make a living without sponging on other people!” ** Ab, yes, I see, but she ought to make you a handsome present if she wins,” **T don’t care for it, but I suppose you would _ like to see her, wouldn't you?” ** Yes, I certainly would.” **] will call her,” and the landlady hurried away. CHAPTER XVIL THE WOMAN SPEAKS, In ten minutes Miss Jones returned, accom- panied by the mild, blue-eyed, blonde English girl to whom the reader has already been in- troduced, ‘*Thisis Mrs. Engleburt,” said the landlady as she presented her companion to the disguised detective. Joe Phenix rose, bowed as politely as though she had been the first Jady in the land, and ina few well-chosen words expressed the pleasure ho felt at meeting the lady. Then the landlady said she hoped that the otbers would excuse her asshe had some work to which attention must be given and then depart- ed, The gentleman hastened to bring achair for the lady, ‘Did the landlady explain to you the naturo cf my errand?” he asked after they had seated themselves, ‘*Oh, yes, and she said that you were not at all the kind of person that she expected to see,” the lady remarked in a simple, childish way which would be apt to gives the impression that she was not in the habit of weighing her words before she spoke, “Is that possible?’ the disguised detective remarked in that smooth, bland manner which had so favorably impressed Miss Jones. ** Well, her idea of lawyers was that they were a cross, disagreeable set of men, but she declares that you were as pleasant as could be, and she did not mind being questioned by snch a gentleman as yourself,” . ‘I assure you I am really delighted that I was lucky 8p to make a favorable impres- sion upon the lady, and I trust I shall be equally fortunate with yourself, Mrs. Engleburt,” and he made a gallant bow. ‘* Oh, yes! there is no doubt about that!” the lady exclaimed, her mild, blue eyes beaming kindly upon the gentleman, ‘Miss Jones’s description pre me, and the moment I saw you I felt certain that we would get on well to- gether!’ * Reallv—upon my word, [ feel excessively y—upo aes !” the gentleman declared with another Wire ** You don’t mind my plain speaking, I hope?” she said, abruptly, with a little touch of shy- ness, as though the thought had come to her that it a not be agreeable. ** My dear Mrs, Engleburt, if thereis anything J admire in this world it is candor!” ‘*Oh I am so glad of that!” the lady declared, **T know that Ihave an awkward fashion of saying just what I think, without sit ag to consider whether I ought to speak or not. Lam aware that it is not the proper thing to do, still I cannot help it: it is my nature, and I suppose I shall never learn to be reserved,” ‘*Ah, my dear madam, if you have no worse fault than that you may consider yourself to be extremely lucky.” ; ‘*Ohb, as far as that goes, I don’tdoubt that I am a whole bundle of faultsas yon will probably discover when you have known me Jong enough to find just what kind of a woman I am!” Mrs, - d ‘ ? ; ‘ee my a dp _Joe Phenix’s Combine. — Engleburt declared with an expressive shrug of her shoulders. ** But there, I am chatting away just like a foolish school-girl, taking up your valuable time, which is extremely stupid in me, of course.” ‘Oh, there is no haste, I assure you.” ‘* Ah, you are merely saying that to please me I am sure!” the lady declared in her placid good- natured way. ‘‘ But Lam all ready for my ex- amination, and you can begin as soon as you please,” ‘* This is rather a disagreeable task,” the sup- posed lawyer began, striving his best to’appear kind and courteous, He ho got theidea that the woman wasa most excellent actress. He believed that all Ler simplicity was assumed, and that the round babyish face with the mild blue eyes was no in- dex to the heart she carried within her bosom, So, acting on this notion, he was doing his best to play his part to perfection, He felt that he was in the presence of so able an actress thatany short-comings of his own in that line would surely not escape her notice. ‘** Well, I do not know, of course,” she remark- ed, slowly and in a doubtful way. ‘*T don’t really see why it ought to be,” she added. ‘*‘ You have come here to find out all about me, and asl am prepared to-answer all your questions we ought to get on splendidly together,” ‘* Yes, that is the truth, but you do not seem to understand I shall have to question you just jas if I suspected that there was something wrong about your story.” | The lady appeared to reflect over the matter for a moment, and then she said: ** Yes—I suppose you will have to do that but if you do not question me you will not find out what you want to know; that is, unless I tell my story myself, and [ should think that it would be much better for you to ques- tion me, | ** You need not be afraid to speak freely, for I will not take offense, no matter how inquisitive you are,” she hastened to say. ‘*T am not going to tell you anything but the truth, and there isn’t anything that I am anx- ious to conceal.” ‘* Well, well, Ido not see why we should not get on nicely together!” aud the supposed lawyer rubbed his hands together in a manner indica- tive of grent satisfaction. ** You know, all this strange affair seems like a dream to me,” the lady declared, shaking her head in a doubtful way. ‘‘ And I do not be- lieve I will be sure that it is the truth until [ am placed in possession of the money,” ‘* Have you any objection to give me a slight sketch of your life?” the gentleman asked, ‘*T judge that you are noé¢ a native of this country.” There was atrapin this pleasantly made re- a tin——— ee quest, If the woman was an adventuress—one who was playing a part for the sake of clutching arich prize, she would know well enough that her past life had nothing whatever to do with her claim to be the widow of Abrabam Engle- burt. No one had a right to ‘know anything about Ler previous to the first meeting with the great money-king. If she was an experienced adventuress she would be apt to suggest to him that he had made a mistake in asking such a question. But the acute Joe Phenix was doomed to be disappointed, for the placid expression upon the lady’s face did not change in the least as she an- swered, ; ‘ Certainly, of course, but I have not much to tell! Did this reply proceed from simple innocence or was she so dee o versed in trickery, as to be able to detect that a trap had been laid to catch her? With all the detective’s experience he was not able to decide which was the correct one of these two assumptions, **[ shall listen with a great deal of pleasure, I assure you!” he declared. *“*T am English by birth, a Londoner, and have lived'in London about all my life,” she began, ‘* My father’s name was John Green, my mo- ther’s Martha, the same as my own, ‘‘ Both my parents followed the stage fora living, and when I became old enough I, too, oe a professional—I was an only child by the way, ‘* By their art of acting my parents managed to make a living, not a very good one, it must be confessed, for neither ona of them held a prominent position; both played small parts, and received small salaries, ‘* As a child, when 1 began to act, I was thought to be very smart, and got quite a good salary, but when I grew older the conviction gradually forced itself upon me that I would never be able to make anything on the stage, and so I made up my mind to leave the profes- sion as soon as I could, . ** 1 bad received a good education, for my mo- ther taught me herself. She was a gentleman’s | daughter who had run away and married the a C—O aS ee — a. ee . —_—_—_—_—_—_— 8 ee eee ———— father promptly disinherited her and none of her family ever bad anything to do with her af- ter her unfortunate marriage. ‘‘T told my mother that I wanted to stop acting, and so she prepared me for a governess, but after I was ready to start in my new career [ found that I would have a great deal of diffi- culty in getting a place, for [ had no recom- mendations, and the fact that I bad been on the stage Operated against me,” ‘Yes, [should imagine ‘that it would be so, for there is a prejudice against stage people,” the gentleman remarked. ‘* Finally I got a position in a gentleman’s family, in the North of England. The pay was very poor and the work very hard, but I en- dured it for the sake of getting a start, thinking that it would lead to something better. ““Then there came a sudden culamity in my life; both of my parents died, being carried away by a malignant fever, and I was left all alone in the world, and as misfortunes never’ come singly, right after this sad event [ lost the lace, my employer’s fortune being swept away y some unlucky speculations. ‘*T had no ties to bind me to England, and as I had beard that in this country almost every- body did well, I crossed the ocean, but after arriving here I found that it was just ahout as difficult for a young and friendless girl to get on here as ati home, ‘** Then I made Mr, Engleburt’s acquaintance:. he fell in love with me, and was anxious to make me his wife, **Of course he was old enough to be my fatber, and at first I hesitated; but then he was so- good, so kind to me, so different from anybody that I had ever met, that in a very few days I forgot the difference in our ages, and when one night we were out for a little excursion, he ab- ruptly said that he did not see any reasop why we could not go and get married right away, the novelty of the idea so bewildered me that, almost before I had any idea of what I was doing, I had consented, and we were in tho presence of the minister.” ** That was rather quick work!” ‘Yes, but I bave never regretted it, although we only spent a few happy days together,” and tears came in the eyes of the woman as she spoke, They were genuine tears, for the disguised detective could detect the drops on the heavy golden-hued eyelashes, ‘“‘He went away and never came back,” the woman continued, her voice full of pathos. ‘*Now they tell me that he is dead—that he was a very rich man, and there is a deal of money coming to me; but, ob, sir, [ would much rather have my dear husband than all the money in the world!” “Yes, yes, I can understand that,” the gentle- man remarked in a voice fall of sympathy. ‘*Quite natural, of course, under the cireum- stances.” ‘“‘The revelation was an amazing one to me for I had no suspicion that my husband was wealthy—that is, I mean, very wealthy. ‘‘He was not a man who said much about: himself, and I am not one of the kind who de- light in finding out everything they can. ‘“‘Tam not very curious, even though [am @ woman,” she added with a smile, “‘T can see that he are of a placid nature,, and one who would not be apt to pester any- body with questions,” ‘**Of course, I understood that my busban@ was a business man, and his time was pretty well occupied, but from what little be said I got the impression that he was not in business for himself, but acting for other people; a sort of agent.” ; ** Ah, yes.” ‘““He seemed to have plenty of money, and when I remonstrated with him for buying me such expensive jewelry he only Jaughed,and said that if I was wise I would take all I could get while he was in the humor for giving, and as to the expense I need not trouble myself about that for he was tng able to afford the outlay, “Naturally, 1 was deeply touched by bis gen- erosity, and did all in my power to make bim » and again the tears stood in the woman’s eyes. 2 gee “Aha! my lady,” the veteran detective thought. ‘If you are playing a part—and it is my suspicion that you are—you are certainly the finest actress that I have ever seen, and if you did not make a success upon the stage it was because your art was too delicate and refined to be appreciated by the great rabble who compose the nee of theater-goers.” This is what Joe Phenix said to himself but to the lady he remarked. ‘TI do not wonder that you soon learned to love the man who treated you so well. I suppose you were astonished when he took you into the jewelry store and told you to select your trink- ets?” and the disguised detective beamed in the most friendly manner upon the woman as he put the question, » This was another trap. = Tbe man-hunter wished to learn if the hus- band took the wife to the store when he bought ‘young actor when she wasn’t anything more | the articles han a school-girl, and the result was that her 2) Use Oh, occ se ye inthe, cles, : If he i GOMIGDOO! cS. ia a « . 4 - ath hi i fe - 4 Q * ae Bk fe i et 4