Beadle's Dime Library No. 628 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

-. hall hate to leave Rosa tention of ‘hitting the pipe’ until I put an end to the vital spark.” ‘6 Yes, 1 remember the circumstance.” ‘¢{ met you, and, in a burst of confidence— we bumans must confide our troubles to some- body—told you what had happened. ‘You persuaded me not to go—showed me that life still was worth living, and enlisted my services under your banner. ‘¢ Perbaps you did not do much, but the con- sequences to me were great, andl assure you that lam very grateful; and that is the reason why I come at this untimely hour to see for my- self just how you were,” **' Well, [am glad you have come, for your presence has suggested an idea to me, which I think will be apt to prove valuable,” the detec- tive remarked, ‘“Tam glad of that!” the young actress ex- claimed, ‘But, Isay, how comes it that the newspaper account make you out to be so badly hurt? Asfar asIcan see you are all right, The bandages make you look a litfle queer, but otherwise you do not appear at all like a sick man,” ~ The detective laughed. | “Your eyes are certainly sharp ones, Miss Lawrence,” he remarked, ‘* But you are right in your supposition that there isn’tanything the matter with me. [do not hesitate to confide the secret to you, for | have perfect confidence in your discretion, although you are the only one outside of my assistant, Tony Western, who is aware of the fact,” “Oh, ou can trust me to keep the secret even if Lama woman!” the young actress de- clared, ‘* { put on the bandages before you were ad- mitted, ‘‘for [am so cautious that I thought it would be best not to even allow my assistant to know I was going to confide the secret to your keeping,” the detective explained. ‘You can be sure that | will not prove m rself to be unworthy of your confidence!” Miss Law: rence declared, . ‘Tam engaged ina very difficulf game and one that I am going to have considerable trouble to win, I think,” Joe Phenix remarked. And then he related all the particulars to the young actress, She meditated over the matter for a few mo- ments and then said, **T think you are rightin your conclusion, and _ there is no doubt that you are correct in think- ing you will havea hard fight to win, I wish you would give meachance to take a hand in the game!” ‘That is just what I am thinking about doing,” the detective repheéd. ‘*] am satisfied that the Englishman who calls himself George Rochester and this pretended widow are the parties who are working the scheme, the rest are but dupes of these plotters and innocent of any wrong-doing.” ‘Yes, that is the way it looks to me,” ‘** Now then it is a question whether this man and woman are acquainted with you or not,” Joe Phenix remarked, ‘‘My impression is that the chances are great that they are,” he continued. ‘‘ For the robabilities are strong that the conspirators ave thoroughly posted themselves in regard to all the inmates of the Engleburt mansion, for they would consider that such knowledge would be See to es can easily assume a disguise,” Miss Law- rence declared, ‘‘ My profession as an actress has made me familiar with devices of that kind, and you can trust me to get myself up so that I doubt if even an argus-eyed man Tike yourself would not be deceived,” ‘That is the idea I had, and then after you assume your disguise you must take a room in the house and do your best to gain the confidence of this widow. “Tam aware that this role of spy which I am proposing to you1s not one of the most attractive in the world,” the detective con- tinued. “Still it isa business which must be followed by some one or else the rogues would get the upper hand of honest people nine times out of ten,” ** Oh, I do not prices to playing such a part the young actress decided, ‘ There is a spice of excitement and danger about it which just suits me. , ‘Now my present position is very pleasant indeed. Rosalind treats me more like a sister than aught else, for she has taken a sincere lik- ing to me, as I have to her. She trias to gratify my every wish, but I will admit that the tame- ness of the life palls upon me sometimes and I eatch myself wishing for the old excitement of the stage existence.” ‘‘ Tbat is only natural, I can understand it,” Joe Phenix observed. ss Once a Bohemian always a Bohemian I sup- ? ‘* Yes, that is the truth, I presume, I know how it is myself. I am well able to retire, but I know I would never be contented in idleness. Life would be very dull indeed to me if I could not keep myself busy about something.” - “J will gladly undertake the task, and I know the change will be an agreeable one, although 1 forI have grown Pe ay — = ip Cite OO oe ea ee nt ey Joe Phenix’s Combine. as much attached to her as though she was my own sister,” ‘You can console yourself with the thought that itis her battle that you are fighting,” the detective observed. ‘* Yes, that is true, and you can depend upon my doing allin my power to make a successful Pt I baven’t any doubt that you will work the trick to perfection!” the detective declared, ‘* Now the game will be to gainthe confidence of the woman, and as she has been an actress like yourself, that fact ought to aid you.” ‘* T¢ certainly should do so!” ‘* She is deep and shrewd—one of the kind who pretends to be innocent and helpless, yet in reality is fully able to take care of herself. It will not be an easy matter to gain her confi- dence, but the attempt must be made,” ‘*T will make’ the trial, and if [ don’t succeed it will not be for want of bard work,” My idea is that you will stand more chance of success if you manage to convey to her the idea that you have been the companion of crooks and have dabbled a little in crooked work yourself, ‘¢T think that notion is a good one,” the young actress observed, thoughtfully, “‘T will leave to you the getting up of the scheme; you can think the matter over and work out a game for yourself,” ‘““Thatis all right! You can trust me to are range ascheme which will deceive this woman unless she is keener than I take her to be,” “She is an extra smart schemer and you will have to do your best to deceive her,” the de- tective warned. ‘**T trust I will be equal to the task!” the young actress exclaimed, confidently. Then Joe Phenix suggested a means of com- munication and this ended the interview. “Tt will be diamond cut diamond!” the de- tective exclaimed after the young actress de- parted, CHAPTER XXVIII, "WARE HAWK, We will now return to the woman in the buggy and take up her movements from the time when she so successfully rid herself of the watch which the disguised detective had placed upon her, Joe Phenix had conjectured that there was a man in waiting in the buggy, and he was cor- rect in this supposition. And that man was the Englishman, George Rochester, plainly attired in adark coat and a soft hat pulled down over his eyes, No word passed between the two after the woman got into the carriage until they were fully a mile away from the corner where the buggy had waited. The driver adopted a# roundabout way, as though he was afraid of being followed. At the first corner he turned into the cross- street and headed for the Bowery, then after go- ing a block turned to the north, drove two blocks, and started toward the Bowery again, He kept on this time until the great thor- oughfare was reached, Up the Bowery tae buggy went at a good rate until Eighth street was reached, then the driver turned abruptly to the left and drove through Eighth street until he came to Fifth avenue, proceeded abe avenue to Thirteenth street and down Thirteenth street toward the river. It is not a light street and at this hour was almost deserted. Two blocks down he drove and then slackened the pace of the herse, Then he peered out of the side of the carriage and looked behind him, ‘‘T thought [ would be able to do the trick without any difficulty!” he exclaimed in a tone of sutisfaction. ** No carriage is in sight, so it is evident that we have not been followed, for no footman would be able to keep up with us at the rate at hey I he +4 ‘IT could have to ou right in the beginnin that I did not think there was an danger? the woman remarked. And as she spoke she allowed the shawl to fall a little from her face, revealing the features of Mrs, Engleburt. “I was careful to look behind me after [ came out of the saloon,” sheexplained. ‘* And if there had been anybody playing the spy upon as I would have been sure to have discovered em. ‘You must not be too certain of that,” the Englishman replied, ‘Some of these New York shadows are won- derfully clever and you might be followed witbout your being aware of the fact.” ‘Ves, I know that it is possible, but I do not believe I was shadowed to-night though, ail the same!” Mrs. Engleburt replied, confi- dently. ih i sbeprotiana that you are much smarter than the average of women, and, in fact, I don’t think I ever met one that was shrewder or more able than yourself, but you must not fall into the error of believing that you can beat men of experience at their own game,” ‘No, I will not make any mistake of that kind,” the woman replied. ‘* But I took care to ~ "? 29 look behind me, and if I was followed I most assuredly would have seen the man.” ‘Yes, if he was not shrewd enough to anti- cipate that you would do something of the kind ani so keep out of the range of your eyes,” the Englishman rejoined, ‘* He might bave been on the other side of the street, you know,” he added, ‘* Yes, but I do not believe he was!” ** Weil, it doesn’t matter,” the man observed, ‘*T have worked the trick in such a way that the smartest shadow that ever trailed a crook would be thrown out, “ Did you get anything?” ** Yes, this letter,” and the woman gave the missive to her companion, ‘** It was on the shelf behind the bar, near the end and within easy reach, *T could read the inscription without any trouble from where I stood, and so when the bartender went for the change—I gave him a bill on purpose—I helped myself to the letter without saying anything to anybody.” Rochester nodded his head in token of satis- i faction. : ‘* That was a sharp trick,” he remarked, ‘ Well, I thought that it was the best way to get the letter,” the woman observed, ‘ If you remember you cautioned me to be careful, and warned me to be on the lookout to see that no one played the spy upon me when LI asked for the letter.” ‘‘ Yes, I remember, You see, £ believe in ale ways playing as safe a game as possible, and al- ugh in this case everything seems to be all right yet I went ahead on my old principle of assuming that it was not, and so took all possible precautions against falling into a trap.” ‘* Ah, yes, | suppose the idea is a good one, although in this case there does not seem to be any doubt that your scheme worked all right,” ’ the woman remarked, ‘* The detective is cer- ; tainly very badly injured. In fact the news- paper account said that it was doubtful if he would recover from his injuries.” ‘'Yos, | know that, and it certainly looks as if Bridle Bill bad done a good piece of work,” the Englishman remarked, thoughtfully, ** Still, this detective is such a sly fox that if the attack had not succeeded he would be quite capable of pretending to be badly hurt so that be might throw the man who put up the job off his guard and thus give him a chance to , capture bim,” ‘* Yes, it is possible, of course, that the detec- tive is playing ‘possum,’ as these Americans ‘ say, but it does not appear to me as if it was very probable,” Mrs, Engleburt said,slowlyand © — doubtfully, : ‘* Well, I agree with you that the affair looks b, as if everything was all right, but a few extra < precautions never do any harm,” Kochester declared with the air of a philosopher, ‘There is one point about the thing that I do ifs not like,” he continued, ‘‘It is a small matter, a I know, but sometimes small matters involve great consequences, ‘The moment I read in the newspaper this morning of the attach on Phenix and saw from the account the job had been so well done that the detective was not able to give a good description of the man who assaulted him, for most certainly from the description of the as- sailant as given in the newspapers I should — never have recognized Bridle Bill, Lleametothe conclusion that he would be after hismoney as vol soon as possible,” ‘ ‘* Yes, it seems to me that that wasa natural | supposition,” ‘All men of his class are eager to clutch their pay, and as the description was so faulty he ~ need not bave been afraid that he would be rN identified as the assailant, so, acting on this idea . I kept watch of the saloon, ‘*T was too ‘leery,’ you know, to go into the = lace, for if everything bad not gone all right might have found myself in a trap,” and the => Englishman laughed as he recalled this instance of caution, ie “Tt will take a smart man to catch you”? Mrs. Engleburt declared in accents of admira- : ” : J Tt +e) iion, a | ‘Yes, I flatter myself that I was not born yesterday {” Rochester remarked in a self-satise = fied way. a * a ‘* And although there is no doubt |. | that this Joe Phenix is an extra good man, yet I flatter myself that he will find on this occa- sion that be is not good enough to catch mein a trap. . ot know the man well, he did succeed in | trapping me once, just because I was foolhardy” and reckless, but I have learned wisdom since that time.” : ial i “Oh, I did not know that!” the woman ex claimed, in astonishment. ‘‘ When you spoke about bm the other day you did not saythatyou bad Mae 3 met a Se aie nies ye A> . id not happen to speak of it, that was all,” the Englishman repaid carelessly, “But I know the fellow thoroughly, although ITdoubt = very much if be would know me, for 1 do not ae look now much like the man whom he succeeded > in robbing. a “1 owe the fellow one for that trick, and though I bad the thing so arranged that he was | not able to hold me, yet it was not through any aa fy ) i Pe ke, =