Beadle's Dime Library No. 628 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

4 i Une . ; Joe Phenix’s Combine. ey world. So long as I do not accept attentions no one has any right to ask me whether 1 am at liberty to do so or not, ‘* But now, in the frankest manner possible, I will tell you, Maurice Engleburt, why I would not be your wife even if [ loved you with all my heart and soul!” the girl exclaimed with flashing eyes, while the young millionaire fairly cowed before her, Rosalind looking on in profound as- tonishment. ‘*Of course, I do not doubt that it seemed strange to you thata penniless girl should adopt such an independent tone when the suitor is a young gentleman with millions of money, **1 am not one of the kind though to be bought like a slave for cash, I wanta man and not a money-bag, and it is your lack of manhood, Maurice Engleburt, which would make one de- cline your attentions even though I did like you ever so much!” ‘*Oh, come now, Mignon, don’t be so deuced hard on a fellow!” the young man protested, ‘ I am sure I have always treated you well!’ ** Yes, yes! I have no reason to complain, but you do not treat yourself well,” the young actress retorted. ‘Now, I am just going to expose you, for you need the lesson, and [ think it will do you good,” she continued ina merciless way. ‘ Rosalind, your brother has drank more wine to-night than is good for him and the result is that he has tried a cunning trick on you. You are too innocent and unaccustomed to that sort of thing to see what he is up to, but I understand his game “ie as well as though I had planned it my- se o ‘* He has been telling you about about a sup- posititious case, but itisn’t any such thing. It isthe truth! Some one has got possession of this willand has offered to sell it to him, and he bas so little manhood that he is thinking seriously of yielding to the demands of this unknown scoundrel.” ’ ** Very few men would resist the temptation,” he pleaded. It was astrange fact that he was never sulky or surly with the young actress. In some mysterious way she had acquired a vast influence over bim, although she had never tried to accomplish such a result, “If they were good, honest men they would resist it!” Mignon declared firmly. ** And then can’t you see, you poor, silly boy, that by yielding to the demands of this unknown scoundrel, you are placing yourself in the power of a man who will use his knowledge to extort blackmail from you for all the rest of our life?” And there was a fine touch of scorn in the actress’s voice as she spoke. Well, no, I don’t exactly see how you maka that out.” ** What price does the man demand?” “Fifty thousand dollars,” Maurice replied, somehow feeling as if he had to answer, ** Well, tbat is a nice sum to start on, I must suy!” Mignon declared in amazement. ** You really must excuse me for saying it but, Maurice, you are more simple than I took you to be to entertain for a moment the idea of giv- ing such a sum. “* And now make a clean breast of it, tell the whole story since you have started.” _ The young man obeyed and the two girls eats , pcan 18 Tellow is playing a bold game but I don’t think he will win for all that!” Mignon announced, . ‘Now, Maurice, can’t you see how completely you would put yourself in the power of this man if you should comply with his demands?” ** Well, no, I don’t see that.” ‘‘Here are twoof them that know of the ex- istence of the will and can bear witness that you bought it. . *“T assume that you are not going to be guilty enough to destroy the will, but only mean to suppress it, then, every time this precious pair wanted money they would come to you and threaten to tell of the bargain that you had made with them unless their demands were complied with.” “Yes, but they would put themselves in a hole for they would have to account for having the will in their possession,” Maurice argued. ** Why what a rope of sand that is for a man to cling to!” the young actress declared. **Can you prove that the will was stolen? Of course not! And that is the only charge which could be pee against them, ‘“* Could they not hatch up a story about find- ing the will, and how could any one prove that the story was not true?” ‘“‘T believe you are right,” the young man ob- served, slowly. } ‘‘T know that I am right!” Mignon declared, “You would not only commit a crime but put yourself in the power of a pair of unscrupulous Villains.” ; **'You,are right, no doubt about it, and I have acted like an idiot,” “Well, you have not blundered very badly, so far,” was oe comforting assurance of the lain-spoken girl. . 6“ yer you may thank your lucky stars for having put this luminous idea of ascertaining by a subterfuge your sister’s views into your SS Sennen ren head, for if you had not, I wouldn’t have known anything about the matter, and so could not have helped you out of the scrape.” Both brotber and sister looked amazed at this statement. ‘Is it possible that you can do anything in this matter?’ Maurice asked. ** Possible it is!” Mignon replied, decidedly. *“ Young man, there isa guardian angel watch- ing Over you, and a blessed good thing it is too, for I don’t know what would become of you if it wasn't for the fact. ‘*Oh, you need not look at me as if you thought i was the angel, for 1 am not,” the young actress declared, ‘*I have not the brains to play such a role!” ‘* You must mean this detective, Joe Phenix!” Maurice exclaimed, a sudden light breaking in upon him, ‘* Now how should I know anything about any detectives?” Mignon exclaimed with a charming assumption of ignorance, ‘* You area very deep girl, Mignon, and it would take a very smart man indeed to tell what you do know,” ; ‘** Much obliged for the compliment,” and the young actress made a graceful courtesy, **f do not feel at liberty tc make much of an explanation, but this I will say, the party who is keeping watch and ward over you has antici- pated the production of this will ever since your father’s death, and the discovery was made that the envelope which contained the will was miss- ing, **T will admit that I am in communication with this party, and he gave me strict orders that the moment I heard auything about the will I was to send bim word, ‘““Of course, J am not thoroughly posted about the affair, for the party is not in the habit of speaking in regard to bis plans to any ove, but my impression is that these rascals have committed a fatal error by going into this will business and can be trapped.” ‘I sincerely bope so,” Maurice replied, ‘ I suppose I was contemplating a rascally act, and I must own vp that I am very weak and foolish at times.” And the young man made the con- fession in a rueful way, ‘**The fact is, Mignon, I need just such a wife as you would make to be at my side all the time so as to keep me in the right path, and I think you ought to take mercy ou me; don’t you, Rosy?’ and Maurice looked in an appealing way at his sister. ‘Yes, indeed!” the young heiress replied, romptly, ‘I would be very glad indeed if ignon would make up her mind to become my sister in reality for then I could be sure that she would always stay with me!” ** Ah, yes, that is all very well, but you will be going off and getting married yourself some day, and then you will not be so anxious for my society,” the young actress replied, arebly.” ** Nonsense!” Rosalind exclaimed, but she blushed a little at the retort, ‘*T can’t give you any encouragement except to say that this is an uncertain world, and one never knows what will happen,” Mignon re- marked, ** But to come back to this affair. I will make a report the first thing to-morrow and then you will soon know what steps to take. But as I said before it is my belief that it is a most lucky thing [ happened to come to a knowledge of this affair,” ‘* Well, I hope sry Maurice said, ‘For I have no doubt that if I had been left to my own devices I should have gone on and made’a per- fect idiot of myself.” ‘* Very likely!” the young actress observed, ‘“* That is candid, if not complimentary!” Then both the girls, laughed and urice re- treated, feeling that he was no match for the sharp-tongued Mignon. CHAPTER XXXI, AN ADVANCE IN FORCE, ** Ir will be necessary for me to go away for a little while,” the young actress announced after Maurice departed, Rosalind was distressed by this intelligence, but when Mignon explained that she had some important business to which attention must be given, the young heiress ceased her remon- strances, only asking that the other should re- turn as speedily as possible, to which Mignon replied that she could depend upon that. Early in the morning, before any one in the house was stirring, the young actress departed. She went to a fourth-rate hotel in the neigh- borhood of Union Square which was conducted on the European plan, and noted as a resort for professional people, actors, singers and the like, There she engaged a room, and sent a message to Joe Phenix, _ In an hour the detective was with ber, wear- mig bis old man disguise, e listened attentively to her story and when she finished observed: . w ““It wasa lucky chance indeed which gave you an insight into this affair. ‘Itis just as you surmised ; to use the vulgate, : "ic 1 2 4" . i +e ~~ rate ‘ Pe cee eee oe A os ee ae oh rhe ar tee + the rascal has made a bad hreak, and now it is dollars to cents that I trap bim!” ‘‘Is there only one then?’ Mignon asked in surprise. ‘** Only one principal, I think, although the fellow undoubtedly bas confidants,” the detec- tive answered, ‘** Yes, I should imagine so, or else be could. not carry out his plans.” ‘**T know the party in the Engleburt mansion who is acting for him,” Joe Phenix remarked. **'You remember that when I rescued young Maurice from the toils of the schemer who led the young man on to rob his own father, my victory was not a complete one for I was not able to punish the scoundrel who put up the job on account of Maurice being implicated,” ‘“* Yes, I remember, and I recollect too that you said, when speaking of the matter, that it was Only a question of time, That, sooner or later, you would get the ringleader in such a position that you would he able to catch him and in such a way that he could not escape punish- ment,” ‘Yes, and inorder toentrap him I allowed one of his confederates to remain in the Engle- burt mansion, ‘Tt was a mistake,” and Joe Phenix shook his head ina sad way. ‘“‘I can see that now, but. I acted for the best, **Perbaps if I bad hunted that scoundrel out the chief villain would not have been able to have | compassed the death of ‘the old million- aire. ‘* Ah, but that was something that it was not possible for any one to foresee,” the young act- ress observed, ** No, I did not give the Englishman credit for being such a thorough-paced villain, but I will nail him this time though, and you can depend upon it that I will not leave a loop-hole open for bis escape!” **Am I to try my hand with the woman?’ ‘* Yes, and set about it as soon as possible. I will continue to see young Engleburt and in- struct him to proceed,’ Then, after a few more words of small import ance, the detective departed. The actress repaired to the storage warehouse where she kept her trunks and ordered a certain one to be sent to the hotel, When the trunk arrived she proceeded to as- sume a disguise, and when she finished she had so changed her appearance that it is doubtful if even the astute Joe Phenix would have been able to recognize her. She was now a ‘*‘ washed-out, bleached blonde: of the most pronounced English type, and by the aid of skillfully arranged pads she contrived to make herself look much larger than she really was. There wasn’t anything loud or coarse about her though, for she was dressed in dark colors and exhibited but little jewelry. She knew that she would have to. pass the inspection of the sharp-eyed lodging-house- keeper and so must be careful about her personal appearance, ‘hen she called on Miss Jones to inquire in regard to a room she said she was a music- teacher and produced recommendations which Joe Phenix had provided for her. She was too good an actress not to produce a good impression upon the guileless Miss Jones who, despite her years of experience as the keeper of a lodging-bouse, was really quite in- nocent and unsuspecting. There was a room vacant which adjoined the one occupied by Mrs, Engleburt; and as there was a door which connected the two apartments the spy saw that it would answered admirably, and so engaged it. Z ‘Then she told Miss Jones that she would go and give orders for the removal of her trunk. An hour later trunk and woman were in the apartment. Mrs, Engleburt had caught sight of the new lady as the trunk was being carried in, and she took an early opportunity to question Miss Jones in regard to her, so she scon knew all the land- lady did, / Mignon kept very quiet for a couple of hours and then, being sure that her neighbor was in her apartment, she began to sing airs from vari- ous comic operas, handling the music as only a burlesque actress would be apt to do. Her idea was to excite other, Her plan was successful. After a while there came a knock at the door ‘ which was hetween the two apartments, and — Mrs, Engelburt responded to the cheerful ‘‘come in!” of the other. “Oh, my! I imagined that it was the land- lady,” Mignon declared. ‘‘I never thought of that door.” ! “T am your neighbor—Mrs. Engelburt,” the woman explained. ‘‘ And I took the liberty of coming to ask if you had an envelope spare,” “Certainly!” and Mignon ran to her trunk, © unlocked it, and opened the lid, disclosing some very gaudy dressess, “Ov, what pretty things!” Mrs, Engelburt: exclaimed with a significant laugh. e curiosity of the Mignon affected to be con 900 —EoOmic ;. a Ps : A a a P ae : ee | . aS iad 7 ‘ sP ats | he a ae ’ le mt, . + he, to . a | P oF %* aa a a’ ‘eal . . ct. i ; oil ‘ cee * =i eo ee | 1 @ a