l lllllllllll||||llll|llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll"' Vol. X. Publication Office. 98 William St., New York. Copyrighted l892, By Beadle and Adams. WHEN MEMORY DIES BY JAMES ROWE. Forget thee. mother? \\ l‘at. forget Tue eyes that gazed first into mine?— That watched me. when my life was young, With watchfulness almost divine! Forget thee? What, forget the lips That to mine own so oft were pressed 3—- That moved in many a silent prayer For me while slept I on thy breast? Forget thee. mother? What, forget The tender pathos of that voice That made. as never other could. )Iy tears depart, and soul rejo:c:-? Forget thee? What. forget that face— That dear. vicar face. so peaceful ever, Which from my nightly visions is And from my day-dreams absent. never? Forget thee? Yes. I shall forget Thy face. thy voice. thy lips. thy eyes? But not till death‘s unsparing hand Upon me falls. and memory niest ALBANY, N. Y. llld Sunflower, THE SILENT SMITER: OR, The Terrible Reckoning. BY ALBERT W. AIKEN, AUTHOR or ran “JOE Puaxix” NovsLs, TUE “DICK TALBOT " SERIES, rm: “rm-st or Faisco“ TALES, ETC., arc. CHAPTER XI. THE rocon, POODLE. THE method of attack usin by the ruflians was the ingenious one derived from the Spanish ma- chine used for executing a criminal, the “ arrote,” and commonly called garroting. he trick is for one man to half~strangle the victim, by sing an arm around the neck, bending the head violently backward, then hold- ing it in a vise-like grip, while the confederate improves the opportunity to go through the pockets of the helpless man. It is really wonderful, too, how quickly the trick is performed by experienced men, and the choked victim, when he is released, generally drops to the ground, perfectly helpless for the time being. The rntiian who had seized Old Sunflower was astrong, muscular fellow, stout and thick-set, and bore the reputation of being one of the: most expert garroters who had ever operated in l the metropolis. Taking the supposed countryman so com- pletely by surprise, be anticipated that the o ration of "getting away” with his valu- a les could be easily performed. But for once in his life he met a man upon whom the trick could not be worked. The moment the attack was made the \Vest- erner comprehended the game. Up went both hands, clutching the arms pressed around his neck, then, exerting, all his wonderful strength, i lld Sunflower pitched for- ward upon his kneo-s. The effect of this unexpected movement, which took the garrotcr completely by sur- prise, was to cause the rufflan to turn a com- plete Somerset over the head of the Westerner. The violent motion broke the gnrroter's hold on Old Sunflower‘s neck, and he came to the ground, striking on the flat of his back with tremendous force. The movement was performed so quickly that the Second ruflian, whose business it was to rob the victim while his comrade held him, had no chance to “get in " his work. He had but just started when his pal‘s heels came flying through the air, and his back struck the sidewalk with a force which knock- ed the breath almost out of his body. This unexpected performance filled the rnfiian with dismay. He was not a particularly quick or intelli- ent fellow, but he was not so dumb as to all to understand they had caught a Tartar, and realizing that his Comrade was completely “knocked out,” the ruflian took to his heels and ran for dear life. “Come back hyer, ye durned aloot, and lemme git a crack at yer!" ()l Sunflower shouted, in derision, as the tough ran up the street as fast as his legs could carry him. “Ah, that feller hain‘t got any bit of sand 1” the Westerncr exclaimed, in a tone of disgust. “ He ain’t the kind of critter to stand up to the rack and take his gruel like a man. “ NOW, then. lemme see what this feller looks like.” and as he spoke he bent over the prostrate man. By this time the breath of the ruflian had come ba~k to him as the shock caused by the fall passed away. Angrily he glared up at the Westerns-r, and his right hand moved toward hi~ pocket. The sharp eyes of Old Sunflower Were quick to note the movement. “Come, come, none of that now i” he ex- claimed. “ Don‘t you try to pull any we‘pon on me, or I‘ll put my heel on your head. jest as if you was a p‘is‘in sarpent, and crush the life right out of you i” “I wasn‘t going to pull no gun,” the fellow replied, in a sulky way. ‘()h, come now! I know better than thatl” Old Sunflower retorted. “I know you of old, Poodle, and you were ullers one of those kind of men who, when they got into a tight place, pulled out a knife or a gun.“ The l‘llIIl'iIl w as thoroughly astounded at be- ing thus addressed by name, and as he rose slowly to his feet he stared at the \Vesterner. “Don't. know exactlv what to make of it, Poodle, heyl’Wlld Sunflower exclaimed with a nu. “ Didn‘t reckon you were going to strike an old acquaintance when you wi-nt for me?” “ Blamed if I ever saw you before!" the other gr0wled. vcry much mystified by this strange occurrence. “ Oh, yes, you did,I am an old friend of yours. I knew you when you used to travel with Irish Pat. “ Lemme see," (lid Sunflower continued, in a reflective way. “It seems to me that you two tellers used to do more business in the gnrroting way than any of the rest of the ring in that line. “You had good innings until you ran foul of a Southerner who knew l10w to handle his gun, and as you didn‘t choke him enough to render “ You spit out what you know about the woman. and you will stand a. chance to grab some ofthese beauties!" him insensible. the moment you let go of him he pulled his revolver and opened fire on you. “Irish Pat got the lead In his back, and it settled his hash as far as this world was con. cerned : you got it in the side, the cop nailed you and you went up for ten yearS.” “ \Vho the blazes are you anyway 2” the rufiian exclaimed in astonishment. I “ I see: it is the old story,” the VVesterner ob- ‘ served. “ As I hcerd a feller Say once in a play I l on the stage, the convict’s taint was on you, and you couldn’t throw that ctf with the con- vict’s jacket.” “That is it! That is the exact truth!” the ! other declared. “ Oh, I'm a man from the West, and out thar I in the per-a-rie region they call me Old Sun- floiver, and I reckon that is jest as good a handle as any man needs for to travel with 3" “Well, it seems to me thut I have seen you somewhere before, but I will be blamed it I can rememlwr jist where it is now,” the other re- marked, slowly, scratching his head in a reflec- tive way. “ Don’t let that ’ar leetle thing worry you!" the W esterner exclaimed. “ But I say, Poodle, 1 heered that you Were a reformed man,” Old Sunflower continued. “ Didn‘t one of the gospel sharps up at Sing Sing interest himself in you and get you pardoned out afore your time expired, on account of your hav- ing resolved to lead a squar’ life?“ The rudian was more and more astonished, and he stared at the Westerner in wonder. “ Don‘t stare, man 2” Old Sunflower exclaimed. “If you remember me it is all right. It don’t make a bit of difference. You see that I know you like a bOok, but how ’bout this reformation business? \Vas that only a game of yours to get out of jail?" “Oh, no! Iwas honest enough about it—I wish I may die if I wasn’t!” the other declared, earnestly. “ Things didn’t work right, eh, and you were forced back to a crooked life.” “ Yes, that is the truth.” “Say! I’ve got a room on the next blooki" ejaculated Oil Sunfloiver, abruptly. “S’pose you come along with mo and we kin talk thar as long as We want, and I reckon it i\ on’t be ary money out of your pocket if you come.” The man hesitated and looked at the West- erner in a suspicious way. “ Oh, you needn’t be skecredl” the big fellow exclaimed. “ Thur ain‘t no trap in it! You needn‘t be Hand to come! Idon’t mean to play any tricks on ye. “ Why, man alive! I have got you foul now if I wanted to sock the iron home to you 1” Old Sunflower continued. “ All I have to do is to collrir ye and run you along until I strike a cop and then give you in charge: you would he in a mighty tight place, now. I reckon, wouldn’t ye?” “ Ye<,I s’pose I would,” the man admitted, reluctantly. “Come along with me. then: you won't be ury bit worse off,” (lid Sunflower argued. And as this certainly seemed to be the truth, the ex-convict concluded to accept the invita- tion. Old Sunflower conducted the man to his apartment, and after they were comfortably seated, said: “ If you Were honest in your resolve to give a. crooked life the go-by, how comos it that I find you trying to work a racket like the one you werrl Ou tc-niglit?” " Because I am a fool i” the man replied, bluntly. “ And, too, since I tried to turn over a new lenf, [have had the devil’s own luck. I am a machinist by trade, but not a particularly good one, so when I get a situation, if thcre arc any complaints in regard to me, I am not such a valuable man as to make the boss hesitate in re~ gard to getting rid of me.” “ Ah, yes, I understand.” “\Vhen I came down from the stone jug up the river, I had made up my mind never to do a ('rmikcd piece of work again. “ I got a good place, and for a while all went on well: then’ in Some way it; got around that I was a Sing Sing bird, and so many complaints were made to the boss by the other workmen that finally I was discharged.” ‘Iof luck lately. “ I ain’t ot much of a story to tell. I Worked when I cou d get work, and when I couldn’t I went with the crooks again: but I have been extra careful, I hav’n’t been pinched since the time I was sent up for the ten years that you Were telling about. “ I wouldn’t have been in this thing to-night if I hadn’t happened to strike an awful had run I was dead broke When I met this bloke, who skipped the moment there was any trouble, blame him! and he suggested that we might make a stake by trying the old gar- roting lay.” “ Ah, yes, but it is risky business.” “ We didn’t reckon to try it on down in this quarter, but to go up on the avenues; but when you got 03 the car, my pal thought we could win a stake ofl’ of you.’ “ Aypearances ar’ mighty deceptive in this hyer world,” Old Sunflower observed, with one of his goodnatured grins. “ But. I reckon it isn‘t going to turn out to be an unlucky thing for you, though,” be con- tinued. “ I want a leetle bit: of work done, and it ’pears to me that you ar’ jest about the kind of man to do it. “ It is in the stool-pigeon line," he added. “ Well, I don’t know: I never did anything of that kind,” the other said, slo.\ 15‘. “No one will know it, you know,” Old Sun- flower urged. “ You will do busmess with me, not with the folks at Police Headquarters, and you never struck a more liberal puymaster in your life than I am if the work is only done to my satisfaction.” “There is something about you that gives me a deal of Confidence!” the man exclaimed, abruptly. “ And I will be hanged if I don‘t go into this scheme!” “ Mebbe you would stand a chance to be hanged if you didn‘t," the big Westerner sug- gested with a sly twinkle in his keen gray eyes. “What do you want me to do?” ’l‘hc \Vesterner described the doctor, the Irish- man and the Ginnev. The ex-convict shook his head. “ I don’t know any of them.” “They are mnking and shoving the queer I think,” ()ld Sunflower declared. “ New, then, it will be your leetle biz to hustle and git in with these had money crooks: you can pretend, you know, that you think there is big money for you in that line, and if you strike the trail of these (‘fl rties, use all your endeavors to get into their confidence.” The other said he hnd no objection 'to going into this scheme, so the “'csterner paid twenty dollars earnest money and the est-convict depart- ed with a much lighter heart than he had carried in his bosom when he entered the room. “Now, then, if that feller don’t succeed in rooting out the Frenchman and his gang I shall be disappointed!” Old Sunflower declared. (‘il A P'l‘lGl’. XII. AFTER INFORMATION. OLD SUNFLOWER was up early in the morn- ing and betook himst to the Bowery, where he got his breakfast in who of the porn] ‘r cheap restaurants so common in that nei liborhood, and while he was bu~y with the men he mused over the situation. “ I reckon that this hyer job that I lmve undertaken is a mighty difficult one,” he Solilc— quized. “ It will not be hard to strike the Frenchman, but when it comes to finding out what he has done with his Wife, it means work, and really, just at present, I don’t exactly see how I am go— ing to manage the trick. ‘ It is like the feller who said he could mova- the world if he could get a place to fix his lever. The beginning was all that troubled him; if he gould arrange that, the rest wouldn’t be so am. ” New, that is jest about the way I am situ- ated. If I could git u good start I have no doubt I would git along all right, but, durn me, if I see any way to make a break! “ The Frenchman will hide the woman some- whnr, of course. He might be shadowed, and tracked, but with such a wily customer as he is, and on his guard, too, anticipating danger, as he certainly will, the odds are big that the smartest spies in the city would not be able to make a success of the job. “I might rope the chief of police into the game and have him set all the detectives at work to search for the Woman, but I don't reckon they would be able to work the trick. It would be a good deal like looking for a needle in a bundle of bay, for this hyer city is a mighty big place." Then, suddenly, to the mind of the “'esterner came the remembrance of the old Irishman, who had the little house on the Jersey shore. “ Why shouldn’t I be able to git some infor- mation out of him 3” Old SunflOWer exclaimed. “ I couldn’t very well frighten the galoot into peaching on his al, for I haven‘t got any hold on him yet, but Freckon I might bribe the cuss into betraying the Frenchman if I offered him what he would consider big money. “ There. are mighty few of these common scoundrels who will not squeal on their pards if they can make a big stake by so doing, and they think thar is a good chance that nobody will ever find out who give the snap away.” Having determined upou this course of action, Old Sunflower finished his breakfast and started for the W eehawken Ferry. He arrived just in time to catch one of the morning accommodation trains, and soon after was traversing the lonely road which led to Mcfiunuigal‘s house. “ Now, then, if the Irishman ain’t home, or happens to have a gang with him, I will not be able to do uny business," Old Sunflower nint- {crejd us he arrived at the edge of the wood— alli . Cautiously he pct-red out from amid the trees, taking care to keep himself concealel, and his eyes were gratified by the sight of llcliuuuigul seated on :in overturned boat near the water’s edge smoking a pipe and mending a net. The Westerner’s eyes wandeer up and down the shore. Not a Soul was within sight. “ I reckon this hyer thing is going to work- all right,” the ll estcrner muttered. “ It mobbe that the Italian, or some other pal of this critter, is in one of the houses, but I shall have to risk that. “ By keeping a1 ng on the hillside until I git well above the houses I will be able to come down along the shore and keep the buildings between me and the Irishman, so he will not be able to detect my approach until I am right on him, and then, I reckon, that when I make my appearance it will be kind of a surprise party!" the Westcrner declared with a chuckle. He performed the maneuver without any difii‘ culty, and, as he had anticipated, by keeping in the line of the house, approached .\Ic« iiuiinigal, who had no idea that any one was in the neighborhood until Old Sunflower walked out from behind the nearest house, not twenty feet. away from the. old Irishman. McGuimigal gave vent to an exclamation of astonishment. dropped the net as though it was burning his fingers, the pipe fell from his mouth, smashing into a dozen pieces, and he jumped to his feet, glancing around him as though looking for a weapon. “ How ar’ ye, McGunnigal—how do you salu- briate this morning. hey?” Old Sunflower (X- cinimcd in the most friendly manner. But; the Irishman was not. at all disposed to regard the new-comer as a friend. “ Pnat do yees want here, ye murthering blaggard?“ he cried. “ Come, come, old feller! that isn‘t the way to talk to a friend I” Did Sunflower declared. “ A fri’nd, is it? Bad ‘cess to all such fri’nds as e are l" the Irishman declared. indignantly. ‘ What is the matter with you! Durn me if I ever saw a more unreasonable man!” “ Bad scrsn to yees!” McGunnigal cried. “Didn’t ye try for to murther me 3” “ Go ’long! 1 was only fooling With you. What kind of a man are you, anyway? Can‘t you take a joke?” “ A joke, is it? the Irishman asked. “ Do you call it a joke to be afther scaring a man out of his siven sinses?" “ Wal, didn’t you bring it on yourself?” the Westerner replied. “ Didn’t you and the Italian come at me like a pair of mad bulls, and do you s’pose I am the kind of critter to stand any fool- ishness like that?” “ We thought you were a spy of the fish-war- dens,” the Irishman explained. “There do be all sorts of dirthy blaggards spying ’round anxious for to see that poor hard- working min, like meself, are not afther using the “rong kind of nets,” he continued. “ And the Ginney and meself went in for to give yees a scare, so you wouldn’t be afther loitering yees time away in this neighborhood.” “ Oh, come down!” Old Sunflower exclaim- ed. “ That yarn is entirely too thin!” “ Upon me wourd it’s the truth,” the Irishman protested. “ Oh, no, you can’t stufl" me in this hyer way, you know, nohow you kin fix it!” the W esterner declared. “ I know jest how the old thing worked—I understand it just as well as though I had got up the game myself. It was the Frenchman who sent you after me. “ The measly cuss thought he had put a bullet through my head, and that my game was cook— ed, so he sent you and the (iinney to plant me, but I reckon you made the diskivery that I was the liveliest corpus you ever struck Z” and the big \Vesterner indulged in a loud “ Haw, hawi” “ Aha! it is a foine sinse of humor ye have!” McGunnigal exclaimed, sarcastically. “ Oh, yes, you will find that I am the funniest kind of a rooster when you come to git well acquainted \\ ith me!” Old Sunflower declared. " But, McGunnigal, old times rocks, you can’t pull no wool over my eyes, and you ar’ only wasting time when you attempt to play any game of that kind. “ I know the Frenchman sent you and the (linney to plant me, and he went in to lay me out ’cos I was taking an interest in his wife. “ You understand, McGunnigal, that woman would be all right if she was out of this durned Frenchman’s clutches.” “Ah! phat do you suppose I care for thim?” the Irishman exclaimed. “ Wal, I reckon, mebbe, that the Frenchman was a friend of yourn.” “ It’s nothing to you whether he is or noti" McGuunigal retorted. “ I take an interest in the Woman and that is what brings me up hyer to—day. I’m arter in- formation." “ Be me sowl! ye‘ll get none from me, so put that in yer pipe and smoke it!" the old Irishman declared. “Now, you don‘t want to make ant donkey of yourself, McGunnigal‘.” Old Sunflower re— iorted. “ You must understand. you know, that if you work this trick the right way it will put some money in your pOcket.‘ The Irishman looked surprised. “ Oh, I am giving it to you jest as straight as a string!” the Westerner continued. “ I want to find out what became of the wo- man, and if you kin give me the information I am willing to pay you well for it. “This thing will be kept quiet, you know.” Old Sunflower added. “I am not the man to give ary snap of the kind away. The French- man will neVer be able to find out how I got the information and you will be jest so many ducats ahead.” The dull eyes of the Irishman glistened at this seductch proposal, and the Wt-sterner, keeping a close watch on the face of the other, saw he was inclined to accept the proposal. Ont came the big, old-fashioned wallet, and from it Old Sunflower drew a bunch of bank- notes, which he waved before the eyes of )IcGun- igal. “ Hyer’s the old, solid stuff Ih‘lt talks: Now, th»n,jest you spit out what you know, about the woman, and you will stand a chance to grab some of these benutiesi Speak quickly, you know, for time is flyingf” “It is a foine, persuasive way ye have wid ye,” the Irishman remarked, with a grin. “ Oh, yes, lam a dandy coaxer, and no mis— take,”the \\'estcrner declurwd. “ How much will I be ufthcr getting?" “That depends upon how valuable the infor- mation is to me,” (lid Sunflower rcplied. " But I reckmi you will not collar less than five dollars, and, inebbe. it Will be ten, or tuen- ty," he continued. “You see, in u racket of this kind you must. allow me to be the judge in regard to how much the Illlilg is worth to me." “ ( ih, yis, of course, for that is something that I dunno.” “(lo ahead!” exclaimed (ild Sunflower, en- couragingly. The temptation had proved too much for the Irishman. Then, too, he reasoned that if he told the truth in regurd to the woman he could not; possibly damage his pal, the Frenchman, iii any wa . And the wily Irishman chuckled to himself as be reflected that he would be paid for giving in— formation when there WllS no excuse for conceal— ing it. He had to frame a lie in order not to betray the secret of the cellar, solic declared that thox Frenchman, with the Woman. had hidden away amid the shrubbcry until he, Old Sunflower, had departed with the girl in the bout, then they came down to the house, and, after dark, thi- woman had Slipped out. He gave a full description of the search which they had made, relating the discovery of the smashed boat. clearly indicuting that tho Wo— man, in attempting to escape :vcroSs the river, had been run down by a steamcr, and so per< ished. For proof of the story .‘Ii‘liillllllgfll pointed to the broken boat. upon which he had been sit— ting, and the \l'esterner recognized it as the one in which the girl had rowed him across the river. “ She’s dead, then,“ (lid Sunflower rvmarked, in a disappointed way. “ Yis, sur,” McGunnigal responded. “Those murthering st‘amers race up the river like the raid? V ’— kt ...,. -23- is 9‘ \ - av..- amt-I‘M— » "a .l-nwo'. “'4‘: flux .~ n“ flu. « . m. w..‘~'-N.