2%; 
;?.L.. ~25

Tin-I

\\\§&\\\\\‘é§ 5 9
& H .Ԥ .EF \

mmmmmmm mmmmfifif““

Entered as Second Class Matter at the New York, N. Y . Post Office. Copyrighted 1893. by BEADLE AND ADAMS. September 12. 1893. i

 

 

3
I 82.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS. Price, 
N00  a Year. No. 98 WILLIAM STREET. NEW YORK. 5 cents-  III-

."THE [1010]! llETEflTlVE Ill flfllflflflfli

w;

l

 

 

 

  w ‘r m

m ',J!WM } W‘l
:4 fl“ )1[HN ?
‘ , . fr 

‘ W M I

“’3  W»

h "
i1»

1'
‘ |
,1:g


I
i
3 ‘

 

 

 

 

 

 

«(-19? ‘ . ’ 1| ‘ , ‘ 14"“ I
‘ .. .. ~v-n ~~ ‘.-n'"ll“' "w" ’ - . ,’  a: a ' x ‘ ‘ , ‘w
WWWMMMM a. .‘, L d‘ ‘H ‘ ‘VH ‘1 V‘WW
Illllllhll! ". * \ ‘- p. ‘ 1 r I!
II" I it
I

“I u' ‘1 W!  /

,. ji‘qh'g \l  l
flMMWWMWWM

.ncFF!!"--

 I‘ if
22'3P’?/”// "
I‘W% »
1/ .
// 

’ /

,, ,/
/

3‘ V

I r!

 ‘1.

' ‘ ‘U

/

‘3 
1“ 

 

 

 

 

 

NEARER filN'D NEARER CREI’T MAGGIE MALONEY.

 

 
 

  startled him. '

  about her, her arms ‘Wcrc f01ded. and 1101‘

w :\

 
   

74)

 

 

The Actor Detective in Chicago;

on,

Dick Doom’s Flush Hand.

BY COL. ,I’REN'I‘ISS INGRAIIAM,
AU'J‘uou on THE “ nwk noon " mavens, n'rc.

 

CHAPTER I.
run Missrso TRUNK.

A MAN was pacing the lloor of a pleasant
room in a fashionable Chicago hotel, ever
and anon‘ pausingr before a window to gaze
out into the crowded thoroughfare beneath.

He was a man ,possessing a strong, char.
aeteristic time, a keen eye and a look of de-
termination and courage.

Though short in build his movements
were quick and graceful, his step firm and
his physique indicated strength above the
average.

.Taking‘ out a handsome gold watch he
glanced at it impatiently and was stopping
toward the bell—button when there came a
knock at the door and the porter entered,
wheeling in a large and heavy trunk.

“ Ah! I was just‘about to ring to hasten
up my trunk, porter, for I have important
papers in it I need before going out,” and
the gentleman slipped. a liberal fee into the
porter's hand.

llardly had the door closed behind the
porter when the trunk was thrown open and
the tray taken out, but dropped back sud-
denly, while a startled exclamation came
from the lips of the man whose eyes had be-
come riveted upon What he beheld.

There he ,stood like one half-paralyzed
' with amazement, amok of horror gradually
stamping itself upon his fine face, and his
v whole attitude that of one who had received
afievcre shock.

And no wonder he stood thus, for before
him, cramped into the bottom of the trunk,
mm the form of a woman !” '

“Great God! what does, what can this
mean 3" came from the astounded man, and
suddenly he closed the to , glanced at it,
then stepped to the side an gazed fixedly at
the, name stamped there. I

. “Yes, it is my trunk ; there is my name
upon the end, and my key unlocked it.

“What does it mean? .

r “I do not know, Ido not understand it;
. it isahorrible rm ster be and my compre-
hension, this dea h yo a woman packed
into my trunk!”

He passed his hand anxiously across his

forehead as . he spoke, took two or three
5 turns across the room, as though to collect
his thoughts, and returning, slowly opened.
’ the trunk once more. I .

Hefirst looked into the tray.

There was nothin in it. .

Then he examine. the upper part.

It, too, was empty. ‘

His next move was to once more. raise the
tray and look down upon the ghastly con-
} ', tents of the lower part of the large recep-

tor: e.‘ I, ’ .-
' 5110 did so reverently, and as one who held
respect for the dead whoever it might be.

As he did so his eyes looked more calmly
upon the cramped form which had at first so

 ltwss the form of's young girl, and one
v whose face was beautiful, whose every out-
v line was the perfection of grace.:

Her long, red-golden hair la'y in waves

-' lower limbs were cramped so as to get the
' ~ form into the trunk.
‘ Her. hands and feet were small and shape-
) ,1 the latter ‘incased in stylishly made
3 008, and she Was dressed in a dark-blue
trawling suit, while a hat, broken umbrella.
her lavas, a shopping bag and a wra were:
’ ntho trunk, as a look revealed, or thei

 

 

finder of so startling a spectacle did not Care
to make any search then.

He placed his hand gently upon the white
face and found it cold and clannny.

Then he laid his fingers upon the pulse.

“ She is dead, and has been so, for hours.

“ Oh! that I could understand what it
means!"

lie looked more searchineg then at the
trunk, and said, suddenly:

“This is not my trunk! Though striking-
ly similar without, and hearing my name,
while my key unlocks it, this is not my
trunk, but one made to resemble it!

“ Yes, the lining is different, as also the
interior of the tray.

“ My trunk is missing, and has been stolen
for a purpose, that purpose beingr to get
possession of the important papers I carried
in it, and which must be found at once, and
at any cost. 7

“Yes, I must not tarry here, but hasten
at once to the chief of police and report the
terrible discovery that I have made."

As he spoke he hastily closed and locked
the trunk, seized his hat and left the room,
meeting outside in the corridor one whom he
stopped to gaze at intently.

CHAPTER II.
A FORTUNATE MEETING.

Tins person was a young man whose ap-
pearance would command attention any-
where.

l-Iis face was really as beautiful, in per-
fection of feature and expression as a wo-
man’s, his eyes being large, shaded by the
longest of lashes, and with a. world of mys-
te in their depths. "

{e was slightly undersized, but possessed
a sinew , well-knit frame, small hands and
feet, an was stylishly dressed.

He had seen the one who came out of Room
169, without appea'rinrr to see him, and was
passing on when halted by the’words:

“ You are Dick Doom, sir, the detective——
the man. of all' men all wish at this moment
most to see.” , .. r , _ ,

The one addressed haltodandfifiazedflxedly
into the face of the s caker, w a he said:

“ Yes, I am Dick com, and you-'are—”

“Who? 3 You surely cannot recall me?”
and the quiestion was asked with consider-a7
ble interest. -

The reply came - promptly, though reflec-
tively': ‘ ,

“ es, I recall having'seen you upon the
stage, for you are an actor.”

“I am, sir," - -

‘f Ah! I have it now! I saw you six years
ago; you are the: comedian, Justin Keener;
I last saw you when Iyou were playing the
Dutchman, in Buffalo ill’s play.” ‘

‘ "“You are right, Mr. Doom. and you have
a very remarkable memory, sir."

.“ It is my business to remember faces. and
I never forget one I am once impressed with.
and though you were in make-up on the sin-
gle occas on of our meeting, I remember you
now perfectly, Mr. Keener.” .

“I am lad that you, do’, sir, and let me
tell 1you t at I was just oing to make a
starting report‘to the chic of police when a
most fertunate circumstance indeed brought
me face tq'faeewyi‘th you,,whcn-.‘as I said, I
would rath'gpiisoe' you, .1 ust._ubw,than any one
6 sci, -  ‘4 {:5 V 'i?.-;. ' I‘ . '

” Rom?! serve  Keener, for I
recall with lpleasure that I was takenback
on the sta' e and presented to Colonel Cody
and yourse f by our mutual friend, the chief
of the New York Secret Service Bureau”:

“ Come into my room, please, and on

ishall know how ' you can serve me, ..

Doom, for you can do so for more than you
think." '

The comedian at once led the famous'de-

motive, into his room, locked the door and
‘1 Take a look at that trudk please

I

 

tive. Doom. and say if you see anything
striking about it.’

Dick Doom eyed it closely and said:

“ It is a large, line trunk, somewhat travel-
=stained, better than the average and bears
your name. “'hat secret it holds may be
the strong point about it.”

“ Ah! you have hit the nail on the head,
for it does hold a seen-t.”

“ You wish to tell it to me?" ‘

“ I wish to say that I supposed that to be
my trunk, sir, but find that it is not.”

“ It bears your name.”

“ It does, and more, is about the size and
appearance of my trunk, while my key un-
locks it.”

“That is strange, but can be explained by
the fact that you perhaps had valuables in
your trunk which were known to others, who
laid a plot to get poSsession of it and to get
time to secure it wholly, planned to put this
one in its place.”

ly suspect that you had exchanged the
trunks if I did not know you.”

“ When did you see your trunk. last?”

“ Two days ago when I left my rooms in
.{oe Sinith’s quarters in Union Square, New

'ork.” »

“ You had valuables in it?”

“ I had most important papers in it, sir-—
papers upon which a'fortune and future hap—
piness to several persons depend.”

“ Indeed? And this became known?"

“ I did not think that it was known, sir;
but it must have been, as such a clever plot
was concocted to at possessiou of the
papers," said J ustin eener. .

“ Yes, it was known to some one who
could lose or benefit by those apers.

“ Did you check the trun , through to
Chicago? ’ . r

“Idid, sir, going myself to an Express
company where I got the receipt for it,‘ and
was handed the check at the depot Where I
took the train.” '

“ And arriving here you found that an
exchange had been made?”

. “ Yes, sir, one I- did. not notice until -I had
-opcued the trunk and raised the tray.

.“My key had unlocked it, and—but let
me show you the discovery. that- 'I made
when I did open it,” and Justin Keener put
his key into the .lock, raised the top, took out
the tray and exposing to the startled detec-
tive the body within, cried: '

“ Behold; thatis the se'cret the trunk con-
tains? .’ -*‘

CHAPTER III.
DICK DOOM TAKES THE CASE.

DICK DOOM'S face was always serene.
, He had a countenance most‘expressive
indleed, yet which he had under perfect eon-
tro . -

He was not a man to show what he felt,
and yet, When he gazed upon that beauti-
f ul, white face, that lovely form cramped into

 

~ the trunk, dead and the victim of some one'sv

hate,; or fear, he did change color and said
quickly:

“ My God, Mr. Keener, this is a dread, a.
terrible secret.” ‘ r

“ It is one that unnerved me when I be-
held it,” muttered Justin Keener, sadly. I

“ And yet you are not one to be easily
dpsct, your face shows that, for you are a
man of nerve: .

“ButI do not wonder that you felt the
shock,” and Dick Doom’s piercing eyes
were riveted upon the face of the actor,
with a look that seemed to read his very
,soul. " ‘

" Mr. Doom?" ' y ,

" Yes. Keener.” ' . ' ~ . ,

“ When I was star-tin to the chief of
33113? an ugly thought , hed through my

D _n_ . - - ~ I. .

 

' c

_ if What was it, may I ‘aSk‘l”

“ Mr. Doom, you have such a direct way ‘
of getting at bottom facts that I would real- .

l '.

1‘ 7*" l

V.

., ..._ M‘

w ‘ m,

.y..-‘

  
  

* - your hands?"

 

 

  

 

roago.

 

I

“I thought that I might be suspected of
knowing more of this case than I ad-
mitted. ”

_ “ Very true, you might;4but 1 see the
Situation as it is. ‘

“ Let us find out who this poor victim 

Dick lloom leant over and took out the
broken umbrella.

' It was an affair of silk and lace and very
handsome.

The handle was carved and upon it were
the initials:

“E. 

Then he took out the shopping-bag.

It too was empty, but upon it were the
same initials, and a handkerchief had the
“E. E.” in a monogram.

The hat was taken from the trunk, and
the body was raised gently and placed upon
the bed; but the cramped position it had been
in held the limbs just as they were. ..

The dress and underclothing were of the

‘ finest material, and not a piece of jewelry

was found, nora purse, giving the impres
sion that it had been murder for the hope of
gain. i

“ Mr. Keener.”

“ Yes, sir. ” ‘

“ This is a remarkable case. ”

“ How was she killed ‘2”

“ Drugged, of course, for there is no
wound, no evidence of violence.”

n-What/is to be done?” 3

“Replace the body, change your hotel,
sendthe trunk to the quarters of the "chief
of the Secret Service, and put the case in his
hands, andf‘f he is wise, he will keep the.
affair out o the papers until he has run it
d0wn.”

“ But what can be done with the body?”

“He can have it placed in a metallic coflin
and sent out to a receiving vault to await
future developments; but really a post mor-
tem should be held, to discover the real
cause ofi‘zdeath, and, _ ‘ remains (should be
thoroughly embalmed. ‘ ' . . .

" But he will arrange all."

“Mr. Doom?”

“iWell, Mr. Keener?” .

" Will you not take this case for me?”

“ You wish it ‘2”
, “Particularl I do, for Iknowyour repu-
itation as a , ower of bad men, a terror to
criminals. i' '  v

“ Imust’nnderstand the whole situation,
Mr. Keener. 88, you know it is best not to
work in the dark, and also important for

, your own sake.”

_“ I shall tell you the,whole story, sir, for,
on say, you must not work, in the dark,
it 100 s to me as .thoughi-I was in a very

compromising situation, as I can oifer no

explapa’tion to clear up this horrible mys-

ryn ‘ ' ‘ V . .

“ W e will get you out of the woods all
right, Mr. Keener.” -

“ Then you will take“ the case wholly in

as

“I will.” ' T:  .‘

‘~‘ Good! and the recompense?” . y .'
"‘;.‘“We will talk of that when the murderer
ofthis' poor girl is found, and-'—” , ‘

“ For all the money you need for expenses
command me.” ., , . ‘ A, ' A I

“Thanks, but I shall need none, and in-
fact this case so interests me, Mr. Keener,
that I shall un ertake it simply to run the
mysteryto earth,. for my own satisfaction,”

, and Dick D‘oom‘s words showed how much

‘ ,   he wasinte'rpsted in theme. .

 

, , . owrniu'v,
  = ' JUSFI’IN nnnnnfi'smnr,
.1- 

 

. “conversation wi ick Doom, 9 What
“*‘   washesth done. the body  ce‘d
"- v _. in the trunk; and the actor-went 'to th ce,

’ ‘ "‘Qpaid hiihill, and said that'he had new ' at

wee-id  to change his quarters-

o

 

The Actor etective 1n

r ters, and a son, then in the United States. -

Justin Keener hid'hei’d " shod ‘

He then went to another hotel, suggested
to him by the detective, and engaged pleas-
ant quarters, while his trunk had been taken
by Dick Doom in a carriage and carried to
the Secret Service lleiulquarters.

llaving sent the trunk into the chief's
private ollice, with a note, Dick Doom drove
to the hoth where Justin Keener had put
up, and the two sat down for a long and con-
i‘idential talk together, the detectiee remark-
mg:

“ Now, Mr. Keener, I wish to know your
story of this affair, and just what your con-
nection with it is.”

“ I‘ll give it to you from Alpha to ()mega,
Mr. Doom, and you can understand 'ust
what the situation is,” and lighting a Cigar
Justin Keener continued:

“ You have heard of Ben Bancroft, the
actor?"

“ Yes, a man with a strange Career, [have
heard,”

“Strange! indeed, and a mystery 'to his
best friends. He appeared upon the stage
playing leading parts, wedt to London and
got an engagement that was making a for-
tune for him, wherehis good looks and talent
won the heart of a young girl whom he met
clailidestinly, and afterward secretly mar--
r1e< .

“ Then he returned to the United States,
bringing his wife with him, and it was then
that I first met him, for I saved both his and
his wife’s life one day when they were bath-
ing in the surf at Long Branch.

“She had ventured too far out, lost her
nerve and Ben went to her aid; but he had
just had a long swim and his strength gave
out, and but for my going to their rescue
both would have drowned together.

“ He never forgot me for it', and givin up
his engagement in New York, went to us-
tralia and I lost sight of him until I learned
of his death in ‘uropc. . l x "

. “ What became of his wife I did not know
until Lreceived a letter from her, a year/ago,
telling me that she was ‘on her dyin bed,’
and that she had three children, two  ‘

“She further stated that she died in

mm her father, who was a nobleman, and
who had never forgiven her running away
and marrying an. actor.

“ He had,however, a certain property which
could not go to her brother, as it was for the
femaleTmembers of the family. and this was
here, and would .be given to her children,
while her son could really claim the title and
estate left by her father.

nothing for herself, but after her death she
wished her children to have what was right.
1y their own. ' I

“ Such was her letter and it ended i) say-
ing that she left it to me to find her ch dren
and gain for them their in heritance,.for both
she and her husband regarded me most kind:

1 .

yLetters, documents, jewelry and little me-
mentoes she sent, all of which went to prove
her claim. to the estate, and which would
give the inheritance to her children.

 “She wrote that she would not place the
matterrlnan attorney’s hands. but leave all
to me to do! , '

“Well, Mr. Doom, the box of papers and
other things cameto me in time, and pack;
ing them awa in my trunk, I set to work to
find those chifdren of poor Ben Bancroft.”

“ Have you found them ‘2”

“ I have not, but I learned that one of his
daughters, or who was supposed to be, had
gonejnpon the stage,'.andu: graced her. to

hi , so came onhere so“ her up, for
it}. her, then‘ thegflnih of her sister
011,5" - _ _ would be an'easyfmntter.”
r, "“ 1111‘- was those peaJNI'B‘ and souve
that our trunk contain , . ‘ -
"' es,“ with some. thin s of my own.”

   
  

 

 

’ ' . " Who knew that you ad those papers?"

\

 

 

 

.:
PVC .

. the American pape
aughf ‘

overty, though she had a fortune, inherited

“As longyas she lived she would claim.

 

, rats, Nick Nororo'as y-namegaqrce'ms

T

  
  
   
  
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
    
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
  
   
   
 
    
  
  
 
    
 
  
    
  
 
   
   
  
  

“Not a soul that I am aWare of."

“ \Vho knew that you had that letter from
Mrs. Bancroft?"

“No one. for I kept it as a secret as her
letter requested, until her children were
found." '

“ She made this request '1”

“She did, and said that it was 1'
good of her children that she did so."

" This would indicate that some one
would plot against them."

“ Yes, it would."

“And you expressed that trunk intact
from New York to Chicago?" '

“ l exprcssml it to the depot, and there
checked it to Chicago.”

“And found that the trunk had been
changed, and a dead body placed in the one
you held the check for?”

“ Yes, sir.”

“ Did the mother give the name of her
children?"

“ Yes, the boy was named Bancroft
Enders. one of the girls—and they were
Miner-bore the name of EleanorEnderse”

(‘1 ll!!!

“ And the other was Estelle hinders."l

At the mention of the last name Dick
Doom sprung to his feet excitedly.

or the

 

CHAPTER v.
AN AMAZED ACTOR.

“ JUsz Knnnna, I have something totell
you.” said Dick Doom, recovering himself in , ._
an instant, and now as calm as ever, though
he s oke impressively. ‘ . g

“ es, Mr. I)oom,’.’ answered the actor
with the look of a man who expected to ~ x.»
hear something of great interest. I, , ~

“ Where have you been the past few», ,_
months, Mr, Keener?" ‘ _ '

“In Mexico and the West Indies on a 
tour)? - ‘ - 
“That accounts for your nothaving seen "

my,“ 7 > I

“ I did not read a line of news for.
months."

“Then let me tell you that “there was 'a
murder committed here sometime a o,'the
victim being a young and beautifu if], _
who was found dead in a prettygrow oat‘ ..
that drifted ashore upon the grounds ofa 1x
millionaire of this city. ' , .  

“ A note clasped in the hand__’of the girl .5...
stated that she had committed suicide, and 
no one was to blame but herself, while a bot-'- 
tle of chloroform, in the boat,:and the fact '«f,
that her, 'ewelry and pocketbook had‘not 
been touc ed, lent truth to the belief.  ..

“But, standing on the wharf, of! Van:
Buren street one night, I heard a cry in a ' '
woman’s voice, calling forhelp, and though 
I at once left the cit , some time after I Was" 
sent for_ by the chic of the Secret .Servic ,to- 
look into the case, a youth here having“ ‘enf , ”‘
the idea that the girl had been murdered? I ~ 

“ I compared notes and found that it was 
upon the night that I heard the er for help. 91;?
and so I agreed with m young fiend that g»;
it was murder, and wi' him, and his boy.
allies, known as the River Rats, we shadow; , ,,
ed the man suspected of taken fife ’, 2;,
life of the young girl. j * W 4'    ‘9‘“,

“ He wasjahan some young fellow whose 
antecedents were not known, and he . ved in ,
tine style, always having plenty ‘of though».
while e was engaged to the daughter‘of e
millionaire on whose grounds the'boat had
bfin found, containing the dead body of, th

1' . . .‘ "" _, '

.“Well, we ran him down. 8M him in
prison, and he escaped by a very clever,
bold act, taking the lifeof one of th 3
todosom.‘ , "  .‘ <~

“Again we set towork.,myBo E , .
under their young ,chiefland my f,‘-iand‘- t .
last ran him down once more. ~ ‘  1-  , “

“Now this yonn leaderoff. the Boy For.

l

0‘. ‘ ‘H '
v, sill I’vw.‘

 

i,,

coin-‘35

" dau- liter of m

 ! L‘Ihope,
‘ unishment, as you have undertaken the



 
 

4 .

 

The Actor Detective in Chicago.

 

 

what he now is, having been well born,l
am sure.

“ One day he saved a child from being run
over, but got a broken leg for his heroism,
and the young lady, who was found dead in
the boat, took him to a hospital and had him
Well cared for, and when he saw in the
papers that she had committed suicide, and
that mulling,r was known of her, he decided
that she had been murdered, and set to work
to find out who she was.

“ While on the case in disguise, I was set
upon one night, and would have been done
up but for the gallant rescue of this youth,
who saved my life, and thus we became firm
friends.

“ we tracked down the murderer of the
girl, but he escaped, and, as I said we ran
him down again, but could learn nothin r of
the girl’s antecedents, and she is stil a
mystery to all.

“But let me tell you that I came back
to Chicago again at a call from my young
captain of the Be Ferrets, as also a telegram
from the chief o the Secret Service, telling
me that the prisoner, Merton Sanford, had
once more escaped, and by chloroforming his
guard in some mysterious way. '

“ lie is then free to be hunted down for the
third time, and Icame on to do the work,
aided by my allies, the Boy Ferrets.

“ But, stran est of all, you now ive me
information, t e startling effect 0 which
you can understand, when I tell on that
the name of the young girl 'mu ered by

Merton Sanford was Estelle Eudora.”

‘ “ My God!" came in a tone of horror from
the lips of Justin Keener as he sunk back in
his chair-and added with a voice that was
husk with emotion:

“ 001‘ Ben Bancroft’s daughter!"

 

CHAPTER VI.
run scroa ALLY.

Tunas was no mistaking the fact that
Justin Keener was greatly startled by
discovery that one .of the children of his old

- and valued friend, 38!! Bancroft, had been
, murdered. ,

r . He paced the rooms few minutes to re sin
A his composure, and then said, as he ha ted
‘ in front of the detective, who was perfectly

cool now:._

_ “(Jan there not be some mistake, Detec-
‘ tive Doom?” -

i “ it might be a coincidence of names, yet

i aromarkabie one. '

“ How old would the twin daughters; of
Ben Bancroft be now, if alive?"

“ Their mother said eighteen.” ' ,

“The Estelle Enders, whom Sanford mur-

v‘ dered, was about that age.” I
4 “ And he is free now, having escaped for
» the second time, you say ‘2”

“Yes, he is free.”

'” But he will—he shall be found!”

, “Yes, that is what I have cometo Chi-
cago again for.-” ,
“ When did he escape?”

“ Two weeks ago, just on the eve of his I

r’trial.” '

“That man must be hanged, for some-
thing tells me. the victim of the boat was the
friend." _ .

hat is w atI believe, also; buswe will

hunt him down, for I have _ _ j nv‘az'des
to help me in my Boy ferrets, nd' Nick
Norcross, their young chief, is determined
to avenge the death of the beautiful irl who
befriended him, and was so cruel y mur-
dered by Sanford." - i I ',
I believe, he will yet meet just

work of running him down. ”
' “ But I need an ally, Mr. Keener. ”
'“ Who is her'
“ One whose interest should make him aid
rmeuand who would be of vast. assistance to

the. .wemnst takci .elpusidmiiom’; , I _ , .
“:Whatisthglt? ?" i  ‘

l

“ Well, if it is money he needs, why I
will———”

“ It is not money in one sense of the word,
though it may amount to considerable loss
to him.”

“ I will be willing ,to supply any reason-
able sum gladly, so that we can secure his
services.”

“ It will be for you to say then.”

“ In what way?”

“ You are the man that I need as my
ally, my side partner in this matter, Mr.
Keener." '

“ I?" asked Justin Keener, with surprise.

” Yes, you.”

“ I am an actor, not a detective.”

“ Yes, on are an actor and a good one, a
comedian at that, but you will make a good
detective, too.”

“ You think so?” ,

“Iknow so, for you showed nerve and
cleverness in not raising an alarm in the
hotel when you made the awful discovery
that the trunk you supposed to be your
own, held a dead body, and you started to
see th chief of the Secret Service and make
your report, met me, told me very quiet]
the situation and were full of gut, thoug
of course lgreatly shocked.

“Yes, want you, Justin Keener, as my
all , and we will solve this mystery together,
ai ed by my Boy Ferrets, for you know the
whole Circumstances regarding the Bancroft
family and the heirs, and though you will
have to cancel your professional engage-
ments for the season, you will have done a
noble service. "

“ As I said before, Mr. Doom, I am will-

ingto make any sacrifice in my power to
solve this mystery, and if it was Estelle
Enders who was murdered, bring her mur-
derer to the gallows.
‘ “Yes, I willlbe your ally in this matter,
and stick to you to thd- end,” and Justin
Keener held forth his hand and Dick Doom
gras d it warmly~ while he said:

“ here is one more thing, Keener, which

, "First, I wish you to go with me to see
the chief of the Secret Service, and then to
meet the Boy Ferrets.” ,
“ I shall be glad to do so.” ,
‘ “ But ngw let me call your attention to the
fact that eye of the twin daughters of Ban-
croft wagfimed Estelle Enders.” ’

ea.” 334

“ And the other Eleanor."

“ Very true.”

“The 'ifltisls on the umbrella, handker-
chief andfibthinhg of the young victim in
your trunk .were . E.” ‘

Justin Keener started, gazed fixedly at the
detective and asked in a suppressed voice:

“ Do you think she can have been Eleanor
Enders?”  . '

’ “I will soon know, for there is one who
can tell me,”_$,lwas the reply.

. fl \.

lemmas VII.
A COMEDIAN IN A TRAGEDY.

DICK Doom’ went from the hotel, where
Justin Keener had made his quarters to the
chief of the Secret Baryon -.  ,

 . He left the comedian to go out shopping,

need of clothin and other necessaries which
he at once tittc himself out with and sent to
his hotel.

Arriving at Headquarters, Dick Doom sent
in a card to the\chief, for he made it a rule
never to be known by the detectives and p0-
lice whereit could be avoided.

So he always sent in a card bearing an-
ther name than his own, and which was
nown the cheif. .

He also, often went in disguises which the

keen eyes of the chief could not penetrate.

“ Ah, Dick, glad,to see you, for Izam .curi-

v ‘

 

for his trunk having been stolen he .svassin‘

.lieve as

 

ous about this trunk you had sent here, and
which I see hears the name of a well-known
and popular comedian. Justin Keener.”

“ Yes, chief, and it bears a mystery, too,
which will surprise and startle on; but I
trust you will be willing to he guided by my
wishes in regard to the disposition tempora-
rily of the contents.”

“ I certainly will, Dick, for you are not
one to go wrong."

“Thank you, sir. Here is the key and I
will Show you the contents of the trunk.”

As Dick Doom spoke he took from his
pocket the key given him by Justin Keener,
and a moment after threw open the trunk.

Accustomed as he was to see crime in all
of its worst phases, to be brought in dail
contact with tragedies and deeds of blood:
to witness sorrow and suffering in all its
forms, the chief could not restrain an excla-
mation of horror at sight of the body of the
beautiful girl all cramped into the trunk as
it was.

“ My dear Dick, what does this mean?"

” 1 will explain, sir, in a very few words,
and then we will talk over the matter at
leisure before the coming of my actor ally,
Justin Keener, who is to help me to solve
this mystery, for he is the one who has been
hardest hit by this tragedy, save the poor
girl who is ,the victim of some fiend’s
hatred.” ‘ ’

“Tell me all you can about this terrible
affair, Dick Doom, for I am painfully inter-
ested in it,I assure you,” and the chief
raised the masses of beautiful hair and gazed
sadly upon the face so whit-aand calm in
death.

Dick Doom told the whole story, just as.
he had heard it from Justin Keener, and the
chief shook his head and said:

“This is’a very serious and sad afl‘air,
Dick, and one that must be sifted to the very
bottom facts. .

“To me it seems as though some one, I
cannot say avenger, but some one whohas
most to gain by the death of. these, girls,
these twin sisters, has dogged them to their
death that he; 6!" _ t pint yr
andthatmeansalso the, oath of, Baueroft‘s
boy as well, if his life has not already been

, n :

“Which I fear ist e case, sir, for he would
be the first one to pu- out of the way.” '

“ Very true; but “our idea about kee ing
this secret murder, ‘dden from \the pu lic,
until we can; , *time to act, is the correct
one, and it shal be done; but you seem so
assured that this. poor girl is Eleanor Enders,
one of the twin sisters, that I cannot but be.
you do.” _ ,
that. fine is Eleanor Enders,

snr.‘ ., -, ,

“Well, the ideals, familiar- to me, though
I cannot recall 5thai; of Estelle Enders
sufficiently to be sure a _ ,

“ I know one who does remember her, 811‘. ’

“Who is that?”

“ Nick Norcross, my Boy Ferrets’ cap.
ti 'n.” .

, y“ Ah! then he must see the body.”

“He shall, sir, for I shall take 111111 to the
undertaker’s where the poor girl has been
1 id out. n .

“ You will have a post models, su‘, ‘0 dis-

“ I am sure
'1

cover the cause of death ‘2” ~
“Oh yes, my surgeon of the force and one V

other shall perform the autopsyfi’
: “ And she can be taken by night to the
receiving vault without it becoming known?

“‘ Yes, that can be arranged too—Tab! here
is Justin Keener now,” said the chief as he.
went to the locked door and took a card,
handed him throu h the slide. ‘

'The actor cntere and was presented to the
chief; by Dick Doom.

“ ' ve had the pleasure of seeing youon
the me, Mr. Keener, and am gla tomeet
you personally, though I regret that it is a
sad traged and not a comedy that makes us
acquainte ,” said the chief cordially.

t she resembles her.” .

 

0-; ‘MJVw .

/L..

. ....~  w<‘~.~:nt-——‘ L

Vs.

:_.'..*-'“". -4!  M, w V. JWm~-A..._,_,..._~.__..-.,.—a

The Actor Detective in Chicago.

“ Yes, sir, a tragedy indeed it is, and one
in which I as a comedian regret to be playing
a leading part. Is it not an awful alfair,
sir?”

“ It is, indeed; but, I feel sure that the
mystery can be solved by Dick Doom with
the aid of yourself and his Boy Ferrets, and
what assistance I can lend.”

“ I hope so, sir.”

" And when solved, chief. as Merton San-
ford was the murderer of Estelle Enders, I
feel sure that you will find his red hand
guilty again, and he is the man to once more
run down,” impressively said Dick Doom,
while the chief added:

“ And I predict that you will do it, Dick.”

CHAPTER VIII.
Tim vrsrr TO THE UNDERTAKER.

DICK DOOM and Justin Keener sat together
in the rooms of the former at the hotel.

They were pleasant rooms, for the detec-
tive always lived well. He had a parlor,
with a bedroom on eitherside,’ so that he had
a chance to put on his disguises at will.

There were several large trunks in the
rooms, and they presented more the appear-
ance of being occupied by a family than by
a yOun g bachelor.

It was night and the two friends, for so
they had now become, were talking over
their visit to the chief and the probable rc-
sults‘that would follow their work as allies.

“ It is time for my Boy Ferret captain to
be here, and he is always sharp on time,”
said the detective, looking at his watch.

“And fim know nothing of this outh,
Norcross, 1'. Doom?” asked Justin keener.

“Only such as he knows of himself, or
has cared to reveal, for otherwise he is an
unfathomable myster to me, I assure you.”

“He saved your li c, you told me ?”

“ Yes, and we became good friends. I
found that he, had .been befriended by
Estelle Enders, and learning that he was
chief of a gang of oun‘g River Rats, as they
were callet , I decrded that there was good
Secret Service material in the boy and his

 

comrades for me.

“The police accused. them of being all
that was bad, and hunted them down with-
out mercy; but I found that. though some
of them had been scamps. Nick had been
their redemption, for he had or anized them
into a band of Boy Ferrets, an was really
domg good service, though that they were
suspected as being all that was vile by the
officers of the law. a .

“ I took them in ,hand, engaged them in
my service, and though still allowing them
to be considered criminals by the" police. use
them as I need- them, and neVer did I have
men to rve me better.

“ Nick was well-born, I am sure, is fairly
well-educated, a handsome young fellow
and as brave as a lion.

“ You will like him, I am sure.” ' ,

> Just then a knock came at the door, and
in response to Dick Doom’s call to entera

. youth step ed into the room.

‘ He close the door’ behind; him, dofied his
cap and bowed, while he said: _

“ I am fifteen minutes late, sir, but I was
dodging a 'cop that got his eye upon me”,

Then he saw Justin Keener and his face
flushed and he added: 4 _

“Pardon me, sir, but I thought you was
alone.” ‘

‘ “ No, Nick; I have a friend with me
whom I wish you to know, Mr. Justin
Keener the comedi n.”

, “I am glad to seeyou, sir, and it seems,

Mr. Keener, that I have met you before—ah
yes, I have seen you upon the sta e.”

“ And I am glad to meet you, ick, and
trust we shall be good friends,” saidthe ac-
tor in his ‘kin'dly way, as he warmly grasped
the handof the lad. .

' Nick Norcross was indeed a' handsome

J '- 7' youth, with a face to admire and trust.

H j ‘ His form was erect, his hearing soldierly,‘

 

and his expression manly, while he was
dressed in a: sailor suit, as though he were a
“ seaman of the Great Lakes.”

“ Sit down, Nick, until I am ready for you
to rro with us, for Mr. Keener and I have a
calI to make and youare to accompany us.”

“ I am at your service, sir.”

“ Have you any news?”

“ None, sir, hut—”

Ile hesitated and glanced at Justin Keener,
and Dick Doom said:

“Speak out, Nick, for Mr. Keener is an
ally in this trail, by my special request.”

“ Well, sir, my ferrets are at work trying
to find some clue to Merton Sanford‘s where-
abouts, forI do not believe he has left' the
city." I

“Nor do I. lie is too cunning a villain to
venture out of his hiding place here, and we
will et catch him.”

“ sincerely hope so. sir.”

“ Now, Nick, 1am ready and we will go
and make the visit I spoke of.” _.

Detective Doom, Justin Keener, and the Boy
Ferret left the rooms together and wendcd
their way to an obscure side street in which
there were mostly business houses.

Dick Doom led the way and they entered
an establishment on the door of which was a
sign reading:

“ PLANT GRAVES,”
annu'raxnn.

“Patronage solicited and satisfaction
guaranteed.”

What was the satisfaction guaranteed the
sign did not divulge, but the comedian re-
marked:

“A very suggestive name for an under-
taker, yet somewhat cheeky in him soliciting
patronage.”

“He is a man with a political pull, and
gets much work from the cit on that ac-
count,” Dick "Doom remarke , while Nick
looked around the dismal place and wondered
what had brought the detective and his
comedian ally there.

Mr. Plant Graves came forward with a
scpulchral smile, as be welcomed his visitors.
doubtless thinking he had customers, and
trying to put a sympathetic look in his
glance, though the expression would crop
out: ‘

“ What is your loss is my gain."

"‘ Mr. ~ Graves, I presume?” said Dick
Doomd’

“Yis, sir, and although'I do not know
yez, allow me to be afth-er offering me sym-
pathy, sur.”

“ ‘or what?” ' ‘

The cool query quite upset Mr. Graves,
who flushed, stammercd and asked:

‘ls not some of the family did. then?”

” I have no family, sir,” was the cut re-
ply of the detective, and my friends here
are not in need of sympath either; but I
have a letter here from the ch cf of the Secret
Service which explains itself.”

The undertaker slightly started, took the
letter and read it.

“ This says, sir, to let the bearer, a United
States Detective, and those accompan ing
him, .view'tbe remains, unaccompanie by
any ohe else.” ~ -

“It does, sir.” . - v

“ ()fcourse I go with yez?”

" Of course you do not, sir,” was the reply,
followed by the words: '

“ Where will I find the body?”

“ Up those stairs, the first door to the right;
hereis the key.” 1

Dick Doom' took the key and passed on,
followed by‘Justin Keener and Nick, the
latter wondering what it all meant.‘ '

' CHAPTER IX.
THE RECOGNITION.
, THE undertaker did not seem exactly

 

 

whic Dick Doom dispensed with his fur-

p
M. - w .

happy, at the somewhat brusque manner in

 

~rected to, am pausing a minute said:

.it‘ is impossible; for see, this coflin‘ was ~.

‘ wonder that I grieve for her, as I had no, 

 

ther semiccs; but there was something about
the detective that commanded respect and
prevented any argument, and he made no
attempt to follow.

Reaching the floor above, Dick Doom
placed the kc in the door he had been di-

“ Nick, I have brought you with us to
view the remains laid out here to see if you
have ever seen the dead person before.”

“ Yes, sir.”

“ I give you no clue as to what you may
expect, for I wish to be sure that my sur-
mise in the matter is right, and if the dead
person is the one I have told Mr. Keener
here that it is. ”

“ Death often changes one greatly, Mr.
Doom, but if I have seen the dead person in
life, I will, Ithink, recall the .faoc,’ answer-
ed Nick Norcross, ve calmly.

With this the detective entered the room,
J natin Keener following, and Nick bringing
up the rear. ,

The room' was a large one and devoid of
furniture, save the stand upon which a
coffin sat, and a large table.

The windows were open at the top, and
the coflin-lid though on was not fast.

Dick Doom stepped forward, while Nick
drew a long breath, and stood awaiting what
was to come.

Aided b Justin Keener the massive coilin-
lid was raised and placed upon the table.

While the two did this Nick Norcross had
stepped nearer the cofiined form and azed
down upon the upturned face, beauti 111 in
death.

The golden hair was neatly arranged, the
eyes were closed as though the dead girl
was not in her last, long sleep, and the
hands were folded peacefully upon the
stillcd heart. .

The .form was clad in a neat, white dress,
and a bunch of lilies of the valley lay upon
her bosom.

r . )‘tgith one look into the face, N ick'Norcross
one : »
“ Oh, Mr. Doom, you have taken her out
of the grave, then?"

“Taken who, Nick?"

“Miss Estelle Enders, the one who was so
good to me!” and the tears came into the
brave boy’s eyes, while, bending over, he
reverently pressed a kiss upon the tiny white
hands folded on her breast. 7 >

“ Nick, that is not Estelle Enders." - ,

“Ah! Mr. Doom, do not trifle with me,» ' 
sir, for I know herabut too well.’t -

“ You believe that she was buried, and,
for some reason, has been taken from her
grave?" - '

" Yes, sir.” ’ _

“Think a moment, and you will see that ,_

never in the grave.” . .
“I am not mistaken, Mr. ,Don; I know
that beautiful face,” earnestly insisted Nick
Norcross. ” . 5,
‘ “ Nick?" impressively said the detective. " _, 3
“Yes, sir.” , ‘ ~ 

“ You saw a good deal of Miss Enders, did. 
you not?” » _ ‘  
“No, sir; I saw -her the day I was‘jrun. 
over, and she called a carriage and took me‘ ,
in the hospital, and waited to see that I was “tr
not fatally hurt, and had every attention. ' ,‘ ‘ -
“She called several times afterward, sir; - .-
always bringing me fruit and flowers, and
oh! she was so good to me, so‘you do not 

   
   
  

mother or sister to love,” and Nick choked ,
up with feeling.

“ Nick, that is not Miss Estelle 'E'ndors _,
who lies dead before you," announced Dick; :3,
00m. 0 ' ' 

“ Do you mean it, sir?"

“ Am I not ri ht, Mr. Keener?” .

“ You are, r, for Miss Enders whom
Nick knew is in her grave, and, as you told
me, was murdered by a man by the name of
Sanford.” ' v

    

 

e

The Actor Detective in Chicago.

 

 

. it
“ Yes, that is true.”

“Then who is this lady who so resembles

Miss Enders, sir?"

“ She is an unknown, Nick, and whose
story I will tell you, for I am, as Mr. Doom
told you, his ally and yours, in hunting down

this mystery.” '”

“I am glad of that, Mr. Kocner, for Ihave

' confidence in you, sir.”

“Thank you, Nick; but did you ever hem

Miss Enders speak of having a sister ?”

“ No, Mr. Keener, but if she had a sister,
then she is the dead lady before us, s1r," dc-

clared Nick with em basis.

“The recognition 1s com lete, Keener, so
ick the story of
this poor girl’s fate, and to-night we three
will go with her to the vault,” and Dick
Deom started to replace the coilin lid, but
ere he did so Nick once more bent over and
this time touched his lips to the cold, white

let us go, and you can tell

' forehead.

 

\

CHAPTER X.
TroirrsNING 'rma coms.

THE touching act of the young ferret cap-
ressing his lips upon the forehead of
girl, one unknown to him, impress-

tain, in
the dc _
ed both Dick Doom and Justin Keener.

It was a simple act, and called forth they
supposed by the resemblance of the dead girl
to the one who had befriended him, who
they both had now be no to feel assured

was the sister of Estelle nders.

The fact that both iris, twin sisters, had
met with a violent
arouse the pity and anger of any one, and
Dick Doom mentally took oath that ,he would

never leave the trail of their murderer, or

murderers, until justice was meted out upon
the gallows.

- . Leaving the room Dick: Doom returned
the key to the undertaker, telling him that

the body‘must be placed in a hearse that,

night, and a carriage would call there at nine,
. when all would be ready to take it to the re-
, ceiving vault in the cemetery.

The undertaker receivedhis orders, know- ‘

ing that they came from one in authority,

, and as they left the gruesome place Nick

. asked: -

“ Can I go to-night, sir.” . .
j “ To the vault with the remains, Nick f”
~ “Yes, sir.” '

“ I see no reason why you should not, for

' the chief hem asked me to go, and I request-
;75- red Mr. Keener to accompany me, so you can
.. 1. 30 along too.” . J

g“ Thank you, sir.” V
“ Beat my hotel at nine o’clock.” .. .
“ I’ll be there, sir,” and Nick went his

15, wu , while Dick Doom 'and Justin Keener

 wa ked on the office of- the chief of the
: .Secret .Servi . , .
.  They found',»the chief in his office, were
s‘évvprom )tl admitted, and Dick Doom said:-
 T“ ic rccofgnized the body at once, sir.”
..  .g .“ As that o Estelle Enders?” ‘ .
. " “Yes, chief.” , » I I,
j  '1‘ “ Then it must be, as you surmised, Dick,
, 1f. the body of her twin‘sistcr.’_’ , .
' 4. 1.- .f‘,Yes, sir, the initials, the fact of her being
; ; imurdered, hcri striking resemblance, a pal-‘-
' { eat age and no clue to the identity eing
‘j 1; found, all point to this.”

-,_::iy5.“ Beyond vall 'loubt,” assented,fJustin'.

“ Keener. and he asked:

' . ' " . I
fit “Reveayou the report of the surgeon.. sir,

. ‘upon his autopsy 2’” v I . I ,
.» ',“-Yes, there it is. and I was gomg to send
it to you, Dick, if you had not called.”

He handed a paper as he spoke to the" '

i‘commlian' detective, whofread a few lines
,and‘then said; "  _ '
I" i;,‘.‘ They re wort her‘in perfect health. an

‘ v

_ :thatshedic. from the effects’of morphine,

tibial: dru" was. foundin largefquantitiesin
" throw 1.". - ‘ -' '

 

eath, was enough to

‘ mitted' before it was purchased b

 

“Might she not have taken her own life,
Dick ?" suggested the chief.

“ If so, sir, why was it that she was packed
in a trunk?”

“ Ah yes.”

“ A trunk that was secured to resemble
that of our friend Keener, here, while his has
most mysteriously disappeared.”

“ True again. There is no doubt but that
she was murdered, and as the same fate was
her sister‘s, with the papers giving them an
inheritance stolen, it proves conclusively
that the same person or persons are at the
bottom of the fiendish deeds for the purpose
of securintr gold,” said the chief. -

“ And i? Sanford murdered Estelle Enders,
and he is’now free, why not suspect him of
being connected with the death of this un-

' fortunate girl also?” asked the actor.

“ Yes, Sanford must be found, your trunk
must be traced, and then we will have in
hand the key to the mysterious deaths of
those two girls.

“Have you arranged any plans of action
yet, Dick?"

“ I have no definite' plans, chief, but am
plotting to work up to one. ‘

“ I will see that the body of the irl is put
away in the vault, and then I will [leave my
ally, here, Mr. Keener, and my Boy Ferrets,
to work on the case here whi e I go East to’
trace the trunk that was so cleverly stolen.”

“ And do you need any of my men here ?”

“I may, sir, and Mr. Keener will know
where to come should he need your aid,” and
with this the detective and his actor assistant
left the‘quartersof the Secret Service chief
and returned to their hotel. I

 

CHAPTER XI.
UNDER snanow or mom.

NICK Noncnoss was sharp on time at the
hotel, and with Dick Doom and Justin
Keener entered the carriage to go to the
cemetery with the remains of the murdered

rl. ', , . - ..
g The undertaker and the assistant were
ready, the comp having been placed in a

yard, the carriage following soon after.

The road was taken to the cemetery
where the body of ‘ Estelle Enders had been
buried, and when the hearse halted before
the receivin vault. Dick Doom, Justin
Keener, Nic and the undertaker acted
as pail-bearers, and the coffin was placed in
a niche to await future developments.

Upon the coffin were three bunches of
flowers, the offering of the detective, his
actor ally and the Boy Ferret.

Entering the carriage the driver was told
to return/to town by the avenue leading by
the mansion of millionaire giarlborough, upon
the shore‘of whose groan ‘had been found

the boat containing‘thc body of Estelle

Enders. , .

, Two blocks from the mansion the vehicle
was halted, and the three occupants alight-
ing made their way under Nick’s guidance
to the deserted mansion with its extensive

ornamental grOunds surrounding it.

All was dark ’and desolate there, and as
they leaped the fence. for the gate was pad- _
locked, Dick Doom said! , ‘ .

“1 might as well tell you, Mr. Keener,
that over this place appears‘to hang a curge.
It had 'a weird history “of murderscpu -

r.
rough, who wholly refitte , en-
and improved it, making it his home.

Marl
lam
' ‘.‘ It wason this shore the boat with Estelle
Endors’s body was left by Sanford, and when,
Nick,"here, came to try and find the man
depenbythe boat, which he decided tosteal
for the pp 0139; he was attacked by a man
Sanford l ‘ ‘ sentherc to get the .boat‘, and

Mr. - Marlborough's-e ceachman.

 

es, she ,m‘mmdmw,i’i.*,'smd Dick ‘ . _ - ‘ ,, I ,t _
' i   . .  , giv-   ,_,  1 I  J  “Now ,theé‘;place;:“bemg;_Edesertedp‘

hearse. which drove out alone from the rear.

   
 

a light to be seen there by belated pedes-i.»

killed himfbut‘bot until the fellowhadklliEdi~ I ‘ ,, ,
' ' *‘ ' ’ trians,."abd so thefwind'ows were all ‘thor-g:   ., ‘

haunted by the people near, and left closed,
Nick made his retreat, with his twelve fer-
rets in the upper story of the stable, which
overhangs the water, with a hiding-place
under the dock for their boats. J

“ Several nights after Sanford’s first escape
from prison, Nick saw a light in the house,
entered it alone, saw what appeared to be a
ghost there, in an upper room, and not
showing fear was attacked, and he killed the
man who was wrapped in a sheet playing his
ghostly tricks, ,

_“ I_le proved to be Sanford’s valet. and not
Wishing to give ublicity to the affair until
the proper time, ick having come to report
to me,” we.buried the dead man in the vege-
table arden, where he still lies.

“ hen killed by-Nick, the fugitive mur-
derer, Sanford, was then in the house, but
escaped, and Nick and I tracked him to his
hidin place b his dog, which he had left
behin in his ight.

“Some days after we captured the man,
and at he has again escaped.

“ ow you see this deserted old mansion
has a gruesome history, and I came b here
to-night to leave Nick at his retreat in the
stable, and also to have a look' through the
mansion, for Merton Sanford is just hold
enough to again come here to seek a hiding-
place.

“ You will go over the mansion witlune,
Mr. Keener?”

“ With pleasure, and offer, up prayers at
every step that we may catch that follow
here,” was the comedian's earnest reply.

The three then entered the mansion by a
rear door, Nick opening the door with keys
that he carried, and finding a lantern and
matches inside where he had placed them
upon a former visit. '.

The lravc youth shuddered slightly as
they went into the room where he had killed
the man masquerading as a ghost and saw
the dark stain of. blood upon the carpet; but
he made no comment, and the tour of the
large mansion revealing no trace of the fugi—
tive, Dick‘ Doom“ su' ge'sted‘ a, return to the
hotel, and he and ustin Keener bade the
youth good-night and returning to their car-
riage an hour after were in their rooms, hav-
ing made a night of their weird Secret Sero
vice work. '

 

’ renames XII.
run runners“ RETREAT.

NICK Noncnoss, after being left at" the
gate of ,the Marlborough mansion b Dick
Doom and Justin Keener; watched t e two

until the passed out of sight in the dark-

nose on t eir way to their carriage, and then-
hc turned and. Walked slowly around the
house. , ' ‘ ‘ '- .‘
He went by the stable to the lake end.
winch himlg over the water, and passed
’ t

along a si 0 the center, where, hanging

.from an up er window was a rope-ladder.

This he cimbed and disappe’ziredfin the
open window. »  -- .
All was dark within, but the sound of a

breathing was distinctly heard. $10me

that there were a number of persons in there-

asleep. ' t ' p _ ‘
Passing through. the left, for such It was, ‘
Nick came to a door in the ether and of the
ammo, and though all was dark he entered,

lighted a match and found himself in a small . a "

room which was comfortably, but plainly
furnished. ‘ ,  , ‘ .

. He undressed,1 put out his light and threw
himself down to sleep: . u ' ' v
“But slumber did not come: tohim as was

its West, and he tossed'in his bed restlessly ‘-

until at last he got; unjand' goingI to the.
window took down the blanket ingin

over it, raised the sash rand partly open :
one blind,.f0r it would never have done for v ’

 

 

our;le Shielded. . ‘

 

, v... ... ..

.. M... “W. ... _ —-.. ._

-M.4- a? w" nan.-. mow-mm“ _ ‘ p...‘_..~ a... .,....'...‘ . -n...~n...... a 4 . ,a.

m, .40.“ -....~....

-'I

_, .m»h.‘,~’—~—~_-a~_._, _ . ‘
«a...»

~ ,..._o.-<.-._.__,u._~..._.\ . “are

 _,of these, Nick gained the concealment’ of
 madame foliage in the garden and 'made'
’ I hihway out of the grounds, $194140 discover
 that no one was yet abroad In the. early
_ morning._ I

,' blanket beds, spread 11 on the floor, and pre-
paringifor the duties 0 the da .
cad for us,'and‘ I

’ want a l but t‘wo'ot’ . you, to. go into the'city'

‘ tbevrulled ,mpidly 3-Way toward the city.

' departure, the rope-ladder being
a

. - closed. I ,
A row of bushes ran along at one end or; ‘

v T  ‘over the eventsrof’ the day and night until
   (Mate hour after returning ,to» the hotel, and
‘ ‘ ;. ,the'detectiVe said‘yas he at last came to a

* ,"de’ci'sioh: ‘ , ‘ ' ' ‘ " ‘

’ Yerk to morrow to trace your trunk at t'

 

As he sat there his eyes suddenly discov-
ered a flash of light through closed blinds in .
the third floor of the mansion.

He looked again, the light disappeared,
but a moment after he saw the same glim-
mer through the blinds of what he knew
was a rear hall. '7

Watching with intense interest Nick Nor-
cross saw a few moments after the same dim
glimmer of light in the hall window of the
second floor.

“ After all that house is still occupied,”

‘ The dawn Was breaking when he awoke,
and gointr into the room which he had passed
through during the night, he found there a
number of youths, ranging from twelve to
twenty years of age, as far as appearances
went. .

They were just turning out from their

“Bo. s, there-:13 Work at:

today and run to earth all you can find that
is going wrong, and what the crooks are do-
Ing.’
“All right, Cap'n Nick,” said one, and the
boys hastened to dress, some, of them slippinrr
out. of the window by the rope-ladder, an

stealing awa from the stable alon the

* shore, and 0t ers going down-stairs an leav-
ingrthrough strap in the flooring, which let

, them down into ~ a boat tied beneath the
wharf. ' V  '

Passing the boat out through the piling

wo of the young gamete remained in the
stable, and after giwngthem'some directions,
with regard to gomg Into the end overlook-
ing the house and boring _ let-holes to
keep a watch upon it. Nick orcross took his
drawn 'up

when he had descended, and the he window

the stable, and creeping along in the shelter

 

‘  , ona‘rrnn XIII.
, ' '  Irma MYSTEIUOUS LIoIr'r.
Drcx Doom, and Justin Keener talked

“Yes, Mr. Keener, I' will start “for ew

..end,; for I have discovered is it was

7

 

gTherActor Detective in Chicago.

could never have been brought even from
Buffalo here and you not have noticed it the
moment you opened the trunk."

“ Yes, that is so.”

“ The exchange of trunks was made here,
and the girl was killed here, and only a few
hours before your arrival."

“Then why go to New York?"

“ To trace the two trunks from there."

I‘  I!)

“You arrived here on an early morning
train?"

‘ “Which linger?”

After a mBment of thought Justin Keener
replied:

“It was the firstfinger of his right hand,
,I now recall.”

“ Anything else?”

“ He were a ruby solitaire in his black
scarf.” ’

These marks of identification Dick Doom
jetted down and then getting the address of
the baggage Express compan from Justin
,Kecner. With the date of sen ing his trunk
to the depot, and ‘where they had to send for
it, the detective said:

,“ Well, I shall take an early train to New
York and pick up the trail there.

“ Nick will report to you daily, so you in
turn report to the‘ chief, but unless any-
' thing Of an important nature turns up await
my return before'taking any decided step,
for should our man get alarmed the may
leave the - city, and I am anxious to get the
King Bee and the rest of the hive this
time.”

' “ You are ri ht, and I will oslow,” an-
swered Justin 'ecner, and bi( ding the de-

went to his own room. ,

peared, his face clouded as heheard from
Justin Keener that Dick Doom had gone to
New York, and he said:

"‘I am awful sorry that Idid not get to
see him». Mr. Keener, for I have made a dis-
covc that is important.” .

r v “ It 1'. Doom said that you would report to

me, and I- would make anything known’to
the'chief.” ’ v , I

- “f.I'll tell you, sir, but Ithinkit‘ best not to
‘tellathe‘ chief, for, in Mr. Doom’s absence,

he would send his men to work it up, and

ferrets " and the detectives would
credit for what we had discoverer 3"
‘ .“ All’ right, Nick, we will keep It to our-
selves”. ' ' - a ‘

K“ Yes, sir, for I'll keep a \close watch. and
it we have to act, why my Night OWIS- as
the Boy Ferret's now call our band,‘will act,
and do, good werk tee.”

get no

tecti've‘ good-by and wishing him success I he -
When. at ten o’clock" Nick Norcoss ‘ap-'

they might ruin all, or at any rate we.

in . a p
- ' glick Doom at once went out and sent,

 

t A

Yes, from collar to garret.” _

“ Did we not make a thorough search ‘1"

“ I think so, and I know that Dick Doom
had the. idea We did."

“ Well, sir, when I went to my dcn I
could not sleep, and getting up half-opened
the window, and I saw a light in the man.
s1on."

“ Indeed?" and Justin Keener betrayed
his surprise.

“ Yes, sir, I watched it and saw it flash in
the hall window on the floor below the one

said Nick to himself. “ Yes, at eight o’clock.” where 1 first saw it.”
“ Who else can it be than Merton San- “ Then that trunk with the body was here “It was not imagination, Nick ‘3”

ford ‘2 awaiting your arrival, and the man who was “ No, sir; and 1 take no stock in ghost
3 “ Would any one else dare come here but the spy on you, and arranged the plot of ex- stories, sir. "
f, he? change, came on with you.” “ How do you account for it?”
i “ We searched that house pretty thori “It may be.” “ The house is occupied, sir.”
i on hly to-night, and that proves there is some “It must be. Did you observe any one of “But no one dares go there, it is said.”
} hi rug-place there we have not found, and a sus icious nature with your train?’ ' “ There is one who dares go there, sir.”
‘ I have heard that old-time houses have “ ow I recall it, there was a man on the “You mean Sanford?"
l secret closets in them and this one may too train to Buffalo, and I afterward saw him at “ Yes. Silt" ‘ l ‘
i have one. the hotel there, and again on the train from “ Well, you have gone there, Nick.”
l “Well, if he is there he will remain in there to Chicago.” “ And will again, sir, only I do not wish
 hiding I am sure, for I would not wish to “Describe him, please.” to make a move without Mr. Doom, unless,
:‘ venture in alone, at; lea to-ni ht, and I do “ lie was a thick-set man, with black hair it is necessary, so what would .you advise,‘
( not care to take my ferrets wit out first re- and board, and looked like a sea-captain; in sir?"
I porting my discovery to Mr. Doom, for I fact, he told me that he was a sailor return- “Keep a watch on the place day and
i want no more killing on my hands if it can ing home, in the few words I had with him.” night, and if you see any one enter, or leave
g,’ possibly he avoided." a  Did you notice any peculiarity about it, capture them, for you must keep enough

, ‘; So musing, Nick carefully closed the win- him?" I of your men on hand to do the work.

 . dow, replaced the blanket and returned to “Yes, he had a gold tooth, I noticed, an “ if you do not see any one arrive or dc.~ ,
I his bed to at once sink to sleep. I also observed that he had losta finger.” part, await Dick Doom’s return. for he ex-

pects to be back within four days. ”
“I’ll do this, sir, and when 'my boys re- 
turn to the den to-night, I’ll keep. them there

' n

and on watch day and night.

“ Do so, and you Will doubtless solve the l '

mystery of the light, while, if you should
need me, come for me, and, now I think of
it, I wish you would come each day and help
me pick up some clue to the murder of that
poor girl at this end of the trail, for here is
where she was killed.”  v '

“So I think, sir, and I’m your man for
anylthing, Mr. Keener,” was Nick’s prompt
rep y. '

 

_ CHAPTER XIV. .
DICK Doom’s UNERRING , TRAIL. ‘ '
DICK Doom arrived promptly in New York

and went at once to a hotel. on Union Square: :1
where Justin Keener made his quarters when,  = x

in the city.
He had

were most pleasant ones. ’

having a letter from the actor, Dick Doom

told him that he was anxious to recover; 
Justin’s trunk, which had been stolen frontage;
him, and he wished all theinfonnaticn. hey:-
get from him regardingvail who 118in

could
visited the comedian. .
Landlord Smidt recalled

a line of introduction from the 
actor, and was most cordially received, and, 
as he desired to stop there, he was given'the  ’
rooms occupied by Justin Keener, and which :73";

Having won the regard of Mr.'Smidt 

J- ‘; ~.? "“ ' ""5 
person after .peryi:

son who had ‘ca’lled open the *popuhl' actor}: 

but to all Dickpoom shook his head until 
at lasthe made known that a trunk man Mfg};

called ,to fix the lock of Justin Keeppr’s‘

trunk; I i '
This circumstance
spoken of,t'o Dick Doom. and as the man
had called when the actor ‘, was away; " he
asked allparticulars of his visit, what he did
when there and how long he remained. '

Justin Keener-had: (

‘4

' ‘At last Dick Doom . gleaned the infor~ 

mation that, Justin Keener had sent‘forfaw
locksmith, ,who had called to fix the lock
on his trunk, and had done so, after remains

half an hour at work. ,

‘ .

 

i'

A“.

 

't “ iInh‘erle no douhtof that, Nick; hut  ho a following dispatch: ‘ _   ,
‘ ‘w ’ “’9 until Mr- Doom,” remm’ or at ~ “Bid. on" order locksmith to our  ‘
M91195 t0 make 350193“ swe‘lp when be ,three (has before leaving New 7Iorkfto "
strikes a-blow, and he has gone to New tom. mu}ka ;  . » .,  
York to begin at the other end of the trail. v“) Tn ~ , , - h "  I, .
“But what"was'your;.discovery?" ~ emwefsamem W0 0P”! I "' 11-,
- “Well. sir, you know we went through “Nd/nothing thelmatter with trunk,  ‘
the hhirlhoroughtmansionlastnight?!” = lg. .,   ‘ . “Jumx Keenan; , I

. 9‘ . ‘ - i ' m r Y
 : n z‘ a " "‘ \ ‘ “ .r > . . >:“‘ v'h‘  - 3  ‘ ' ;. V~ 
u re '

 .:.?hrought directly from the depot ere: to the

l'whotver.” " 

“ ‘; -.“;As to that I cannot vouch, sir, for I

opped over a day at Buffalo; but I think

 the change must havo been made there,
New York,"~ ‘ , ‘ ., ' v t

» itiw‘asrmade ‘here,;for with the tem.

of our; present weather, : the body

          

    

    
   

- .

 

 

    

8

 

The Actor Detective in Chicago.

 

 

Armed with this response Dick Doom!

looked in the Directory, for all the lock-
smiths in the city, and with a long list in his
hand sprung into a hack and started upon
the rounds to visit them.

After a half day‘s search, over on Ninth
avenue he found a locksmith who recalled
having sent a man to the hotel to fix a trunk.

The man was called, and closely question
ing him Dick Doom gleaned the information
that the man had gone to the room of Justin
Keener, and he had the card with name and
address in his pocket!

The card read:

“ 'Go to b‘midt’s Hotel, Union Square, ask
for Justin Keener, the actor’s room, and say
you are to fix a trunk. ‘

“ Take exact measurement of trunk, style,
name on it, straps, and all that is noticeable
so as to reproduce its counterpart, so that the

.Sam )10 key will fit both.”

“ low, my man,” said Dick Doom, “you
have gotten yourself into serious trouble,
and there is but one way out of it.”

“Uh, sir, I meant no wrong, and I’ll do
anything 1 can if you'll not give me any
trouble. "

“ Your pass sent you there to do some
work, and the man who employed you paid
you Well to duplicate that trunk as far as
you were able to do so, without leaving the
two together. V

“ You got a trunk as near like it as you
could, made certain alterations to make it
more so, put a lock on it to match the one on
Mr. Keener’s trunk, and delivered the coun-
terpart to your employer.

“ Is this not so?”

“Yes, sir.,” ,

“How much did he give you?” ’

“ Sixty dollars, sir, and the copy trun
cost twenty. ”

“ And then?”

“ I delivered it to him,.sir.”

“ When ‘1.”

“ The day after I was there.”

“ Where?”

“At the Astor House, sir. ”

” Well?"

" He paid me more to go out and buy some-

. ’ thing to make the trunk weighty.”

~91- :é‘n‘fi : 53' ,"T. ‘

“And then ?”
-. “ I left, sir.”

“ New describe the man. ” _

“ He was a thickset man, with black beard
and whiskers, and dressed as a sailor, sir."

“ You would know him if you saw him
again?”

“Oh, yes, sir.” .

“ Did you see any one with him?”

“ Yes. sir; a man came in to tell him that
somebody, I did not hear who, would leave
for Chicago by a certain train, and his ticket
wastaken to allow a stop over in Buffalo.”

“Well, my man, you return to your work,
but be ready to come to me immediatel if

on get a telegram from me, and you s all
e paid well for your services, for uninten-
tionally on your part, you have helped in a
great wrong. ,
a "‘ You will do as I tell you?”

“Oh. yes, sir, gladly.” , .

And Dick Doom left the locksmith with a
Very confident look upon his face.

 

CHAPTER XV.
COURSING FOR A CROOK. _
HAVING secured the name of the man the
locksmith had served so well, Dick Doom
went to the Astor House and asked .to see
“ Mr Ford Saunders of Detroit.”

  He did not expect to find the man there, so

Was not disappointed when told that he had
gone onza certain date. a ’
' Taking the clerk, apparently, into his con-

fidence. Dick Doom told him that there was
” a great surprise in store for Mr. Ford Saun-

ders, hinting that“ it was an inheritance, and ,
representing himself as alawver’s clerk he

the baggage had been taken, when the guest
left the hotel, and also what train he had
gone on. . '

Ile jetted in his note—book the informa-
tion he picked up, and saw that it was the
very train taken by Justin Keener the
comedian.

llaving finished his work in New York,
he returned to Joe Smidt's, paid his bill and
took the first train for Buffalo, arriving
there the next morning early.

‘ Going to the ’I‘illt llouse where Justin
Keener had stopped when there, Dick Doom
discovered on the register the name of
“ Ford Saunders," but this time the address
given was not Detroit, but Chicago.

Taking the same train out, which Justin
Keener had, Dick Doom, by closely ques-
tioning the crew, and showing his authority
for doing so, discovered that the exchange
of trunks had surely been made in Chicago,
and not on the train, for the- stop-over of
the actor in Buffalo for twenty-four hours
had caused his baggage, checked through as
it was, to arrive at its destination at day and
night in advance of his arrival.

Iaving learned from the conductor that the
“ man in the sailor togs, thick-set in form,
and with black hair and beard,” was on the
train with Justin Keener all the way to Chi-
cago, Dick Doom felt that he was new on
the right track, and upon arriving in the
Western metropolis had only to find the
whereabouts of the man he had shadowed
from the Astor House in New York, to find
the guilt slaych of the youngr girl whose
body ha been found in Justin Keener‘s
trunk. _

He at once wired the actor on the way:

“Will arrive at six. The sailor is the
man. Meet me at depot with Nick.”

, J ustim Keener got this telegram after
Nick’s morning visit to him, so he took the
Illinois Central out to Hyde Park, and then
set out on foot to go to the Marlborough
mansion, asking several persons he met re-
garding the sale and price of property in that
neighborhood. _ ' ‘

Coming in sight of the mansion, he strolled
leisurely along the shore, made his wa ' into
the grounds, and looked about with t e air
of one who wanted to buy property, and
finding the place deserted, had ventured in.

Reaching the pier near the stable, he
hummed an air to attract attention, and step-
ping to' the corner of the building, stood
lookin out 'over the lake.

He new that sharp eyes were g‘pon him
from within the stable, and if Nic had re-
turned to his retreat. he would be recog-
fiized and a way found to communicate with

m- I .' .

He was right, for the lake window opened
cautious]
voice cal ed:

“ I am here, Mr. Keener. I just returned
by boat; but there may be some one in the
mansion on the watch.”

“Yes, Nick, I’ll not remain, but come to
tell you to meet me at the hotel at five.”

“I’ll be there, sir," and the window
closed, while Justin Keener strolled leisure-
ly about the grounds, whistling “ Com-
rades,’f and appearing to be only intent upon
examining the'heautlcs of the old home and
its surroundings. I

At last he left, and walking across to the
cable car took it back to the city.

Sharp at five Nick N orcross knocked at the
actor’s door and was admitted,

“I had this'telegram from, Dick Doom,
Nick, so went ,to look you up.”

The youth took the telegram read it over
carefully and said:

“ Mr. Doom is 011' the right track sure, and
that means that he will get his man as sure
as death.” , . ' , a

“ So I think, Nick; but now we will go to
the depot and meet him,” and the two left

 

got what information he wished, as to where

the hotel together. \

- i

and ahead peered out, ’whilea A

CHAPTER XVI.
suanowrxo.

Tm: train came in on time, and Dick Doom
got 011‘, sachel in hand, gavc a glance of re-
cognition only to Justin Keener and Nick
Norcross, ant then passed on into the bag-
bage-room.

He went to the head “ baggage-snmsher ”
and said:

“ A word with you, please.

“ I am busy now.”

“ You are not too busy to attend to me,
sir. b’ee I”

He showed his badng of Secret Service,
his diamond badge of the United States Se-
cret Bureau, causing the man to quickly
say:
“ I can give you a few minutes, sir.”

“ ()n the date of this paper a gentleman
arrived on the morning train from- New
York, handed his check to an cxprcssman,
and went to his hotel.

“ Half an hour after a trunk arrived, and
in appearance similar to his.

“ Ilis key unlocked it, by a strange
coincidence, but it was not his trunk,

“ He had stopped over in Buffalo twenty-
four hours, so his trunk came on that much
ahead of im. -

“With these facts, I wish you to find out
where his trunk -was taken, and how the
checks became mixed.”

“Has the owner of the other trunk not
appeared in search of his ba, gage?”

“ You should know that ighe had; but he
does not want his trunk, preferring the other. ”

“ That means that the exchange was pur-
posely made.” ‘

“ It does.”

“ That is stran c."

“It would bci one of your men had not
been bribed on the train, or here, to make
the exchange. ”

“But we emplo only honest men."

“ So they do in anks and other important

osition'é‘, but when tempted, men fall, and I
lave never yet known a corporation that had
not some rogues employed in it.”

“ What do you wish me to do, sir?”

” My idea is that both trunks came through
together, and that one was taken away from
here during the day of its arrival.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Find out to whom the, through trunks
from New York were delivered, and let me
know at once, ut no attention must be at-
tracted to your search more than is necessary.”

“ When do you wish an answer, sir?”

‘( Now.” .

“Can you give me a description of the
trunk?" .

, “ A. description of one describes both, and
here it is written down.” '

‘)

over careful] and went on his mission.
In half an our he returned and said:_
“ Both of the trunks described came in at

of their similarity.”

(t  ‘

" One was taken aWay by a hackman, who
called with the check for it, some two hours
after the arrival of the train.”

“ And the other?” ’

“Was taken by a baggage Express to a
hotel in the city.” _

“ When, and to what hotel?” » v

" Here is the name, and it was on the day,
after its arrival that it was taken away.”

“ Send some of your men to find out who
thergackman was. ’ '
e man did so.

“ Now let me tell you that the. exchan ‘e
of these checks was made on the _train aft r
leaving Buffalo.” ‘ -

“ It would seem so, sir.” .

‘.‘ Could a nasslenger enter the baggage
car?" ’ '

 

“Possibly, but not to make an exchange

g of checks.”

The man took the slip of paper, read it

the same time, and were noticed on account:

. “NA. ,.-.... ..,.. .... ..... g . M,

 

r.,......_-~ .VW~.-....... .x» u...»— V..._....M _.-w;,

in
‘ if;
i,

 

- I...

i
l
1“
2
1.
l.
l
l
3
l
l
g
i


i
1,

i
E
l
g
i
3.
l
i
i
i
i
i
i
l
i



 

 

 

hotel the moment you make the discovery,

" Nick warmly, and

 the hotel, and once in his rooms he said:
  “Well, my good allies, my trip has been
unsuccessful one.’ '

,x v.3 r

The Actor Detective in Chicago.

9 .

 

.t “ That means that a baggage-man did
1 ‘1”

“ Perhaps, through a porter of the sleeper,
a brakeman, or maybe the conductor might
have been invcigled into it by a passenger
who told him that he WlSth to have one
trunk lay over, and the other checked on,
and had made a mistake in packing them."

“True, but might a passenger also have
bribed the baggage-man "I"

“It might be, sir, thourrh, with the same
name on each trunk, and the trunks just
alike, he need not bribe him, as they would
seem to be his own.”

Dick Doom was silent a moment, and then
said-

“See here, the exchange of those checks
was made before the tram reached Buffalo,
not after, new I come to think of it, and the
check for the trunk to be stolen was the only
one delivered here, but both trunks went
away from this office. and one was kept, the
other retunned."

“ That cannot be, sir.”

“ Why ‘2"

“Only one trunk would be delivered on
one check.”

“ Look here, sir.

“ The man who had these checks changed,
knew the number on both.

“ He sent the one check on to Chicago by
mail, with a special stamp, of this I am as-
sured, and the receiver of that check at once
had a similar one made with the number of
the other one upon it.

“The hackman who called for the trunk
a couple of hours after the arrival of the
train, got both of them."

“ I can barely believe this, sir.”

“ But he did, and you will find that some
time the night following one of those trunks
was brought back and left here, with some
excuse for the taking of it away.

“ Investigate this at once, and thoroughly,
find the gm ty man in. our employ who was:
acting for abribe, an report to me at my

which you must make.
“ Also let me know who the hackman was
that took the trunks away. ‘
“I shall look for you to-ni ht, no matter
what the hour,” and Dick m walked
away and joined Justin Keener and Nick
outside where they were waiting for him.

 

CHAPTER XVII.
"DICK book’s cnn'rnn wonK.

. THE detective greeted'Justin Keener and
. entering a carriage the
three were driven to the post-emce.

Dick Doom at once sought the chief clerk
of the special delivery stamp department
and, showing his bad 0 of authority asked to
see the record of specml letters mailed from
Buffalo on a certain date. ,

They were shown him, and they were over
a hundred in number.

He went carefully over the list and found
one stamped as mailed on the postal car at
Buffalo. , .

It had been delivered at a certain number,
in an obscure street not far from the post-
oflice, and within an hour after its reception
at the ofilce. .

Dick ‘Doom took down the date, time of
delivery, street and number, and. seemed. to
care fo none of ,the other specral letters on
the list. .

Thanking the clerk he returned to his car-
riage and said: ‘ l
. .’ “ Drive slowly throu h Plymouth Place.”

The driver did so an Dick Doom watched
the numbers until his eyes fell upon one that
’ hewas in search of. .

Then he ordered the driver to take them to

and you certainly have made quick work of
it," . ustin Keener replied.

“I got upon the right trail from your
friend's house, Joe Smidt, Mr. Keener, found
the man who came under pretense of mend-
ing your trunk.”

“ Which I knew nothing about.”

“ So Mr. Smidt said; but he got the meas-
ure, style, name and all needed to make, or
buy a similar trunk, and was employed to
do so by a man stopping at the Astor House
by the name of Ford Saunders.”

The story of the shadowing was then told,
and up to the interview with the, baggage-
master, and then Dick Doom continued:

“ Now, through that special delivery letter
Ihave found out where the man sent the
check, for the clerk remembered that the
letter contained a hard substance .within it
which was marked ‘ Brass Die.’

“1 now am waiting for the baggage-man
with his report, and I venture to assert that,
with the connivance of the one on duty the
second trunk was removed.by night from the
depot, and returned before dawn, and it held
the body of the murdered girl, and whose
life had been taken meanwhile.”

“And at the place where the letter was
delivered '3" asked Justin Keener. 

“I am not so sure of that, but, if the
trunks were taken to the same place that
the letter was, the hackman will know.”

“ If he can be found."

“He will be, Mr. Keener, for if the
cannot find him at the baggage-room, I’l
start Nick here and his ferrets out with the
number of every hack in the city and in a
couple of 'days they will have discovered
every fare each one of them had on the
day and night in question, for it is not
likely that the hackman was in the secret,
or the same driver brought the trunk back
who took it away.” ‘

‘f You are the very man for a detective.
Mr. Doom,” said Justin Keener, with real
admirationat the skill of Dick Doom.
“Yes, I believe that I was born with a
talent for Secret Service work, and which
was developed by the need of it in my
own life,” was the reply of the detective,
and both Justin Keener and Nick noticed
the sad look that came over the face of the
“Ferret of the Golden Fetters," as he was
often called by his professional brothers,
from the fact that he always carried a
pair of solid gold manacles.

Quickly throwing off the sadness that had
swept over him, recalled by some memory
Of his past life, Dick Doom said:

“It is time I heard from the baggage-
master, for he has had a chance before this
to ‘find out the hackman who had carried
the trunk, or trunks away from the depot.”

Hardly had he finishei speaking when a
bell-boy came up with he card of the man
whom the detective was anxiously expect-

ing.

 

CHAPTER XVIII.
i, run nor smears on {me TRAIL.

“Snow the gentleman up,” Said DiCk
\Doom, and turning to Justin Keener and
Mick Norcross he continued:

‘ “ Please step into the other room, but do
not close the door, and make no sound to
betray your presence there.” - r

The actor and the ferret obeyed, and ‘soon
after the baggage-master entered.

.“Be sctted, Mr. Leilcr; I suppose you
come with news for me, the news that I
want?” ' I

“I am afraid not, sir, for I can find no
trace of the hackman.”

“Did your men try?” ‘

“They did, sir, but said that the man
:came from, some place across the town and
was not known to an r' of the people at the
depot, for I questioned them all myself.”

,“ I am sorry aboutthis.”

like one who had done his duty and wished
to o.

Igut, Dick Doom was not to let him of!
untlil he had reached bed-rock facts, so he
sau :
“You have something else to report, Mr.
Lefler?” -

The man’s face flushed and paled by turns,
and he made no reply.

“Your finding the hackman, Mr Letier,
was but half of the work I gave you to do.”
“\Vhat else did you wish of me, sir?”

“Are you not aware that both of those
trunks were taken from the depot, and one ‘
returned in time to be on hand when the
check for it was presented?” -

“ well, yes, sir, this was the case."

“ One of your own men allowed this.”

“ Do you know this?” quickly asked the
baggage-master. '
“You will find out how much more I
know, sir, if you do not at once state the
facts as you know them,” sternly responded
the detective. .7

“Pardon me, sir, but I hesitated to tell
all, fipm compassion for one who is dear to
me.”

“ Who is that one ‘(”

“My brother, sir. ” ,A

“ He has charge of the baggage at night?”
“ Yes, sir."

“Ile was bribed to allow that trunk to
be taken awa ', and when returned to put
the same check upon it ?” -
“ You know. all then, sir?”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Well, sir, my brother is years younger
than I am, a mere boy. He has been a
wild young fellow, giving us all inueh sor.
row and trouble.

“ But, he reformed and came to me for
work overa year ago. I got him on as brake-
man, then as assistant hand with the bag-
giige, and at last put him on as night man

the in ga e room.”

“Andglrie lgietrayed your trust?" _ -

“ Well, sir, Iwent to himoand as though -
I knew all about it, told him a trunk had
been taken away and brought back during .
the night, when the same check had "been
put on it again."

“He broke down then and confessed
that he had been bribed to allow it?” .

“ Yes, sir. ”

“ What did he say ‘2” .

“He said that a entlemau came to him ,
and told him he ha a friend coming on to _
be married, and that he, as a present, wished ,
to ive him a number of things which be“
‘de red to put in his trunk without his ,
knowing it, and he offered him fifty dollars
to allow a hackman to take the baggag:
away, promising to return one trunk w th j -
a few hours."

“I see his game,”
Doom. ‘

“ Tempted by the fifty dollars, poor Fred,
consented, and the trunk was called for by a;
hackman, but returned just before day-M
break b another one.” _\ “

“Ant he did not know either of these
hackmen?” ~ - v “ .

“ Ile swears that he does not, sir, and in'
this I believe him.” i -.

“Mr. Lefler, say nothing more to your
brother upon this subject, nor to any one
else, and let it appear as though it Was done
with. - .

“But keep your eye upon your brother,
as I may need his testimony, and I’ll be very;
lenient with him. ‘ - , 

“I thank you for what you have done.",'
but remember, this is a dead secret untiluli“
give you authority to speak.”  

“I‘ll not forget it, sir," said Mr. Leilor,~_.'
and he took his leave. 

As soon as the door closed behind him:
Dick Doom called his allies into the room,:,
and said: , / A.

“ You see how matters are shaping them-ff.

Quietly said Did: "

 

if

.,

 

 

, rel. gm rejoined to hear that, Mr. Doom,

The visitor made no reply, and looked

selves; but, Nick, I want both the hackm

 

 

 

 

  

~..

‘10

 

The Actor Detective in Chicago. .

\

 

the one who took the trunk from the depot,
and the man who returned it.”

“ I’ll find them both, Mr. Doom.”

“ All right, go at once and get the num-
bch of the hacks and the addresses of the
drivers, and start your ferrets at work run-
ning them down at daylight.”

“I‘ll do it, sir,” and Nick was off like a
flash on his mission, and the next morning
{the Boy Ferrets were on the trail.

 

CHAPTER XIX.
scheme The CHAIN.

THE day following the return of Dick
Doom from New York, Justin Keener went
over to the post-ofliee to mail an important
letter, and crossing Plymouth place the idea
occurred to him that as the special letter
containing the trunk check had been mailed
to that street, the one who sent after the
trunks would doubtless ‘go to the hack-stand

 nearest to where he live .

So he went along the row of vehicles
questioning each driver as to his having on
a certain day, or night, carried a trunk to a
house on Plymouth place. ‘

, To his great delight he found a man who
said that he had been hired by a entleman
, late one night to take a trunk from I’lymouth
- place to the depot. ’
Ascertaining the number, and discovering
that the date was the very night that the
‘ trunk had been take away and returned,
Justin Keener hastened back to the hotel and
found Dick Doom in his rooms. ‘
' “I have made the half of a discovery for
you, at least, Mr. Doom." he said. '
‘ “ Out with it, friend Keener,” said the de-
‘teCti-ve cheerily, and he added: I
“It ma fit in with the news just brought
- me by ick Norcross, who came to report
to me that he has found the hackman who
carried the trunk away from the de 0t."
“ Indeed! Did he take it to lymouth

_ you drove byto have a
7 look at?” I, ,
“ He did.” , .

“ Then i can complete the discovery, for I

g have found the hackman who carried the

7 trunk back to'lthe depot.” . . ,
. (d I” ,

' “That completes the chain of evidence,
'.,,.and now we are to find the murderer,” said
{Dick Doom,land he'heard from Dick Doom
fall, that be had been. told by the hackman,
2 whose name, address and number were given
:‘ him b the actor. ' .
.i ' f“ ck’s hackman came from the stand at.
If the Polk street depot, Mr. Keener, and neither
'of tilts two drivers suspected any plot in their
“Wor- . I ,r '
 1' f'l‘liey were both engaged by an old gen-
E'tleman, with gray hair, beard, and glasses,
rand, who stooped n his walk, swung a gold-
5headed cane, for such is the description your
‘man gives ” '

 

r . ‘7Exactly;”so.we have the evidence of Joe
..Smidt of the coming of“ the trunkman to
your rooms, the man who got the model of

w your trunk. the AstorI‘Iouse Register upon.
:fWhiCh is the name of Ford Saunders, the‘
Jifact that the checks were changed on'the’

i.£;train before reaching Buffalo, that one was
.é.mailed' to Chicago, and delivered on Ply-
igmouth'place. being receipted for by an old

i'fgengtleman with gray hair. and heard, and
who steeped in the shoulders, and who .

“signed the name of the address on the-envel-

' ' i which was that of M.’ 8. Ford, which

_ might, you see, stand for Merton Sanford.“
“ How

_ case, Mr.
'18

5:

com," said Justin Keener with a

 
 
  

 

If?“ Yes. and Nick’s dfiver gives the same, I
M V

ou'do get at bed-rock facts of a-

};Practiee. makes. perfect, it strata,

  

“ But, to continue, we have evidence from
the lmggage-mastcr‘s brother that he did
allow both trunks to leave his keeping, one
of which was taken and returned by night,
and that an old gentleman paid him the bribe,
while the two hackmen also give their state-
ment as to their having been engaged by an
old gentleman, and each went to the same
address to leave the trunk and to take it
away.”

“ The chain is being slowly but surely
for ed, Mr. Doom, in .your clever hands,”
sai( the actor.

“ Yes, but now we have to find the
murderer, for that trunk went there to that
address with only the weight material put
in it by the trunkmaker in I‘i’ew York, and
it left the housewith the dead body of the
young girl whom you found in it.

“By a strange coincidence, the address on
Plymouth place is just three doors from the
house in which I found Sanford before, him
and his allies, who were crooks and counter-
feiters, burglars and pickpockcts, as wellas
confidence-men: we made a great haul that
night of crooks, Nick and his ferrets aiding
me, Mr. Keener. ' '

“ The house is now unoccupied, but I am
sure that it has some secret passageway un-
der ground, perhaps, with the one now oc-
cupied by that old gentleman, who may or
may not be Merton Sanford in disguise.

“I have made inquiries, and find that the
house is occupied by a widow and her
daughter, who is said to be insane, but little
is knowniof them in the neighborhood, and

all may onl be a blind.” 1

“It may ; but how would it do for me
to go there and try and get'board, telling
them who I am, and that I am organizing
a dramatic company ?” '

“The very thing, for you are keen by
nature as well as by name, and once in the
house. could discover at a glance much
that might help us, whiletif they take you in
as a boarder, then thegrOSre not guilty them- .
selves, though their ,rder, the pretended
old man, is.’ » ' ,

“ It would seem so, and I will, go at once
and try the board racket,” and Justin
Keener started off muttering to himself:

“I rather. like this playing detective,
though I would prefer it to be a comedy to a
tram edy, whieh‘the death of that poor girl
  it.” , I.

' ,CHAPTER xx. '
ran house or MYSTERY.

J nsrrn, KEENER went to- the number of
the mysterious 'house, where theold man
lived, and in answer to his ring, a woman,
came to the "door, neatly dressed but with a
sad lopk‘upon her motherly face.

“Pardon me, madam, but I am

 

3.

looking

that you took ’boarders,’ said the comedian,
politely. ’ , - ' .  .

“ I have Only my upper floor, sir, and that
is occupied ” I

“I am sorr , madam, for I desired to get

5' into this locality. I am an actor and this is

convenient to my work.” I

“An actor, sir?”;v _ “ j , . , a

“ Yes, lam JustinKeeper, the comedian,
madam." ' v: v -   ' ' ' ' .
" “Justin Keener, the comedian?” and the
woman's face brightened. '

“. Yes, madam. "   _ V.

‘.‘ sen w am: or, sir.’  _

“W’hdis yd: son, may I ask?" ' r - v

“ He knew you, Mr. Keener, for I have
heard him‘ speak ,of .ou:‘ but, he. is dead
now. . His name was ‘arrol Camdine.”
, “Ah; Yes, I knew him,_well. He was lost
.atsca 'poor;fellow.?"..  f - 1- '
/~ "“Yz’ ,vt'wo yew-sage; but, -I am‘gladjto
meet your Comejin’" " * - I '

they are said to be harmless people, but that _

for a pleasant boarding-place. and I was told ‘

“ I own this, house, Mr. Keener, and had
it rented to men who 1 had reason to be-
lieve were a wicked lot.

“They also had a house near here, only
a few doors away, and they hold regular
communication by way of the roofs, going
in and out by way of the skylights, and over
the adjoining houses.

“ The other house was raided by the
police, and mine was deserted that very
night and left on my hands, so I came with
my daughter and took possession of it, as it
was rented furnished.”

“ And you have boarders now ‘2"

“Only one, now, an old gentleman, who
came here and engaged rooms for himself
and daughter, paying me a large price on
condition that I would take no one else.”

“ And they are with you now?”

“No, the daughter was called suddenly
away some days ago her father told me, and
a few days after he left, leaving a note that
he would be away also a little time, but to
keep all as left by him until I had a message
from him, and he would pay all expenses
just as though he was here.”

“ So this prevents you from taking me as
a boarder, Mrs. ' Caradine?” said Justin
Keener.

if he does not keep his floor after the month,
I would like to have you here.”

“Could you not give me a room 'on the
second floor, or this one?”

“You know my contract with Mr. Ford
forbids."

“ Mr. Ford?” 4

“The old gentleman I spoke of."

“Oh, yes.” , ' a I

“ Then, too, I have an invalid daughter,
and need all of, my 'second floor for our
use.” 4

“I will urge no more, Mrs. Caradine; but
in case Mr. Ford may not return, will you

so as to know whether I will hold on and-
await his return, to see if he gives them
u .1) 3' '.-~‘ I '

pThe woman hesitated and then said:

“ He has a private passdtey
doors, but when'hegleit the'lock id not
catch as he supposed; so I can show you
what the rooms are." and Mrs. Caradine led
the way up to the third floor.

There were on tb-is'floor a parlor, twobed-

rooms and bath-room, all comfortably fun .

nished. - , .
“ This room 01? the parlor Miss Ferd occu-

man’s, and they had the parlor: together.”

Justin Keener’s eyes had quickly taken in ' V

the rooms, the furniture and all else.

But suddenly his gaze became riveted upon
a large photograph upon the wall. .

It was of a young girl, and he stopped in
front of it, gazin intently. - ‘

“That is'Miss . ord’s face, sin, Is she ma 5

beautiful?”

“ Ve ,” muttered the actor.

“An as good as she is beautiful,” con-
tinued Mrs. Caradine. -

f‘Do
actress.”

:“ Indeed?”

"‘ Yes, I thoughtlso from several remarks.

I heard her make. .

“ Do you like the rooms, Mr. Keener?’ ‘

“ Very
see you again, while I am certainly glad to
have met 320.11,”: and thanking‘ her for her
kindess' Justin Keener 1e t the house wear—
in onhis face '8 smile t at was unfathom-
abe.’ ' ‘. . ‘ '  

 

’/

f'loHAP'rnR XXI. 5-- i
A DETECTIVE IN lemma! 7 '

Jusm Keenan entered! "the rooms of '
Dick. Doom with the; air of a, man'whcy‘

held the key toa puzzre.- = 

 

 

  
  

. .JustinKee'ner entered thy house; and wgs'
i1“) iWfieowiittle arlor'." -  I r r ’ 

     

     

    
   
 

 

  
     

 
   

r". Inns: 5

H":

 

“Yes, Mr. Keener, and I am Sorry; but, -

kindly let me have a look at his rooms, just. '

ugon his I

pied, andvthe rear room was the old gentle- ‘

you know I think' she has beenan '1

much, Mrs. Carndine, and ‘1 Will. '

nstant    

1"

 

  
    
  
   

l' ’ “.
(I
.Q 3'
4. i.
l
J i

l 1:"
1 i
'3
l
as
\
if,
‘- 1
z ».\
,,
.53 ‘5'.
,L .
.  .g
i.
, I!
‘f. ‘ r "5.
gt 6.
. -, I?
.3 1.» ‘*
t,
OI: '
' ls;
.
3:2!
_a. ‘4‘

 

 
   

_namc is Ford?”

 man has left?” ‘ ' ,

K 7 to look for our man."

" dcr

.24 g _. '_.finishing his'toilet (when? {the b.611be
 ' “With?card.forhim'“fifi91ifima¢,2 V . ’

,‘flnd‘here the girl I spoke of. “ , '
, " . “Give her a strong recommendation. , ,

The Actor Detective in Chicago.

 
 

u“

 

   

 

fee: that he had something to tell, and he
sai ;

“Well, Mr. Keener, what luck?”

“I discovered in the landlady in the
House of Mystery, the mother of an old
friend, an actor, who was lost at sea—
poor Carrol Camdine.”

“Then, as I surmised, she is not a guilty
party.”

“ bhe certainly is not, sir, but you shall
bear all.”

The story was told, and Dick Doom
gave a low whistle and said:

“Yes, when we pulled one house the
birds flew out of the other, and the com—
munication between the two was] by way
of the roofs and scuttles.”

“ That was it.”

“ And Mrs. Caradine has an invalid
dau liter?”

“ es, sir.”

' “Any servant?” “ .

“No, sir, and I remember.she said she
wanted one, but a faithful girl she had
been unable to secure thus far.

“Mr. Keener, I know one you can re-
commend to her, and to-morrow you must
write her a. note tellin her you know of
an honest, good girl w o .wants a home
rather than wages.”

“ You know of such a girl Mr. Doom ?”

“Yes, the very girl for her.”

“ All right, sir, I’ll write the letter.”

“ I‘ll have the girl call on on to get the
letter; but you say the oldy gentleman’s
“Yes, sir.” 7

“And that he put a secret lock on the
doors of his rooms?”

6‘ 1768.”

“But he left it unlocked by accident?"

“ 80 Mrs. Caradine said.”

Keener.” ., _ .. , _ , .

“ We know that the old man’s name is.
Ford, and he signed for the special'rlelivery

' lettéri”

“ Very true. ”
” Well, to come out with my secret, I saw

‘Mi‘s‘s‘Fm-d’s photograph in the room}

"‘It‘ls the very image of 'the dead girl
_..y was put in the trunk.” -

“ Only for a fewdays.”
“ Are on sure?”j , .
I “so ’rs: Caradine..said, 'and his rooms

' look‘as 'th0ug'h7they:l.had been left only

« templorarilyfl . .
“ his ma be a blind, and. e1; he may
" have left on y from fear that e mi ht be

suspected, and would absent himsel until

reassured, and I trust it is so, though, if he

‘ - 3 does not return there, I, think“ from what
. ‘Nick reported to you about the mysterious

li ht seen in the Marlborough mansion,

wane L‘was away, that we will know where
_‘f'-I see the drift you are taking, ‘11:.

Doom, and I will write Mrs. Garadine"

warm recommendation of the girl you mg:

to send to her,” said the actor with a Smile.

' "‘ You are certainabout the photograph

"heingone of the young girl who was inur-

ed?” » , r

? “Beyondall doubt,” answered the actor,

 'and'as Dick Doom had an .en agement with.
a? , ;._,-the chief of the Secret Service
'  f‘parture, to? keep‘it.. , ’

6 took his/de-

The next morning'J Keener was just
Y mm

x' n

A “:“Plea ‘0 come to my room and you {will

“I have an engagement but willeechou
  . g  I ‘ . .3»;

t

 

"You have something else a to tell, Mr. ’

. ‘ing out over the waters from a point of ob.

. his hair ‘and'bea Wyol‘e‘ll‘ont

of the detective and knocking at the door a
feminine voice said:

“ Come in!”

Entering he beheld a young girl with
blaclk hair, frizzlcd bangs, and dressed a trifle
()ll( .

She had the appearance of a Bowery hello,
.and said with a decided broguc:

“Morning to ycz, sur; be ye the gentle-
man as intinds to give me a character?”

Justin Keener has an appreciation of wit
and fun, and amused at the girl he answered
with his irresistible Dutch dialect so popular
on the stage:

“ I )at ish so, Fraulein; I ish t’c man you vas
after.

“ Vas you from t’e Fadcrland, leetle
gal?"

“ I is either being Irish, sur.”

“ Dot vas all t’c same to dcm as don’t know
different.

‘:?I’3ut you'vants a character, you vas tell
me ’

“In faith I do that same, for I’m either
being a good, honest girril; but I lost me
peaketbook the ither day and me character
wi it.”

“ Oh Ilimmcl! v’y don’t you go find him?

“But v’at vas your name so I gif you
anot'er one.” ,

Sitting down at the desk Justin Keener
muttered:

“ I don’t think Dick Doom has struck it
rich in sendin this Exile of Erin to act as a
detective, she ooks stupid.”

But he wrote the letter of recommendation
and turned to hand it to Maggie Maloneyr
when, to his surprise he saw her lighting .a
cigar from the detectivc’s case.

“ Miss Maloney !” cried the astounded actor,
and the answer came:

“' Well, Dutchy, don‘t you know me?”

“Dick Doom, by‘the ods of war!”

“Yes, alias Maggie loney',

-" Will I do ?”  ‘ ,

Just-in Keener looked bewildered for a
moment and then burst out into a hearty
laugh. ’

“ Will you do? .

“Well I guess so, for anything you un-
dertake; but do you mean, Dick Doom,
that you intend to trace Mrs. Carodine as a
servant girl?” ' ' ' ‘

“ It is just what I intend to do, for I have
keysthat will open ever door, trunk and
drawer in the house, and will just see who
and what old Mr. Ford is, and if Mrs. Cara-
dine is guilty or not guilty, though I gigs
her the benefit of not being.” -

“ No, she is not an accomplice.” '

“ So I hope and and believe, Mr. Keener;
but 1 can find out all I wish to know, and
you told me there was a hall room on Mrs.
Caradine‘s floor" unoccupied and that is
doubtless where Maggie Maloney will ,be

ut. . ' .
p “You remain here and keep your eyes
open, but call daily upon Mrs. Caradine,
from the friendship you had for her son, you
know, and Nick wil report daily to you, so
we ,willbe in constant communication with-
each other, for he will have his ferrets on the
.watch. -  ' - , ,,
1".“‘Now‘I’ll go and seek service with Mrs,
Caradine,” and Dick Doom soon left the
hotel,~c,arryin g a sachel .of clothes fitted form
a female domestic, and leaving Justin Keener
to watch events as they transpired.

CHAPTER 'XXII. .
A STRANGE MEETING.

“tophicago, on his, mission '10 leek up the
children ofBen Bancroft the a tor. a gentle-
man was standing upon the la '6 front, gaz-

servation in Lincoln Park. - ‘.
He wasra man beyond three-score years.
:b'ent in form, -_ ith rounded-shoulders and

' Neerork, and they told me that‘she had. ’-

A SHORT while before J ustin: Keener went '

  
    
 
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
  
   
    
   
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
  
    
    
 
  
  
  
   
  
    
  
   
   
 
 
     
   
    
    
  
   
       
   
   
   
   
   

wealth, and his gold-rimmed spectacles and
massive, gold-headed cane helped to carry
out the idea that he was well ed in this.
world‘s goods.

Taking one of the rustic seats in the Park,
he sat gazing out over the lake, while his.
thoughts seemed traveling backward into
the bygone, for his face assumed a look as
though he was dwelling upon bitter
memories.

So wrapped up was he in his thoughts:
that he failed to see a lady approaching;
until she almost con fronted him.

She was a young and a very beautiful
girl, and her dress was rich and stylish.

As she came in front of him he looked up.
gave a glance into her face and gave a cry of
horror, while from his white lips came the
words in tones of anguish: v

“Great God, Estelle! Have you come
from your grave to haunt me?"

The young girl started. her face flushed
and paled, and then. she drew nearer to him
and said:

“My dear sir, did I startle you? I am.
Very scrry.”

“In God's name who are you?” gasped:
the old man. ' ‘ -

“My name is Eleanor Enders. sir. and but
now you called the name of my twin‘ sister,
Estelle, whom I came to Chicago to find.” —

The old man gave a deep sigh of relief, ‘
and, after an effort, said:

“Yes, you reminded me of my little
Estelle. .

“ Do on mean to tell me that you are :
Eleanor nders, her” sister, of whom I have j
heard her speak so often? ,Sit down, my,
child. and let me talk to you.” . 

The youn girl slipped into a seat byvhis:
side, and sai , softly: . ..

“Then you will forgive me for frighten} ;-
ing you as Idid?" . f. .'

f‘ Oh, yes, do not speak of it,.'for‘I smnot.
over strong.”

' “Pardon me. sir; then you knew my siss
ter Estelle?” .

The man looked at her and asked:

“ Do you know whereshe is?" .1 ' .

“ I do not, for I have not heard from her -.
for two years. « 45:

“ She was an actress, as I am. She went 
into a company, in which there 'was no  f
for me, and securing a lar e salary in a com-‘ ‘f-j
pany oing to European then Australia, ~‘
took igt, and thus we were separated, and it's}
has been a long time since I have heard from; 
her, being so far away. ~ . ‘ - ‘ , , j

“I went to our old boarding-place'in ‘.

.a .

left there long ago and had gone, they-a;
thou ht to Chicago. . . ,  
’ “ came on here and have been trying g
to find her through the Dramatic Agencies, 1
er. Arthur Cambridge, the agent, has been ;
most kind in aiding me, though he can find.
no one bearing m sister's stage, name in“
any of theteom ames onthe road.”  
“She was nowm‘upon the-stage 
Hazel Harcourt, was she not?” asked 
man in slow tone. . . ' -. ~ 
“ She was. sir, and I took the sta V I
of Helen Harcourt, for we dld'not_, 3111.0 .1;
known either. by our. mother’s game of. 
'ders. or our father’s name.” i" ’7
f‘IIisname was Bancroft." ' ‘ . .
. “Yes. sir. You seem .to know~all abo
us ’ a ' ‘ v ' 

he

, ..
it
'3 i

“ I’ll tell you how I do. ' u}; 
, "‘ Your, sister was takcntill here, and} re
interested in her; - l I  _ g
, "‘ Iwaswell off. 'she 'poor', and ,1 had 3
family. so labowered-upon her my affectio
and at, last prevailed- upcn her to give up H
,stage and'allow me to adopt her as’my 
child. ' . ‘ . .‘ .p  - I; .
“ She felt grateful to_mc,and cease; .
but she. had'a great sorrow’ of-‘{some .ki’ :
weighing her down 'alllhe time—had ilof '

  

    
 

  
 
  

    
 
     
 
 
  

    

  
  

 

 

 

Dressed well, " no IDORBd

,v, I i ‘i t
A , . . ‘ l .‘J.

      

gfi'ay, l.. ‘
.ke. e; met. 9f -

  

unwortbily I fear, for of {baggie .w
l-Tneyertell'me. ‘ I _. . ..,.-

  
 

 

  

      

x». _.
v,., ,

 

w    .v ' .m-

12

to... . . t H.» ,,.., In - . ‘ . .“ ~

The Actor Detective

  

w ..... a

in Chicago.

 

 
 

“ I did all in my power for her, but she
grew more morose and gloomy day by day,
’until one night, some months ago, she went
out rowing alone in a boat upon the lake,
from this very Park, and the next morn-
ing she was found to have taken her own
life. ” .
The young girl had‘ seemed to dread

some terrible story, from the old man’s look
and manner, and prepared herself for the
shock.

lint her head was bowed, and while her
‘ whole frame shook with emotion she sobbcd

bitterly, murmurin g again and again:

“My poor, poor sister! would that we
‘.hl.l.d never parted! But, we did what we
deemed was best to help our mother, in
poverty in a foreign land.”

“My child, your sister died no violent
death, for she took chloroform and gently
sunk into her last sleep, leaving only a line
stating that no one was to blame.”

' “Poor Estelle !”

“ Yes, and poor me, for I was left all alone;
 but a strange destiny seems to have guided
'- you across my path, and you must not go
‘ against fate, but be my daughter as she was.

“1am an old man, rich in this world’s
. goods, and you shall have all my fortune.

‘ “ Do not say nay, for you too are alone as
:, I am.

“ I await your answer.”

" Heaven bless you, sir, and as you were
.‘ :30ng to Estelle, you shall be my father

 

CHAPTER XXIII.
A LETTER FROM THE DEAD.

_ “ MY child, here is a letter for you, that
 was forwarded from your old New York ad-
 dress.”
. The speaker was the old gentleman who
, had so strangely met the young actress in
. Lincoln Park some days before.
Accepting his kind offer of fatherly regard‘
and desire to adopt her, as he had her sister,

she had gone with him to her hotel, and ar-'

rangements were made for her to come to the

house where he was then living upon the
»; following day.
f“; , She was alone in the wide world, and the
 twin sister she had clung to was dead, had
 taken her own life, she had been told, and
 her brother had disappeared mysteriously
;“: years before, so that she had no one to love,
 .no one to cling to, and her dread was of her-
self, that she might also be tempted to ,end
 her own life and thus rid herself of her
:4: sorrows and troubles.

' So she gladly accepted the generous oifer

made her, feeling that she would be near one
who had loved and cared for her sister, and.
3.»; would for her.
 The next day she drove to the old man’s
 home, and soon found herself the inmate of
 >11. cozy room with a pretty parlor adjoining,
 and her benefactor living near.

‘ Her taste soon gave the rooms a different
:1, :air,_together with a number of little souve-
‘2.’ .nirs she had in her'trunk. and in a few do s
 she felt at home and far less blue than s16
_j‘:;_, could have believed possible.

 The landlady was most kind to her, her
 ,- adopted father most devoted, and yet she
 felt that he was a man who had known some
 deep sorrow in his life. "
" ' She felt that it was her duty to be kind
 and good to him, and she so intended to be.
“ He had come in from a walk, and calling
at her hotel had found a letter there for her,
having been forwarded from New York.
I "l'he letter was from her mother, then dead,
1‘ I but it had followed her/about from place to
place and was covered with post-marks.
-' She had already learned of her mother’s
«death, and now this came to her as a letter
from the dead. 0 . ‘
_ ’Sheturnedpale when she saw the writing
4nd trembled like a leaf '
'“: lsfrom’my poor, dead mother, mailed

  

13‘3"! E it'll“,

.4.»

 

 

 

long ago and only now reaching me," she
murmured.

Mr. Ford said someponsoling words, and
added:

“Read it, my child, and you will feel bet-
ter over it.”

She broke the seal and read the story which
the reader has alread heard, through Justin
‘Kcener the actor, ant devoted friend of her
father and mother, whose lives he had saved.

“Bless that noble man, for I have been
told over and over again, when a little girl,
how he risked his life to save my father and
mother.

“Now this letter tells me that I am to he
an heiress, and that the arrangement of all
is left to Mr. Keener.

“Mother writes here that she will Send to
Mr. Justin Keener, who lives in New York,
a letter explaining all and asking him to be
as a father to Estelle and myself, and to look
up also our brother, and that, after her death
the papers will all be expressed to him, with
her jewelry and other souvenirs, and the
proof of our identity.

" Our brother, Bancroft, will really be the
heir to the title and estates, and for poor
Estelle and myself there will be a fortune
also.” '

“Now it will come to you, that is, your
sister’s share,” said Mr. Ford.

“ I suppose so, sir.”

” And have you no idea where your broth-
er is?" '

“ Not the slightest, sir.”

“ That is too bad.” ‘ r

“ And the papers and souvenirs were to be
sent to the actor, Justin Keener?"

“‘ So the letter states.”

“ His address is given, I suppose?”

“ Yes, sir; here it is in New York.” ,

“ And he will have complete control of
you, and the getting of your fortune?”

“It appears so.”

“Well, I will communicate with Mr.
Keener at once, my child, and let him know
where you can be found. while, when we
meet him, we can tell him of your sister’s
sad death, and put our heads together to find
your missing brother, or get proof bf his
death, if he is not living.”

“ You are so kind to me, my dear sir.”

“ No, I am only anxious to make you
happy; but it pains me to feel that Mr.
Keener may take you away from me.”

“ No, forI wish 'to stay near you and com.
fort1 you in your later years,” was the prompt
rep .

‘I‘l’lave you any-objection to my seeing
gout letter, for I wish to secure Keener-’5 ad-
ress.“ '

“ Not the slightest,” and she handed over
the letter, and reading it carefully Mr. Ford
made a few notes from it, and said:

“ Well, there is happiness in store for you
“after all, I am sure. . '

‘f Now I have some business to look after
in town, so will .be out several hours,” and
Mr. Ford left the house, leaving Eleanor
Enders to muse over the strange events in
her life, little‘dreaming then of the shadow
of Death hanging over her. v ‘

0 CHAPTER XXIV.
MASKED, PLOTTERS. -
‘ A MAN sat by a window in a hmsc front~
mg on the lake. and in a house that was oc-
cupied by the lower classes, I might say the
ten, best element in Chicago.

e was a man of thick-set frame, with iu~
tensely black eyes andbeard, and a face that
was far from prepossessin g.

His room was mcawerly furnished, with
c'ot, bureau, table. and a couple of chairs,
and a grip was onthe floor already packed,
as though he livéd each day for a sudden
leave. ,

The men was watching the shipping out
upon the lake, so did. not see a form come
along the sidewalk and tort; into the dingy
’ hallway of the house in whi .h he dwelt.

 

 

 

 

The man who entered the hallway wore a
seedy suit of clothes, :1 slouch hat pulled
down over his eyes, walked with a shuffling
gait, and was heavily bearded. '

IIe ascended the stairs like one who knew
just where he was going, and reaching the
upper floor he gave a peculiar knock at the
door of the room of the man seated in the
window. '

A moment after a voice within asked:

“ How is it?"

Before replying the visitor took from his
pocket a black mask and placed it upon his
face.

Then he said:

“ It is well.”

“ For me?"

“ For on.”

A belt was shot back and the door opened,
and the visitor saw that the one he had come
to see was also masked.

He had put on his mask after the knock at
his door. ’

“ How are you, cap’n?”

“ 1 am well, Number One, and have called
to see you upon a matter of importance,” re-
plied the man addressed as “captain,” call-
ing the other “ Number 0110." for that num-
ber was in red on the forehead of his black
mask. 1

“ Good! I hope there is money in it, for I
am hard-up, or soon will be, cap’n."

“There is money in it, and plenty of it for
you, if you do your work well.”

“ You know me, and what I will do.”

“Yes, and so trust you.

“ ()ur band of Vampires is nearly wiped
out now, and—” -

” It is very nearb .wiped out, as you
say, captain, for bes des you and me, and
say half a dozen others, the rest are behind
the bars, caught in that raid upon our quar-
ters in Plymouth place.

“Fortunately they did not know of theI

other house, and so we skipped out the next
day and the remnant of the gang scatterer],
but I can call them together when you need
them.” . a

“I need only you, Number One.”

“ That means short division, and gives
me more money.” _

l I  I)

“ Then shout, cap’n, for I’m your n'gan.”

“ You must go to New York.” .

“Good; it’ll give me a rest from dodging
in this city. ”'

“ You are to go upon a very important
duty, Number One, but one which I believe
you will successfully carry out.”

“ I’ll do it.” _

“ There you are to see a man, whom you’
have doubtless heard of, for he is an actor, a
comedian of reputation by the name of J us-
tin Keener.” ~

“ {know him—he plays in Dutch dialect.”

K t Yes. n

“ You will find him at the address written
here, and he has, or will have in his posses.
sion soon, some very impdrtant papers and
souvenirs, upon Wthh a fortune hangs.”

“ I understanc .” a

I‘ He will have these .in'his room, and yo
must. get possession of them in some way,
even if you have to get hold of his trunk.”

“ Trust me.” ‘

“It may be that he intends to come on to.

Chicago to find the heirs to this fortune, and
in that case you can readily get hold of his
trunk, shadow him here, for you are the best
crook detective in the Vampire band."

“ I hain’t slow.” -

“ When you reach New York write me at
once to the address here given, and keep me
constantly posted of what you discover and

“ I’ll do it, cap’n; but am I to put out my
own cash ‘2” .

“No, for here are two hundred and fifty
dollars'for you; pay liberally for what yOu
wish to find out, and if you need more money
wire me.” _

.v‘sw 'w‘quf :7"; -' 

.Mflgtwdfi,‘ I

he; 

“.04.... .. m.
3., » '

J

fiz‘flékw 1 «:4

.,  t \‘j‘ _
.  t ,""l Ira.“ _ .‘ ,,

x
a

 

 
 

“gi\

. “g 4’
'_ _'~_‘  -‘__ 5 A.
w 2‘; ,

4.

    

. “new... , . .nv‘r:r.-*-‘L‘W> 51- ,'."_.‘V" -.... .: . ~ ~
A . . ‘... -'. 3.1. - V A\ .‘..,- , t'

 
 

;,  3. -
,5.
n

 


fix “ i ‘3. v}.



   
 

  

Aw; '

proachfully.

.exist on] . .
: which i gained there is nothing for him

., gala. I,
'  “He said this?”

.  - “ Yes.” ‘

, “'Show‘me his letter.”

 i r :1 destroyed it.”

 

The Actor Detect ve n

' - icago.‘

 

 

“And what do I get, cap'n, for myself?”

“ Carry the thing through to a successful
finish for me, and you shall have big
money.”

“ Say five thousand

“ Yes, and more if you serve me faith-
fully.”

“ I‘ll git there and no mistake.

“I see you have written down my full in-
structions.” '

“ Yes, so there can be no mistake.

“ You are as cunning as a fox, as merciless
as a wolf. and clever withal, so you are the
man to do the work.

“ When will you be off?"

“ By to-night’s train.”

“ The sooner the better, and remember to
keep me posted.”

“ I'll not forget it, cap’n, and trust me to
win the game for you, cost what it may, even
if I have to stain a knife-blade to do it.”

“Be careful, for a mistake may cost a for-
tune.” ' -

“ I made one once and it made me what
am, so I’ll make no more. Going?”

“Yes, good-by and success to you," add
the masked captain of the band of crooks
known as the Vampires, passed out of.the
door, removing his mask once he got out into
the hall. ’

I”
3

 

CHAPTER XXV.
susrrcroN AiiousED.

MR. FORD sat in his rooms reading a letter
he had just received by special delivery
New York, for the post-mark of that city,
was upon the envelope.

Astrange smile rested upon his face as he
read the letter, and in his hand he held a
brass trunk check, and fastened to it a piece
of cardboard upon which was a number.

The check and card had come neater fold-
ed‘in the letter. .

Having read his lettle over twice very care-
fully, Mr. Ford arose, put on his hat and
went out. ’ I

He went'to the brass-cutter’s and handing
him the check asked to have one made just
like it immediately, and the number on the
card placed upon it.

The man thought he could do the work at
once for a little extra pay, and he promptly
received a dozen times what his pay would

v have been, so set immediately to work upon

it. - '

Mr. Ford; then gave the check to ahack-
man 'and sent him after the trunk it called
for. While he returned to his home.

Eleanor Enders wasin the little parloren-

gaged in writing-a letter when Mr. Ford re- “

turned. ’

H To Whom are you  , my  t?” he
gsked, was a look of suspigon massing his

ace.

" I am Writing *0 Mr. Justin Keener, the

actor.” r -
‘2“ But why, when I told you I had writ-

ten?” 1 _
“ But have you written, sir?”
“ Do you doubt me?’f . .
“ Why has no reply been received ?"
“ I have had a reply. Eleanor.” ,. .
“ And did not show it to me?” she said re.
“ I did not, for it would not be comeTting
m y I” I ‘

“And why?” I g. -

“‘ Because Mr. Keener .refuses to take the
trust your mother placed in him,”

“ Refuses?”

“Sen?! saildg .

H I w 1 H

“ He doe; not care to be bothered with
hunting u heirs to a fortune which my
‘ n your mother’s mind, and in

llost in thought.

. developments.

V what it contains?”
' "‘No, I will first look it over myself,

 

“Mr. Ford, Mr. Justin Keener risked his
life to save my parents, and he was always
spoken of by them as a man with a great big
heart and noble nature.

“ He would not, from what I have heard
of him from those ‘ who know him best, will-
ingly wound an orphan girl.”

“Well, so his letter said, and he turned
over to me the papers, souvenirs and the
right to control your interests in this mat-
ter."

“ Where are these papers and other things,
sir?”

“ [expect them to arrive at any moment,
for I have sent to the depot for them.”

“ I wish to see them."

“After I liaVe looked them over, you
may. ’

Eleanor sighed and turned away, and after
waiting for quite a while, and the trunk he
had sent for not arriving, the old man arose
anxiously, and soon after went out, for he
feared some harm had befallcn the baggage
he so anxiously looked for. . .

He had not been one five minutes before
Mrs. Casadinc callei out that there was an
expressman at the door with a trunk for
Mr. Ford.

“ Send it up,” was the response, and the
expressman and assistant came up with a
large and very heavy trunk.

The man explained that the hackman had
broken down, by being run into by a wagon,
and so had gotten him to bring the trunk on
to its destination.

The young girl paid the expressage, and
the men left the room. _

A moment she gazed at the trunk and
murmured:

“ Why, it has Mr. Justin Keener's name
upon it.”

Then she stood still, gazing fixedly and

At last she said in a decided way: . ‘

“I have the right, for it is mine, and I
will look at the contents, for I cannot but
believe that he is deceiving me, since I made
the discovery that I did.

“Yes, Iliave lots of keys, and I'll see if I
can fit one to the lock.” "

She ,went into her room, took a bunch of
keys from her satchel, selected one of a pecu-
liar shape and tried it in the lock.

“ Wh , this is fortunate, for the ve first
one fits, ’ and she unstrapped the trun and
opened it.

When she looked in at the contents, hen
face turned pale, and she said his frightened
tone:

“ Why, what does this mean, for there isa
mystery here I must fathom ‘1”

CHAPTER. XXVI.
A WOMAN A'r BAY. ,
HAVING quickly glanced over the contents
of the trunk, Eleanor Enders came to the
conclusion to relock it and await future

 

Having so decided she relocked and strap-
ped the trunk and had hardly taken her seat
when in came Mr: Ford.

He had an anxious look upon his face and
said quickly:

“ Mrs. Caradine told me the trunk came
soon after I went out to see why it was de-
layed.” ' '

‘ “Yes, I paid the expressage, and the
man said that the hackman broke down.”

" All right.” ‘ ‘

‘ “Will you not Open it now, so I can see

and then show you what I deem you should
see." ‘ '
. “ Mr. Ford, what do you mean bytreat?
3118 me as you do, for is not that my property
in that trunk?” = . '

“It may lead to your seeming property,
but on are a child and in my keep ng.”

tun nearly nineteen, and only volun-

“ I insist'upou seeing the contents of that
trunk, Mr. Ford."

“You insist .in vain until I. have looked
over it, and then, before you do so you must
sign a paper giving me full power to act
for you as your guardian," was the stern
and determined response.

There came a dangerous flash into the eyes
of the young girl at these words, and she
said in a Voice full of earnestness:

“ I would die first. ‘

“ I am a woman and have cared for myself
for years, and 1 can do so again.”

“ I)() you der me. girl?"

“Mr. Ford, let us be frank with each;
other.”

“I wish to be.”

“ I crossed your path in the strangest way
possible.

“It was a remarkable coincidence, our
meeting as we did in Lincoln Park, and
my startling you so by appearing before-
you.

“ It looked to me at first glance as though
you held a guilty conscience, but when on
told me that m sister had been asadau ter
to you, when heard your story, I a most
loved you, as though you were indeed my
father, and I trusted you, while, a poor
orphan girl, without kindred and with few
friends, subject to many temptations, I was

lad of a haven of rest and came to your

ome. .

“You treated me kindly, yes, but you
did not wish me to go out, kept the daily
papers from me and played the petty
tyrant.

“ Then too I discovered, when brou lit in
close. contact with you, that your. card,
cleverly as it is put on to hide it, to false,
and you wear a wig, though it would take
the keencst of eyes to discover the cheat.

I “ This looked like fraud to me, as though
you were hiding your identity, perhaps was
a fu tive.

“ noted that your face was that of a
young man, not an old one, though the-
make-up, as we say in the profession, was
perfect.

“ I noticed that you never used you
glasses indoors, even read without them,
and yet never went out unless you put them
0

    
  
   
    
  
     
    
  
   
   
   
   
  
 
   
  
  
   
   
    
   
  
  
   
  
    
  
   
 
  
   
 
  
    
   
    
   
    
    

n.
‘ “ Your bearing was more erect, your ste .
quicker in your rooms than elsewhere.

“ You see that I have observed you close
ly, and taken notice that though you have I
allowed me to read the papers you bought
all of them and went through them thor-
oughly. I .

“ Do you wonder now that I am doubtfu
of you. 'and when you tell me that .Mr.
Justin Keener has written a letter that‘I
must not see, that he- has disre arded m
dying mother‘s will and refus the.trus
imposed on him, I cannot but lose faith '
you, especially when new you will not eve .,
open that trunk in in presence. ' x , V

“I tell you, Mr. ord, you are not (win;
you seem; you are. I veri believe, a first.
tive from justice, and I Wii go to Mr. Arthu
Cambridge, the dramatic agent here, audithi
very day claim 'his protection, explainin
the situation fully; to him. . ' , I - .-

“ I know that Ir. Cambridge will protc
me and advise me for my good, while",/i
you, are guilty of a plot against me, he will
thwart you in your designs. _ _
‘ “ Now, Mr. Ford, we part.” 

The man had listened with marked at~i
tention to the youn r girl’s words, her flasks
ing eyes, heaving iosoni and flushed fac
showing to him that she intended to carry-on;
her threat and go to Arthur (hmbridge‘ n
tell him all. . " a 

CHAPTER 'xxvn. V
are EXPLANATION. .i.
f‘THn girl will carry out her three 

         
     
  

  

    

  

  

  

    
       
    
  

  
  
 

   
 
  

  
    

   
   

 

      
     
   
 
 

     

   

,fil'

      
  

  

      

  

 

U '
tarily in your care. \

   

muttered the man, as she ceased speahi'

     

 

 

I: :0

,6 1n

icago.

 

 

and for a moment he looked anxious and al.
most frightened.

But then he said in a tone wholly de-
void of being angry at what she had said to
him:

“Sit down_ Eleanor, and let me talk to

No.”

“I ask it, in fact demand it, for you owe
it to me to listen to an explarmtion.”

" What explanation can you make?’ and
she paused with her hatin her hand.

" I can make an explanation that will
satisfy you, though I must break confidence
to do so, and tell you a secret which I had
intended you should not know until the
proper time for you to hear it.”

There was something in the man’s manner
that impressed the young girl in a way to
believe that he spoke the truth; so she
said:

“I will hear what you have to say; but
‘ let me repeat what I said, if you cannot clear
up this mystery, I shall go to Mr. Cambridge
at once and he shall know all, even if it
causes you to suffer, for if you have deceived
me you deserve to suffer. ”

“Sit down, Eleanor, and hear me, and if I
,fail to convince you of my truthfulness and
regard for you, and of my desire to serve your
interests only, then I will send for Arthur
Cambridge, es and Frank Beresford of the
Alhambra heater also, and let you make a

- clear statement before them of how on
deem yourself abused and deceived, and t ion
they will be my witnesses as well as yours
in this case, for both are honorable men and

r can be trusted under any and all circum-

' stances." ‘

The allusion to Arthur Cambridge and
Frank Beresford, by him, both entlemen

’being known to Eleanor Enders, ca med in a
measure her fears, and she said:

” I will hear all you have to say, ‘Mr.
Ford.”

“In the firstplace,” he began, after a mo-
ment of silence, as though not knowing just
what to say, “ let me tell you that I am net
13:10 old man I appear without closest inspec-
t on.

“I am a comparatively young man, and

. the disguise you see me assume is worn for a
‘ urpose.

 a “I am not round shouldered either, but

. being an expert in disguisesI look what I

' try to I‘Cpresent myself, an old “man. '

.“ My disguise was assumed for a purpose“
as I as d, for I am a detective.” 4 '
" I" Aidetective‘l’f -
  ' "‘ Yes, and one on a very intricate ease.
 “Have you ever heard of Dick Doom the

, detective? ’ “ , ’ , . ,

  "‘ Yes, I have heard of him as a most

jmysterious man, and novels have been
' written, of his wonderful Secret Service work
and adventures.” ‘

“That is the man, and I am he.”

“ But. why deceive me?”

-; ’-“ For a good purpose. .

iii.“ ' f‘ In the first place your sister Estelle was

 to have committed suicide, and many so

.;,Jbélieve.” V l
 And,did she not?” ,

it" o v '

{fiftiYoh know this?” . I ‘ ,
I I‘ll 85.",

 

 “.Is she,- can she be alive, after you took
,1. the to a grave which you told me was hers?”
.‘f’cried the girl in an excited manner , ‘- '
 “ No, she is dead. ” - »
' ' “ And-did not commit suicide?" . 
 ,_“ She didmot.” I
“How did she die then?"

 “She was murdered, " ‘ ~
 .“ Murdered, and by whomifor I will hunt"
 down!” and the eyes flashed once more.
 ‘ g..“ Be‘calm. .l'or, that'is my duty.” .

“’3‘ Ah! have I misjudged you after all.”

Lu  my motives, {are , l /
’l,,fius.Men patient y.”

 

er

 

rum/roams case. law your. aistrrin

 

life, and in death, and when you appeared
before me I was startled beyond expression.

“ I could not tell you who I was and what
I was doing, and so I had to lie to you.

“I did lie in telling you your sister was
my adopted daughter; but I wanted you
near me to the better aid me in my. work of
detection.

“ I had the things which belonged to your
sister here, for the chief of the Secret Service
Bureau had turned them over to me to also
aid me, and this added to your belief that
ylour sister had been under my guardian-
s 1p.
“ I learned that there was an inheritance,
and I wished to know every crook and turn in
the case, and I expected to get much from
you to help me.

“ I am on the track of the murderer of
Estelle, and I will soon hunt him down.”

“ Heaven grant it; but if you fail, I swear
to you that I will devote my life to bringing
him to the gallows,” and there was a world
of revenge in the threat.

“ I will find him, and with your aid.

“As I told you, I had written to Justin
Keener, and I have heard \from him.

“ He sent me that trunk, and it contains

apers, souvenirs and other things belong-
ing to your parents, but I did not wish you
to see them, or you did not know my secret
then.

“ To-night, Eleanor, we will look them
over together. ” .

“I have wronged you, and cruellwaor-
give me,” said the young girl, and she held
out her hand and it was warmly grasped
with the words:

“Yes, I will for ive you, and we will
never misunderstand each other after to-
night.” ,

, CHAPTER XXV III.
. run s'rnarzon vrsrron.

THAT evening Eleanor Enders did not
come down to supper, Mr. Ford stating to
Mrs. Caradine that she was suffering with a
severe headache.

He however took her tea up to her him-
self, and ave the lande to: understand
that his aughter was gong away for a
short while and Would make an early start in
the morning. _

Soon after taking Eleanor’s supper up
Mr. Ford left the house, and when he re-
turned he came in a hack and had a trunk

, with him.

"The trunk was taken upstairs, and the

‘ hackrnan was told' to wait. '

id for an hour or more, and.

This he
ed back down-

then the t unk was ‘carri

stairs and. placed upon the vehicle, Mr.
“Ford paying a man to help the hackman

with it. .
The next morning when Mrs. Camdine

arose her ‘u'est‘s had already left, early as it p.
r Ford returned to breakfast,stat-
gone to see his daughter 01! _

was; but
ing that he had
on'the train. . _ r , ,

Several days after he, too, was called away,
and his rooms were left to await his re-
turn. - -' ‘

It was during his absence that Justin ‘ I
'with t e keys of his room and of a trunk in ,

Keener had'ealled, in his impersonation of a
scout, and had been shown the Ford rooms,
which had inadvertently been left open
when the ledger took a hasty departure from

the house: r,
. It was the- day following Justin Keener’s

~ visit to Mrs. " Caratline that the house bell

rung and going to answer it the landlady
found there a young woman-and who held
out to her a letter with the remark:
" If yez isaftherbeing Mrs. Geraldine, I’m
Maggie Maloney the girril you is wantin’.”
 Camdine was rather struck with the
prett Irish girl, read the letter and replied:
“ on are  girl I’mwantin , Maggie,
and this is a .3th 'reco'mmen etion you
bring—:1 thank Mr. Veener for sending you

togme.’ Vi»

 

i

 

  
 
 
 
 

“ Thank you, ma‘am,and I’ll try and pl’aze
'e.”

“ I have nodoubt of that, Maggie, so come
in and we’ll talk over matters.”

“Miss Maloney " had half an hour’s con-
versation wrth Mrs. Caradine, and was
shown what her duties would be, and where
she would sleep.

It was the little room on the rear of the
third floor, unused by the lodgers, and she
seemed much pleased with her’acconunoda-
tions.

She was introduced to the invalid daugh-
ter of Mrs. Caradine with the remark:

“This is our new girl, dear, and she is
anxious to make her home with us.”

The invalid daughter was a young girl
who had never been in very good health.
and was most tenderly nursed by" the mother.
who felt that she was all she had to live for.

She was gradually growing stronger, and
the physician gave her hope that her mind
would soon be clear and healthy and 1101‘
health improved.

Maggie's first duty was to prepare a
tempting dish for the daughter, and when
the lunch was ready she showed herself to
be an excellent cook and Mrs. Camdinc was
delighted.

But had she seen Maggie slip out of her
room that night, when the house was quiet,
and with one of a bunch of false keys open
the door of Mrs. Ford‘s apartments and
enter, she would have been inclined to be-
lieve that her new servant was not honest.

Entering the rooms in felt slippers.
Maggie made not the slightest sound, and
lighting a candle she carried, she went slow-
ly over all in the apartment.

Nothing escaped her eagle eyes, and she
went from room to room, making a most

thorough search of all that camein her

we . .
’izhe trunk,'.bearing the name of u'Justin
Keener, was there, but, after examining it
outwardly, and merely trying her keys to
find if she had one that would unlock it,
she went on with her search and soon after
left the rooms. ' , A.
Half 'an-hour"after she was fast asleep.
But she was ,up bright and early the next
morning, had breakfast on time and did the
work devolving upon her quickly and well.
Mrs. Caradine made ita rule to go to

market every morning, and she was just

starting, when a man appeared at the door;
He was dressed in sailor garb, and had
black hair, yes and heard, while his face
was not exactly a pleasant one. i . '- ~
“ Well, what. can I do for you?” asked
Mrs. Caradine, holding the door only half

open. I , V
“ Be you the lady of the house?” .
.I u I amfl" 3
“Mrs. Caradine?”
or Yes. n I A I
“Mr. M. 8. Ford has his home, here with
you?” ‘ - w
“ Yes, but he is away.” - * a - ,

i “I knowthat, for I came from. where he
s.” I _ '
“ Whereis he?” , 2'

“U at Waukegan, and he sent me here
it, to get him some pers he needs. I x. .
f‘ I am ofiicer o the boat, and
yen this note.” , . V
' Mrs. Caradine read the note and said: N
.“ When do you wish the things?” , ' '
“ Well, I stays in the city to-nliugiht, and. he
,told me to stop in his. rooms a get them
breakfast,” I ‘
‘ "‘ Certainly, if on wish toremain.” .
l “ I’ll come bac later," and the man‘iook
his leave. 3 v - . ' 

CHAPTER xxrx.i
, THE MIDNIGHT museum. ~
night before thenew,

 

I

Tm:
home of

l

Camdiae‘, two men met. ;

   
   
 

  
 

tweaks. -.

n

he wrote 7

then. and that you’d give me supper and ‘

girl. weanling;
9n. -7 ‘

 

, v Jim.

 

  
 
 
  
 

 

  

I'-

    
    
       
    
       
      
      
       
       
    
   
    
    
     
         
     
     
     
       
    
    
    
     
   
   
    
        
      

      
      
      
       
       
     
      
       
  

~ Jew .'
.:. '

ID
.

I: ‘ V: I or;

-

 
  
 

-, ' ‘ x v 1 -‘, . . -I ~.
\ 7 v . V - , .u I. ._

 

 

thoughby appointment, in the upper part of
the city near the lake shore.

" Well, Saunders, you are prompt,” said
0110.
m“ I always am, cap’n, when'there is money
it." r

“ I received your note, telling me to absent
myself from my dwelling-place, as you be-
lieved the were watched."

“ Yes, have reason to believe that you
are suspected as dwelling there. "

“ Well. I wrote you to meet me here."

“And I am here.

“ Did I not do my work well in New
York ‘2”

“ Splendidly."

“The trunk panned out well?”

“It was the very thing I wanted.”

h“ Has papers and all needed proofs in it,

e ‘2"

“ I have only glanced at it, but it has all

that I want.”

" Good! now when do I get my pay ‘2"

“ When I get mine.”

“ When will that be ‘3”

“I’ll tell you, Saunders, there is much to
be done before I get the money I am after.

“ It is an inheritance, as I told you, and
there is proof to be given of the death of
the heirs, and that I under an assumed
name, am the man to get possession.”

“ It will take time.”

“Oh yes, and I'll have to leave the coun-
try and act as a pretended attorney from
London, while you remain here to watch de-

7 velo ments. " ~

“ see; but how am I to live?”

“I'll keep you in funds; but let me tell
you now that I am afraid for that trunk to
remain there where it is with those papers,
and I wish you to get it away." 5

“ How can I?” ‘

“ I’ll ive you a letter to the landlady,
and my eys, and you can go there, making

' some excuse and get it.”

“And then?" , . - . I
“ Bring it‘by boat‘at nicrht‘ to thispoint on
the lake, at the foot of thisstreet tomorrow
night at twelve. ' ‘ ‘
"I will be here to meet you, and I can
carry it to where I wish it.”
“ I‘ll do it, cap’n; but have you some

prong}! with you, for I’ve some bills to

“ There are a hundred dollars in this roll

p ~.take it.” . .

Saunders I pocketed the money, and, the
two, parted. ‘ ' f
It was the next morning that he called

‘ “POD MYS- Camdin‘e and rcceiVed her per.

mission, as he "had‘ hit. Ford‘s keys, to

' remain in the latter’s rocrns all night, and

get the things needed.

When he appeared at dinner Maggie had
it ready and a good meal 1: was I

Mrs. Caradine asked; aboutthemealth of
“ Miss Ford," at which Saunders'lookedsur
prised, but. made no comment. Be merely
answered that she was well, while to him-
self he muttered: I ~ . .

- " Miss Ford! His daughter! , Now what
does thismeani?” . I. . . I V - 1- .

After‘smok1n%his 1pc, and a chat of an
hour with Mrs.
to be tired and saying 1that he would break.
fast at eight, he went up to the" Ford apart-

‘ meat.

Entering‘the rooms with the he that he
had, he glanced about him when he light.
ed the gas, ' . .

"‘ Pleasant quarters these, very; but, what,

a does that daughter mean?

“ I’ll‘t'ake an observation: of the m... and
see what I can find out—sh! there is the

. unk! : 
 “Wen, it holds a secretjthat I must know,

i  x. andif'he can make a fortune out of it why

 run It-

  

 I uess I can and there»  be no. need

..l

{I}

arad no, Saunders professed ,

  
  

 

" Noiqhave been poor long enough, and ‘

now I have it in my poWer to made a strike.
and PM do it. if it be treachery to him.

“Yes, he can remain here and dodge the
detectives as best he can, and I‘ll play the
gentleman, for I know he does, though he
keeps his identity hidden from me.

“ Now for a thorough search of these
rooms.”

With this he began his search, first going
into the room which had been occupied by
Eleanor l‘lndcrs.

lie found a trunk, feminine attire and
every evidence that a woman had lived there.

His next search was through the parlor,
and there the trunk was.

From there he went to the roar rooms,
which had been Ford‘s. and here he made a
close scrutiny of all that came before his
vision.

But he Seemed anxious to return to the
trunk. and going into the room he took from
his )ocket a kc ', remarking grimly:

“lIt’s lucky I) kept a key for myself, not
knowing what might turn up in my favor."

He had not at removed his hat or coat,
and, kneeling own on the floor he unstrap-
ped the trunk and inserted the key in the
lock.

Ile found that the key fitted perfectly, and
the trunk lid was quickly lifted.

Then he began his smrch. and found
papers of an otlleial character, letters 'cllow
with age, some jewelry, consisting 0 rings,
ear-rings, a watch and ehain,braeelets,brooch-
es and an old fashioned purse with some
papers in it.

There was an old silk shawl, embroidered
with a monogram, a comb, a prayer.book
and Bible and a number of photogra hs.

The midnight marauder seeme much
pleased with his discovery, and was so in-
tent in looking over the things he was tak-
ing from the trunk, that he failed to observe
the door slowly and softly open and some
one enter.

- The intruder made no sound as she ad'- “

vanced toward the man, one hand raised and
in it a d3 ger. ,

' She hat on a wrapper, her black hair was
all awry, and she appeared to have been
aroused from sleep and dressing quickly had
entered the room where Saunders wasprowl-
ing around in his search.

 

CHAPTER XXX.
, DICK DOOM'S‘ mos HAND.
NEAREB and nearer crept Maggie Maloney,

her knife ready to strike, and without a sound-

to betray her presence. , . l I
Nearerand nearer until she bent, over the

back of the marauder, and had him wholly i3

at her mercy.
Then she said in a low voice: ,
“One cry and you are a dead man. :
“You are my prisoner, Saunders!”
The man seemed as powerless as though
struck a heavy blow. ‘ ' r- -
His knees refused to. support his weight,
when he attempted to rise, and if he rad

wished to cry out he had not the power 'of ,

speaking. --
He turned, half fell over against the trunk
and lay there. gazing at the woman as though
he beheld a ghost. I".
~ But, Maggie Maloney held her knife ready
in one hand while the, other drew-from a
pocket 9. pair of steel manaclcsx .
Quickly she slipped one u‘ on the nght
wristof the man and the clic of the steel
spring seemed to cause him to rally;
But quick came the words: I  .
1‘ Out with that other hand. or I drive my
knife to the hilt in your heart 2" v
The hand came u and the other muscle
was ch3ped upon it. while Saunders mur-
mured: . . ‘ ‘  ,y 1
""You are no "woman!" 1 : , _ , x
“No; 1' am Die-k Doom thedetective. I
assumed this disguise to. trap: on, or who-
ever carnefto this house ,for dev tryn . '
‘ I ' ‘l . . v ,

  

 

  
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
   
  
 
  
  
      
    
   

“ Now that you know me you will obey
me.” .

“ Yes; but I haven‘t done nothing.” '

“ 'l‘hat remains to be soon. I'll iron your
feet and then chain you to this trunk until
morning. "

“ Mercy!"

“ With such as I believe you to be I know
not the word. ,

“ Come, no nonsense, for I am in an ugly
humor tonight. "

The man dared not resist, and with a small
chain, but a strong one, run through the
handstraps of the trunk, he was made Very
secure.

The articles taken from the trunk were
then replaced by Dick Doom, as the reader
knows “Miss Maloney ” to be, and turning
out the gas the marandcr was left in dark-
ness and to his own meditations. ,

Then Dick Doom went to his own room,
and taking a suit of male attire from his
sachel, threw off his female garb and quickly
dressed himself to go out.

Ile wrote on a slip of mper, and placed it
on the dining-table as he went down; It-
rcad as follows:

“Mas. CAaAoia‘m— ,

“ Do not be alarmed if I am not back early
in the morning; but I found the stranger
robbing the house and have gone to get
Officers to arrest him. I have him-secured »
up-stairs. -

It was not qultc‘midnight when. having ’
slipped out of the house without making a. »
Sound to disturb Mrs. Caradine, Dick Donut.
knocked at Justin Kecner’s door. ; ‘ '

The actor detective had not yet retired,
and welcomed his friend with pleasure, while
he asked: j A ‘

“ What, have you metamorphosed into a-
man again. Miss Maloney?"

“Yes, Mr. Keener, and there is work for ,
us to do. 1 t >

‘ “ I ordered a carriage and we are to take
a long drive. but, let me tell you, to relieve
your mind, that your trunk and its contents
are secure. ” v ‘ I ‘ ‘ ‘ .

“ I am thankful to learn that; on account
of the papers. for my personal loss would
have been but slight in comparison. I am
ready, Mr. Doom; but had I not better carry .
a gun?” . 

“ Yes, we may need it.” - ’ ?

‘-‘ Don‘t let as chest the gallows; Mr.

Doom.” _ . I 1 t -
1_‘¢Not if it canbe hel and Ibelieve.it’_
can,” and Dick Doom let the way down to?
the carriage waiting at the door. ' .2
‘ The driver was won his innocuous-and
romised double are if he drove .rapidl ,‘vi
and with, this incentive he drew up at 
point where he was told to, in three-quarters.
of an hour. ' " ‘ .
“Remain here, driver, until I return, or
send for you. Come, Mr. Keener,” and Dick.
Doom led the wayi . 
On the way out iek Doom had explained;
to his actor assistant his plan of action,,and§;~
had made known to him' gust what- he “buds
discovered in the rooms 0 Mr. Ford", - 
After a walk of five minutes the two earner;
to the grounds of the Marlborough mansion. 
They entered by the lake-shore, made their}.
way to the stable, and, looking around that,
Water end, Dick Doornfiaw the rope-ladders.»
ban lug out of the Window and ascendi
it on led out: ' '  w
“Nick!” , . ' . 
There was a quick response. from with
and a voice asked: ~ ' I , :' 
"‘Whois there?” ‘ {2" ‘ 
“Dick Doom." .. . ,; 
“ Oh. Mr. Doom, I am Pete'I’epper, and;
will call Nick." ' _' I, 
to scythe

    
 
     
     
    
 
  

  

 
 

  

   

   

  

 
 

  

 
 

  

  

    
     
  
    

In a moment he came back
Nick was not in his cot; but. justthen
Keener called up to‘ the detective:‘

“ Nick is here.“ ‘ ~ ‘  ._ 
“ Pete, wake up your; , n andhave ;_

   

   

  
  

; n the pier, and himself at the rear door'

 
 

. - ‘1';“i‘:'£

"’ " - m U‘ieago.

 

 

 

on the alert and ready, while you Come down
to tiff pier and stand by the stable to await
a ca  r

“ Yes, sir," answered I’ete Pepper, the
second in command of the ferrets, and while
he started to obey the detective’s order, the
latter desendcd and joined Justin Keener.

Nick Nor-cross was with him and said:

“ I had just come out of the mansion, Mr.
Doom, am saw you and Mr. Keener, but
did not recognize who it was until I came
near enough.”

“Were you in the mansion. Nick?”

“Yes, sir.”

“ Alone 1'”

“Yes, sir. I was afraid to take any one
with me.”

“ Did you make an discovery ?”

“ Yes, Mr. Doom, dill.”

“ Well, I have made a discovery. too;
but. what was yours, my brave boy?”

“I crept into the house, sir, as soon as my
ferrets were asleep, and I went in the dark.”

“You are indeed a plucky fellow,” said
Justin Keener, admiringly.

“Iwent upstairs and waited, and was
paid for my watching, for some one came
out of an attic room and descended the
stairs. ,

“I awaited for his return, and he went
back with a bundle of things from the

antry.

“ I could not et out of m hiding-place in
time to capture im, and w en I was able to
follow, though he had entered the attic, he
had disappeared. -

“ He carried a light then i"

" Yes, sir.”

“ Who was it?”

“He was enveloped in a sheet, sir, and
playing ghost, so 1 could not see his face.”

“We will soon know, so lead us to that
attic room," Dick Doom ordered.

CHAPTER XXXI.
A; Gnos'r unnasxnn.
Wrrrr- a word of warning to Pete Pepper,
to have his lanterns ready, his men own

 

 the mansion, Dick Doomku ready to
 T‘go upon his voyage of‘discovery—in other

 words the

host-hunt.

 Nick leg the way into the old mansion.

 .fexit behind them.

a.

:‘1‘f

9m»

, Then lightin
Doom and

his dark lantern, with, Dick
ustin Keener following close

1 upon his heels, he ascended to the floor

«above, leaving Pete Pepper guarding the
They went up to the upper floor and halt-

  ed at the at c door.

 Trying t e knob it turned and the three

  

J

 ‘.:entered.

It. had been a billiard room and was fur-

.‘f‘inished as such, the walls being in hard wood
'«.'.,.,and panels.

.  Entering, they found the room vacant,
» - I‘f'but Nick whispered:

, “ There is some secret door leading out of
Tythis room, Mr. Doom, I am sure, for each
’ time that man comes out of here he returns,
" Bill; is not/here when 1 have crept up to find
- 1m. ‘
“We will soon see:
“Nick, you hold the dark lantern ready to
flash at a’ signal, and Mr. Keener, you be

., ready to aid me. ,

“ New listen.” ’
So saying Dick Doom gave adow moan.

. f It was repeated in a louder key, and
nunded like some one dying, or in great
suffering. ’

' Louderand more frequent came the means,
until, suddenly, a voice was heard near at
hand:
“Great God! what does that mean? Is
this aecursed old place really haunted?”
Thcna light flashed into the room as a
panel at the further end was opened, and a
, man appeared, holding a candle in his hand.
He stepped out into the attic, his face
white, and enveloped in a sheet, and quick

 

as a flash Justin Keener. who was within
two feet of him, threw himSelf upon him.

A iowerful man and active, the comedian
held iis prisonerin a grip of steel, holding
him to the floor, strong man that he was,
when Nick Norcross flashed his bright light
upon them, and Dick Doom sprung forward
and clasped his gold fetters upon the wrists
of the ghostly masquerader.

“ Well, Merton Sanford. you are ‘aught
again.” Dick Doom remarked.

“Yes, curses upon you, for the third time
breaks the charm and, I am doomed,” was
the low reply—“doomed by Dick Doom!”

“ Yes, you cannot escape always, and now
we have another crime to hang you for.”

“What Is that?”

“ Murder!"

“Whom do
time?”

“Eleanor Enders.”

” ()11, God! you know that?”

“ Yes, and more: that you killed her, as
you did her sister, to get possession of their
fortune. ”

you accuse me of killing, this

“I killed her sister because she was my v

wife, and stood in the way of my marrying
Myrtle Marlborough the heiress,” the pris~
oner averred promptly; “but I discovered a
secret in killing her, that told me she, too,
was an heiress with her twin sister and
young brother.

“ Oh, I might as well make a clean breast
of it and tell you that they were my cousins,
that their mother was my own father's sister.

“ By their death, and their brother’s, whom
I cannot find, and believe to be dead, I would
have secured the title and all the estates.

“ I killed Eleanor Enders because she was
determined to betray me, and I stopped that
by dragging the coffee she drank for sup-

r

“ Now you have it all, and the gallows
will be my fate,” and the terrible man laugh-
ed bitterly, while he added: .

“ Justin Keener, I believe I owe this to

011. ” ' I e

“I only wish you did; but ,I have only
been the ally of Dick Doom and his dauntless
Boy Ferrets in running on down,” was the
comedian detective‘s rep y.

CHAPTER XXXII.
CONCLUSION.

FOR the third time Merton Sanford was
lodged in prison, and Dick Doom and the
Boy Ferrets received all praise for their ser-
vices, while the chief of the Secret Service
said to JustiaKeener that, as good an actor

 

as he assuredly was, he had better give up

the stage ad turn detective.

“Not fter my experience in the work,
thank you, for I have played tragedy when
I am only a comedian,” was the answer.

The actor then Went to the home of the
prisoner. accompanied by Dick Doom, and
relieved Mrs. Caradine’s mind by telling her
the whole story. ,

The prisoner was there as he had been
left by the detective, and was quickly hus-
tled o to jail.

Then the two went through Justin Keeir
er’s trunk, and the startling discovery was
made that Bancroft ‘Enders, when a boy,
'had been taken by ‘oue Nicholas Norcross,
who had disappeared; but yet other papers
went to prove that Nick; the Boy Ferret, was
the sole and true heir to the English estate—
his sisters both being dead.

Justin Keener at once went after the brave
boy and brought him to Mrs. Caradine’s.
Nick was then told of the discowry made,
and memory coming back to him as he. saw
his mother‘s and "father’s likenesses. and his
sisters’ photographs, he knew beyond doubt
that he was t e lost heir, and deeided to start
for England as soon HIS Estelle and Eleanor
had been placed in a grave together.

Several days after this discovery, Merton
Sanford was found dead in his cell.

“Heart disease,” the officials said it was; ,

'.

 

but they all knew that he had taken poison
and ended his life.

Nick, or rather Bancroft Enders, promptly
went to England, where he found a large
fortune which would be his when he was of.
age; but he said he would return to Amen
ica as a citizen as soon as he got posm-ssion
of it. Under a tutor he is now traveling in
foreign lands to fit himself for his new posi-
tion in life, and Justin Keener often gets a
letter from him telling of his welfare.

The Boy Ferrets, after Nick‘s departure,
made Pete Pepper their captain, and are
doing good service as detectives and shad-
owers, aiding Dick Doom in his most intri-v
eate cases. Their career. of course, is close-
ly watched by Justin Keener, their actor
ally, who still calls them the Owls of Chis
cago.

THE END.

 

NEXT HALF-DIME, N0. 843, IS

DAN, THE RIVER SPORT;

romee THE FRISCO SHARP.
A Story of the Mississippi. V

 

BY HAROLD PAYNE.

A St. Louis and down the river romance, in which.
a pistol dead-shot, the young sport, does some as.
tonishing work againsta gang who, led by a. sharp,
from Frisco, had planned an ugly scheme against a
job Southerner and his lovely daughter. How Dan

chipped in " and “ worked his cards ” in a noble
way almost literally through the shadow of death
this powerfully told story relates. It is a story to
puke its mark with everyreader, so be sure to get
t.

 

Beadle's. Halt-Dime library.

BY nonoan Pnnx'rxss monanau.
Death-Grip; or, The Detective by MM'

 

   
  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TID
'lfl’ Dlek Destiny; or, The River Bluklu’n Tenor.-
;fl4 file]: or. The Sharps and Sharks of N cw York.

88 Die ln‘Bmton: or, 'A Man of Many Mash.
798 BM in Ohio‘s“ .
198 Dick in the Id Went. '
808 Dick 'o Clean Sweep; or, Five Links in a 01110.;
808 Dlek Death Clue. r
8 8 [Melt Diamond Deal.
#19 Dick Gill-l Malt-0t.
829 Dick Shadow llunt. ,
149 D Charlie: or The Kcntuclt Tenderfoot’s Flut‘l‘ni‘
756 ISSIIILMI Charlie’s Destiny; org-Tho Renegade’n Copliwl:
160 “e - Chm-lie?- l'awnee Para. '
‘ISG " Char-Heaths Rescuer.

49? Buck Taylor. King of the Cowboys.
‘38? Buck Taylor. the Comancbo's Ca'ptivo.
48 ,Buek Taylor‘s Boys; on'rbo Re Riders olthe Rio 6%
Pawnee Bill, the Pralrie Bhodoror.
nwnee Blllg or, Carl, tho Mod Cowboy. .
Pawnee Bill's l’led cl 07'1"!” Cowboy': Doom.

60
18
19
25 Pawnee Bill; or, Du ng Dick.
99 Re

3 c... otnliregdll’ls (ilnehtn 101’, 'Eheks'hnrp from Tom.

’ ' I or no ac e .

e  Loft Truthior, lI‘ho Rod Sombrero Rangers.
Rod R I We Ruse or The Buccaneer!”an man.
Red silline- Boldifldmeg onTho Wizard Ilor.
Red Ralph, the Shadowel’; or,The Freebootor’s Legacy. ‘

LATEST AND (NEW ISSUES.

380 The Grim Lod rs in Rn Alley; or, Citizen Rube
of Number Seven. y Ben D. Ha lldnv.

S81 The (link-ago Drummer’s Deal. By J. G. Bethune.

$82 The Doctor Detective In Texas. 8v Limit. A. K.Slms.

i438 llroudwa Billy’- Rald. By J. C. owdrlck.

N34 Dendwo Dick. ain’t-9 Proxy. By EdnL. Wheel“.

$85 Dick Doom‘s BI Ilnul. By oi. P. In turn.

33? =‘linrpfir Slitoke’af taublle Deal. lév J mfiG. l‘ntten.

8 0 our 0 - (- owory. y 0 am.

838 Poker ete’n Double Dodge; or, The Close Call.‘
y in. R. Evshr.

839 Broadway Bill ‘I Bl

' Crooks. B. J. C. owdrle . .

S40 Deadwood Dick’s Clutch; or, Crushing Captain Crusher.
y dward L Wheeler.

841 {Rinse Charlie, the Cat’s-Paw Sport. Bridal-m...
I] I! H": I

84 The Actor Detective In (‘hlea 0 or, Dick Doom’;’

2 Plush Hand. 8v Cn . Prentiss lngrahag. ;

q

 

crn'n Curious (‘nses m, The Rival Sharps. ’

 

 

 

 

9
0
0

 

39 “433 “I'I'lw

7
68
?4
79

%

 

/

.
".4 w

fBoomt or, Cornerinzbounterfeit I

848 Dan, the River Sport; or. Felling the Frisco Sharp. By ‘,

arold Payne

844 Broadway'nmy'. m. Bulge. By J. C..Cowdriek.
A New lune Every Tuesday.

The llalf- Dine Library is {or sale by I" inundation, flu
cent. per copy, or sent by mil on receipt of six «at. coal.
BEADLE AND ADAMS. Publishers.

0! William "not, Now Youto‘

o

"'" votes.

I