Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 423) (1885 09 01)
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SIGHTH EDITION. MWKv AWA oe * - ~ — i SA , % BOY cence \ ~~ TT rca = Eee Tet eto ml a! GOS 4a ll aN Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., at Second Class Mail Rates. Copyright, 1885, by BEADLE AND ADAMS, sae a 1, 1885. Vol XVIL $2.50 PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY BEADLE AND ADAMS, Price, No. 423, a Year. No, 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. 5 Cents. TTT nn TH | | a EM lines MTTTINTN) AVHRR } hil | WAAAY i Tl i! ny i I | Whi! nm i ia am Ni 1} HAN HHH | } yi THT] Ait) WATAATALH Ht HH HH afill mm ‘Nh Aue ae || y ill ili. i thy Wy " ll Pa ff YF \Y vill i “ " vii AV The pisces Cashier. BY CHARLES MORRIS, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ WILL SOMERS, THE BOY PeTEC TIVE,” ‘‘ PICAYUNE PETE,” ETC., ETC CHAPTER I. THE FINGER AND THE RING. Ir was a cool morning in early November. The door of the private banking house of Ditson & Co., situated on one of the active busines : streets of New York, had just been opened, ancl the small group of clerks who had collected, pushed into the bank. And then there came a sudde n pause, a start of astonishment, and a cry of alarm that was almost terror. And not without good reason. At the Gat vhs cosine Sian ee ul” of business hours the day before they had lef “IT IS THE FINGER OF A LADY. AND LOOK A AT THAT RING! AN OPAL AS I LIVE! the bank in perfect order, Now it presented .
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scene of startling confusion. Drawers were pulled open, papers scattered, valuable docn- ments lay idly tossed on the floor. The three or four men who were present look- ed at the s°ene with staring eyes. They stood as if petrified, gazing at the frightful disorder. Then the foremost of the party broke out in a sharp exclamation: ‘ 4 Lord preserve us! the bank has been rob- rare "hg ** If?s been gone through in the night,” cried a second. ** Aud by all.that’s good, they’ve made clean work! It looks like a clean sweep.” ** What's to be done?” asked a third. is a frightful business. _ There'll be the very Old Nick to pay.” ** Let us examine. in? What have they taken? want to know.” ‘Don’t touch a thing, on your life!”. exclaim- ed a more cautious one. you see it till Mr. Ditson comes. He must be sent for immediately. The building had better be locked up again till a detective can be brought. We don’t want to get into trouble.” “That is a good idea. Supose you run up and report the robbery to Mr. Ditson. We wiil see that nothing is disturbed.” Vithout a word the former speaker turned and left the room. The others closed and locked the door behind him, and took seats near it. Their faces were full of excitement. They con- versed in a low tone, with nervous voices. They had been terribly shaken up by tho discovery. It was impossible to conjecture how much damage had-been done. Nearly a half-hour of this quiet waiting passed. Then the door was tried from without, and vio- lently shaken. ‘* How comes this door locked? Is nobody in- sido?’ demanded a stern voice. The men inside started. ‘Tt is Mr. Foster,” one of them said. him in.” The door was instantly unlocked and opened, and the gentleman outside stepped in. He was a tall, strongly-built, handsome young man, with a noble expression of face. , ‘* What does this mean?” he asked, sharply, in a tone of anger. ‘‘ The door locked at this hour, arf you men sitting—” He paused, and gave a sudden start, as his ey s fell on the scene before him. ‘*Ha! What is this? What in the world—” ‘‘The bank has been robbed, Mr. Foster,” broke in the man with the key. ‘‘ We found it as you see it. We have sent for Mr. Ditson, and took care not to disturb anything until he . 1 q.? ‘ i : ; mi: “Robbed 8 . This was the only word that came from the new-comer’s lips. He stood looking at the wreck, as motionless as if he had been turned to marble. Then he suddenly started forward. ; “This is terrible!” he exclaimed, ‘“‘ You did right; but this must be looked into at once, Clark, you byurry down to the police station, and have a detective sent up here immediately. Here, Thompson and Smith, it is best we should learn the worst. Let us see what has been taken.” * Shall we pick gee scattered papers?” “Yes, Lay them in order on the counter. No need to leave them on the floor. That.is what.we Let Let me ex- ' amine these drawers. , j He hurried behind the counter and examined the various drawers, all of which stood wide open. “Empty,” he cried, in an excited tone. “Every one of them. And the papers back here have all been opened and examined. Was there any money left'in these drawers?” Why, yes, Mr. Foster,” replied Smith. ‘‘ The safe was locked early, you remember... You had to leave before the bank closed. About two thousand dollars were received afterward, and left locked in the receiving-teller’s drawer.” Mr. Foster’s face fell. He looked dismayed for the moment, as if he felt that he was in some way responsible. ‘This drawer has been wrenched open,” he declared. ‘‘The villains have done their work thoroughly. Have you examined the safe?” ** We have examined nothing.” “Then let us see the extent of the disaster at ence. It is well to be cautious, but we had better know what harm has been done. I don’t believe the oldest burglar in New York could open that safe.’ He led the way back at a quick, nervous pace, followed closely Ly the two excited clerks. They were all in a quiver of dismay, their hands trem- bling, their eyes staring. ey dreaded some mew and more terrible revelation. 6 This: How did tho burglars get ‘Leave everthing as’ a th a“ ‘ The Lost Finger. _ Across the rear portion of the banking-room ran a high screen reaching half-way to the ccil- ing. ‘This closed off the cashier’s room, into the rear wall of which was sunk the large iron safe, that held the valuables of the bank. Into this inclosure the three men entered, and then stopped, with a general exclamation. “They have been. here in earnest,” declared Thompson. ** And have worked like Trojans,” chimed in Smith. ‘* But have not succeeded,” added Mr. Foster. with alookof satisfaction, ‘‘ I knew thatchill iron would defy their tools.” —_- That the burglars had been hard at. work was very ,evident. There were signs to show that they had worked long and vainly on the lock, They had then inserted their powerful wrenches and jimmies along the upper edge of the thick door, and had succeeded in forcing it open more than an inch. The firm, thick iron of the door had been bent outward like a plate of tin by the force cf their oowerfultools. A gaping opening revealed itself etween the iron frame and the door. ‘¢ They must have used wrenches like forty- horse steam-engines,” declared Smith, with a look of admiration. ‘‘ Why didn’t they try at the bottom instead of the top? If they’d had a crack like that at the bottom they could have drawn out a neat stock of money. ‘*Couldn’t work it,” answered Thompson. ‘*There was no room for purchase at the bottcm. These fellows don’t work for fun. Might they not have had some: wire tool, which could be pushed into the top of the safe through thet open crack, and draw up money packages in that way? Mr. Foster stood looking with serious eyes at the safe, Tho talk of his companions passed into his ears, but he gave no sign that he heard it. Thoughts of more 7 a seemed passing through the depths of his mind. Suddenly he gave a violent start, and an ex- clamation of horror broke from his lips, while his face flushed with intense feeling. _ “What can that mean?” he asked, in a deep whisper, his quivering finger poing to a spot on the edge of the safe door, about two feet above the lock. His excitement was instantly shared by his companions. Several red spots, as of blood, marked the cold iron. And just visible through the nearly closed crack between the edge of the door and the frame was a piece of torn and bleeding human flesh! They shuddered involuntarily. A portion of the body of some human being had been caught in that iron trap. The door ‘had apparently sprung to and torn the quivering and eee limb or fragment from the body. It seeme yet to 00ze blood. ¥ : Mr. Foster turned are with a sickening feeling. Not so his colder-blooded companions. “Pll. swear if one of the rascals hasn’t got nipped!” cried Smith, with a chuckle of de- light. ‘Serves him right!” “Got caught in his own ag re: ded “That's a neat bit of tit for tat, I They were not there long before the door again opened, and Mr. Ditson entered, in com- pany with the man who had gone for him.. e was a large, full-faced man, and looked like a good liver. His brows were contracted as he stood and gazed around the room. His under lip slightly hung, asif with a ressed dismay. ‘* You here, Foster!” he cried, in a shrill tone. ‘‘This is bad—bad! Ithas given mea regular start. Out with it at once. Let me know the worst. What have they taken?” ' ‘“‘ They have emptied the drawers,” answered Foster. ‘‘ They tried hard to get into the safe, but it was too much for them. Mr. Smith says there was about two thousand in the receiving- teller’s drawer. That is gone.” “Thank Heaven, it is no worse!” exclaimed | Mr. Ditson, sinking into a chair, faint with the revulsion of feeling. ‘‘ If they had emptied that safe I would have been ruined; and it would not have been very comfortable for you, Foster.” ‘“Why, no,” was the reply. ‘‘I have some slight interest in the contents of the safe.” ** But how came such an amount of money as that in the receiving teller’s drawer? Why was it not locked up?” The tone was sharp with suspicion, Mr. Foster changed color. “*T left here yesterday shortly after three,” he explained, ‘‘ All the cash received up to that time was put in the safe. There were two or three gentlemen yet in the bank, but I judged they would only leave a small amount.” “One of them was Jenkins, the drover,” explained Mr. Smith. ‘‘ He madea considerable deposit.” ‘That was wrong, Foster, very wrong. Busi- ness is business, and I don't like to see my busi- ness neglected. You had no right to‘lock the safe and leave till all the money wasinit. I can’t afford to pay to the tune of two thousand doHars, for your hurry.” Mr, Foster's face grew veryred. Iebegan to explain, in a hesitating tone. But to his appar- ent om: two other persons entered at that mo- ment. » One of them was Clark, who had. been sent for a detective. The other, who came forward with a quick, brisk step, was a full-faced, pow- erfully built man, His eyes were gray and keen, and moved about the room with a start- ling quickness, By the time ke had reached the group he seemed to have taken in every cetail of the situation. *‘T am told there has been a robbery here,” he said briskly. ‘‘ Mr. Ditson, I believe.” ‘*-Yes, sir,” the broker bowed. ‘* Have you made any investigation?” “Mr. Foster here can tell you.” The detective turned and fixed his eyes on For ter with an inquiring gaze. He had alreacy taken in every face in the room. “We have disturbed nothing,” exclaimed Foster. ‘‘Those papers were picked up from the floor and laid on the counter. That is all ” “But you have looked around. What have you learned?” A few words sufficed to explain the situation of affairs. When the ecndition of the safe was described, and the speaker went on to tell the story of the gory trophy held by the iron clasp, Mr. Ditson grew slightly pale, while a look cf satisfaction came into the detective’s face. “Ha! That is something interesting!’ he exclaimed. ‘‘ You have the key? Did youopen the safe?” ‘*No. I preferred to disturb nothing.” “Very good. Wait a minute till Itakea gen- eral look around.” He passed quickly through the room, exam- ining every: point with his sharp eyes, end specially studying the decors and windows. Lle shook his head doubt!ul!y. ‘¢ They must have hed a key to your door, Mr. Ditson, There is no sign cf a piets-lock or j’m- my. Nota scratch on docr or window. Now let me see the safe.” Hoe was led back to the rear office. For full five minutes he stood looking at the safe, exarm- ining every point, with attentive eyes. ‘Those are old hancs,” was all hesaid. “I never saw traces of more powerful tools, Will you tr7 the lock, Mr. Fostcr?” Foster inserted the key without.a word. “They have had their labor in vain, at any rate,” declared Mr. Ditson, with an air of sat:s- faction. “They have got nothing.” ‘“*T am not so sure of that,” answered the de- tective. . The door proved very difficult to ance The severe wrenching and twist’ng it had received had jammed the bolt , so that the lock worked very stiffly. It took all the strength of Foster’s two hands to turn the th ¥ Finally it yielded, with a ringing clash. _The bolt of the Jock shot back. The door started slichtly open. ‘ And at the same moment the mysterious piece of human flesh fell to the floor with a feint big that gave all present an involuntary shud- er A single glance told the story. It was a hu- man finger, which had been partly clipped and partly torn off, just below the knuckle-joint. The detective stooped and picked it up. All crowded round him with ungovernable curi- osi And then a sensation of horror and as- tonishment ran through the group, as the officer excitedly exclaimed: : “* By the Lord Harry, it’s a woman’s finger! And a high-toned one too, I should judge. That’s no burslar’s Moll. Look at it. Long, slender, delicate! It is the finger of a lady. And look at that ring. AnopalasI live! By Jove! I fancy we have a clew here!” He was right; it was a woman’s finger, and wore a golden ring set with a valuable opal. All started bac But Foster seemed most affected of all. He turned deathly pale, and staggered back into his at this strange discovery.
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———$—$ Steet chair, while a low moaning sound came from his white lips. Mr. Ditson eyed him curiously. ‘* What is the matter, Foster?” “Tam too faint-hearted,” he replied, with a hollow effortata laugh. ‘‘ That thing has sick- ened me. To think of a woman with a finger like that getting it caught in such a fatal trap, and torn off in that horrible way!” bs. hte He raised his hands involuntarily to his face. ‘The detective fixed his eyes on him. ‘**T fancy the lady can spare a finger,” he cool- ty said. ‘‘She seems to have been well paid for ring and finger.” He pointed to the safe, whose door he had flung open. lt looked as if the burglars had succeeded in ‘some way in obtaining a portion of its contents, The bundles of bank-notes were tumbled over the safe bottom, as if overturned by some in- strument. ‘* Do you know what money was there?” ‘‘ Yes,” answered Foster, with forced com- posure. ‘“‘Then count the contents and see what is lost. I will take charge of my lady’s ring-fin- ger. It will be strange if such a very neat clew does not put us on thetrack of the bur- glars.” CHAPTER II. THE MYSTERY OF THE RING. THE detective was right. The burglars had succeeded in paying themselves for their trou- ble. Twenty-five thousand dollars were missing from the contents of the safe. Mr. Foster made the examination and report with what composure he could. But a shadow of pallor clung to his face. Something seemed” to have given him a terrible nerve shock. While this investigation was being made the detective was not idle, He had made a thorough study of the bank, examining every point with the utmost minuteness. The open drawers, the scattered paper, the floor, the walls, the doors and wizidows were all intently studied. And not a movement, or expression of face, in an of the clerks, escaped his quick eyes. He finished bya second close study of the marks on the safe. ‘“What time do you open your doors, Mr. Ditson?” ‘* At ten o'clock.” . ‘‘Ttis ten now.” Mr. Ditson, who had recovered his composure, took the hint, and gave the order to open the bank for business. ae then invited the detective into his private office. ‘“ What conclusion have yuu come to, Mr. Sharp?” he asked. ‘“*None. Iam yet at sea.” ‘* None?” _ “This work was done by old hands. How they got into the-place is not clear. There are some scratches on the lock, but I doubt if they are new ones. I fancy they must have had a key. aN key! How could they get thati” Mr. Sharp shrugged his shoulders. ; ‘* Who knows? That is one of the things to find out. Who carries your key, Mr. Ditson?” “Davis. Will Davis. A thoroughly reliable man. Has been with me these ten years.” __ “Call him in here. I would like to question all your clerks in succession. But who is this Mr. Foster?” » ‘Foster? He is the very soul of my business. He is a minor partner, too, That is, he has an interest in the profits, in addition to his salary. This loss partly falls on him.” “ Ab 1” ‘¢-You don’t suspect him?” ‘Oh no! And yet the sight of that finger had a remarkable effect on him.” ‘““Yes, I saw that. But heis aregular baby that way—as soft-hearted as a nervous wo- man. But Foster’ssound. He is the very soul of honor.” : Another slight shrug of the shoulders marked the officer’s opmion. : 4 ‘‘ Send in Davis, Mr. Ditson. Davis was sent in. The other clerks followed, oné by one. Mr. Sharp questioned them all ina uiet, half-indifferent manner, as if he had per- ect confidence in each particular one. He gained no information bearing on the robbery. An hour was occupied in this investigation. At its termination, ‘* What results, Mr. Sharp?” ‘ ‘“*None.. These men seem innocent. There is one point I would like to-know. I understand that Mr. Foster left the bank yesterday at an earlier hour than usual. Do you know why?” ‘*T have no idea,” r. Ditson entered the office. | must be continue The Lost Finger. ““T wish you would ask him, Butno. That is not. wise. Leave it to me to find out.” ‘* You are not doubting him again?” **Oh, of course not! Idoubt nobody, but I do want to know everything. That is an odd pe- culiarity of mine. I am always wanting to know. But todoubt? Certainly not.” Mr. Ditson looked at the detective’s face, which wore a very faint smile. ‘*There is one thing I would like to know,” the banker broke out suddenly. ‘* How did that finger get into the crack of the safe door? Why at phe spot, it was not open a quarter of an inch.” ‘‘There is another mystery goes along with that,” answered the officer quietly. ‘‘ How did they get the money out of the narrow crack at the top of the door? I haveatheory. Imaybe wrong, but I think I am right.” What is it?” Mr. Foster entered the office as they spoke, and stood listening to their conversation. ‘Tt is this. The door must have been forced wider open than we found it. It would take a wide crack at the top to insert their instru- ments and draw up those bundles of bank notes. But iron has a spring. It was held open by some tool, a chisel or the like. In their opera- tions this tool was disturbed and forced out. The door sprung partly shut, and at that mo- ment the woman pal of the burglars had her finger carelessly inserted in the crack. The sharp edge of the iron closed on it like a pair of shears. It was nipped off so that it only held by a fragment of flesh, and a quick jerk of terror tore this asunder.” “What a frightful accident!” exclaimed Fos- ter, with a shudder, his pallor returning. “It is evident, Mr. Foster,” replied the detec- tive, fixing his cool eyes on him, ‘‘ that you have not been brought up to butchering. The sight of torn flesh seems to sicken you.” ‘* Yes, I can’t help.” He seated himself as if from a feeling of faintness, ‘That is my theory, at any rate,” continued the detective. ‘‘ They were very likely scared away by the accident.” “But why did they not stay to recover the finger?’ asked Mr. Ditson. ‘It is strange they left such a dangerous piece of evidence “behind them,” ‘* Who knows? They may have rushed away in a panic. Some alarm may have startled them. Or the wound may have been, bleeding dangerously, and had to be hurried away. Men do many foolish things in ticklish situa- tions,” A momentary silence followed these words. “Will you let me see that finger again, Mr. Sharp?” asked Foster, suddenly. ‘Certainly. _I don’t want tomake you sick, though.” He drew out of his pocket the hand- kerchief in which he had wrapped the crimsoned trophy. ““T fancy I can stand if now,” answered Mr. Foster in a calm tone. ; He bent over the finger, examined it closely, and carefully observed the ring. “That will do, Thank you,” he said, in a strangely quiet voice. When he looked up his face was steady and |. calm, though still somewhat pale. Yet the detective noticed one poling indica- tion. There was a deep red line on his lower lip. He had bitten into it until the blood was ready go vig the fin © you, recognize the ger?” asked the officer, fixing his eyes on the face before him. “No,” answered Mr. Foster, quietly. ‘Or the ring?” “c No,” There may have been a severe inward strug- gle, but outwardly he was calm and com- He had overcome all show of emotion. Mr. Sharp continued to gaze at him for a few seconds. en he took his hat from the table and rose. “That will do, gentlemen. ‘This investigation outside. I know of only one set of burglars fit for this job, And I think, with this bit of evidence, the case will not be hard to handle. Good-day.” He walked to the door, opened it, and stepped into the outer room. ; The two bankers remained. “Well,” asked Mr. Ditson, ‘‘what do you think of the affair?” ‘* That we can safely leave it in Mr. Sharp’s hands. He seems to know his business.” ‘““Thope so. It is a heavy loss,” ‘““For that two thousand that was. stolen from the receiving teller’s drawer I wish you to tan me responsible. It was my fault it was ost. Mr. Ditson looked at him curiously. ‘What took you away so early, yesterday, Foster?” ‘*T should not have gone. It was to escort a lady friend to the cars. She was takin a train for Boston, and asked my escort. I did bari and am ready to pay for it.” “We will think further of that, Let us to business now.” The business of the bank that day went on as quietly as if nothing had happened. The affair was kept quiet, as Mr. Ditson did not care to be deluged with a host of curious ques- tions, or rundown with an array of reporters. It was certain that when the strange incident of the severed finger was made public the whole town would agog with interest and curiosity. Mr. Foster attended steadily to his duties. He seemed perfectty quiet and assiduous, and no one could have essed that there was any emotion in his breast, except from his continued paleness. The main traces of his morning excitement were astrange look in his eyes, and an occa- sional movement as if he was forcing himself to drive away awkward and disturbing thoughts. Toward noon he. rapidly dashed off a brief note. Leaving the bank for his noon lunch, he Cispatched this to its destination by a district messenger boy, directing him to return the an- swer at a certain eating saloon. Mr. Foster lingered long over bis lunch, his eyes fixed on the door in seeming anxiety. It was an hour before the messenger made his appearance, and handed the banker a small sealed note. He tore it open with fingers that slightly trembled despite himself. But a look of deep satisfaction larva, over his face as his eyes quickly devoured the contents. “Gone!” he muttered. ‘‘ Then my fears were naught. I knew it was impossible. It was in- sane folly to think it. Yet that finger!—that ring! Ah! there is an extraordinary mystery hidden behind all this, What is it? Shall ever solve it?—But Estelle! No! no!” He rose, tore the note into & thousand shreds and scattered them in the gutter as he walked along the street toward the bank. At five o’clock that afterncon Mr. Foster reached his rooms. They were situated in a handsome residence on one of the up-town streets. He flung himself into an easy-chair, and passed his hands across his brow. **T have never gone through such a day in my life before,” he said, with a sigh of relief. ‘* To .play a part such as I have played! It would fare killed a weaker man.” He smiled in the consciousness of strength. ‘* What is next to be done? Shall I seek— No. That detective suspects me; He may have me tracked. I must first find if sre— But the note I received is enough. And I saw the xpress start on its road for Boston. Why can- not I drive these foolish ideas from my head? There is one way to settle it. I will telegraph.” He hastily wrote a dispatch, and rung for a servant. “Take this to the nearest telegraph station. Bring me the answer as econ as it arrives.” He took a book and tried to read, but the characters seemed blurred on the page. He could not bring his mind down to the fictitious tale of life. ere was too .deep a real tragedy at play in his brain. wo hours passed before the answer arrived. He tore it open with nervous fingers, and ran his eyes eagerly over the contents. It read as follows: “Yes. Iamsafely here. Arrived after midnight. Am well, but tired. Thanks for your solicitude. ““EsTELLE.”” He gave a deep sigh of relief. ‘‘Then all is right, andI can drive that gnaw- ing anxiety from my brain. But the ring? The mystery still hangs about that. Why did I not mention that in my message? By Heaven T cannot sleep or rest until that extraordinary affair is settled.” He rose, seized his bat, and left the house, But he seemed to have no special object in view, unless it were to cool his blood in the brisk No- vember air, He walked about in a desultory fashion, without aim or destination. If there was really a spy on his track, as he thought possible, said spy was likely to have a confusing time of it. He finally ended by taking a car on the Ele- vated, and rushing down-town at locomotive speed. gee the train at a station well down- town he sought the main office of the Western
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ae The Lost Finger, Union Telegraph Co. Here he wrote and dis- | they were my own brothers. patched another message. with crime. Now let that end it.” For two hours more the uneasy and restless | ‘‘ Forgive me, Harry,” answered Paul, with a mortal wandered about, dropping into place af- laugh. ‘‘Ilam devoured with curiosity. I may ter place, but staying nowhere more than a few | as well acknow ledge it. No Paul Pry coula be minutes. » | ie worse than I. But, hang it, I have nothing else At the end of this time he returned up-town | to do, and a bit of mystery like this is a sweet and went home. morsel. Never mind. I will find out wko your ‘* Anything for me, James” he asked, at the | detective is, and worm it out of him. am door. dying to see that ring, and the finger that holds “Yes, sir. A telegram. Just come. Not five minutes ago. ¥ Me Then you will have to die in ignorance,” re- “ Very well.” joined Foster, with a shadow of alarm in his: tone. “Suppose I say that I suspect who it belongs to, and ask to see itin the interest of the law?” He read it with a sensation of mingled hope “Very neat. But I will warn them against and fear, you. Come, let us take a turn in the air. It is “ What can be wrong?” itran. “Ido not under- insufferably warm here.” stand. The ring you speak of was stolen from my Foster was evidently more uneasy and dis- jewel casket more than a week ago. By a servant | quieted than he cared to show. The two friends probably. What can you mean? plain by letter. | left the hotel parlor in which they ‘had been * ESTELLE. seated, and strolled out on Broadway. They walked slowly down the thronged street, the cool evening air driving away the feverish anxiety from Foster’s face, and bringing back its usual composure. Somehow the questions of his companion seemed to have seriously ruffled and alarmed him. Their conversation took a lighter tone as they walked on block after block. “By the way,” remarked Clifford at length, ‘it is a week and more since I saw you at the yore Hall. And you owe me a revenge. You mptied my purse at our last spares When all I Pat satisfaction? ” me I don’t know,” answered Harry indifferent- ‘*T am growing tired of tke whole busi- aa 4 ‘Tt is easy to grow tired when we win. But the losers have some rights.” Foster started as if he had been stung. ‘‘ What do you mean, sir? T do not like in- sinuations.” ““T know what is the trouble, Foster. The Countess is away. If she were there you would not need twice asking. Faith, though, you are Lee the only trout that is ready to spring at that ait.” “T will meet you where you Will,” cried Fos- ter, with a sudden show of anger. ‘‘ And I should advise you not to bring hcr naime into connection with mine in that flippant tone.” His lip took ahard curve. ‘‘Say when. I am your man.’ ‘““To-morrow night, then. Bring a goodly show of ducats. I intend to fleece you.” “Very well. ‘You may look for me,” A son more words passed, but the friendliness of their tone was gone. Foster bit his lip as though he was chafing inwardly. » They soon be Clifford turtiing back to stroll again up Tater, ooked after him, “T don’t know what to make of that man,” he said. ‘‘All these side cuts are not chance. ‘Paul Clifford does not impress who does things by chance. e has some ob- ject in view in his impertinence. What is it? I will meet him, at any rate.” What Clifford thought, as he walked away in the opposite direction, was not evident. A iar smile marked his face, and he twirled cane with an air of deep satisfaction. “Did I speak of him as a trout!” he myttered. “T should have said gudgeon.’ He w more rapidly as he went on. Finally he took a stage, and rode a considerable distance up town. Leaving the stage, he walked down one of the cross streets, and entered a house not far re- moved from "Bradway. Walking up-stairs he opened the door of an elegantly furnished sit- ting-room. It was occupied by a single person, a gentleman who sat reading in an easy-chair. . This person sprung up as Clifford entered flung his book carelessly on a center table, an advanced somewhat eagerly. He was a tall, slender Pare’ with a pale and not very ‘agreeable face, e nose was long pope sharp, the lips thin and bloodless, the eyes res “What results” he asked. “T have met him. He is dangerous. He must be dealt with.” “Does he susnect?” **Too much, I fear.” “But what? Ex plain.” “T have nigtitieae to explain. cious] cautious. I fear him.” en we must crush him.” “ As we woulda snake. He has promised to come to the Red Hall to-morrow night to give me satisfaction.” He took the message with affected coolness, and walked calmly to hisroom. But the pe with which he tore it open slightly trembled CHAPTER III. THE RED HALL. “By Jove, Foster, you banking fellows are ing into the romantic business strongly. That etfair of the clipped-off finger is the talk of the town. It has roused such a sensation as we have not had for ten years. The finger of a high- burn lady, they say? And wearing a valuable ring? Come, come, confess that this is 9. got-up affair—a clever advertisement to bring cus- tomers to your house.” The speaker was a fashionably-dressed gentle- man, of apparently some thirty years of age. He had a classically-cut face, with long hair, worn well down on his neck and forehead. His expression was a peculiar one, Apparently frank and open, there was something in it deep and hidden, He was not one of those trans- abe men who wear their souls upon their Yet he spoke with an engaging air of | ly easy f ccagenn ie ith, yes,” answered Harry Foster, with a laugh. “Tt has broughfi us customers enough, but not of the kind we like. We have kept open house these three days to all the curious people in town. And our private office has been in- vaded by reporters until there is not room to lay down a thimble. I think we could spare some of these customers.” “But you don’t really want to claim that it is all so? No, no, that’s too thin. Our high- born ladies don’t play the part of burglars’ as- sistants, Confess that that finger was got from the hospital, and put there to give the good people of New York a bit of a sensation.” ou can huve it yourown way, Paul, Any- how you ye acknowledge our little game was well pg a Paul looked at the speaker with an odd ex- eyes and then broke out into a hearty eB at is it true, in solid earnest? You are not ou like a man pulling wool over the public eye?” “Tt was true enough to sicken me, when I saw finger. “But, eavia man! this is an extra-: erdinary business!” Paul spoke with great energy. ‘Who did it? Who was the woman? The police, of course, have it in hand. What have they discovered? With a clew like that ring and finger they ought to have no trouble to get on the track. Tell me all about it. It is safe with me, you know. You suspect some- body? Admit it” A look of uneasiness came upon Foster’s face which the other did not fail to observe. ‘*Don’t ask me,” he answered. ‘‘ The detect- ives think they are on a track. What it islam not at liberty to reveal.” “Is ita true trail? Have you no suspicions ourself?” that bl * ester cha cross-questioning. “Tf you will excuse me, Mr. Clifford,” he re- — rather coldly, ‘‘I would prefer not to talk r about this subject. I am not afraid of your discretion, of course, but other people’s secrets are not mine to discuss.” “You suspect somebody, I can seethat. And et you have not given the police your clew. You are trying countenance still more under ou ow this woman, Foster. te screen her.” ‘*Sir!” Foster was on his feet, with a face full of anger. “ You are going further than friend- ship permits. I don’t like this prying, and want no more of it. I will tell you this, and you can make the most of it: If I discover this woman and her confederates I will deliver them up to the law, though she were my ows sister and He is suspi- I make no terms ‘*Shall we dispose of him? The Countess is absent.” ‘No, no, no, man! That might be danger- ous. ” “« Because he is already suspected of this rcb- bery. I have learned several things to-night. I am sure he is shadowed by the police, If ke should disappear , some awkward investigations might be made.” Shadowed? And you have invited him there? That will never do, Paul.’ ‘Trust me,” answered Paul, with a curling lip. ‘‘I am not fool enough to expose the s-- oth of the Red Hall. I will manage to get rid of the police spy.” Dé But what do you propose? You have some an. ‘*Leave it to me to settle with our man.” “But how? You arer ascally mysterious.” “*Sit down; I will explain.” A long conversation ensued between the pair of villainous confederates. It was a conversa- tion in which one of our characters was vitally interested. But the features of this conversu- tion we must leave the future to reveal. ‘“ What think you, Juan? Is it safe?” asked Paul Clifford, at the end of this conference. “Tt must work. The Countess is weak on him. He is at all points inour way. We get rid of him, and screen ourselves, all in one act. ‘* But I dread the Countess,” answered Juan, with an uneasy look. ‘She has a devilish tem- er when started. If she suspects foul play with her lover, chains would not hold her.” “She dare do nothing.” Clifford’s lip curled savagely. ‘She will not lift'a finger. She knows me.” Juan looked at his companion. A significant: smile passed between them. **T should counsel her not to,” came from his thin lips. ‘* I would sooner play at odds against the devil than Paul Clifford.” “And I against the chief of his imps tham Juan Vernel.” It was evident that some serious, perhers fatal, peril was hovering over the head of Ear- ry Foster. He was being drawn into the mac!- strom of ruin and disgrace. The night passed. The next day came and went.. Night again threw its shadowing mantle over the great city, shrouding all the shapes of crime that wait until the sun has set to show themselves abroad. Dark deeds there were in abundance in that vast metropolis, but they hid their unsightly forms under the glooms of the the Hoey Foster walked up Broadway, with his Pe itude and firm tread. Twenty paces behind him came another form, seemingly of a young man about town. To To alla appearance he had no special errand abroad, yetstrangely his business took him over the same route as that followed by the unsuspecting man ahead. Still further in the rear came a light, one- seated carriage, occupied ue a single person. This was a gentleman, who now drove briskly up by the side of the pavement. ‘‘Mr. Foster,” he called. Harry paused and looked around. ‘Paul Clifford!” he exclaimed. “Yes. I have been taking a little turn for exercise. Stepin. We will have a breezer up the avenues.” Thank you, I prefer to walk.” “But you are a judge of horseflesh. I want you to see the pace of my animal. Come. To oblige me.” Thus urged, Harry, not very willingly, step- ped into the carriage.. Paul had said nothing about the spy, whom he saw and recognized. He had his reasons for silence on this point. He gave his restless horse the reins, and drove away at asharp pace. The spy, who had come up close enough to nest their last words, wore an aspect of discom- ture. “Very neatly flung,” be muttered. ‘ But they are only off for a turn in the Boulevares. I can take up the trail later.” He did not conjecture how completely he had been flung.. His whole labor had been wasted through this shrewd move of Paul Clifford. Few words passed between the young men as they drove up-town together. Neither seemed in a talkative mood, s soon as he reached & clear street Clifford pat the horse to his paces. oe good stepper. Don’t you think so?’ ‘‘ Yes,” answered Harry I Chie “You are non-committal,” ord laughed,
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“‘T see what is working in yonr head. Well, I am ready. The Red Hall let it be, then.” He drove for some distance, and’ finally drew up in front of a stylish livery stable, where he left his team in charge of the attendants. ‘* We have not far to go,” he said. In fact very few steps brought them to the front of a large, handsome mansion, one of a fine brown-stone row, yet very quiet and som- ber-looking in front. A ring brought a colored servant to the door, He appeared to recognize the gentlemen, and made way for them to enter. ‘** Any one here, James?” ‘* Several, sir. Mr. Vernel just entered. there was a party before him.” ** Very well.” They walked forward over the velvet carpet, and up the broad, stately stairway. The reason for the peculiar name given the mansion made itself apparent as they advanced. A crimson tone predominated, alike in car- pets, and on the walls and ceiling. The light of the blazing chandelier gave baek almost a lurid reflection. This was still more evident when they reached the head of the stairs, and advanced along a short hall to a door that stood partly open. . It revealed a brilliantly-lighted room, luxu- riantly furnished and ornamented. But the red tint everywhere prevailed, a rich crimson glow that dazzled the eyes that gazed upon it. Several tables stood on the rich carpet. Around one of these, in the upper end of the room, a group of men was gathered. They. were very quiet. Only an occasional word came from them, They seemed engaged in some absorbing occupation, One of these persons lifted his eyes as the new-comers entered the doorway. His face lighted up, and he advanced quickly toward But them. ‘* Welcome, gentlemen,” he greeted. ‘* You are almost a stranger here, Mr. Foster.” “Good-evening, Mr. Vernel. I have had something else to busy me. Clifford his revenge.’ ‘That is capital. There is Warner burning to lose some money. We can make up a quar- tette game. What say, Clifford?” **T am agreeable.” A secret look passed between the conspirators. ‘The Mo Mod in the toils. Mr. Warner proved very willing to take a hand as Foster’s partner. A call to an attend- ant provided them with cards, and a game was quickly in play, with Foster and Warner pitted against Clifford and Vernel. The secret of the Red Hall was out. It wasa private gambling establishment, unknown to the police, and run by the woman’ to whom they gave the odd title of the Countess. But it was very evident that Foster did not suspect the true character and designs of his as- sociates. A peculiar look that had passed be- tween Warner and Paul Clifford showed an un- derstanding very dangerous to their victim. ‘‘TLuck never clings long to one side,” cried Paul, with an aspect of gay satisfaction. “TI knew I only wanted _a fair chance, to discount your good fortune. Game again, and we win.” In fact he and his partner had been winning steadily since the play began. The stakes were high, and their pile of winnings was accumulat- ing. a There was never a lane without a turn,” an- swered Harry, with greatcoolness. ‘It is your deal, Mr. Warner.” The game went on with the same fortune. Harry and his partner continued steadily to lose. ‘Had we not better change the game?” sug- gested Warner. ‘No, Let us fight it out on this line,” “‘T will send you home penniless.” laughed Paul. “I knew that if you accepted my chal- lenge the tables would turn.” “He laughs best who laughs last.” ‘‘ But this isa dry business at best,” exclaimed Juan. ‘Let us wet our lips with a glass of wine. Here, James; fetch us some of that old sherry.” : In a few minutes an attendant appeared, with the wine called for. Foster turned in his chair to take the glass offered him. ae He was but a second, but in that brief inter- val a quick manipulation had taken place, The winnings of the game, which lay heaped before Juan Vernel, were alertly slipped from the table. They were as quickly Beat. or at least to all appearance. When Harry turned ‘back to the table, with his glass of amber-tinted wine, there was nothing to show that any change thad taken place. The winnings of his oppo- But I promised Mr. _— : Pe r one as é ee ee ee 1 Ne Re noe \ curate K Meee ee - ae, Ps ar eg Clifford. ‘ The Lost Finger. nent seemed still to lay before the thin-lipped player. ‘* Here’s to your better fortune,” laughed Paul, carrying the glass to his lips. “Thanks for the sentiment. prove a true one.” They tossed off their wine, and returned the empty glasses to the attendant. Strangely enough from that moment the luck suddenly changed. Harry and his partner be- gan to steadily win back their losses. The pile of winnings before Juan Vernel rapidly lower- ed. He divided it into two heaps, paying from one of these to Warner, and from the other to Foster. ‘* By Jove, that wine has done for us,” cried We have lost our grip.” Harry laughed. **T told you the tables would turn.” In half an hour he had recovered all his losses. The game was where it began. Clifford appeared moody and dissatisfied. He flung down his cards spitefully. = tn be hanged if I play any more to-night!” “That jade, Fortune, bas flung I hope it will he exclaimed. me again.” ‘Then you want no more satisfaction?” ‘*Not to-night, at any rate.” Harry laughed carelessly, rolled up his mon- ey, and thrust it into his pocket. *¢ We will cry quits then.” They rose and strolled to the other end of the room, where some deep play was in progress. After a half-hour more Harry excused himself, and left the hall. The conspirators followed him out with tri- umphant glances. ‘*Tt was neatly played,” declared Juan. ‘‘ He never dreamed.’ ‘* The fish isin our net. He cannot escape.” *‘That depends. He may empty his purse. Something may happen to eae our well-laid plans. There is not a minute to lose. The po- lice must be notified at once,” ** And anonymously.” ‘¢Of course. Come down to the office. Both our heads are needed to manage this informa- tion with proper judgment,” They left the room together. Meanwhile, Harry Foster was proceeding leisurely toward his home, utterly undreamin that he was in the toils of a base and deep-lai conspiracy, which might end in his utter ruin. CHAPTER IV, A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE. It was not alate hour when Harry Foster reached his rooms, His experience at the Red Hall, much as it might involve, had not taken much time, He flung himself into a chair, and fell into a deep vein of thought. A shadow of uneasiness marked his fine face. “Tam a fool,” he muttered. ‘T should break with those men. 1 mistrust them all, And I fear that suspicion rests on me already. Asso- ciation with them may prove fatal.—But Es- telle?_ What mysterious connection has she with them? If she would but break away from that degrading business! Ah! I fear T am so infatuated with that woman, that I would fol- low her beck to ruin! She is queenly. She is superb. And I ama poor, blind fly caught in the magic light of her glance.” _ He paused, with a start of surprise. He had just caught sight of a letter, addressed in a fa- miliar hand, on the table before him, “From her? From Estelle? It must be in answer to mine.” He caught it up eagerly, and pressed it to his lips with a lover’s fondness before opening it. eran his eyes over it with nervous haste, his face changing color more than once in the pe- rusal, e need give here but the essential parts of the long letter, It opened almost immediate- ly, as if the writer’s mind was full of the sub- ject, with: ‘©What you tell me has filled me with horror and amazement. An attempt to open yoursafe! <A wo- man’s finger canght and torn off! Ah! it makes me shudder to think of it! And my opal ring on the finger! Good Heavens, that is extraordinary! You must be mistaken. It is impossible it can be my ring.—And yet, who knows? \t disappeared from my jewel casket more than a week ago. One of my Ber anes had left me to go West, Tu Oregon, she “Did she really go? Lalways distrusted her. She had been sent for by her brother in Oregon, she said. Perhaps it was her confederate in New York. Could she have stolen the ring and sold it to a pawn- broker?” Harry laid down the letter and fell into a fit of musing. “At any rate that clears up my dreadful doubts about Estelle,” he muttered. ‘‘ The girl 5 may have placed the ring with afence. That explains its being on the finger of a burglar’s sweetheart, And yet that finger looked as if i5 might have come from the hand of Lady Vero de Vere. Who would have dreamed that any but blue blood had ever run in the veins of that hand?” He resumed the reading of the letter. A slight start and a change of color came to him as he read a sentence further down the page. “Don't go to the Red Hall untl my return, I have reasons for this request. But Iexpect you to obey my commands without demanding a reason.” “Tt comes too late,” he said with a smile. ** But I will not go again, Estelle.” “*My friend here is very sick,” continued the let- ter. ‘It may be several weeks before I can reiurn. But don't think of coming on, My movements are very uncertain, and I will not have you leave ycur post at this critical period.” A few more sentences, in which, without words of love, there seemed to show a sentiment of affection, and the letter closed. Harry pressed it again to his lips. That-he was an ardent lover his whole expression dis- played. His face burned with a _ lover's warmth. ‘*Dear Estelle,” he murmured, ‘It shames me that I could have doubted you for a minute. But the mystery of that Red Hall, and of your connection with those men? You must break from them, ‘You must and shal|.” He rose and seized his hat. The atmosphere of the room felt close, and he wished to get into the open air. He thrust the letter into his pocket, and then instantly drew it out again. ‘*No, no, it is not safe to carry,” he remark- ed. ‘‘And she tells me to burn it. That is only prudent. It might involve her in this rob- a i He held it in the flame of the gaslight until it was in a free blaze. 'Then waiting until only the corner held by his fingers remained he flung the burnt letter in the hearth. “Pve got it in my memory and can spare the el copy. She lovesme. Iam sure of that. t speaks through every word of her epistle.” Leaving the Tenses he walked up and down the street for some time, bis mind full of happy thoughts. Then, with a sudden fancy, he tooka stage and rode down-town. He lett it at Twenty-third street, and turned his steps toward the Opera House. ‘Tt is late,” he said, ‘* but the music will quiet me. My head is all in a whirl,” The Blane of lights, the clang and blare of the orchestra, the rich voices of the singers, the gleam of thousands of faces, all seemed like a phantasm to the lover, a glowing accompani- ment to the thoughts that were busy in his brain. It was after midnight when he had left the temple of music and found himself again in the vicinity of his home. ‘*T should sleep well to-night,” he said, as he took the latch-key from his pocket. ‘I have had an evening full of sensations,” “Harry! Harry Foster!” He turned at this call. The voice was familiar, and yet it had in it a ring of distress and excite- ment. He looked into the anxious face that showed itself in the gloom of the street.” ‘*Will Davis!” he called out in surprise. ‘What is wrong? What do you want with me at this hour?” ‘* Hush!” said the man in a ceutioning tone. ‘*T have waited for you these two hours. I am on the brink of ruin, Harry, I knew no one who would help me, except you. If you re- fuse, I shall throw myself into the North river!” “Wh , what can be the matter? Do you mean to say that you had any hand in that robbery? Good heavens! Davis, can this be so?” ‘No, no! It isnot that! Come aside where it is not so public, and I will tell you.” Davis seemed in a state of excitement border- ing on at pel as he led Foster toa less publie locality. Harry followed, full of wonder. He could not imagine what all this meant, ‘**Here is a quiet place,” he said, decisively. ‘* Now let me hear your story. You carry the key of the bank. id you let it go out of your possession?” ‘*Tt isn’t that, I tell you!” exclaimed Davis, ip a tone as if he wished to avoid this subject. “Tt is nothing about the robbery. The fact is Harry, I am a fool, and have got myse in an ugly scrape. I borrowed money from my drawer in the bank to im- vest in a sure thing on _ the street. Idiot that I was! I have lost!” He struck his head furiously with his fist, ‘‘I have no money now to replace it. There will be an examina- tion to-morrow. My discrepancy will be dis- JNA =
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. re =. T The Lost Finger. covered. I will be ruined. And the worst of it is that key. I will be suspected of having a hand in the burglary. Harry Foster, you must save me! If you refuse, I will drown myself.” “‘ Keep cool, my boy. There is no need of all this excitement. How much have you taken? | What do you want me to do?” ‘Three hundred dollars. crime.” “T didn’t think you were such a fool, Will. But I don’t want to see you quite gotoruin. If you will solemnly promise—’ ‘“‘T will take a solemn oath never to speculate again.” “Then I will loan you the money.” Davis, speechless with gratitude, caught Har- ry’s hand and pressed it fervently to his lips. ‘There, there, my poor fellow! calm yourself, in the same situation. is about what you want.” You would do as much for me He drew from his pes the roll of bank- | fronted with my accuser!” c notes which comprised his winnings at the gam- ing house, and which he had carelessly thrust there. These he pressed into Davis’s hand. “ Now, not a word. Take it and go home. Try and get somé’sleep, and level up your head for to-morrow.” “*T shall never forget your kindness, Harry,” murmured the poor fellow, affected almost to tears. ‘‘ And I will die rather than try such a game again. One experience of this kind is sa “Off with you now, to bed. That is where I am going.” Harry smiled as he again mounted the door- steps and took out his key. “That same temptation has ruined many a weak-minded simpleton. It would be better for the honor of the country if Wall street were sunk to the bottom of the sea. Atany rate, I don’t fancy Davis will do it again.” He was humming an air from the o opened the door of his sitting-room. He paused and ed in surprise. He had good reason for astonishment. The room was betently lighted up. Two men sat by the table, both strangers to him, and evidentl of a different class of society to that from whic he chose his friends. There were indications of confusion about the papers in his desk, as if they had been rudely handled. ‘* What does this mean?” he sternly demanded. “Who are you} ra as he By what right have you taken possession of my room?” He advanced with a face hot with indignation. “Mr. Harry Foster, isn’t it?’ asked one of the men. ‘“*T imagine so. Nobody else has a right to in- trude here at this hour of the night.” e “Then you'll have to excuse us if we've han- dled things a little rough. Don’t often make such late visits, but orders is orders. We’ thank you to show up the contents of your pockets.” ‘“*Ha! You are burglars, then?’ cried Harry, springing back and seizing the bell-pull. ‘‘ You are here to rob me?” “Oh, no!” answered the man, without stir- ring. ‘‘If I was you I wouldn’t raise a disturb- ance. There’s nobody knows we are here, ex- vept the landlady, and there’s no use in letting iy ny: Recan it.” Harry dropped his hold of the bell pull and advanced straight toward them. He had changed ‘is mind about their being burglars, ““'Who are you? What do you want?” ‘‘There is our warrant, Mr. Foster,” answered the man, laying an official document on the table. ‘‘ We are officers of the law, sent here on business. Just read that paper. You will find that it is a search-warrant, regularly issued by Judge Brown. We have completed our search of your room. Now we must search your person.” “ A search-warrant!” answered Harry, full of amazement. ‘‘To search for what? On what charge? On your lives don’t lay a hand on me till this outrage is fully explained !” ‘““T have no a to tell you,” answered the officer. “I hope, for your sake, there is nothing in it, for it isa mighty awkward busi- ness. It seems there was some marked money among that stolen inthe Ditson burglary. Now Lend me _ that amount. I will return it out of my salary, and I will bless you forever, Harry, for saving me from the consequences of my first and last Here, take this. There | | | ed scornfully. Then‘a look of deep indignation colored his brow. ‘*Here is all I have about me,” he hotly ex- claimed, emptying his pockets on the table. ‘*There is my pocketbook. You are at liberty to examine its contents. This is an extraordi- nary outrage.” Paying little attention to his words the two men coolly opened the pocketbook and poured out on the table the bank notes it contained. These they quickly ran over. “* Nothing crooked there,” said the speaker, shaking his head. “Very well. Do you want to examine my rson? I am ready to submit.” ° The officer looked him over from head to oot. ‘‘T think there is no occasion for that, Mr, Foster. We have no reason to think that you have this marked money concealed in your cloth- Do try and-| ing.” * Then tell me what this means,” exclaimed Harry, in hot anger. ‘‘ Who lodged this vile in- formation against me? I demand to be con- ‘““Wecan tell you nothing, sir. We are not in the secrets of the office. By calling there to- morrow I have no doubt you can obtain full satisfaction. But I believe the information came to the cffice in a letter.” ‘* Then I must and will sce that letter.” “Very well, sir. I presume it will be at your service.” The man’s voice was polite but cold. There was a strange expression on his face. *“One word more before we go. If I were you, when I burned letters and threw the ashes on the hearth, I would take better care to see that there were no unburnt corners left.” Harry looked at him, with a sick feeling at his heart. ry ‘*T do not understand you,” he faltered, *T wish simply to say that I have picked up a very interesting slip that was not quite burned, There are not many words on it, but they are quite striking.” He held before Harry’s face a blackened corner of the burnt letter. The alarmed gentle- man looked on it with dilated eyes. It contain- ed parts of two lines, is startled gaze read the dangerous and ac- cusing words, which by some strange chance | had been alone preserved: “torn off 4 my opal ring.’’ The officer looked into the whitened and scared face of the startled gentleman. _ ‘Well, sir, do you feel inclihed to explain these words?” ‘* Not now, or here,” cried ake hurriedly. ‘‘ At the proper time and place. Is there any- thing more?” “No, We will bid you good-night. And hope you may have pleasant dreams,” His visitors left the room. Harry stood thun-. _derstruck, gazing after them with wildly staring . Estelle from this fatal imformation has been left at the office that some | of this marked money has been seen in your possession. We have been directed to make bah 5 ana before you could possibly i of it. stood the prey of varying emotions, A dozen sensations marked his face. He laugh- and buri eyes. “Oh! that terrible chance!” be muttered, de- iringly. “How shall it ever be explained? t I say if Iam questioned? Howscreen usiness? I know not! I know not!” He ee himself in desperation on the bed, his face in the pillows, He was be- yond the power of thought. CHAPTER V. THE MARKED MONEY, ‘“T HAVE a few words for your ear, Harry,” said Mr. Ditson to Foster, as he entered the bank ata late hour on the morning after the events just recorded. ‘‘There was one matter connected with that robbery which I kept from. you, and from everybody, by the advice of Mr. Sharp, the detective. But something has oc- curred this morning of so strange a character that it can no longer be kept secret.” “ Ah!” answered Foster, with a shadow of ap- prehension. “I fancied I knew it all. _ What new complication has turned up? Anything re- lating to that finger?” “No. t remains as deep a mystery as ever. Detective Sharp has done his best, but as yet he is completely off the track. He has his ines thrown out in a hundred directions, but he has caught no fish.” smiled. He would far rather have lost all the money than have a shadow of doubt at- tach to the lady of his love. ‘* What is it, then?” ‘It is this. Among the money deposited by Jenkins the drover on the day before the rob- bery there were a number of marked bank- notes. They were some he bad received from a out an equ doubtful customer and had marked himself. He told me of this the next day, and described how they were marked. These notes formed part of the stolen money.” 5 ‘* Ha!” excaimed Harry, impulsively. ‘‘ That explains, then. I hope you had nothing to do with that outrage. Yet you say it was a secret between you and the detective.’ His voice was full of indignation, as he fixed his a severely on Mr. Ditson’s puzzled face, The banker evidently did not know what to make of those words, ‘* What are you driving at?) What outrage? I don’t understand this wild talk.” “Then you are not aware that my rcoms were visited and searched last. night by law officers, and that I was even obliged to empty my pock- ets for their inspection? It seems 1 was charged with having some of these marked notes in my possession.” ‘“By whom? Good heavens! Foster, this is an outrage indeed! I would sooner suspect myself than you. What gave the police the right to make such a seareh?” ‘** An anonymous letter, they say. They were informed that I hed been seen with some of these notes, and that I might get rid of them unless searched at cnze. Who sent this anony- mous letter, Mr. Ditson, if the affair was the se- cret you claim?” “Don’t ask me!” cried Mr. Ditson, help- lessly. ‘* The thing is getting beyond my depth. It is a complete bundle of mysteries, The matter must have leaked out at the police office, and got into the hands of some of your enemies. Suppose some of the burglars had heard of it, and concealed part of the stolen money in your room, and then made this charge ‘against you? Such things have been done be- fore.” Harry shook his head, with a smile. “T hardly think that detective Sharp is that sort of a leaky vessel. And besides, no such money was found in my room. Iam ata lossto understand the business. Ivt what, then, did bbe refer to? What is tho :trange thing that as happened?” “See here.” Mr. Ditson picked up scme hank notes that lay on the table kefcre him, and threw them over to Harry. ‘‘ Examine the backs of these. Look here in this corner. That. is Jenkins’s private mark.” : ‘* Where did you get these?” “They were found in the bank this morning.” “Ah! Hidden somewhere?” ‘“No. They turned up among our regular cash. These are not all. Over two huncred dollars in this money have been found.” Harry sat back in his chair, and looked at Mr. Ditson with a puzzled expression, ‘* That is very strange,” he said. ‘*T should think so.” ‘* How do yeu account for it?” cs have just seen p- Iwill give you his +) 6 Very well. He should be able to see through a knot-hole.” ; “Tt has given him a new view of the case. He is satisfied now that some of our clerks were concerned in the birglary. He thinks they found that their money was marked, and were afraid to dispose of it,” ‘** And what then?” ‘ ? “They replaced itin the drawers, and took sum in other money.” Harry drew a long breath. ; “That seems to explain it,” he remarked. ‘* But it makes the information against me more mysterious than ever.” “*T am not so sure of that.” ‘Why? Do you see a way through it?” ‘Tt may have been a scheme to lay the sus- picion of this returned money on you.” - : H looked at his superior with a startled arry expression. ‘*By Heaven, you may be right! But what docs Sharp say? I know he doubted me fram the first, because I could not look on that bloody finger with the coolness of a butcher. Does he charge me with this?” __ “No. _ The fact is, Harry, we have traced the notes. They all came from Will Davis’s desk. This confirms a suspicion which Sharp has all along entertained. Davis carries the key of the bank, and the detective declares that the door was regularly opened by the key. Here = have two very suspicious points against Will avis, 4 “Tt looks so,” said Harry though y- “What have you done? I was delayed this morning, you know, by that Johnson business. But I did not notice Davis as I entered.” ‘‘ He has been arrested, and taken away.” Too sudden, E “V7hew! That is sudden.
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The Lost Finger. ; ee | ‘Will, I am very sorry to see you here,’ said | If. fea>. I am sure that Will is an honest man. ed ‘We can’t throw every man in prison who is so Harry feelingly, as he caught the prisoner’s | ed anlucky as to carry akey. Has Sharp learned | hand in a strong grasp. anything else suspicious about him ” | ‘The cell door was closed behind him. Davis at “J believe he has. But I don’t know just | threw himself despairingly on the bed. do what. He isa very close-mouthed man.” | “wish I had not seen you last night!” he et “ At any rate the affair is thickening,” re- | passionately declared. ‘“T wish I had flung joined Harry. ‘I confess that I am staggered | myself into the river! Then I would have es- | ed by that business of the marked notes. Yet any | caped this disgrace! I thought you were saving | e, man would be a fool to put such dangerous ' me, Mr. Foster. Instead of that you were ruin- to stuff among his own money. If it was any of | ing me.” our clerks it was some other than Davis. He “What do you mean?” demanded Harry ef has left the money in Will’s desk to divert sus- | sternly. Then in a quieter voice he continued: picion from himself.” | “Tt dom’t understand this, Will, but it can’t be re ‘That may be,” said Mr, Ditson thoughtfully. | so bad. You have only,to deny that you put ‘Ss, ‘‘T did not think of that, but it looks reasonable, | that money in your drawer, and declare that I~ 1 will offer that suggestion to Sharp the next | some one else must have. put it there to lay ad time I see him.” : | suspicion on you. I don’t believe you did it. I Ly ‘‘ Have you examined the letters this morn- | have every trust in yuu. honesty, my poor fel- ing?” asked Harry, pointing to a pile of un- | low.” ne opened letters. | Davis listened to these words with an expres- lf ‘“‘Not yet. I have been too busy. You open | sion of angry amazemer * He rose as Harry to them, Harry.” | concluded, and stood staring at him with the He bustled into the bank, leaving Harry in | wild look of a madman. re the private office to examine the morning cor-| ‘* Good Heavens!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ do you ask of res ondence. | me to do that? You?” m2 So an hour or two passed. The business of | ‘“* Yes. Why not I?” y- the bapk went on as usual. After getting | “But you know I did put the money there C= through the rush of the day’s business Harry | myself. You know it well, for you gave it to left the bank and proceeded toward the police- | me. It was the money you gave me last night, to replace the cash I had lost in speculation.” station. He was not yet at rest concerning his | Harry, who had been sitting in an easy atti- } unpleasant experience of the night before. He ' month from the date of | and gloomy, | shrewd enough to keep silence, | yet been found. He | Foster, whom he suspected, with the affair, but “What do you mean?” he demanded. “] searce dare say! That woman! That siren! That fiend! Has she lured me to my ruin{ Stay, I will tell you all.” These words sent a host of rapid thoughts through Harry’s brain. That woman! What woman? Had the woman who bad lost her fin- ger somehow lured the key from this weakling? He waited in anxious curiosity for the promised explanation. But at this moment the door of the cell ¢ and the keeper appeared. ‘The time is up, sir.” ‘“‘Let me have five minutes more. quite through with our business.” “T am sorry, but it cannot be done. The vis- iting hours are over. You must call again if you have more to say.” “Very well, if it must be, Good-by, Will. Keep up a stout heart, old fellow. It is not so black as it locks. All will conie out-right, de- pend on it. I will come to-m¢ rrow.” “ Good-by,” answered Will, in a faltering tone. He was plainly in a deeply depress d condition. An avenue of hope opened before Harry’s mind as he walked away. He began to see a clear vista before him. This woman that Davis had spoken of. Let him once get on her track, and he felt sure of unearthing the dark mystery of the severed finger. CHAPTER VI. yen d Weare not | FOSTER HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DETEC- TIVE. uss over a period of more than a our last chapter. Dur- eriod little of interest to our story had oceurred. Davis was still in prison, under com- mitment for trial. But he bad Lecome sullen and utterly refused to give the Harry \oster. He vicious of Harry, and WE must pe ing that ] promised information to seemed to have become sus} | acted as if he believed that the marked money Yet he was under the as- surance that there was not enough evidence to had been put upon him purposely. | convict him. As for Detective Sharp, he was yet very much in the dark. All his investigations had led to blind trails, and not a trace of the burglars had had done his best to connect so far without result. The only doubtful inci- | dents he could discover were Foster's emotion on discovery of the severed finger, bis leaving the bank at an unusually early hour on the after- noon of the robbery, and the fragment of the burned letter, which had been handed him, In reference to the latter, Harry did not wait | to besentfor by the detective, but frankly sought | him in his office. ‘“‘ T wish to talk with you about that scrap of 12 felt that he had a right. to see that anonymous | tude, with a look of friendly sympathy, started e letter, and it was his purpose to demand a sight | as if he had been stung by a concealed scorpion. r of it from the authorities. > | A look of horror came over his countenance. d One of the first persons he met, on entering | ‘* The money. Igave you? The marked money n the office, was the principal agent in the search , among that? You lie! You are insane! It 1s | e of the previous night. | impossible!” . Ae | possible that I could have had such money about me. You must be mistaken.” , **T am not mistaken. part of that you gave me.” “T cannot understand it, then. And suppose 1 should say I gave you money to replace what you had purloined for speculation—would that help ou?” ‘ finging the letter indignantly to the floor. | “Who among my enemies could have written | this?” “Perhaps the same one w of which I found sucha curious fragment on our hearth,” said the officer, fixing his eyes on arry’s face, ‘‘I judge you will be called on to explain that strange document.” “Very well,” answered Harry haughtily. ‘Please hand it to Detective Sharp. I will ex- plat it to him. Iam as anxious as he to un- old this Febbery and if Ican throw any light | on it whatever I am fully ready.” ‘Mr, Sharp has it already,” said the officer | coldly.—‘‘ Do you wish me?” This was said to a messenger who had appeared : at the door. The officer walked over to him, | and a short conversation followed. He then | turned again to Harry. ‘Tt, seems that Davis, the prisoner, is anxious for an interview with you, Mr. Foster, Doyou wish to see him?” “T don’t know what he can want with me. However, as I am on the ground—” “ Please follow this man, then. He will take | you to him.” Very soon afterward Harry found himself in a corridor of the Tombs. <A cell door was open- ed by the attendant. ‘You will find him in there, Mr. Foster.” ‘“¢Mr. Foster!” This came in an exclamation from the oceu- pant of the cell, who sprun forward, revealing ' the face of Will Davis, already haggard and hopeless. ho wrote the letter ing to despair, ‘I forg¢ tt that. TI am encircled with ruin. Turn where I wih I cannot escape pe it.” He flung himself on the bed despair- ingly. “Tt is not so bad as you imagine,” answered Harry. ‘Doas TI have advised and you will be safe. Declare that you know nothing about the marked money, and cannot explain how it came on yourdesk. Say that it must have been placed there by some other hands, inexchange for good nioney. In spite of all you have said it is possi- ble you have been deceived. I deny all know- ledge of the marked money.” Harry was getting full of the spirit of fight. If a secret foe was planning his ruin he was not likely to find an easy prey: “7 don’t know,” exclaimed the prisoner. ‘The key is against me. is against me,” “But what if you had the key? | open the door for the burglars. Thek leave your possession.” ‘Tf I could only be sure of that!” weak-nerved You did not oner, Who was wringing his bh may. The marked money was | No, no!” cried Davis, his look of hope chang- | Everything ey did not Harry turned sharply on the nerveless pris- ands in utter dis- ‘«Tt is peculiar, to say the least,” he dryly re- | marked. ‘¢The fact is, Mr. Sharp,” resumed Harry, in e, ‘*T do know something about T have been undertaking a little detective work on my own account, But as | Jong as you know so much, it is best that I should have the advantage of your experience.” Mr. Sharp locked interested. ‘ny chougit something of the sort,” he quietly answered. ‘I have been waiting for you to show your hand.” “T pecognized that ring at sig edged Harry. ‘1! knew 1t for the j lady friend of mine.” “Ah! Then it was not the sightof blood that ailed you?” “Tam not quite so weak as that.” “T thought so.” Mr, Sharp’s manner ex- pressed great interest in his visitor. “The friend I speak of is in Boston, where she has been since before the date of this robbery, I wrote to her for information concerning her ring. The scrap of a letter you_possess is part | of her answer, I burned it, as I do all private | letters from lady friends. Tt is an old habit of | mine.” ‘Was she the lady who left New York on the afternoon before the burglary, and whom you accompanied to the ears?” Harry looked hastily up, while a deep color | came to his face. “Who told you that? You learned it from | Mr. Ditson?” | « What does that matter?” | a very frank ton | that opal ring. ht,” acknowl- yroperty of a
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yee eee, — ss _ ‘Nothing, Only I deny his right to repeat my confidences. Otherwise, it is a matter of little importance.” ‘** But this is of great importance,” said Mr. Sharp, significantly touching the burnt scrap which he had taken from a drawer of the table. | **T shall be glad to hear all you wish to say | about it. You were wrong in burning that let- ter, Mr. Foster.” “T was wrong in not completing my job,” answered Harry, with a laugh. ‘ Ill luck picked out the ver serve. AsI cannot show you the original, the best I can do is to offer you a copy of it. Ihave | written to my friend, telling her of the unlucky accident, san she has rewritten that part of her letter as well as she can remember it, As I wish to take you into my full confidence in this affair, I have brought you her letter.” He produced from his pocket an envelope with the Boston post-mark, and took from it a letter which he unfolded and handed to the detective. The latter quietly received it, and cast his eyes over it without speaking. He continued to look at it thoughtfully for several minutes after receiving it. ‘* That has a truthfulsound,” he said a%leneth. He took up the scorched scrap and compered the handwriting. ‘‘ Isee the lady is not pleased with your burning her letters. Who is this Estelle Laurent?” ‘* A friend of mine,” answered Harry, coldly. **On her return to New York, which she says will very soon occur, I shail take the oppor- tunity to let you have an interview with her. I wanted to keep her out of this affair, if possible, but the interests of justice must be answered.” ‘‘ Her name need not be made public in con- nection withit. But thisis highly important, Mr. Foster. Why did you not ask her for a list of the inmates of her house at the time her ring was lost? And particularly the servant she sus- pects. It is necessary that I should know all about this woman, her appearance, her ante- cedents, everything. Write again at once, and ask for full information. We have a clew here that may be worked up to some effect.” ‘““¥tad we not better wait to see Miss Lau- rent personally?” ‘““No. Precious time has been lost now by your vain efforts to play the detective. Ever yan to his business, is my motto, An hour’s —. may ruin all. Write at once.” **T will do so. By the way, Mr. Sharp, how does your case look? Have you struck any clew at all?” “None worth speaking of, except that rela- ting to Davis, and the marked mone i ‘* Davis is an honest man,” said Harry posi- tively. *‘ And he is not a fool. If he wanted to get rid of stolen monoy, he would hardly have done so by exchanging it for other money on his own dosk.” “Then you suspect some of tho other clerks?” Mr. Sharp fixcd his eyes on him inquiringly. ** T suspect nobody.” ‘* Davis carried the key to the bank,” rejoinod Mr. Sharp. ‘So far as I can discover that door was opened by the key on the night of the burglary.” “her. you suspect him? You have learned something about him?” te Yes.’ ‘* Will you tell me what? I havo somothing to ‘cll you in return. I have somo reasons to think that Davis has been made tho victim of certain sharpers.” “ Ah! Ther we wil: exchango information. So fav I havo simply learned that he has speculated! to some extent, and that he has lost money. No great amount, but more than his salary would warrant.” Harry changed color. ing close to himself. ‘Tn the second place,” continued the detective, *‘he had been keeping very irregular hours, for some time before the robbery.» On the night the bank was opened he did not return home until after midnight. That is all Dhave so far learn- ed. He scems to have had no companion in these movements,” ‘“‘He must be made to speak!” cried Harry energetically. ‘I begin to soeit all now. I re- cognize the meaning of his rambling words, He has been made the too! of that woman pal of the burglars; theone whostole thering. She has fas- cinated and robbed him,” ‘Please explain. We were to exchange in- formation.” Harry proceeded to relate what he had learned during his visit to Davis’s cell, and his suspicion that some artful woman had lured from him the key. ‘*The siren; the fiend; these were his com- This matter was com- worst parts of the letter to pre- | The Lost Finger. plimentary names for her. .He had a story to tell, but the too hasty return of the keeper pre- vented my hearing it. Simce then I have en- deavored in vain to make him speak, He has grown sullen and morose.” ‘* All this is of great interest, Mr. Foster. I begin to see iny way clear.” ‘*T am ready to hand Davis over to you. Per- haps you can find some means to make him speak.” ‘‘Tcantry. We have various ways of deal- ing with obstinate men.” ““T have my theory of the burglary,” said Harry. ‘‘I hardly think that the person who stole Miss Laurent’s ring kept it. Such things aredangerous keepsakes. Iam inclined to think it has been seld or pawned, and thus fallen into the hands of some burglar’s sweetheart. Yet it | was no ordinary woman who owned that finger, who lured Will Davis to his ruin, and who boldly accompanied the burglars in their dan- gerous work.” “That is certain. Yet your theory sounds very plausible. I shall see what can be learned from Davis. I am much obliged for the infor- mation you have given me, Mr, Foster, and wish it had been given sooner. Yet it may not be too late.” ‘*T could not speak at first,” explained Harry. **T was in a cruel maze of doubt and horror. The sight of that ring completely upset me. I knew, of course, that a lady like Miss Laurent was above suspicion, yet I was overwhelmed by the strangeness of the incident, and by the ap- yearance of the finger, which might well have yeen that of alady. Her explanation has won- derfully relieved my mind.” ‘* Without it you would not have spoken?” 5 “T would have died rather than compromise er.” ‘‘Then she is more than a mere acquain- tance?” “Yes. I may admit that to you.” ‘‘T can understand your feeling, Mr. Foster. And I thank you for your frankness. I will do my best to keep Miss Laurent’s name out of this ugly business.” ‘* Thank you. favor.” In a few minutes more Harry took his leave. The detectivo remained in a deep study, his head on his hand, his eyes fixed on the scrap of paper. For nearly a half-hour he sat thus, ap- parently lost in a reverie. ‘*Can it be that there are two dupes in this affair?” he asked himself. ‘‘ Will Davis and Harry Foster? Who is this Estelle Laurent? Is that a Spanish name? At any rate it can do no harm to ask some questions about her.” I will esteem that a personal CIIArTER VII. it THE BOUDOIR OF THE COUNTESS, “7 am home. i arrived last night. Shall be glad to see you as early as you can make it convenient to call. Iam eager both to sec you, and to hear what has been learned about that burglary. You don’t know what a fascination that subject has for me since you have connected my ring with it, and toid me that horri- ble story of the cut-off finger. sa 0) Das This note Harry Foster found at his rooms, on his roturn “rom tho bank on an afternoon sever- al days after his interview with tho detective. The lotter threw him into a flutter of excite- ment, *vhile the color camo and went in his speaking face, ‘Home again! It has been hard for me to endure her absence. Only her positivo com- mand, and the danger of leaving homo just now, has kept me from soeking her in Boston. You need not fear, Estelle, that [ will be long in re- sponding to this welcome invitation,” He seized his hat and left tho house in impa- tient haste. There was a warmth on his eyes that clearly told the story of his lover-like er- rand. His steps took him straight to the Red Hall, a place he had not visited since the evening of his gambling experience. Nor had heseen his gam- ing companions sinco that date. He had avoid- s them, and they seemed to have equally avoid- him, As he went a host of thoughts passed through his active brain. A suspicion which had been growing ‘1 his mind became stronger as he re- flected on the incidents of that gambling match. Where had the money come from that he had loaned Will Davis? Had thcse men played any trick on him? Butif that_monoy came from them what did it involve? Were they the bur- glars? : And Estelle? What were her relations with these men? There was some strange myster. surrounding her which he ‘ad never pro ——— ee eee All he knew was that she was a stranger in New York, that she was the mistress of a private gambling saloon, and that she bore special rela- tions to the men with whom he had played. It was they who sad brought him, and others with money to lose, to her saloon. He merely knew besides this that she was fascinating, and that he loved her with the warmest feeling of his soul, “You will find Miss Laurent in her boudoir, Mr. Foster,” said the servant. ‘She has in- structed me to send you up, if you should call.” - * Thank you.” It was with a fluttering heart that the lover reached the door that concealed the lady of his love. He knocked with a faltering hand. “Come in,” spoke a voice, in a silvery tone that made his every nerve thrill. He opened the door. Before him was a small but richly-furnished room, the light entering it through deeply-curtained windows. A pale rose tint here replaced the crimson hue that marked every other visible part of this strange house. All was soft, delicate, and rich, and full of indications of a cultivated female taste. Yet Harry’s eyes saw none of this. He saw only the stately form of the woman who rose quickly, on his entrance, from the silken cush- ions of the sofa on which she had been reclining. She was tall and full-formed, yet very grace- ful in figure, and with a face that seemed to unite the rich beauty of Venus with the proud haughtiness of Diana. It was no ordinary face, that Grecian-cut countenance, with its high nostrils, its deep black eyes, and the winning curves of the proud mouth. Yet now the distilled rose-tints of the curtains seemed to give au unwonted softness to the countenance, which deepened into a blush of welcome as Foster hastened with an ardent step across the room, his face warm with excite- ment, She extended to him her daintily-gloved hands. A soft smile curved her crimson fips. ‘* Histelle!” “Harry! You are a good boy to come s0 soon,” “T got your note, and flew to see you. I could not bear to lose a moment.” He drew her toward him. She yielded to his ardent impulse. His lips met hers in a kiss of love, the first which he had dared to impress upon them. 4 The proud woman rested for a moment in his arms, with a warm flush of happiness upon her face. Then sho drew herself ercct with a start, while an expression of pain and regret crossed her countenance. She withdrew from his half-embrace and step quickly back. “We are playing the fool,” she said, in a voice of strange mrioeraletii “T fancy we have both let ourselves be surprised into a folly that had better not be repeated.” ‘*Why not?” demanded Harry, in indignant protest. : ‘‘For good reasons, Harry Foster. Sit, and let us bo rational again. I did not think Icould yield to such weakness.” She seated herself on the sofa, while Harry drew up a chair close beside her. He sought again to take her hand, but she withdrew it, while a look of cool decision crossed her coun- tenanco. “Why do you repel me?” he murmured. **-You know how I love you. 1 hoped—I was sure it was returned.” “That subject is forbidden,” she quietly an- swered, ‘‘ What I might have said and thought. had fate been differcat, need not be discussed now. As it is, there are reasons, which I am not at liberty to mention, that preclude all thought of love between you and me.” A look of pain that was almost anguish marked her lips for amoment, but it was instantly driven from tho proud lines of that self-reliant: coun- tenance, ‘* Yet you yielded to my kiss just now.” ‘*T was weak then. Ail] women are subject to their weak moments. I am strong now. You do not know hew strong I can be, Harry Fos- ter,” ‘‘T think you can be strong enough to break my heart and your own too, and never show a trace of it in that proud face,” ho half-angrily replied. ‘‘ But whatneed of our Been net iyres ‘Thero can be nothin: !n your life to hinder my loving you. I cannot < ~1 will not believe that. “Will you cease ‘xJkin~ about it?” sho de- manded, rising “her feet and looking down upon him from <i her stately hight. ‘‘ Fool that I wes to givo way +o such ° weakness! forbid you to mention tho subject again if you wish to see mo more.” Despite her proud look,
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The Lost Finger. her hands were clasped with a pressure that in- dicated some sharply-repressed feeling. ‘* Let us change the subject,” she continued, with a forced laugh. ‘* We have lived long enough to learn wisdom. Tell mo all about the severed finger and the ring. Iam dying with curiosity.” Sue seated herself, and laid her slender gloved hand on his. He Jooked at the tapering fingers, that swelled so firmly through the closely-fitting glove, and laughed at the momentary fear he had once felt that the lost finger had been hers. ‘““T have told you the most of it now, by let- ter,” he said. ‘** Oh, but I want all the fine details. Tell me all about it. Who is suspected? What are the police doing? You don’t know how I am inter- ested.” ‘‘There seems to be but two persons suspected. One of these is a clerk of the firm, one Will Davis, who is now in prison on the charge of be- ing connected with the burglary.” A slight change of expression crossed the face of the listener on hearing this name, but it was instantly banished. ‘“The other suspected person is one Harry Foster, your very humble servant.” ** You suspected? You, Harry? No, no, you are deceiving me! That is impossible!” She started from her easy reclining attitude as she spoke, while her expressive face filled with dread and anxiety. ‘*Was it that letter?” she continued, excited- ly. ‘To think of you burning a letter, and not having the wit to burn it all!” “Tt was oa that,” roplied Harry, coolly. ** But wait, I will tell you the whole story.” Seating himself in an easier attitude he pro- ceeded to do so, relating all that had occurred, from the first discovery of the burglary to the date of his last interview with the detective. ‘Yet he left out two particulars from the story his visit to the Red Hall, and his loan to will Davis. Estelle heard this recital with an emotion which only her interest in the narrator could have explained. It is true that the description of the finding of the mangled finger might well have brought a shudder of horror to the strong- est frame. She turned deathly pale and cov- ered her face with her hands, ashe told the horri- ble a ‘* And the sight of my ring, and the resem- blance of the finger to mine, sickened you? I don’t wonder. Goon: Say no more about this, however, or I shall faint. ou don’t know how terrible a story you make of it.” She looked, indeed, as if she was on the verge of fainting. Her lips trembled violently under the ghostly smile which she called to them. Harry caught in his her unresisting hand, and gave it a reassuring pressure, as he proceeded, Her next display of deep interest was called out by his vivid narrative of the search of his room by the police, and the discovery of the burnt fragment of the letter. He proceeded to relate the arrest of Will Davis, and the discoy- ery of the marked money in his possession. he sprung half-upright at this, with a look of deep astonishment, A broken exclamation came from her lips, but she repressed it, and said with a forced smile: ** You don’t know how your story excites me. It is better than a romance, Proceed. I am eager to hear it to the end.” e continued with his visit to the police office, and his interview with Davis in his cell. When he came to the point where the latter spoke of the woman who had deceived him a strange look came upon Estelle’s face. There was a glitter in her eyes like that of an aroused tigress. Evidently ai feelings were working beneath the enforced calm of her demeanor. Some broken words came from her lips, But they died away in inarticulate murmur, ‘’ What did you say, Estelle? I did not catch it.” “No matter. You have excited me go that I do not know whatIamsaying. Whatfollowed? Did the wretehed coward reyeal the woman’s mame?” “No. We were interrupted. I have tried since to learn it from him, but he will not speak, His mood of confidence has changed. But he must and shall speak, I have taken the detec- tive into my confidence, He shall be forced to tell the woman’s name. There is no doubt that it was she who wore your ring, and lost her fin- Estelle looked ina dangerous mood at that moment. Her eyes were fixed on the speaker with an expression of fury which he failed to perceive. A gotta sound came from her lips as she forced back the hot words that struggled for utterance. ‘“You told it to the detective!” she cried, with sudden enersy. ‘ What else did you tell him? Probably, is: your weak frankness, you have ae a to Couble the suspicion against your- self! ‘*Don’t be so excited, Estelle,” said Harry, withasmile. ‘‘ There is nothing to call for it. I am in no special danger, though I am glad you take such interest in my welfare.” *T cannot help it,” she exclaimed. there anything more?” “Yes. The most surprising thing of all.” His voice grew hard and cold. ‘‘Can you im- “Was agine where Davis got that marked money, Es- | telle?” “No. How could I guess that? I amnohand at riddles.” A feverish flush marked her face, as she said this in a tone of forced pleasantry. ** He received it from my hand.” “From your hand!” ‘She started forward, and looked into his face with horror and amaze- ment. “Yes. You are astounded that I should have these notes. Can you imagine where I got on Certainly not from the safe of Ditson & ‘o. “You are trifling with me,” she declared, though a shiver ran through all her frame. ‘*T am in sound earnest. Lvisited the Red Hall in your absence, Estelle.” ‘What? After my positive desire?” “Before it. Your letter came too late. I did not know then the reason of your command, I know now.” “You do?” Her voice was very faint. ‘Yes. It was to-guard me against the villain- ous tricks of the habitues of your saloon. I was inveigled by Paul Clifford intoa game. I lost at first, and then won. What did I win? The marked money which I afterward loaned to Will Davis! ‘You look horrified and incredulous, Estelle, yet I tell you but the truth. Do you know the character of these men, your myste- rious associates? Do you know that they are criminals, that it was they who made their wa into the bank of Ditson & Co., and stole from it this lost money?” “Tt is false!” she cried. ‘‘ There is some mis- take! They cannot be such fools!” Her face was terrible in its intensity of emotion. He gazed at her in wonder. He had never dream- ed that such fierce passion could dwell in a wo- man’s frame. ‘‘You must be wrong. They may have won the money at cards. Or it may have been put in your pocket by other hands. You are accusing these men wildly and wrong- fully.” “How came it then that immediately after- ward an anonymous letter was sent to the police office, accusing me of having some of the stolen money in my possession? When I went home that night I found officersin my room, waiting to search me. Only the fortunate chance of my lending money to Will Davis saved me from ruin. He is in prison in my place. But at any time he may speak out, and force me to replace him in his cell. I tell you, there was a deep-laid plot to ruin me, which only failed by the merest chance, and that these strange associates of yours, Paul Clifford, and Juan Vernel, were at the bottom of it. They are the burglars, Es- telle. Only that I wanted to speak to you first I would have denounced them before now. They are associated with the woman who stole your ring. Perhaps they stole it themselves, and gave it to her, They may have wished to ruin you and me together.” ‘* No, no,” she answered, with a strange smile. of There is no fear of that.” “Why not? What is the strange link that binds you tosuch men? Why are you associ- ated with them in this disreputable business? Speak, I have the right to know.” “You have no right to know anything about me which f do not choose to tell you,” she haugh- tily replied. ‘As for these men, you are mis- taken, that is all,” 1 am not mistaken. I can tell you, if you wish to know, why they have sought to convict me of this robbery.” ‘“‘ Why?” she anlsd, with an intense look. ‘‘Because—you will let me speak the truth, Estelle?” “Yes, yes. Go on.” ** Because they look on us as lovers, Because they know that I love you, and fancy that you return my love. Because Paul Clifford wants you for himself, and is ready to take any measures to get a favored rival out of his way. He would kill me as he would a dog, if he dared.” Her face expressed a thousand emotions as he spoke. A deep indignation and resolve slowly Q grew upon it. An earnest light shone from her glowing eyes. ‘“He shall go no further!” she passionately exclaimed. ‘‘I do love you, Harry Foster! You are the only man I ever loved! There”— she waved him back—‘“‘let that suffice. Our paths lie far asunder. Wecan never wed. As for these men, I hate them more than you can. I hate and fear them. Go no further in this investigation, if you love me, as you say you do, Leave it tome. Ihave means of investigation which you know not of. Believe me I would like nothing better than to hand them over to the police— If I dared,” she repeated to her- self, in a shuddering whisper. Harry looked at her with an earnest atten- tion, his eyes beaming with a happy luster at her open declaration. ‘**T will trust you, Estelle.” “Youcan. But gonow. Leaveme. I have much to do, much to think of. A terrible path opens before me. Leave me now, Harry. We will see each other soon again,” CHAPTER VIII. A ROCK IN THE CHANNEL, Ir was the afternoon succeeding that of Ha Foster’s interview with Estelle Laurent. nd had noti yet recovered from the effects of this in- terview. She loved him; she had admitted it. Yet she declared that she could never wed him. Some dark mystery overhung her life, She was the associate of men whom he now believed to be burglars and villains of the deepest dye. What was her link of connection with these men? He was determined to discover. The very thought of losing her was torture to his soul. He would confront his enemies, charge them with their crimes, and force them to tell the truth, or consign them to the hands of jus- tice. He had but fairly come to this conclusion when he found himself suddenly face to face with Sharp, the detective, whose eyes were fixed on him with a peculiar gaze. “Well met,” he exclaimed. very man I want to see. Come in here, I have some words for your ears.” He led the way into the hotel, in front of which they met. Entering the conversation room they took chairs in an unoccupied corner. ‘* Whatisit?” asked Harry curiously. ‘‘ Any: thing new turned up?” “Yes. I have succeeded where you failed. I have made Davis speak.” ‘““Ah!” cried Harry, with sudden interest. ‘¢ Then we are on the track indeed! He has told the. woman’s name, and where she may be found?” ‘He has told all he knew,” answered Sharp, in the same peculiar tone. ‘The story is not a long one. Shall I relate it” ‘Why not? Tam anxious to hear.” ‘*Tt seems, then, that this woman took rooms at the house at which Davis boards, She was remarkably handsome, or so he thought her. A tall, stately, perfect form, a high-bred face, haughty to strangers, but winning to her friends.” Sharp’s eyes were fixed on i face, which slightly changed color at this de- scription. ‘To make a long story short, she ad- mitted Davis into the circle of her friends. Made a dead set at him, I fancy. He seems to have been infatuated with the woman. She left the house finally, and moved to another resi- dence. But he was permitted to visit her. He even received notes of invitation,” ‘“‘ And you think all this was a trap to catch a fool?” “Tt certainly was,” answered the detective dryly: ‘On the day of the robbery he received such an invitation. The lady was very kind to him. They had a little private supper. Just what they ate I am not aware, but some of their viands must have been of a sleepy nature, for Davis soon fell into a sound sleen, in spite of his efforts to keep awake, He slept, indeed, till after midnight. When he came to himself he was on the street in charge of a man who left him as soon as his senses began to return. He went home with a swimming head.” ‘ 2 And you think this was a trick to obtain the ey ‘* There can be no doubt of it.” ‘He found it in his pocket?” “Ves. It was returned when the work was done. He did not dream of what had hap- pened, until after the discovery of the burg- lary. He was still infatuated with the woman. Quite likely too be had some thoughts of his own safety. He determined to hold his tongue.” ‘A wise resolve, under the circumstances, “You are the »
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10 The Lost Finger. But the woman? Have you found her? What have you done?” ; “‘That kind are not easily found,” answered Sharp, with a knowing smile. ‘I have visited the house. They know nothing of her. She has not been seen since that night.” ‘* She was the woman who lost her finger!” cried Harry, with great interest. ‘‘She must be traced! ave you any clew?” ‘One only. Her note of invitation to Will Davis.” ‘* But how can that help you?” “‘A handwriting is sometimes the best of guides,” said Sharp significantly. * Ah! Isee. You recognize it?” r It looks familiar. Perhaps you may know it.” He handed a sheet of daintily perfumed paper over to Harry, and settled back easily in his chair, his eyes seemingly fixed on the ceiling. Harry took it, and cast his eyes on it rather in- differently. A sudden exclamation came from his lips. “*Good Heavens! that writing! Is it—can it be, Estelle?” ‘You recognize it, then? I fancied you would.” “Is this a trap you have laid for me?” de- manded Harry, indignantly. “Oh, no! Only a detective dodge. I have some other words in the lady’s handwriting, ou know. Do you think this isthe woman who ost her finger? “ This is folly!’ cried Harry, in a fit of anger. “*T would as soon accuse myself of burglary as Estelle Laurent. What is more, she was not in the city. I saw her myself aboard the Boston Express at four o’clock that afternoon.” “She could easily have been back at eight o'clock that night,” answered the detective, qui- etly. by Even Express trains have their stop- ges, “You have taken a most ridiculous idea, I tell you!” exclaimed Harry, impulsively. ‘“ She is in the city now. I saw her last night. I held both her hands in mine. They are as sound and » whole as yours. You will have to seek another } clew, Mr. Sharp. It is easy to be mistaken ina handwriting.” ‘** You are sure of this?” There was a shadow of disappointment in the detective’s tone. ‘‘ Her hands are whole? Then the mystery is deeper than I supposed.” “‘T will bring her to see you. This matter must be settled. Her reputation shall rest under no such stigma.” ‘* Where does she live? I will call on her.” ‘*That is not necessary. I prefer the other course,” answered Harry. He had his reasons for not introducing an agent of the police into Estelle’s house. He did not care to make public the disreputable busi- ness of the woman he loved. Thather associates had some connection with the burglary he now felt suve, But he was equally sure that she had been their dupe, He was dgtermined to bring them to justice, and to relieve Will Davis from the trouble into which he had unwittingly thrown him. But first, he must take measures to screen Estelle. He would have told his suspicions to the detective but for fear of involving her in some unknown trcuble. He secretly determined to continue the investigation by himself. In pursuance of this resolution he made his way up-town, after parting with the detective. He was aware of the residence of his foes, and was determined to beard them to their faces, A half-hour brought him to the street and house where, on a Sorter occasion, Paul Clif- ford had called on Juan Vernel. The servant showed him up-stairs to the same room.. The thin-lipped occupant of the room was there alone, He rose with a rather startled air on seeing his visitor, but immediately recovered his equanim- ity, and advanced with outstretched hand. “This is an unexpected pleasure,” he said, ‘TI am glad to see you, Mr. Foster. You have strangely vanished for the last month.” Harry walked sternly forward, ignoring the ae hand. He turned and faccd his suave ost. ‘‘T had good reason,” he remarked, briefly. “Our last game warned me that I was playing with unsafe antagonists.” ‘“* What do you mean, sir?” exclaimed Juan. “* Are you here to insult me?” “* You are at liberty to take my words in any shape you please. But I might safely ask you where you got those marked notes which you so gencrously suffered me to win.” ‘Marked notes?” cried Juan, with a look of utter surprise, a Just so.” ‘You are rambling, sir, or you have lost your wits.” ‘*Thave found them, perhaps. I am wide- awake enough now to recognize you and your companions as sharpers-and blacklegs. “You played a neat game on me, but the game is not ended yet. You have had your deal. It ismine now.” The sallow face of the gambler had grown whiter during these words. <A tigerish glare burned in his eyes. Ee thrust his hand behind him as if in search of a weapon. “You lie! you scoundrel!” he hissed. ‘‘I will have your life’s blood for this insult!” ‘* Drop that weapon, Juan Vernel. Two can play et that game. I have not come here un prepared,” In an instant the muzzle of a revolver covered the head of the detected gamester. There was an eye behind it that meant business. With a fierce curse Juan withdrew his hand from his pistol pocket. ‘Leave my room!” he fiercely exclaimed. ‘ If you stay a minute longer I shall send for force to have you expelled.” “For the police, I presume,” sneered the visitor. ‘‘ You are welcome todoso. I should like the opportunity of telling them that story of the marked money, and of where it came from.” His eyes were closely fixed on the face of the gambler, but nota trace of emotion appeared there, ‘The thin lips were curled in disdain. s jy sy I tell them of the burglary at Dit- son & Co.’s bank, and of the marked notes that were among the booty? Suppose I give them the names of the burglars? An innocent man is in rison now, on the charge of having these notes in his possession. Do you imagine T will let him suffer to screen scoundrels like ycu?” “IT fancy you are slightly beside yourself, Harry Foster,” was the quiet reply. *‘As for pe sforapey| scoundrels, you seem-to have kept quiet so far to screen yourself. Acknowledge, if ou will, that you gave that money tc Davis. 0 you think the police will swallow your cock- and bull story of winningit at cards? They are hardly such fools as that. You had best recon- sider your determination.” His tone was insolently polite. There was a sueering disdain in his eyes at which Harry chafed. “I will take the consequences,” he loudly declared, ‘You entered a conspiracy to ruin me. You sent that anonymous informaticn to the police. Only a lucky chance kept me from falling into your trap. I am a fool to come here and bandy words with you. I should have denounced you at once.” ‘You are quite at liberty to co so,” an- swered the collected villain, ‘* Suppose I should acknowledge to you that I committed the burg- lary you soak of? Would you be any better off then? I am hardly the man to do work of that kind and leave an open track.” Harry looked at his compose face with a dubious glance. “You have left more cvidence than you imagine,” he declared. ‘That tell-tale finger with its ring will expose yet. The police are already on the track of your woman confeder- ate, of her who got the key from Davis, and left her finger in the safe door.” momentary start, instantly repressed, showed that these words had struck home. look of hard resolution came to the gambler’s ‘ace. ‘* Ha!” he sneered. ‘‘ Who then do you imag- ine this woman to be?” ‘*T shall be able to tell yousoon! Some con- federate of yours, to whom you gave the opal ring stolen from Estelle Laurent.” ‘You think so, eh? Have you asked the Countess her opinion of this matter?” ‘*T have asked Miss Laurent,” answered Har- ry sternly. ‘“‘She believes it was stolen by a servant. I have my own theory about who stole i+ 79 ‘‘-You have asked her so much, suppose you ask her one thing more,” retorted Juan, with a look of strange meaning. ‘‘Ask her why she wears gloves to receive com “+ gl Harry started asif he had been thunder- struck. These significant words had suddenly filled him with dismay and terror. “‘VWillain!” he cried. ‘‘ Liar! knave! If you belie that woman, I will have your heart’s blood if I have,to tear ycu asunder with my two hands!” “Very well, sir. But I would rather you would not rouse the house now with your in- sane cries. I should like to have my reom to myself, if you do not object.” h Harry stood glaring at rim, a host of feelings — amt —— —————» rushing through his distracted brain. Yor cne moment he seemed about to spring upon him, and the villain braced himself for the encountcr. Then, with a pew impulse, he turned and ran from the rcom, crying fiercely: “You shall answer for this! You have Lad your day, villain!” Juan looked after him, with a sneer of Cecp cunning on his face. ‘*Not yet, I fancy,” he said to himself. ‘‘ You don’t know the man you are dealing with, Har1y Foster. Estelle has lost her head through her fancy for this fellow. She must be xoused to a sense of her danger. He will find yet that tere is the spirit of a tigress under that satin skin. Let him go to the Red Eall! He may not find it so easy to leave there, Foo! as he is, he has kept his suspicions to himself. He shall never have the opportunity to reveal them to the de- tective police.” CHAPTER IX. THE CHAMBER OF BLUEBEARD. Nicut had again fallen on the great city. Crime again stalked abroad under cover of the darkness. Into the building known to its fre- quenters as the Red Hall person after person en- tered, most of them in a secret manner, as if anxious to avoid recognition. Within the gambling-room several card- varties were at work, the most of them engaged in deep play. They were mainly rich young fools abokt town, who had been lured thither by the arts of Paul Clifford and his confederates. Estelle Laurent was present in all her stately beauty, her floating silken robes in striking con- trast to the dead black of the gentlemen’s attire, She passed from table to table, dropping a word here and there, dispensing winnirg smiles to certain soft-brained youths, using her won- drous beauty as a lure to draw the wealthy fools into the net of her dangerous trade. She was greeted with many words of welcome and congratulation on ker return by those wha had not before seen her since her journey. Peul Clifford and Juan Vérnel stood apart in the embrasure of a window, looking on her with satisfied glances. “‘The Countess is superb to-night,” said Paul. “She is more queenly than ever. ‘It was a fortunate day for us, Juan, when we got such a woman in our power.” ** Yes,” answered Juan, a little distractedly. ‘* And we must keep her so. She is chafing against the traces. Why does not that bline dupe come? Can it Le that he has changed his mind?” ‘He is not the kind that change easily,” an- swered Paul. ‘Is all ready?” “ Yes, I have seen to every detail ” “Then— But here he comes now. There must be no weakness when the mcment arrives.” ‘There shall be none with me.” Foster had indeed entered at that moment. He walked forward with his yrcud step, his eyes seeking the form of the mistress of the salocn. A quiet greeting passed ketween them. He had evidently schooled himself to ccmporure, ‘Can I have a private interview with you, Estelle?” he took an opportunity of asking. “Not now,” she answered hurriedly. ‘* Wait till the people have gone; I camnot leave here now. Harry walked about discontentedly, looking at the games. He kit his lips with a nervous anxiety, which he had difficulty to control. His eyes involuntarily wandered to Estelle’s taper- ing hands. They were still gloved, yet their graceful completeness made him involuntarily smile at the suspicion which had becn implanted in his fancy. He was now fully satisfied, that for some purpose of his own, Juan Vernel hed lied ed, Finally, he took part in a game, as Some re- lief to his nervous impatience. He played with reckless carelessness, yet he won withevery turn of the cards. He hardly knew bow his winnings were heaping up before him until his antagonist rose with angry haste. “Deuce ae the luck!” he exclaimed, es With what magic have you anointed your fingers, Foster, that they touch only the winning cards? ru play no more to-might. “« Pure indifference, I judge,” answered Harry, as he gathered up his winnings. ‘‘ Luck comes to those who do not care for it, and flies from those who seek it.” : He thrust the money carelessly into his pocket and rose from his seat. _ The breaking up of this game seemed fo give the signal to the other players, who quickly afterward stopped playing. Within kelf an Lour
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—~ afterward, the saloon was deserted. Paul and Juan had been among the first to leave it. A significant look from Estelle drew Harry from the room. She led the way along the hall and down to the lower floor, Reaching this, she opened the door of a small reception room, and signed to him to enter. **We can talk undisturbed here,” she said, seating herself beside the richly-covered center- table, and motioning Harry to a chair. “*T have several things to say to you, Estelle,” he began, looking at her meaningly. ‘‘ First of all, f have done what you forbade me. I have had an interview with Juan Vernel, and charged him with taking part in this burglary.” Estelle’s face grew flaming red at these words, fler eyes gleamed with anger. ‘* Fool!” she cried passionately, ‘Sis that all the trust I can putin you? You did that, and rame here afterward? Do you know what you Save done?” ‘**T only know this,” he replied, ‘‘ that you are here as the associate of gamblers and burglars, You carnct have known, at least, this last trait of their character. I call on you to separate from such men. And if you love me, Estelle, give up this disgraceful business,” As she looked at him the angry licht faded from her eyes, and a new expression, as of a hunted deer, came into them. ‘*T cannot!” she cried, helplessly. terly in their power. You think i choice. Ido it from necessity, be free, but I am a mere puppet. the strings I must move.” ‘‘But this is horrible,” he exclaimed. ‘ Con- fide in me, Estelle. Tell me the mystery that makes you a slave to these villains, You are innocent of crime, I am sure of that. Trust ma to defend you against them.” ‘* How do you know I am innocent of crime?” she demanded. ‘‘For all you know tw the con- trary I may be steeped to the very lips in crime, You know nothing of me. Because a woman is beautiful, and has some shreds of a heart, that does not make her a stainless angel. You know nothing of me. It is better you shouid not. Our lives lieapart. I wish to Heaven \ had never seen you!” She struck hm small right hand in desperate energy on thy table. ““ Why should you offer such a wish? What can there ‘be in your life that is forbidden me to know?” ‘* Because I love you,” she desperately replied. *‘ Because I would save you from misery. intend to endure this life no longer, Harry Fos- ter. Ihave made up mymind to fly. I would rather die a thousand deaths than endure fur- ther the sufferings during the past month.” ‘To fly? he answered blankly. ‘““Yes, At once. Without delay. I cannot bear the danger, the disgrace, the horror of my resent life. I will not bear the sneering mas- ry of those fiends.” * ‘* Leave me to deal with them.” “No, no! You are no match forthem. And my fate is bound up in theirs. You forget that the measures you design against them may de- stroy me.” ‘Then let me fly with you. I will desert everything, fortune, friends, and all, for your dear sake.” A look of tender softness came into the woman’s face, She made one step toward him. Then she recoiled with a look of horror, ‘No, no! I must go alone. I will drag noone into the gulf that is open for me.” ‘*But why should you fly? This business is not criminal. You are not their associate in burg’ary. The police are already on the track of the woman who lost her finger. She who lured the key from that weak fool, Davis.” She suddenly grew as rigid as if she had frozen into stone. er eyes were fixed on him with a look of utter horror end dismay. “On her track!” she muttered. track!” “Yes, Why should that affect you so? Can it be possible that thé note of invitation was in- deed your's? Can it be that you had some share in this ugly business?” ’ 2 She broke from her rigid attitude. A dis- dainful smile crossed her face. “ That ends it all,” she cried. pect me!” His eyes were fixed again on her gloved hands. : ‘*No,” he exclaimed, ‘I have always de- clared to myself that such a thought is impos- sible, Yet you have been denounced tome. I have been advised to ask you a certain question. You must answer it, Estelle, not for my satis- tactica, but toclear yourself from this calumny. “T am ut- do this from I may seem to As they puil ‘On her “You too sus- s ) wae) be oe ae & now \ iw ee es a i ee we, | The Lost Finger. Lt Why, since your return, have your hands been always gloved?” If she had been struck in the forehead with a bullet she could not have shown more conster- nation. Her face grew deathly pale, She tot- tered as if she would have fallen, and only sup- ported herself by grasping a chair. This look was succeeded by one of anger and indignation. ° ‘** Do you ask me such a question?” Mes. t ‘* And demand an answer?” 6 Tidow? ‘It is well. But if you persist in it my love goes with this stripped-off glove. No love for me without utter trust.” As she spoke she hastily drew the glove from her right hand, and held it out haughtily to him to examine. ‘‘Look at it. Are there any missing fingers there? Are they not all of flesh and blood?” He caught her hand, while a shudder shook his strong frame. ‘‘ They are the perfect counterpart of the lost finger!” he exclaimed. ‘The leit hand now, Estelle.” ‘Do you know the fate of the curious woman who looked into Bluebeard’s closet?” ‘“‘T will see it!” he cried, seizing her hand, and pressing the fingers firmly within his own. He let it fall with a groan of horror. One of the fingers had remained hard and unyielding under his rude pressure. “Fool! You have dared your fate. then, if you will!” She tore the glove from her hand with an im- petuous jerk. To his utter horror, it was a maimed hand! The third finger was gone! What had appeared the finger, remained in the clove, . ” “You sought for knowledge,” she exclaimed, bitterly, ‘t You have found it. I would have saved you. You have destroyed yeurself. Lock: at that imperfect hand. Lock your fill at it. You have driven me into a corner, from which there is no escape. I am bound by an oath which I dare not break. Yes, I took part in that burglary. It was my hand that was caught in the safe-door. It was my finger that was seyered by the cold and cruel iron. You have forced me to this acknowledgment. The vonsequences be upon your own head,” She towered like a Pythoness above the shrink- ing and horror-stricken man. Her right hand caught up a bell from the table, and rung it violently. Anger and fury seemed to pulse fromv every fiber of her being. Meanwhile Harry was utterly overwhelmed. He crouched back with his eyes fixed on the wounde' hand, as if some magic had riveted them there, His condition was pitiable in that moment of utter horror and mental revulsion. This terrible scene lasted but a minute. Then the door of the room was flung open, and Paul Clifford and Juan Vernel entered, as if in re- sponse to the bell, They looked around, A glance at the situation sufficed to tell them what had happened. Fierce oaths broke from their lips, as they sprung forward, Juan drawing a pistol, on the miserable skrinking man in the corner. . ‘He would have it,” cried Juan, “ He shall have his wish.” ‘Beware the pistol,” warned Paul. ‘There are safer and silenter means.” See ——— CHAPTER X. THE TERRIBLE REPAST. A pay had passed slowly away, a day that had been only night to Harry Foster. Impas- sable walls encircled him, an iron door closed the aperture to the dungeon 1 which he lay, only the faint light of a lamp stood between him and total darkne’s. { The unfortunate prisoner strode around his stony-walled cell with the tread of a caged lion. His senses were but now returning, after hours of swoon, His brain was still in a whirl, into which memory but slowly made its way. Nearly twenty-four hours of his life had been to him an utter blank, ‘ There slowly came into his brain recollection of the dreadful mystery he had learned. It was the woman he loved who had been the associate of the burglars, and whose finger had been torn off in that terrible trap! His love, for the time, died out in loathing of the crime in which she had participated, At that moment he hated and detested her. : But, how came he here? He seemed to still see her face, fierce with rage and passion. The sound of that fatal bell yet rung in his ears. He could perceive the ruthless gamblers, rushing into the room in response. He had a faint re- collection of a violent Lut momentary struggle, of a fierce blow with some weapon on his head, and of a terrible shock that seemed to rend his. whole frame asunder. Then ail became a blank. He knew no more until he roused to find himself the tenant of this dread vault. Back and forth through the room lke strode, his indignation rising as memory return d, “The cold-blooded villains!” he exclaimed, ‘fam I destined to be their victim? Fool that 1 was to venture here, and to rouse that terrible woman by forcing from her the secret of her crime! I was an idiot to attempt this enterprise alone. Nowno one knows where to find me. What will be thought when I fail to eppcer at the bank? I will be charged with flight and robbery. It will be claimed that the former burglary was mine, and that now I have fled with the contents of the safe. Fool, idiot, brain- less dolt, that I have been!” His words were echoed by a sneering laugh from the direction of the cell dccr. Ie turned quickly, just in time to sce it close. A platter of food had been thrust inside, ‘““You were not overly wise, inceec, Larry Foster,” came in the mocking voice «f Juan Vernel. ‘‘ Wise men do not thrust their heads in the lion’s mouth. For your comfort I will tell you that you are already charged with rob- bery of the bank. The lock of that safe is so sound that they will not easily get it-open with- out the key, which bappens to rest in your pocke s. Search is being made for you. We can only thank you that you have kindly con- cealed your visits here. Ifancy they will search in vain.” A laugh of cruel mockery succeeded these satirical words, Harry sprung furiousiy to the door. “You do well to hide yourself, coward! If you area man I challenge you to have it out haud to hand,” “T fancy not, my respected bruiser. You have the mcst muscle, but I have the advantage in brain. I think I will keep my advantage.” “Villain! What isto be the end of this? I shall call you to a fearful account!” ‘‘ When you get out,” came the sneering reply. ‘And that will not be soon. You know too much, Harry Foster. You will never leave that prison alive,” The voice, which had come through the iren door with a faint and muffled sound, ceased. A footstep was faintly heard. Then ail was ¢/- lence, Some other furious words came from the pr!s- oner’s lips, but they were wasted cn the empty air. He was u‘terly alone in the glocm neat lence of that dungecn, He broke again into a furious walk, etmest a run, round the grim walls of his cell. Elis ner- vous excitement wasso great that it would have killed him now to sit still. His furious passion could only be worked off by violent exercise. For more than half an hour be kept up this excited stride, before his brain began to grow calm and his nerves quiet. He then perecived the plotter of food, still sitting where it had been placed on the floor. His first impulse was: to sénd it across the room, by a viclent kick. But he had grown somewhat more capable of sober thought, “My life may rest on that focc,” he said to himself. ‘These men would have the fiendich- ness to starve me. I must sustain my strength as long as possible.” He placed the platter on the rough table that occupied the center of his cell. But he could not eat now. He thrust it from him in disgust, fell upon the solitary chair which his cell con- tained, and buried his head within his arms. He was lost in the utter misery of the terrible situe- tion into which he had fallen. For a full hour he continued thus. The lamp- licht sent a feeble gleam throughout the cell. Its oil was growing low. In an hour or two more it might be out, and the prisoner be plunged in- to utter darkness. Was this one of the terrors. provided by the ruthless jailers for their helpless. captive?” or an hour all had been silence in the cell. The prisoner had not moved from his attitude of depression, Then there came a faint sound, as of the patter of light feet. It was a peculiar sound, too feeble at first to penetrate to the muffled senses of the captive. Yet in time he seemed to recognize that there was something’ odd and wnusual abouthim. He raised his head op from his arms, ard gazed around the cell, Suddenly he sat bolt upright in his chair. At this movement? there came a hasty scemper cf the light feet. The mystery was out. A‘ least . Ei=-
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12 The Lost Finger. a dozen rats had penetrated to the cell from un- derground passages in the damp floor. Their diamond-like eyes sparkled in the lam light. The most of them had retired to their holes at hismovement, but two or three sturdy fellows stood their ground, looking at him with glittering eyes. A shudder ran through the strong man’sframe. Here was a new and horrible danger. The Jamp, once out, would he not have to fight in the jdarkness for his life with these voracious crea- tures? Yet this feeling was but transient. It was fol- lowed by asentiment of reckless desperation. A laugh of hollow mockery came from his dry lips. ‘**So, little fellows,” he said, asif he was ad- dressing human beings, ‘‘ you and I have got this palatial hall to ourselves. You have rather the better of me, for you know the way out, but we might as well be good companions while we are together. Art hungry, little folks? Well, I have more here than I want. I will share my platter with you.” He cut up a piece of the meat on the dish into small fragments, which he flung toward the rats. “There, eat and be merry, little ones.” The scary creatures scampered to their holes at this movement. Yet after,a minute or two their eyes again peered outward, Harry kept perfectly still, and his miniature visitors soon again ventured from their lurking-places. They were not long in discovering the parti- cles of meat on the floor, and attacked them voraciously. Harry again shuddered when he saw their sharp white teeth, and heard the sig- nificant crunching sound. He shut his eyes. For the time he could not bear the spectacle. When he opened them again it was to start hastily to his feet with surprise | and horror. The rats, which he had left busy at their re-’ vast, now presented a different appearance. | Some f them were staggering feebly toward their holes. Two of them a 72 go ag on the floor. As he looked a third fell over, with a taint squeak of pain, There was no mistaking the meaning of this. ‘They had been poisoned! He had been served with poisoned food, and only this fortunate ac- cident had saved him from the fate that had be- falien the rats! He shook as if in an ague as he stood with his distended eyes fixed on the dead animals. This was death’ in a shape of which he had not dreamed. A deadly and rapid poison had been mingled with his food. He fell again heavily into his chair, with a groan of dismay. “Great God!” he cried in agony, ‘‘am I to die such a death as this! To perish from poison or starvation! To die the death of a poisoned rat! Thore must be—there shall be some means of escape from this dreadful fate!” He sprung to his feet and hurried wildly around the cell, examining every crack and cre- vice in the wall, in the hope that some avenue of flight might present itself. He tried the iron door, but it was immovable. He even caught the knife from his plate and dug furiously into one of the rat-holes in the earthen floor, in the wild hope that it might lead to some neighbor- ing apartment. The earth, at first hard, soon became soft and yielding, and he was not longin making an aperture through which he could thrust his hand under the wall. As he did so his ping fingers encountered something soft ee furry. He it and drew it out. Then, with a oan of horror, ho nes eae it as he would have opped some terrible object. It was one of the poisoned rats that had died in its hole. The half-insane prisoner let fall the knife and staggered back, with bleared eyes and dishevel- ed aay. his gaze fixed on that fearful object as if he had encountered a basilisk. The thought ran through his mind that, but for a happy chance, he might at that moment have been in ‘the condition of the dead rat, At that instant, to add to his horror and de- spair, the flame of the lamp fluttered, shot up brightly for a moment, and then sunk down and vanished. The utter darkness which he had feared was upon him. Trembling from head to foot he groped for his chair and fell heavily upon it. For the time being he was utterly un- manned. An hour more passed. He had no longer dread of attack by the hun rats. There was ‘enough poison in that fata] dish to kill a legion of them. Yet the horrors of his situation were a, without this added dread. Suddenly he lifted his head and assumed a listening attitude. He had heard a faint sound which seemed to come from a long distance. It was followed b the iron door. Was he about to have a visitor? He waited, with clinched hands, half resolved to spring on and throttle any one who might enter his cell. The lock shot back almost noiselessly. The door opened a crevice. The light of a lamp oe etrated the dismal cell. The prisoner, who had drawn by the wall near the door, waited in im- patient fury, ready to spring on his incautious | visitor, But he suddenly started back and threw up his hands, while a wild cry came from his lips. ‘* Estelle! You here? You, faithless, vile, treacherous! Do you dare visit me in this foul dungeon to which you have consigned me?” It was indeed Estelle Laurent, who stood in the half-open door, lifting her lamp and taking a slow and gradual survey of the cell. Her eyes fell on him with an enigmatical expression. ‘*You forced me to it,” she said, as she closed the door behind her. ‘‘I mean you no harm. No injury shallcome to you. But you shall not betray and ruin me and mine. Youhave dared the contest, Harry Foster. Here you shall re- main tijlI am far away. But, good Heaven, I did not mean that you should be here in utter darkness!” ‘*'You trust too much to my folly or forbear- ance, Countess,” he answered with a sneer **'You forget that the door is open, and that I am stronger than my jailer.” ‘You cannot escape. The house is guarded at all points. Your enemies are not of the kind that leave open avenues to their prisoners,” ‘*Do you mean me noharm? My life is safe here?” ‘*Yes. You will be released when we sre far away, and out of all danger.” ““My life safe? Look at this!—and this! Is this the kind of safety you mean?” He rushed wildly forward and thrust toward her the lifeless rats. Her eyes opened with amazement, ‘*What do you mean?” she faltered. ‘‘I do not understand.” “Then ask your confederate, Juan_Vernel. There is the food he provided for me. I shared it with the rats. You see the consequences, yee i IT had partaken of that food?” s the terrible truth came to her senses she sunk nearly to the floor, in a fearful revulsion of feeling, her eyes fixed on the dead animals as his had been an hour before. Then she sprung up again with face and eyes blazing. ** This is the last of it all!” she furiously cried. ‘* They deceived me, they lied to me, they would have destroyed me! From this moment I dis- own all allegiance to, and throw off all fear of those vile wretches and murderers! You! you, my love, my all! You, whom [I had torn my very heart out to discard at their command! —Well for them that their murderous scheme failed, or they would have found what a woman like mecould do! You, my own! I will defend you, or die, with you.” In her wild passion she rushed across the floor and threw her arms impulsively around him, as if to save him from the strokes of a ruthless foe. He broke from her embrace with a feeling of utter loathing. Her asseverations he did not half believe, In his heart he charged her with — his death. She fell back, repelled by his thrusting hands. A thousand emotions appeared on her speaking face. That he to whom she had given herself so utterly should treat her thus. Her heart was ready to break with despair, Then a new thought came suddenly to her, ‘ “Let us fly!” she cried. ‘‘ There isnot a min- ute to lose! You cannot leave the house alone, but Ican conduct you out of it. I know ways of escape not known to those wretches. Quick! Follow me! Any minute may bring them here.’ He had grown cold and hard. He moved not at her violent prompting, but stood surveying -her with stern eyes. ‘¢ And what isto be the price of my safety? Am I to yield to that love which I now loathe?” ‘*No! no! I make no conditions! I have told you already that we can never wed; that there is that in my life that must forever separate us. You donot dream of the terrible secret which hasmade me what I am. But we are wasting words. Fly! fly! before it is too late!” At that instant the door closed with a re- sounding clang. A lavgh of bitter mockery came from behind it. “Tt is too late now,” cried the cold voice of Juan Vernel. ‘‘ You would betray us, woman, You have sealed your doom. We leave you to share the room and the food of your friend.” a fumbling movement about | CHAPTER XI. WHAT DETKCTIVE SHARP THOUGHT AND DID. WHILE these events were taking place within the mysterious precincts of Red Hall, others of interest were occurring in the city outside. The new day dawned upon the great city, ard life again began its flow. Business was resumed after the night of rest, and the torrent was soon rushing on in its strong daily tide. Within the banking house of Ditson & Co. the clerks had long since gathered, and the hour for opening the doors to the public was at Land. Mr. Ditson had just made his appearance. He did so to encounter curious glances and signifi- cant looks. He saw that something had hapyen- ed, and nervously demanded the reason of this strange behavior. ‘“‘The safe is still closed, sir. Mr. Foster is absent, with the key. He has sent no word te explain his absence.” The banker stared at the speaker in blank amazement. Then he rushed from the room and to the nearest telegraph station, where he sent a hasty message to Foster’s address. He followed this by a messenger, who was directed to make all haste, and bring back the key if Mr. Foster should prove to be sick. No reply came to the telegram. The messen- ger returned within an hour with the startling information that Mr. Foster was not at home. He had left the house at an early hour of the evening before, and had not yet returned, At this information significant glances shot from eye to eye around tae room. “Great Heavens! can it be possible that Sharp was right?” cried Mr. Ditsen, in a terror. ‘Go for him, instantly, some one. Here, Clark, you make all haste to the detective’s office, and ring Mr. Sharp here without delay. You, Thompson, run for a_ locksmith. " Business cannot go on till we get that safe opened.” An hour brought both the parties sent for, the locksmith, with his tools, and Detective Sharp. The latter looked askance at the operations of the smith. “T fancy he will not get that iron box open easily,” he remarked. ‘‘What is wrong, Mr. Ditson? Have you lost the key?” ‘*Something startling has happened. Come into my office.” Sharp followed him without a show of emo- tion on his stolid face. It was as if he had ex- pected such a summons. ( The detective quietly helped himself to a chair, and waited calmly for Mr. Ditson’s com- munication. : ‘“‘T remember,” began Mr. Ditson, “‘ that you bad suspicions of Mr. Foster’s integrity at the time of the burglary.” ‘Very true,” answered Mr. Sharp quietly. * But hewn no such suspicions now. I think is an honest man.” — “You do?” exclaimed the banker. ‘‘ You have changed er opinion?” “In part. fear that Mr. Foster has been made the tool of some designing people. Ifancy that, without his knowledge, he has been made use of by these burglars.” “Ah! Then you have kept him under your eyes? You know something of his movements? ou may be able to trace him?” ‘* Why?” asked the detective simply. thing has happened then?” ‘““Mr. Fo ter, who has charge of our safe key, has not appeared this morning. I have sent to his house. He is not there, and has not been since last night. _I don’t know what to think of it, Mr. Sharp. Was he really the burglar be- fore, and has he absconded now with the con- tents of the safe?” The detective fell into a moment’s. deep thought. t No,” he replied, ‘‘ You will find your cash all right. Unless—” ‘¢ Unless what?” ‘The case stands this way, Mr. Ditson: Fos- ter had nothing to do witlt the burglary. If he had the safe would have becn opened with the key, and emptied of its contents. The findin of the woman’s finger clears him. But I think he has been made the dupe of the true burglars, Do you remember his story that he left the early that afternoon to escort a lady friend to the cars, on her way to Boston?” ” . ** Some- “That lady did not reach Boston by that train. She returned to New York in the even- ing. She left again in an early morning train, looking pale and feeble, and in company with a entleman. She had reason to look pale. Dur- ing the interval her finger had been chopped off by your safe.”
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ey ied —_ a ‘ * “ Ah!” cried Mr. Ditson, drawing his breath with a quick gasp. ‘Nor is that all. It was the same weman that made a fool of Will Davis. She inveigled him into her den, gave him a sleeping potion, and borrowed from him his key.” ‘* The deuce!” exclaimed the surprised banker, “* Are you sure of all this?” ‘““As sure as I can be of anything I don’t know. It is my theory of the case. As for Foster’s present disappearance he may have been served tho same sauce as Will Davis. Per- haps they have borrowed the safe key this time, and cleared out its contents.” ‘‘T hope to Heaven not!” exclaimed Mr. Dit- son. ‘That would be utter ruin.” “Tdo not think such will prove the case,” continued the detective. ‘‘I have been using my eyes,and see no signs of a forcible en- trance. I have another theory of his disappear- ance.” ** What is that?” ‘‘The wise young man has undertaken to play amateur detective. He has a fancy to screen this young woman, you see. Well, he has fol- lowed the burglars a little too closely for their comfort. They have seta trap for him, and he has fallen into it. I should not wonder if Harry Foster was in imminent danger of his life at this moment. The men who could engineer a job like that are not likely to be scrupulous.” ‘*Great Heaven! And you tell me that as coolly as if you were talking about chicken-feed! Something must bo done at once! You must rescue him, Mr. Sharp.” ‘* Something is being done,” answered the de- tective, quietly. “‘I have not been sleeping over your business, Mr. Ditson, As for this woman and her confederates, they have so far eluded me. They have very cunningly covered their tracks. But Mr. Foster has been constant- Cs under the eyes of a sharp spy ever since the ate of the burglary. I wished to find where he goes and who he associates with.” ** And what have you discovered?” “Nothing. I fancy he has suspected my spy, and has contrived to throw dust in his oyes. Yesterday I changed my man and put him under another pair of eyes. I have had, as yet, no report. But I am not without hopes that we may have the whip hand of the burglars.” After continuing the conversation for some t'me longer, Mr. S took his departure, de- siring that he should be notified of the con- dition of the safe as soon as it was opened. About one o’clock word came to his office in the shape of a brief note: ‘ ‘Safe opened. Contents all right. Your theory raust be correct. Do all you can to rescue poor Foster.” , Mr. ap rubbed his hand refléctively over his forehea: . ' “Queer I haven’t heard from Smith,” he soliloquized. ‘‘He has found a nest-egg some- where. I should not wonder if we were nearing the end of this deep game.” He was interrupted by the entrance of a man, at sight of whom his eyes opened in welcome. It was a middle-aged man, dressed in a well- worn suit of rough gray, and looking much like an ordinary laborer. “* Just man I was thinking of. Matters are coming to a focus, Smith. I hope you have not been wasting your time.” The Spy seated himself, and answered in a very methodical and matter-of-fact tone. “T have here a short mem. of my work, which I shall trouble you to look over,” He handed an open memorandum-book to the detec- tive. ‘‘House number one on the list Mr, F. entered yesterday afternoon, as there stated. Hour of six. Remained a half-hour. Returned home. Out again at eight. Took carriage, IT tried to follow, but lost trace of him through fast driving.” «You ate growing weak-minded, Smith,” said the detective, looking at him sharply. ; “It was a trick. The man suspects he is shadowed. He played an old game on me.” “Goon. That is not all.” “No, House number one has been shadowed since ten last night. Hanly took it on. He knows F.’s associates. This morning a gentle- man entered that house whom he recognized. It was the man who, on a former occasion, icked up F. in a carriage on Broadway, and eft Hanly in the lurch. A chap of doubtful character.” “I know. Proceed.” ‘‘ He left the house in two hours ago. Hanly and I followed. Had to be wide-awake, for the man 1s sharp asa steel-trap. Seemed to know Hanly. I passed the tip and Hanly let | The Lost Finger. himself get flung. But Smith spotted the fox. Ran him to cover in house number two.” _ Sharp looked at the memorandum. The local- ity of the house seemed to strike him. He mut- tered some words in a low. tone. ‘* Do you know the place? Have you learned anything?” he inquired. **Shadowy,” answered. Smith, shaking his head. ‘* Neighborsnon-committal. Know noth- ing of the occupants. Grocer reports good cus- tomers. Been therethree months only. Police- man on beat says very quiet and respectable, but doubtful. Party of fashionable young men, fast-looking, go in everynight. Gambling den, he thinks, Servants been seen. Once saw a woman leave the house. Muffled up, but tall, stately, richly dresscd. Very tony, he says.” Mr. Sharp looked up suddenly. He was on the verge of a discovery, or fancied so. ‘You have done well, Smith.” He returned the memorandum-book. ‘‘Is anybody on the house?” “ Ffanly.” “Then return immediately. I have a notion there is the very Old Nick to pay just now, in that mansion. Hunt up that Rcaniain ii want to question him. We must be sure of our ground before we move. I will be after you in- side of an hour, Hurry now. In critical times minutes are golden,” ‘Very serious, is it?” ‘Murder, maybe; burglary at the least: Stir your steps.” Smith’s face grew very important ashe bustled out, He had not dreamed of such a game as this. The case swelled immensely in his eyes. Mr. Sharp made some hasty notes and mem- oranda, then shoved his papers aside, pushed back his chair and took his hat, ‘Three or four good men will bo necessary,” he said to himself. ‘“‘ There may be ugly work before us. I may be mistaken, but something in my bones tells me that there is a big thing on the cards, and big things are my bread aad butter.” He left the room. CHAPTER XII. A WOMAN’S CONFESSION, MEANWHILE matters had come toa focus in the Red Hall. Within the dungeon the two captives re- mained, expecting notbing but death. There was food on the table, but it was poisoned. They must either eat that and choose a speedy death, or endure the slower agony of starvation. There stood that iron door between them and liberty, and both seem- ed to recognize that it would not open again, The woman threw herself on the chair, with a look of evepest. “T know them too well,” she declared. “The will fly and leave us here to perish. This place is out of hearing. We will die before it is discovered.” “Who prepared this dungeon?” demanded Foster, fixing his eyes sternly on hershrinking form, ‘‘ For what purpose was it prepared?” “It is the work of Vernel and Clifford,” she re- plied. “I know not what they intended. Iam rot the confidante of their dark secrets. I, like you, have been their tool and their victim.” “A willing one, it appears,” he satirically answer- “As you will. Mv life has not been und-r m own contre]. My life! Do not think I valine 7h: i, Harry Fester, For all that my existence is worth, T night as well swallow some of that poisoned food, and be done with the miserable farce.” “Then why do you not do so?” he asked, in a bit- terly cold tone. ‘It is for you, I live, not for myself!’’ she passion- ately answered. ‘It wasI who brought you into this terrible business, It was I who lured you to ruin, Can you ask why Iem doomed by remorse, end why I cling to this miserable life. with the hope that it may. aid you to escape this peril?” Her voice was so full of heartfelt passion, that some of the dormant love ros® again in his soul. as his eyes surveyed the shrinking form before him. But pa Haverty drove back this feeling, and coldly rejoined: ; a Your words do not tally: with your acts, Estelle Laurent. If ruin and death come to me through : oar acme I will have nobody but you to thank or it.’ “*Good Heaven!” she cried, with emotion. “This tome! And after all Ihave suffer- ed forhim! Look at that hand!” She held up the maimed left hand, with its fatal lack of a finger. Do you suppose thet was done from choice? Tt was to save you, that I bad my flesh torn from m body, and endured weeks of suffering. And this 3 my reward,” To save me? How? Explainyourself! In what way was I concerned in this dreadful accident?” He caught the mutilated band, and gazed at it with eyes in which some of his old feeling of tender- ness was returning. Listen.” she replied. ‘I willtell youall, If we are to die together it shall not be with any mysteries between us. Believe me, Harry Foster, I have not pursued a life of crime from choice. I dare not dis- Obey the orders of these men, Yet the most I have done has beem to use my beauty as a lure to draw et stronger ee ee ee a a ‘You have told me so much, you must tell me all, Estelle,” he declared, ‘‘We have no right to have any secrets from each other. What is the terrible hold which these men have upon you? I demand to. know. It may be less vital than you deem.” “It is dreadful,” she shudderingly replied. “TI dare nottell itto you. From the moment I do our love encs, and you will spurn me as an accursed Le- f Never, Estelle. You could never l.ave done ar y- thing that could make mespurn you. I demand the mystery of your life.” She wasstill for a minute, wrapped in deep thought. Then she broke from him with a start, tore her hand. from his grasp, and cried cut in a tone of horror: “Te vou must and will have my story, it is thist 2 we murderess! A vile accursed thing! This Was this sent on me as punishment?” She held u the maimed hand. “killed him, Harry Foster! hardly regret my crime, for he richly deserved it. Yet Tama fugitive from the law. These villains alone know of my crime. They could hang me with, aword. Do you wonder that I shrink from t! at.cis- graceful death, or that I obey their commands in, order to save myself from the gallows?” He stood lcoking rt her with an emotion equr] to herown. He had ferced a confession from her |.ps, and it was crushing him. ‘*A murderess!’”’ he muttered in horror-stricken tones. “A murderess! ‘Turn your eyesfromme, Look not upen my accursed form again. I have placed myself beyond the pale of human love and pity, Yet. Gcd knows I but removed_an utter villain from the world, He was my lover, Harry Foster. He was to have been my husband; yet he insulted me so grossly, so unbearably, that Kepsion for the moment utterly controlled me. I had a knife in my hand at that fatal minute, In ungovernable fury I thrust it in his breast. He fell bleeding before ‘me. I fled aided by the two witness-s to my crime, Great God! shall I ever get the vision of that bleeding body from before my eyes? She covered her face with her hands, and sunk to the demp floor in uncontrollable emotion. Harry looked ¢ wn cn her. his heart torn by mingled feel- ings. Yet there was a gleam of hope in his eyes. mutilated band h:s robbcd a human being of life f eRe es
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The Lost Finger. “How do you know the law is seeking you?"’ he cried. ‘‘Are you sure the man was really killed? When and where did this bappen?”’ She looked up with wild eyes. ‘He was bleeding to deeth when I left. I have Jearned all the rest from Paul Clifford and his con- federate. I could not endure to read a word about my fearful crime. It was in New Orleans, six years ago,” ** And the man’s name was Redner Wilkinson?” ““Yos, yes! What can you know about it?" “T know that you have been brutally and cruelly deceived. Iwasin New Orleans at the time. You are no murderess, Estelle. Deeply as you wounded him, the man recovered, Your supposed victim lived to commit more crimes. He was killed in Texas, not a year ago, in a tavern brawl. They have lied to you, to control and ruin you.” ‘*Great God, can this be so?” She had risen to her feet, and was standing staring at him with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes, her arm involuntarily advanced. Just then she looked supremely beautiful. ‘*T have told you the truth, Estelle,” he cried. ** You are free from this crime. ‘there is nothing to —— us, and I owe you the devotion cf a life for this poor finger, lost in my behalf.” He gathered h er again to his heart in a burst of uncontrollable love, Her proud head slowly sunk -on his shoulJer, while a flood cf tears relieved the pent-up passion of her soul. They were tears not of pain, ut of relief and happiness. For some minutes they stood thus, all in all to each other. The pale beams of the lamp lit up the dismal room, into whose dread depths the light of love had come. Then Harry broke from his spell of happy inaction, his eyes burning, his veins running with fevered pulses. ‘Shall we die now, with a life of happiness be- fore us?” he cried. ‘*No,no! Thereis yet a chance of escape! ‘here is one possible avenue by which we may break out from this dreadful dungeon!” He sprung across the floor to the spot where he bad before been digging, caught up the fallen knife and began again to energetically fling up the wet earth. Rapidly, before his wild fervor, the heap of excavated earth accumulated. Rapidly the avenue which might become their path to freedom widened and deepened. CHAPTER Xi. _ AN ESCAPE AND A CHECK. Tue knife which Harry Foster was using as an excavating tool was long, sharp, and broad-bladed. Possibly it had been given to him to use for another purpose, if he preferred death by a knife-blow to poison or starvation. Used as a spade, in his strong hands, it rapidly made its way into the soft earth. Numbers of rats had made their excavations at that point, and a dozen holes cut through the wet ground. Between these holes were cakes of sodden clay which he cut loose in lumps and lifted out wi h his hands. Jt was not long before he had made a hole more than a foot deep, and wide enough to stand in. Estelle stood looking at him with interest and sur- rise. : ‘“Whatare you doing?” she asked. escape by digging into the earth?” **See here,” he replied. ‘* We are at the founda- tion of the house. These rat-holes run under the f undation wall. It is not a foot deep here, I can thrust my hand beneath it already. Iam going to dig the earth from under it, and then let the stones fall down into the pit. Some of them are loose now. ‘Wherever this leads I will make a hole in the wall that we can pass through.” ‘ Estelle’s surprise was changed to se and excite- ment as she realized his meaning. Her feeling of despair became one of desire for life. “This is the cellar floor,” she said. ‘That wall opens into another art of the cellar, If you can excavate it weare safe. Letmedomyshare, You must be worn out, I am strong.” “No, no. See, [am under the wall already. The rats have done good work. And this is one of your modern walls, with mortar like flour paste. The stones are only laid together Ha! there comes one now!” He started back as one of the unsupported stones of the wall dropped down into the cavity he had made, He inserted bis knife-blade into the open Cg and soon had others loosened and ready to fal ‘ **Stand back, Estelle, he warned. With nervously oe. hands he tugged out the fallen stone, and threw iton the rle of dirt. Then with eager haste he widene’ and deepened the cavity beneath the wall, dragging back the loose earth with his hands. ** Beware,” cried Estelle. I) is going to fall!” He drew quickly back, just in time to escapea ?eap of stones, mortar and dirt, which came surg- ing down wich a noise that must have resounded through the house. Heedless whether or not he had given the alarm he flung himself wildly upon the fallen heap, and tore out its fragments with hands that soon ran with blood. He seemed frantic in his haste as he tugged at the jagged stones. Others came down as the cavity was increased. They continued to fall in fragments until some larger stones were reached that braced the remaining wall. But a yawning opening had been made, quite wide enough for a human body to s through. He cont-‘nued his labors until the fallen stones had been in great part removed, and the excavation was cleaR ** How can we ‘*The wall is cracking! *‘Our work is done, Estelle,’ he cried gladly. ““Wecan craw! through this cavity. And we must net loco a minute. Our enemies may attack us be- t. re we@.n escape.” : : i ana into the cavity, he found no difficulty in creep ng through the eaping hole in the wall. Es- telle followed, heedless of her rich dress. He caught her arms, aud helped her through the narrow pas- sage, The lamp was left *ehind in the dungeon, yet it threw sufficient light through the opening to reveal the fact that they stood in an open cellar, which was divided off by stone partition walls, through one of which they had made their way. The dungeon occupied one end of the cellar. The wall was a newly built one, and had not yet become compacted. They shucdered as they looked on the strong iron door, fastened with powerful bolts. They listened intently. There were noises in the house overhead. Their eyes met in alarm. ““We must fly at once,” cried Estelle, ‘* before our avenue of escape is cut off.” “IT will make warm work for the man who stops me,” he fiercely answered, looking around him for a weapon. He found a long-handled, rusty hammer, which lay in a corner of the cellar. Grasping this firmly, he caught Estelle by the hand, and hurried her rap- idly toward the stairs. ‘*Come,”’ he said; ‘‘our chance will be better above.” ‘‘ Stop,” she answered, in a low tone, drawing him back. ‘* Wait—listen.” Steps and voices could be clearly heard above. They seemed approaching. She drew him back to a dark corner beside the stairs. ‘They have taken the alarm,” she whispered.. “They are about to descend. L:t us conceal our- selves here. If they go forward to examine the dungeon, we can rush up the stairs and escape.” The idea was a good one; he yielded to her im- ulse. But his teeth closed grimly as he knotted 1is fingers around the handle of his weapon. He did not feel inclined to fly until he had made his das- tardly foes feel the weizht of his strong right arm. The door to the cellar opened. A fainv gleam from an upper light came down into the dark and damp apartment. The sounds cf familiar voices met their ears. “That was avery strange sound,’ came in the voice of Paul Clifford. ‘‘Could it have been down here?” “* All seems quiet now,” answered Juan. ‘‘T had a job to talk down Warner and Jones. They evi- dently are expecting earthquakes.” “Likely we were mistaken in the direction,” re- joined Paul. ‘ However, we had better take a look, and make sure t.:at allis right.” At this moment the door-bell violently rung. They hesitated. **Who can that be?” “Some fool that is so eager to lose his money that he has come an hour ahead of time, Let James take cara of him. We must thoroughly pluck all that come to-night. At midnight, you know, we bid good-by to this palace of cash, and we must set out with well-filled 7 ockets.” The speaker, Paul Clifford, was descending the stairs as he spoke. “ And the idiots who have chosen to stand in our way?” ee Poison or starvation will do for them. By the time the house is opened and searched they will cer- tainly be past harm.,”’ A coarse laugh came from Juan’s lips, “The Countess has found her true love at last, Let us hope they may enjoy their long love tryst.” ‘ What a dupe and a fool she has been,” laughed Paul, who had now reached the cellar floor. ‘‘ She is a tigress, though, under all her smoothskin. Do ou remember her when she knifed her former over? I wonder how she will serve this one? Kill him with kindness, probably.” Harry Foster felt the frame of the woman who leaned upon him quiver with shame and indignation at the coarse allusion. The contact set his own veins on fire, till they seemed to run with liquid flame. Burning with the fury that possessed him at these insults of his foes he forgot all caution, and sprung forward in an overpowering rage. * They laugh best who laugh last, Paul Clifford,” came in grim accents from his compressed lips. The startled viilain hastily turned toward the un- haw opt voice, But before he could move a step or utter a sound the dangerous weapon that was quiv- ering in the hands of the indignant lover, came down with a crushing blow on his head. He sunk to the floor as if he had been struck hy a rifle-bullet, with a single groan of pain. Likeadead i he lay there, outstretched on the earthen oor. Swinging his weapon above his head Harry dashed ar for-the stairs, on which stood his remaining oe. “Come on, Estelle,’ he cried. path.” Juan Vernel had sprung back in alarm at the sud- den fall of his companion. For a single instant he seemed as if about to fly. Then his thin lips curl- ed, his eyes flashed, his hand sought the pistol which he always carried. ‘* Beware!” cried Estelle,in an agony cf fear, as she too sprung to the stairs. ‘**Heis armed! He is about to fire!” Harry flung his’ swinging weapon at his foe, with quick and deadly aim. But the sharp-eyed villain saw it coming and stooped to avoidit. It whizzed “T will make a over bis shoulder and struck the wall behind him with a crushing blow. ** It is my turn now,”’ he hissed, drawing and cock- ties on = . ee ing his revolver with a single movement. ‘‘And my aim never misses.” A touch on the trigger, a sharp detonation. and a form staggered and fell, pierced by the fatal bullct. _ But it was not the form of Harry Foster, the intended victim of the villain, For at that perilous instant, with the unselfish instinct of love, Estelle had sprung before him with a.sharp cry of dismay. It was her breast that the bullet bad pierced. . It was her form that, pouring blood. fell back in the arms of her lover, and drove him with the dead weight forcibly from the steps to the floor P Acry of triumph came from the lips of the mur- erer. ‘*T must finish my work,” he hissed. ‘* Dead men tell no tales.” But at that momevt there came unexpected sounds from behind, There were the rush of hasty steps. A voice, full of authority and decision, seemed issuing commands. ‘The ruffian hesitated. with uplifted pistol, as if he chafed at being cheated of his prey. But the instinct of self-protecticn triumphed. He flung the weapon, with a cry of rage, at the head of re Foster, who was ju:t struggling up beneath the dead weight of the lifeless woman. Then he turned, eager for escape, and sprung with a single leap to the head of the stairs. He went no further. A stalwart form barred his ssage. The hal] seemed full of strong stern men. ‘Hold fast, my friend. We have a trifle of busi- ness with you before you can be spared.” It was the cool, firm voice of detective Sharp. ‘*Take care of this fellow,”’ he said to the man be- hind him. ‘* There has been some bad work down here, if Iam not mistaken. Don’t let him escape.” There was but one passage, and that was occupied by a half-dozen stalwart policemen. Yet Juan leaped at them with the fury of a cornered wolf, and sought Cesperately to force his way through them. He had thrust aside two or 'hree, and leaped at the fourth with head depressed, like a human battering-ram. But he met en unexpected obstacle. The club of the officer descended with a stunning blow on his head felling him like a dog to the floor. “Put the darvies on him.” ordered the officer. thrusting him with his foot. ‘‘He’s a dangerous Ss And it’s likely he has done some damage down 1ere,”” While this was taking place Detective Sharp had hurried down the cellar-stairs. his eyes fixed on the three prostrate forms atthe bottem, | “Bring a light here, somebody,” he cried. “ And look out fi. r that fellow. There’s been some mur- derous werk, from the looks of things.” The pistol flunc by the baffled villain had struck Foster on the forehead, and fell: d him again to the floor, where he lay, half stunned. Estelle lay mo- tionless across his body, the elcod from her wound soaking him with its deadly cfimscn. “A light here! Quick!” repeated the detective. “This woman is bleeding dangerously. And there are two men wlo have got their quietus.”” A light was quickly procured, and the situation of affairs revealed. Foster had been knocked insensi- ble by the blow of the revolver, but be recovered his senses as they lifted the wounded woman from his form. He sprung to his feet, with wild eyes and haggard face.” ‘““Oh! she is not dead! cried, in a tone of agony, and took the bullet to save my life. I will kill myself! Answer me, some one, quick!” “No, she is not dead,” replied the detective. “Her heart still beats. But she seems vo have a ter- rible wound. It is a question if she can recover. Here, some of you—you, Hanly—run for a surgeon, instantly. Carry this woman up-stairs, some of you. Search tte house and see if there are any women in it. This bleecing must be stopped at once. Her life will soon run out at this rate.” Two of the strongest officers ti ok the insensible form in their arms, and bore her tenderly up-stairs. Harry, distracted with love and grief, would have fol- lowed, but the detective laid a restraining hand cn his shoulder. F ‘You can do no good there,” he said, ‘ You will only do harm in your present mood. Stop here and tell me what this means. Who are these men? What has happened to this fellow lying here?” - “T struck him down with a hammer,” answered Harry, hoarsely. “Ido not know if I have killed him; nor do I care much.” The detective leaned over the prostrate man. “No, he is not dead,” he said. ‘* But you gave him asettler. Now, quick! tell me what bas happened. Where have you been? There is the very deuce to pay in the ov about you.” ; Harry led the way back to the dungeon and laid his hand onthe iron door. “IT have been in there,” he said. “I would never have come out alive but for that hole which I dug throust the wall. It is a terrible experience T have passed through. Shall I tell the story? “Yes. Tell it all.” It was partly his purpose to turn the lover's thouzhts away from the wounded form that lay bleeding up-stairs. But he soon felt a thrilling in- terest in the story as its excited incidents were re- lated tohim. The terrible episode of the poisoned rats made even bis iron nerves quiver with excite- ment, ‘ Fo rry was interrupted, near the close of his story, by the d: scent of one of the officers, ‘Tie surgeon is here,’ he announced. “Ah! And what does he say?” “The wound is dangerous, but not fatal. With good luck she may recover.”’ | “Thank God for tbat!” cried Harry, fervently. “ She sought to give her life for mine!’ Say she is not dead!” ke ‘“*She sprung before me If she is dead HR eg
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a ae oe Die Ae a 5 Try * Te 2 |? PA fit Soe =a + a witt. 14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe. (27 Illustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Satlor. His Seven Vey ane 22 The Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crusoe. sews, 88 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates of the Carribers, By S, W. Pierce. 86 The Boy Clown; or, The Queen of the APCD By Frank » nn. - 88 Ned Wylde. the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack, 51 ‘Tee Boy Rifles; or, The Underground Camp. By Archie ». Irons. 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi. ‘By Lieut.-Col, Hazeltine. . 98 Robin Hood, the Outlawed Earl; or, The Merry Men of Green- wood. By Prof, Gildersleeve. 105 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain Hamilton Holmes. 112 The Mad Hunter; or, The Cave of Death, By Burton Saxe. 124 Tippy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion, By George Glerson. 128 The Young Privateer; or, The Pirate’s Stronghold. By Harry Cavendish. 148 Sharp Sam}; or, The Adventures of a Friendless Boy. By J. Alexander Patten. 227T Dusky Darrell, Trapper; or, The Green Ranger of the Ye!- lowstone. By Edward Emerson. : 261 Fergus Fearnanght, the New York Boy. By George L. en A . 266 Killb’ar, the Guide; or, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail. By Ensign C.D. Warren, 298 Red Claw, the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Maid of the Cli, "By Captain Comstock. 817 Peacock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville. By Lien- tenant Alired Thorne. , 828 The Sky te‘ectives or, A Boy’s Fight for Life and Honor, By Maior Mickey Free. 850 Red Ralph, the River Rover}; or, The Brother’s Re- venge. By Ned Buntline, 865 Baltimore Ben the Boothlack Detective. By A. P, Morris. 874 Gold-Dust Tom; or, Ben’s Double Match. “By George H. forse, 876 California Joe’s First Trail, By Colonel Themas over Monastery. 418 Rilily Il, the Cliff Climber. By F. S. Winthro 440 Little honoots the Gold Bowie Kid. By Arthur C, Grieome 475 The Black Ship. By John S. Worner. Comanche Dick and His Three Invinciblea, By SOS Wied Anny the Dendy Sport. Ry Arther F. Holl, 3 -Arm. ys . ur F. 582 The Cowboy Duke. By Edwin Brooke Forrest. ~ A New Issue Every Tuesday. By Juan The Half-Dime Library is for sale by all newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publisbers. 98 William Street, New York oe. ee eS Nn eee
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. Ts mete yn pene Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. BEADLE'S«H ALF- DIME« LIBRARY. No Double Numbers. BY EDWARD L, WHEELER. Deadwood Dick Novels, 1 Dendwood Dick, the Prince of the Road. 20 Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick's Defiance, 28 Buffalo Ben; or, Deadwood Dick in Disguise. 85 Wilda Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval. 42 Phantom Miner}; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza, 49 Omaha OL; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger. 56¢ Deadwood Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar. 78 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, the Heroine, 77 Corduroy Charlie; or, Deadwood Dick’s Last Act. 100 Deadwood Dick in Leadville. 104 Deadwood Dick’s Device; or, The Double Cross Sign. 109 Deadwood Dick as Detective. 129 Peaneen Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s Gulch. 188 Blonde BIN; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base. 149 A Game of Goldj or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike. 156 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked Party. 195 Deadwood Dick’« Dream; or, The Riv::ls of the Road. 201 The Black Hilla Jezebel; or, Deadwood Dick’s Ward. 205 Deadwood Dick’s Doom; or, Calamity Jane’s Last Ad- venture. 217 Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. 221 Sugar-Coated Sam 3 or, The Black Gown. 282 Gold-Dust Dick. A Romance of Roughs and Toughs, 268 Deadwood Dick’s Divide; or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake. 268 Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. 809 Readweed Dick’s Big Deal: or, The Gold Brick of Jregon, B21 Deadwood Dick’s Dozen; or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats. 847 Deadwood Dick’s Ducats; or, Rainy Days in the Dig- gings. B51 Deadwood Dick Sentenced; or, The Terrible Vendetta. 562 peaéweed Dick’s Claim; or, The Fairy Face of Faro nts. 405 Deadwood Dick in Dead City. 410 pead weed Dick’s Diamonds ; or, The Mystery of Joan Porter. 421 Deadwood Dick in New York; or, A “ Cute Case.” 480 Deadwood Dick’s Dust; or, The Chained Hand. 448 Deadwood Dick, Jr. 418 Nickel-Plate Ned; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Defiance. 458 a Sam, of Shasta; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Full Hand. 459 Flush Fan, the Ferret; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Big Ronnd- Up. 465 Philo Fly, of Phenix; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Racket at Claim 10. 471 Bozeman BIL; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Corral. 476 Humboldt Harry, the Hurricane; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Dog Detective. 481 Moll Mystery; or, Deadwood Dick Jr, in Dendwood. AY1 Prince Pistol, the King of the West; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Coinpact, A496 Monte Cristo, Jr.: or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Inheritance. 500 Deadwood Dick's Diggings ; or, Dr. Death-Grip’s Swoop. 508 Deadwood Dick’s Deliverance. 515 Deadwood Dick’s Protegee. 522 Deadwood Dick’s Three. 529 Deadwood Dick’s Danger Ducks, 584 Deadwood Dick’s Death Hant. 5389 Deadwood Dick Jr., in Texas. 544 Deadwood Dick, Jr, the Wild West Vidocq. Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. 26 Cloven Hoof, the Buffalo Demon. 82 Bob W oeolf’; or, The Girl Dead-Shot. 89 Deat..-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York, 45 Old Avalanche; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand, 58 Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix. 61 Buckhorn Bill; or, The Red Rifle Team, 69 Gold Rifle, the Sharpshooter: or, The Boy Detective. 80 Rosebud Rob or, Nugget Ned, the Knight. 84 Idyl, the Girl Miner}; or, Rosebud Rob on Hand. 88 Phet vaph Phil; or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappearance. 92 Canada Chet ; or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp. 6 Wutch-Eye 4 or, Arabs ind Angels ofa Great City, 8 Jack Moyle the Young Speculator. 7 Gilt-Edged Dick, the Sport Detective 1 Cinnamon Chip, the Girl Sport. % Bonanza Bill, Miner. 8 Bose Bob the King of Bootblacks, 1 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agont. 45 — Ferret, the New York Detective; or, Boss Bob’s 088 JOO. 61 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 77 Nobify Nick of Nevada; or, The Sierras Scamps, 181 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo. 209 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective. 218 Fritz to the Front; or, The Ventril 226 Snoozer, tie Boy Sharp; or, The Arab 286 Apollo Bill, the Trail Tornado. 240 Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator. 244 Sierra Sam, tho Frontier Ferret. 248 Sierra Sam’s Secret}; or, The Bloody Footprints, 2538 Sierra Sam’s Pard; or, The Ange! of Big Vista, 258 Sierra Saim’s Seven; or, The Stolen Bride. 278 Jumbo Joe, the Boy Patrol; or, The Rival Heirs. 277 Denver Doll, the Detective Queen. 281 Denver Doll’s Victory. 255 Denver Doll's Decoy ; or. Little Bill’s Bonanza, 291 Turk, the Boy Ferret. 296 Denver Doll’s Drift; or, The Road Queen. 299 A No. 1, the Dashing Toll-Taker. 808 ’Liza Jane, tbe Girl Miner; or, the Iron-Nerved Sport. 825 Kelley, Hickey & Co,, the Detectives of Philadelphia, B80 Little Qu!ck-Shot; or, The Dead Face of Daggeraville. 884 Kangaroo Kit; or, The Mysterious Miner, 889 Kangaroo Kit’s Racket. y 848 Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Blood. 858 First-Class Fred, the Gent from Gopher. 868 FA Nae Jim, the Gold-Gatherer; or, The Lottery o! ife. uist Hunter, letective, 872 Yreka Jim’s Prize. 878 Nabob Ned; or, The Secret of Slab City, BS2 Cool Kit, the King of Kids; or, A Villain’s Vengeance, B85 Yreka Jim’s Joker; or, The Rivals of Red Nose. 889 Bicyele Ben; or. The Lion of Lightning Lode, 894 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dam. 400 Wrinkles, the Night-Watch Detective. 416 High Hat Harry, the Base Ball Detective, 426 Sam Slabsaides, the Seggar-Boy Detective. 484 Jim Beak and Pal, Private Detectives, 488 Santa Fe Sal, the Slasher. 486 Sealskin Sam, the Sparkler, ne SS ts BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, ? The Flying Yankee; or, The Ocean Outcast. 17 Ralph Roy, the Boy Buccan:er; or. The Fugitive Yacht. 24 Diamond i irk; or, The Mystery of the Yellowstone, 62 The Shadow Ship; or, The Rival Lieutenants. 75 The Boy Duelist; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Wollf, 102 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Smuggier. 111 The Sen-Ievil 3 or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. 116 The Mussar Captains or, ‘The Hermit of Hell Gate, 197 Little Grit; or, Bessie, the Stock-Tender’s Daughter. 204 Gold Plume; or, The Kid-Glove Sport, 216 Bison Bill, the Prince of the Reins. 222 Grit, the Bravo Sport; or, The Woman Trailer. 229 Orimson Kate; or, The Cowboy’s Triumph. 287 Lone Star, the Cowboy Captain. 245 Merle, the Middy 3 or, The Freelance Heir. 250 The Midshipman Mutineer ; or, Brandt, the Buecaneer, 264 bd ved Floating Feather; or, Merle Monte’s Treasure siand. 269 The Gold Ship; or, Merle, the Condemned. 276 Merle Monte’s Crulse; or, The Chase ot “The Gold . ip.” 280 Merle Monte’s Fate; or, Pearl, the Pirate's Bride. 284 The Sea Marauder; or, Merle Monte’s Pledge. 287 Billy Blue-Eyes, the Boy Rover of the Rio Grande. 804 The Dead Shot Dandy; or, Benito. the Boy Bugler. 808 Keno Kit; or, Dead Shot Dandy’s Double. 814 The Mysterious Marauder; or, The Boy Bugler’s Long ralh. 877 Bonodel, the Boy Rover; or, The Flagless Schooner, B88 The Indian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island, 887 Warpath WILL, the Boy Phantom. 898 Seawailf, the Boy Lieutenant. 402 Isaodor, the Young Conspirator; or, The Fatal League. 407 The Boy Insurgent; or, The Cuban Vendetta, 412 The Wild Vachtaman; or, The War-Clouu’s Cruise. 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refugee. 488 A Cabin Boy’s Luck; or, The Corsair. 487 The Sea Raider. 441 The Ocean Firefly 5 or, A Middy’s Vengeance. 446 Maphazard Harry 3 or, The Scapegrace of the Sea. 450 Wizard Will; or, The Boy Ferre, of New York. 454 Wizard Will's Street Scouts, 462 The Born Guide; or. The Sailor Boy Wanderer. 465 Neptune Ned, the Boy Coaster. 474 Flora; or, Wizard Will’s Vagabond Pard, 488 Ferrets Afloat: or, Wizard Will’s Last Case, 4ST Nevada Ned, the Revolver Kanger. 495 Arizona doe the Boy Pard of Texas Jack, 497 Buck Taylors King of the Cowboys. 508 The Royal Middy ; or, The Shark and the Sea Cat. 507 The Hunted Midshipman, | 611 The Outlawed Mid y- 520 Buckskin BILL, the Comanche Shadow, 525 Brothers in Buckskin, 5630 The Buckskin Bowers, 635 The Bue skin Rovers. 540 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marauder of the Rio. 545 Lieutenant Leo, the Son of Lafitte. BY CHARLES MORRIS, 118 Will Somers, the Boy Detective. 122 Phil Hardy, the Boss Boy. 126 Picayune Pete ; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective. 180 Detective Dick; or, The Hero in Rags. 142 Handsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective, 147 Will Wildfire, the Thoroughbred. 152 Black Besa, Will Wildfire’s Racer. 157 Mike Merry, the Harbor Police Boy. 162 Will Wildfire in the Woods, 165 Billy Baggage, the Railroad Boy. ITO A bet ard; or, Will Wildfire Wins and Loses, 174 Bob Rockett; or, Mysterfes of New York. 179 Bob Rockett, the Bank Runner, 188 The Hidden Hand} or, Will Wildfire’s Revenge. 187 Fred HMalyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smuggiers, 189 Bob Rockett; or, Driven to the Wall. 196 Shadowed ; or, Bob Rockett’s Fight for Life. . 206 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective. 220 ‘Yom Tanner}; or, The Biack Sheep of the Flock, 225 Sam Charcoal the Premium Darky. 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 242 The Two “ Bloods”; or, Shenandoah Bill and His Gang. 252 Dick Dashaway ; or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago. 262 The Young Sharps:-or, Rollicking Mike’s Hot Trail. 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’« Job; or,"The Young Detective. 298 The Water-Hound; or, The Young Thoroughbred. 805 Dashaway, of Dakota; or, A Western Lad in the Quaker sity 824 Ralph Ready, the Hotel Boy Detective. 841 Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective, 3 858 The Reporter-Detective; or, Fred Flyer’s Blizzard. B67 Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times, 879 Larry, the Leveler; or, The Bloods of the Boulevard. 408 Fireily Jack, the River-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Finger; or, The Entrapped Cashier, 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invinelble L an, the Pinkerton Ferret, 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vagabond. 466 Wide-Awake Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive. 479 Detective Dodge; or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty, 488 Wild Dick Racket. 501 Boots, the Boy Fireman ; 0r, Too Sharp for the Sharper. BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, JR. 2 Yellowstone Jack; or, The Trapper. : 48 Black John, the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Retreat. 65 Murricane Bill; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard. 119 Mustang Sam; or, The King of the Plains. 186 Night-Hawk Kit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch. 144 Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. 151 Panther Paul; or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue. 160 The Black Glant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy. 168 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. 184 The Boy Trailers; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path, 208 The Boy Pardas; or, Dainty Lance Unmasks. 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City. 810 The Barranca Wolf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. 819 The Black Rider; or, The Horse-Thieves’ League, 885 Old Double Fist; or, The Strange Guide. 855 The King of the Woods: or. Daniel Boone’s Last Trail. 449 Kit Fox, the Border Boy Detective, BY BUFFALO BILL (Hon. Wm, F. Cody). 8 Kansas King; or, The Red Right Hand. 19 The Phantom Spy: or, The Pilot of the Prairie, 55 Deadly-Eye, the Unknown Scout. 68 Border Robin Hood; or, The Prairie Rover. 158 Faney Frank of Colorado; or, The Trapper’ Trust, BY OLL COOMES. & Vagabond Joe, the Young Wandering Jew. 18 The Dumb Spy. 27 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. 81 Keen-Knuilfe, the Prince of the Prairies. 41 Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. 68 The Border King; or, Tie Secret Foe. 71 Delaware Dick, the Young Renyer Spy. %4 Hawk-eye Harry the Young Tiapper Ronger. 88 Rollo, the ae anger. 184 Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman. 148 Sear-Face Saul, the Silent Houter. 146 Silver Star, the Boy Knight. 158 Eagle kit, the Boy Demon. 168 Little Texas, the Young Mustanger. 178 Old Solitary, the Hermit ‘Trapper, 182 Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain, 202 Prospect Pete; or, The Young Outlaw Honters, 208 The soy Hercules: or, The Prairi: Trampa, 218 Tiger Tom, the Texas Terror. 224 Dashing Dick; or, ‘Irapper Tom’s Casule, 228 Little Wildtire, the Yeung Prairie Newad, 288 The Parson Detective; or, The Little Rangex, 248 The Diaguised Gulde; or, Wild Riven, the Ranger. 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger, 272 Minkakin Mike, the Boy Shurpshooter. 290 Little Foxfire, the Boy Spy. 300 The Sky Demon ¢ or, Ruinbolt, the Ranger, 884 Whip-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero. 409 Hercules or, Dick, the Boy Ranger, 417 Webtoot Mone, the Tramp Detective. 422 Baby Sam, the Boy Giant of the Yellowstone, 444 Little Buckskin, tne Young Prairie Centaur. 457 Wingedfoot Fred 3 or, Old Polar Saul, 468 Tamarac ‘Vom, the Big Trapper Boy. 478 Old Tom Rattler, the Red River Epidemic. 482 Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. BY T. C. HARBAUGH. 28 Nick o’ the Night; or, Th Boy Spy of 76. 87 The Hidden Lodge; or The Litth Munter, AZ Nightingale Nat; +", Tne Forest Captrins, 64 Dandy Jack; or, The Outlaws of the Oregon Trai. 82 Kit Harefoot the Wood-Hawk. 94 Midnight Jack 3, or, The Boy Trapper. 106 Old Frosty, the Guide; or, The White Queen, 128 Kiowa Charley the White Mustinger. 189 Judge Lynch, Jr.i or, The Boy Visilante, 155 Gold Trigwer, the Sport; or, The Girl Avenger. 169 Tornado Tom; cr, Enjun Jack From Red Core. 188 Ned Temple, the Border Boy. 198 Arkansaw ?¢ or, The Quen of Fate's Revenge. 207 Navajo Nick, the Boy Gold Hunter, 215 Captain Bullet; or, Little Topknot’s Crusade, 281 Plucky Phil; or, Rosn, the Re: Jezebel. 241 Bill Bravo: or, Tie Roughs of the Rockies, 255 Captain Apoll ., the King-Pin of Bowie. 267 The Buckskin Detective. 279 Old Wines} or, The Buckskin Desneradoes, 294 Dynamite Dan; or, The Bowie Blade of Cochetopa. 802 The Mountain Detective; or, The Trigger Bar Bully 816 Old Eclipse, Trump Curd of Arizona, 826 The Ten Pards; or. The Terror «! Tuke-Notice, 886 Big Benson; or, The Queen of the La so. 845 Pitilesas Matt; or, Red Thunderhol *s Secret. B56 Cool samind Par’ 3 0 The Terrible Six, 866 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective. B86 Captain Cutlass; or, ‘he B ccaneer’s Girl Foe, 896 Rough Robs or, The (win Champions of Blue Blazes, 411 The Silken Lasso; or, The Rose of Raaci Robin. 418 Fellx Fox, the Boy Spotter. 425 Texas Trump, the Border Rattler. 486 Phil Flash, the New York Fox. 445 The City Vampires; or, Ked Rolfe’s Pizeon. 461 One Againat Fifty; or, ‘The Last Man of Keno Bar, 470 The Boy Shadow; or, Felix Fox’s Hant, 47? The Excelator Sport; or, The Washington Spotter. 499 Single Sight, the One-Eyed Sport. 502 Branded Ben, the Night Ferret. 512 Dodger Dick, the Wharf-Spy Detective. B21 Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge. 528 Fox and Falcon, the Bowery Shadows. 588 Dodger Dick, the Dock Ferret. 548 Dodger Dick’s Double; or, The Rival Boy Detectives, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 546 Captain Cactus, the Chaparral Cock. By Lieut. A. K- Sima. §47 Sandy Andy; or, A Good Man Down. | By P. S. Warne. 548 Mart, the Night Express Detective. By J.C. Cowdrick. 549 Deadwood Dick on His Mettle. By E. L, Wheeler. 550 Lafitte’s Legacy: or. The Avenging Son, By Col. Prentise Ingraham. B51 Nick Nettle, the Boy Shadow. By Jo Pierce. 552 Ariel, the Athlete. By David Druid. 558 Dodger Dick’s Desperate Case. By T. C. Harbaugh, 554 Vendwood Lick, Jr., in Gotham. By E, L. Wheelerr 555 The Creole Corsair. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. B56 Lariat Lil; or, The Cast fora Life. By Philip S. Warne. 557 Broadway Billy’s Death Racket. By J. C. Cowdrisk, BBS The Sure-Shot Pards. By Arthur C, Grisson. 559 Harlem Jack, the Office Boy Detective. By Jo Pierce. Ready April 10. 560 Pawnee Bill, the Prairie Shadower, By Col. P. Ingraham, Ready April 17. 561 Deadwood Dick In Boston, Ready Apiil 24. 562 Blundering Basil, the Hermit Boy Trapper. By Ol] Coomes, Ready May 1. A New Ieasue Every Tuesday. eThe Half-Dime Library 1s for sale by ai newsdealers, five: eenta per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Sireet, New York, By Edward L. Wheeler,