Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 524) (1887 08 09)
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$2.50 tgp, » Zui Redlight a kg! J. C,“COWDRICK, AUTHOR OF “REDLIGHT RALPH,” ‘‘ BROADWAY BILLY,” ‘“ CIBUTA JOHN,” ‘‘ SANDY SAM,” ‘DISCO DAN,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. WAS IT surcrpE? “MuRDERED? Daddy Gray murdered?” - Yes, sir,murdered. Shot right through the heart.” “Can it be possible? And there is no clew, you say?” No clew at all, so far as we could see. When the train stopped the old man did not open the door of his car as usual, and he made FIFTH EDITION es i. ww mS Seecocerrrererrr ri ie PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY Copyright, 1887, by AND ADAMS, BEADLE AND ADAMS, Price, No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. SAS = y tee BURKE TURNED INSTANTLY, TO FIND HIMSELF FACE TO FACE wITH THE ENGINEER DETECTIVE i fararai\ \ August 9; 1887,
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2 no reply when we knocked. Then we knew that something was wrong, and broke the door open with anax, There on the floor the old messen- ger lay, dead, and every door of the car was ocked—locked on the inside.” ** Locked on the inside?” (0 Vieusiain ‘You are sure of this?” “ Yes, sir, [ am,” ** And the door that you broke open?” **Tbat was both locked and bolted.” ** Well, it is a sad affair, and indeed a strange one. I will go down with you at once.” The first speaker in the above-quoted dialogue was Mr. Ralph Raymond, the superintendent and general manager of the Mansfield, Crans- ton & Oakvale Railroad The other was one Luke Warren, a conductor _ on the same road, * The scene was in the office of the Grand Hotel at Oakvale. Ralph Raymond was a young man, now about twenty-seven years of age; but young as he was, he had held the office of general manager for over two years. And to that office had re- cently been added the duties of superintendent. Ralph had formerly been superintendent of the road, having risen to that position from the lowly one of fireman, where he earned the sobriquet of “Redlight” Ralph; and from superintendent had been ap ted general man- ager. One Horace Humphrey had then suc- ceeded him as superintendent, but that gentle- man having recently died, the directors of the road been unanimous in their request to Ralph to.reassume the duties of that office. Luke Warren was considerably older than Ralph, he being at least forty-five, and had been an employee of the road for many years, It was night, and the hour was eleven. The ** Night Express” on the M, C, & O. had ar:ivyed at Oakvale only a short time previously, and Ralph Raymond and his wife had } been pas- sengers on that train. They had gone at oncé to the hotel, but barely had they reached there when the conductor of the train rushed into the office with the startling intelligence that mur- der had been committed, Ralph hastened to inform his wife of what had been done and where he was going, and then he and Luke.set out to return to the station, and oncé there the two hastened to the car where the murdered Eixpress-messenger lay. John Gray, or ‘‘ Daddy” Gray—as he had been popularly known, had been Express-mes- senger on the Night Express for many years, and had been well liked by all who knew him. He had been Ralph Raymond’s father’s most trusted friend, and had always shown a strong regard and liking for Ralph. a God! this is horrible!” the young super- intendent and manager exclaimed, when he be- held his dead father’s old friend lying lifeless on the floor of the car, and as he spoke he s down and laid his hand upon the pulseless breast. Q ‘ Dead, dead,” he said sorrowfully, ‘‘ and who can have done the fearful deed?” _ He straightened up and looked around in the car. ‘Ts everything exactly as it was found when the car was first opened?” he asked of those who 8 near, . ; “Yes, sir,” answered the baggage-master, whom the conductor had left inc arge of the car while he went to the hotel, ‘‘ everything is just as it wasfound.” __ “J ordered that nothing should be touched until ‘ returned with you,” the conductor ex- lained. ¥ ie ‘And have you made any discovery or found any clew?” Ralph inquired, ‘No, sir,” the bag} there seems to be no clew whatever.’ mite a crowd had collected by this time, and Nalph ordered the forced door of the car to be closed, pos This was soon done as well as possible, and then Ralph and the conductor and baggage- master began to search around. — Ralph turned his attention first to the safe. Jt was locked, and the key, attached toachain about a yard in length, was found in the dead messenger’s pocket. : ‘The key was quickly detached from the chain, and the safe opened, / a “Robbed!” the three exclaimed, the moment their eyes fell upon the contents. And soit was. Bived Ye tee A great man wax-sealed envelo’ were lying in the bottom of the safe, but all of them had been torn open at the end and the contents removed. ‘ It was a most mysterious affair, e-master replied, ‘and | The Engineer Detective. “‘ Has any one been out to notify the police?” Ralph inquired, ‘Yes, sir,” answered Luke, the conductor, **T sent a brakeman at once,” ‘That was right. And now—” At that moment there came a sharp rep at the end door, : . ** Who is there?” Ralph demanded. ‘* Police,” was the brief reply. ** Open the door, Luke,” Ralph ordered, ‘‘ and let them in,” The conductor opened the door, and two policemen and one man in ordinary ‘attire entered, : The latter was a detective, whom Ralph had met before. ‘Mr, Spottem,” he said, “‘ here isa case for you. Poor Daddy Gray has been murdered, and we want the mystery solved and the mur-, derer brougit to justice.” . The detective looked around sharply in a business-like way, as though taking in every object at one glance. ** Has the coroner been sent for?” he asked. ‘‘ No,” answered the superintendent, not that Iam aware of. Shall I send?” “‘ No, I will do so;” and turning to one of the policemen he directed him to perform the errand, The policeman started off, and then the de- tective inquired: ‘¢ When was the victim last seen alive?” ‘* When we stopped at Greenwood,” Luke Warren answered. “Did you ctop at any station between thtre and here?” oe No.” ** And when you arrived here he was dead?” “a Yes. ” ‘Who discovered it.first?” ‘Well, when be. did not open his door the men came and told me, and I broke it open with an ax. Then we found the messenger lying just as you see him now.” ‘* Has anything been stolen?” ‘“‘- Yes,” responded Ralph, ‘‘ the safe has Leen robbed.” ‘‘ Ah! that was the object then.” ‘¢ Clearly.” q And which way did the rascal leave the LPP, ‘‘ That, Mr. Spottem, is amystery. Every door was locked on the inside.” The detective looked puzzled. ‘‘ Was the safe broken open?” he asked. ‘On the contrary,” replied Ralph, “it was properly locked.” “And the key—was it in the lock as now?” _ “No: it was attached to that chain and was in the dead man’s pocket.” * : ‘‘1t is strange, decidedly. You say the man is shot?” a * Where?” _ ‘‘ Hyidently right in the heart. “And you found no clew when you first opened the car?” to Luke, - ee) “No; nothing.” “No weapon!” “ Nothing at all.” The detective paused to think. The body was lying crosswise of the car, face up. The left arm was extended, and the hand open. The right arm was doubled under the body in such a way that the hand could not be seen. The legs were lying straight out, and the feet were Close together. While he was pondering, the detective gazed steadily at oe body. Suddenly he asked: oe the man lying just as he lay when un aoe ‘Exactly the same,” answered Luke, ‘Then you have not seen his right hand? ‘We have not,” None of them fiad thought of it. “Will you pale me lift the body up?” the de- tective request _The conductor took hold, and together they lifted the unfortunate messenger from the floor and laid him upon the big Express-box. they did so a revolver fell from the lifeless wight os _ Redlight Ralph picked it a once. _ “Do you recognize it, Mr, Raymond?” the detective questioned. . “s bee answered Ralph, “J do.”. “ And it is the dead 1nan’s own weapon?” _ $6 Tt ig.” iscyte “Ts it ap full?’ ree looked. e.- 10,” he replied; ‘‘one chamber has been “Then my suspicion is confirmed.” a ——E—SS Ss Sf ee ee a ee. ‘‘ What is your suspicion, Mr. Spottem?” “That the man shat himself.” ‘“‘Néver!” cried Ralph, bis face flusbing. ’ “But,” the detective insisted, ‘‘ every circum- stance goes to in—” “I care not what the circumstances go to in- dicate,” cried Ralph, warmly; ‘‘it is a case of murder! Daddy Gray was as honest and bonor- able a ‘man as ever lived! Suicide is not to be thougit of!” ‘* But, sir, you must admit that—” ‘‘ladmit nothing that strengthens your sus- picion of so noble a man,” Ralph interrupted. “Pardon me, Mr. Raymond, but there are facts staring us in the face. We find this car securely locked on the inside. We find Mr. Gray lying dead on the floor. In bis right band is his own revolver, with one chamber empty. These are facts.” ‘And another fact,” added Ralph, “is that the.safe has been robbed,” “Exactly,” the detective admitted; “‘ and the safe was locked as usual, so you said, and the key was in the messenger’s pocket.” ‘Exactly, sir. And the fact that the safe has been 10bbed, is proof, to me, that this honest old man was murdered, Do you mean to add that you believe he robbed the safe himself, Mr. Spottem?” ‘* Never!” exclaimed Luke Warren. ‘‘ Daddy was as honest as the sun.” “TI believe nothing,” said the detective. ‘TI go according to what I see, You say it was not suicide, and I show you things to indicate that it was. Whichis right? The proof is all on my side. You have only the man’s previcus ood record to back you. Many a suppo:ed onest man has—” Redlight Ralph took a step forward, bis eyes flashing and a hot retort ready upon his lips. In an instant, though, he curbed bis indignation and said calmly: Z “* Pardon 4 show of anger, Mr. Spottem. You did not know Mr, oner and I admit that the theory you advance mus jook reasonable to you. But you can never make me believe it. ‘“‘The facts, as they stand, are before me,” returned the detective, ‘‘and 1 must accept them.” **Then you believe what you po ag hi : to clear the ttem, go ahead and do do the same. The name of Daddy Gray shall not bear a black stain if I can remove it, You will take up the case iu the behalf of the State, of course.” ‘‘Yes; unless the coroner decides that it is suicide.” “Very well; and all I ask is, do your best. What the coroner decides, however, cannot alter my opinion. Daddy Gray was my father’s ed and true friend long before I was born, He has been my friend. He was an honorable bon- est man. For me toentertain your suspicion for a moment, would be to degrade my manhood, No, as heaven is above us. I do not accept your theory! Daddy Gray has been murdered, foully and cruelly murdered, and the mystery shall be cleared if I have to devote my life to the task. Such is my firm resolve.” CHAPTER II. DADDY GRAY’S DAUGHTER, OAKVALE being the western terminus of the erty the Night Saxpress had reached its desti- nation. But engine and cars were standing in the station just when the train had stopped, and all the trainmen and many of the passengers were collected: forward on the end of the platform by the Express car. The Express-car was next tothe engine. Then came the baggage car, and next to that was the combined mail and smoking-car. Then followed two coaches and a .parlor-car, : The end of the baggage car that was next to the Express-car was locked, and there were several trunks piled up against the door. It was impossible for any one to leave the Express-car while the train had been in mo- tion. Where, then, if the messenger had been mur- Band, was the gle pha hie ye : was simply impossible, too, for any one to leave the Express-car and leave all the doors: locked on the inside. ; y : Was the detective right in his theory of suicide? 2 As he declared, everything Just as Ralph Raymond uttered the words inted that way. — a
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PCR = NN ~ oe “N » The Engineer Detective. ** Who is there?” demanded Luke Warren. ‘* It is me, Gilsom,” was the response, with the customary grammatical slip that a similar question tails to bring out. Gilsom was the railroad agent at Oakvale, * What do you want?” asked Ralph. ‘* There is a porter here from the hotel, sir, in- quirmg for two trunks for a lady who came in on the train.” ‘* Well, they must be in the baggage-car.” “The baggage is all out of my car, sir,” the baggage-master spoke. ‘** No,” persis the agent, “they were sent by Express.” “Well, in that case you will have to wait a few minutes. The porter was right behind the agent, and exclaimed: ‘But, sir, the lady is anxious to have ’em as soon as possible, sir, and—” ‘They will be delivered soon,” said Ralph; and then to the agent he added: “You, Gilsom, come in here by the end door and look the way-bills over.” ‘Yes, sir,” the agent assented, and hastened to obey. In a. few minutes more the coroner appeared on. the scene. The case was laid before him just as it was understood, ‘When will you hold your inquest, sir?” the superintendent inquired. ‘To-morrow, sir,” that officer decided. **Then you will want these men as witnesses?” “Yes. I will take their names now,” **Do so, and I will arrange to relieve them from duty, May we now remove the body?” “* Yes, it may now be removed,” A wide board was brought, and the body of the poor messenger was carried into the station. An undertaker was sent for, and later the body was removed to his place of business. In the mean while, as soon as the body had been taken from the car the agent began to deliver the Express. The two trunks which the porter from the hotel was so anxiously waiting for, were of the Jargest kind. They were solidly made, and had every appearance of having seen a great deal of travel, ‘You say these belong to a lady?” the agent remarked, as he delivertd them, “Yes, sir.” : ‘“‘She must have come to stay, then, I should imagine,” the agent commented. **She’s an actress, I b’lieve,” the porter ex plained. ‘*Oh! that accounts for big trunks, then.” And so the trunks were given to the porter, and he, with the help of his assistant, put them into the hotel cart and bore them away, Jn the mean while, to use the phrase again, Ralph Raymond and Luke Warren were in con- versation, standing apart from the others, ‘Tt will be a terrible blow to her,” Luke was saying, ‘‘and I am not auxious to be the one to break the news.” **On second thought,” said Ralph, ‘‘I believe I will go back to the hotel and get Mrs. Ray- mond to accompany me, and go and tell the r girl myself.” “It is a good idea, sir; and if you will allow me to express my opinion, I think she could break the news more gently than either of us.” “You are right, and so it shall be done. Now, you put away your train us soon as tho ress is unloaded, and switch Daddy’s car down onto the lower side-track and let it stand there. ‘To-morrow it be in mourn- ing. Tell the driller to put another car in its place in the train.” “ Allright, And then you mean to relieve me for a day?” “Yes; you and your men. I will arrange at once.” And step Ing into the telegraph office, Ralph entered into conversation with the train- dispatcher, Whose office was at the other end of the road. The girl mentioned in the remarks quoted, was Ethel Gray, Daddy’s daughter, and only child She was now twenty years of age, and had been her father’s idol, Bor mother was dead, ed sho aie, Daddy ee een al in all to each other, Daddy owned a little house in Oakvale, and Ethel had been his housekeeper ever since her _ twelfth year. As soon as Ralph concluded his business with the dispatcher, he returned at once to the hotel and ordered a : carriage. “You will pardon me,” the clerk said, ‘‘ but ‘ CO eR ES oat ‘ : 2 c Mrs, Raymond ordered a carriage shortly after you went out, as you may not know.” ‘* Ah! then I do not want one. Did she leave any word for me?” “She said tell you, if T pes: came here before she saw you, tbat she had gone to see Ethel.” *‘ All right,” and Ralph turned to go out, “TI was so quick with my order that | gave you no chance to speak. I understand the mes sage,” fe turned his steps in the direction of the dead messenger’s home. “Brave, noble Jeanne!” he exclaimed in thought, as he walked along, “her first thought was for the poor girl, and she hastened to her side at once.” When he arrived at the house, he found the carriage there, and when he knocked, it was his wife who opened the door, Ethel was seated in a low rocker, on the oppo- site side of the room, her face buried in her hands. Ralph’s first glance at his wife was a ques- tioning one. - “ Does she know?” his eyes asked. And the unspoken answer was, ‘* Yes,” Late as the hour was, Ethel had a light su per ready for her father, and had been watch- ing for him to come. And the room was so bright and cheery, and the pleasing odor of the tea in the urn was so homelike, that Ralph felt a lump rise in his throat as he thought of the honest old man whose step would nevermore be heard within those walls. Murdered—if murder it was; and what a hor- rible thing murder is! *“*Oh! Mr. Raymond!” the poor girl exclaimed, after a moment, ‘‘ tell me it is not true. Isit really so? Is he—” She could say no more. *“T only wish I could tell you it was not so,” Ralph answered in a trembling voice. rs. Raymond went to the girl and did all in her power to console her, as did. Ralph. After a time, when the first burst of grief was followed by a comparative calm, Ethel in- quired: ‘* Where is he? Where is th—the body?” Reiph informed her, adding: “Give yourself no uneasiness concerning the arrangements, Pat e hee. shall be attended to, and the whole care taken off your bands, And anything you desire done, you have but to men- tion it.” “But you know I am poor, Mr, Raymond, and the—” “Do not think of that at all. Every expense shall be borne by the company.” Ethel could not’ give voice to her thanks, After a time ph asked: **Do you know of any one, Miss Gray, who could possibly have had any object in taking your father’s life?” ** No, sir, I do not.” “Had he any enemies?” ‘No, sir, not one, so far as I know.” “Have you ever heard him say anything about the danger of his business? Did he ever speak about robbers?” “* No—yes, he did once.” **'When was that?” hie dong or two ago, I think,” ** What did he say then?” “T fear I cannot repeat bis exact words. He had been reading an account of a daring rob- bey out West, and as he laid down the paper, he said; “Well, all I have to say is—if any robber ever enters my car, he must be prepared to shoot almighty quick! And as he said it he drew his pistol from his pocket and aimed at an ary (ar | robber,” : via ; h! that gives me an idea,” Ralph exclaim- ed, “‘and I won.:er why I did not think of it be- ore. ‘* What is that?” asked his wife. “Why, Mr. Gray had his revolver in his right band, and one of the chambers had been fired, There were no marks of blood except where he lay, and so we must suppose he did not hit his murderer, if he fired at him. I wish I could know whether his revolver had been full or not,” ; “Tt was full!” Ethel quickly exclaimed. ‘‘ He put in new cartridges only this morning.” “Good! Then if he fired one to-night, before or at the time he was hit, the bullet must be somewhere inside the car. And, if it is there it shall be found, for that will at once disprove the suspicion that—” a Ralph stopped short, but the mischief was one. “The suspicion that— What?” Ethel quickly demanded. ‘ ts Dg =o a —— s et gees) “T was thinking of something else,” Ralph re- sponded, evasively. “Do not try to blind me, Mr. Raymond, but tell me all,” the girl insisted. ‘' You sterted to say that if you could find the bullet from father’s pistol, it would at once disprove some suspicion. Go on and finish what you were going to say. What is suspected?” Ralph thought for a moment before he made reply. Should he tell ber that the detective believed her father had killed himself? If he did not, the uncertainty in her mind would be more trying than the truth, and on the morrow she would lear the truth anyhow, Yes, he would tell her. ‘I see I have gone too far not to tell you all,” he said. ‘“‘The truth is—there is a suspicion that your father killed himself.” **Good heavens! But, surely you do not be- lieve that, do you?” ** No, I do not, emphatically.” * And how can any. one else?” “No one who knew your father as I did, could entertain such a suspicion,” Ralph responded, *“* T believe that he was murdered.” ‘* Who is it who thinks he killed bimseH?” the girl asked, “Tt is the detective who has undertaken to clear the mystery up.” ““And why does he think so? What gronnd has he for such a suspicion?” Seeing that Ethel was determined to know all, Ralph laid the case before her exactly as 18 - stood. The girl and Mrs. Raymond listened atten- tively, and when they had heard all, the former exclaimed: ‘* Heavens! do they believe that my poor father robbed the safe, and then committed suicide? Ob! how can they think so? It is not so, Mr. Raymond, and the mystery must be cleared away!” : ‘And I have firmly resolved that it shall be cleared away,” Ralph declared. “No pains shall be spared, and. I will move all heaven and earth, as the saying is, to bring the guilty wretch to account.” At Mrs. Raymond’s suggestion, Ralph and she decided to stay with Ethel all night, for the poor giri was now entirely alone. Ralph went back to the hotel in the carriage his wife had ordered, dismissed it then and told the clerk to still retain bis room for him, and then went back to r Daddy Gray’s house— the home that would know him no more for- ever. And the night hours rolled on. CHAPTER III. ‘“ByY HIS OWN HAND.” THE general offices of the M. C. & O. Railroad were all at Mansfield, the eastern terminus of the road, The superintendent and manager, however, had gq temporary office at Oakvale, where he transacted business when in that city, Ralpb Raymond was seated in that office, on the following morning, attending to some im- portant business concerning the rT He bad about finished the work when the door of the office me cae and a young engineer of the road entered. He wasa man about twenty-five, well-built, and noble-looking, and was clad in his overalls and jumper. / This young man was Frank Forrester, or “Footboard ” Frank. as he was generally called. He was one of the youngest engineers on the read, and was re on a Night Freight be- tween Mansfield and Oakvale, His home was at the latter place. He had just come in off the road, as the ap- arance of bis hands and face indicated, and oben at once to the superintendent’s office after putting away his engine. “ trainee vege Redlight Ralph ted bim; ‘“ did you just get in?” “ Yes,” Frank answered, “or at least only a few minutes ago.” * And you want to see mef” “Yes, sir, I wamt you to put amaninmy place for a week.” “ Put a man in your place?” t “ ” _ “What for? You are not sick, are you” « Noo air, but I have business to attend to, I mean to hunt down the man who killed Daddy Tay!” ; ; “ What! you mean to turn detective?” . “T do.” “ Why are you so interested in the case? Was Daddy a relative of yours?” ‘No, he was not; but Ethel Gray is my prom- ised wife, and—” ~~
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a a ere —s —_—— f i The Engineer Detective. ed it as his belief that the fatal bullet had been. fired from Daddy Gray’s own revolver, The hour for the inquest was now at hand, } and as it was to be held at the underlaker’s. ' *‘Oh-ho! I see.” ‘‘ As we certainly shall, if it.is here to be * I did not learn of the sad affair, until we | found. Are you done searching for it?” stopped at Greenwood, and I got but few of the ‘Yes, since you are here for the same pur- particulars until I arrived here, I believe there | phse, I will give it up.” is a Suspicion that the honest old man shot bim- After some further remarks the detective | place, the witnesses and others were there. self. Ido not believe that, and I made up my | went away, and then Ralph and Frank began The door had been locked, in order to keep. mind to take a hand in the matter.” | their search, out the crowd, It was now opened, and the ‘‘ Nor do I believe it,” Ralph declared; ‘‘and | The car had been painted not long before, and | witnesses entered the main room, followed by I have resolved that the mystery shall be cleared | any spot such as a bullet-hole could be easily | the crowd until the room was filled. : }? detected by a careful search. It is unnecessary to give the inquest in de- “ And you will relieve me from duty?” They first examined the ceiling. tail. j ‘‘ Yes, if you are determined to take hold of Carefully they went over it, from one end of What the verdict was can perhaps be readily the case.” . the car to the other, but no trace of the looked- | foreseen. The coroner selected his jury, very carefully. and then his inquess began. The dead man had last been seen alive at Greenwood. The train had made no stop be- tween that station and Oakvale. When the train arrived at Oakvale the door of the Express- “*T am. But, have you seen Miss Gray, or | for bullet could be found, Then they examined f heard anything from her? I am more than | the sides, ends and floor in the same manner. f anxious to know how she is.” They spent fully an hour at the task, but at , “Yes, | have. I and Mrs, Raymond stayed | last were obliged to own that the bullet could : all night with her, and Mrs, Raymond is with | not be found. her now. It was a terrible blow to her, but she ‘This is discouraging,” Frank had to decide ies |: bears up well.” when they started back to the office. car had to be forced open. John Gray was ‘Poor Ethel! Ican well imagine her grief. ‘It certainly is,” Ralph admitted. ‘ It will | found dead on the fluor, He had been shot, In I must go and see her soon, Will you give me | be more discourging, though,” he added, ‘if | his right hand was his revolver, with one all the particulars of the sad affair, Mr. Ray- | the bullet found in poor Daddy’s body happens | chamber empty. All the doors of the car were moud ?”’ to be of the same kind and size as those in his | secured on the inside. No one on the tram could . ‘* Certainly,” Ralph answered, and he pro- | revolver. go into or get out of the Express-car under these | ceeded to do so, “Don’t mention it,” Frank protested. ‘‘ It | circumstances. No other person was in the car when it was forced open. The bullet had been recovered from the dead man’s body. It was declared by an expert to be of the same size and kind as those in the revolver, and was undoubt- Wham he concluded, Footboard Frank has- | would be almost proof positive of either acci- tened to remark: ' dent or suicide.” F ‘It is a mystery with a vengeance, and I do ‘* And with the robbery of the safe, it could not wonder the detective came to the conclusion | not be looked upon as an accident.” he did. But he is wrong. No one who knew “That is true, Still, I would not believe it. ( L Daddy Gray well would give credit to such a | What! Daddy Gray rob a safe and commit sui- | to a motive—the safe was found robbed of @, suspicion,” cide? Never!” large sum of money. ‘The dead messenger was edly the one from the now empty chamber, As ea ‘- You are right,” Ralph echoed. ‘* Even supposing he did, what did he do with | spoken of by every witness as being a man of | ‘One thing must be done.” the money? strict honesty and honor. Perhaps the safe bad ‘What is that?” “But he did not, and that settles the whole | been robbed’ at some other point on the road, “The bullet must be extracted from the dead | matter. I say as you say—that he was mur- | and when it was discovered by the messenger, rt man’s body.” dered. And it is for us to prove it, and bring | he, in respair, had taken his own life. **[ have thought of the same thing. And we | the murderer to account.” Such, in substance, were the evidence and the must go down to that car and find where the “And we will!” Ralph declared, earnestly, | coroner’s charge, and a verdict was returned in bullet from Daddy Gray’s pistol went to.” — “T shall let you take the case, Frank, giving | accordance; that is, “‘ that Jobn Gray, in a mo- ‘Sure enough! And between the two points, | you all the help I can. ‘You will go into it with I think we can prove it a case of murder. We | a determination, I know.” will find that the bullet that took the man’s life They had now reached the office, and there was not from his own pistol ac all, and if we | they parted. Footboard Frank went home at can find where his went to, it will prove that | once, washed up and changed his clothes, and ment of despair at the discovery that his safe had been robbed, had committed suicide.” CHAPTER V. y HERE IS A MYSTERY. On the arrival of the Night Express at Oak- he fired in defense.” then, after a hasty breakfast, hurried to Daddy ) “Well, I am going down to the car now. | Gray’s house to see Ethel. vale on the previous night, to turn back fora Will you come with me?” Their meeting was very affecting. moment to that time, there was, among the pas- ; : ‘Yes, of course. I am eager to be at work, Mrs, Raymond was still there, and indeed she | sengers of the parlor car, a woman who appeared ‘ tiredaslam.” — was Ethel’s only consoler, to be traveling alvne. They left the office and started across to Many friends were dropping in to express She was handsome and well-dressed, and look- where the Express-car stood, now draped in | their sorrow and sympati y, but no one could mourning. comfort the stricken girl as Jeanne Raymond ‘ My first idea was,” said Ralph, ‘‘ to send for | could. a Pinkerton man, Now, however, I have an- Frank spent some time with Ethel, and then other idea.” he went back again tothe office, at an hour “ And what is that?” when Ralph had told him to come, and the “To take care of the case ourselves. Any | two went to the undertaker’s where the body one else would set out with the theory of sul- | was, ed to be about thirty years of age. poe Her manners’ were very quiet and lady-like, ; and she seemed accustomed to the ways of the « world. : When she alighted from the car at the Oak- 7 vale station, she approached Ralph Raymond and his wife und asked if they could direct her , to > Sond hotel, ¥ a | | pa informed her that he was one to the cide, and lose valuable time at the very start. True to his word, Redlight Ralph—for so he We do not believe anything of the kind. We | was still often called, despite his high position— | Grand Hotel, and she, too, entered the stage are thoroughly convinced that the poor old | was taking full charge of the funeral arrange- | that conveyed passengers from the station to messenger Was murdered, There is some great | ments, and between him and his charming wife | that house. re mystery at the back of it all, but what that | every care was lifted from Ethel’s shoulders. There were four or five een they. all told: ; mystery is we must learn,” en they arrived there the body was lying | who went to the hotel. hen they reach **But for one thing,” Footboard Frank re-! ona big slab in a rear room, and several men | there, this woman proceeded at once to the : marked, ‘‘I would be inclined to believe that | were present. ladies’ parlor, and calling a servant of the ue Daddy shot himself by accident,” Among these were Mr. Spottem, the detective, | house, she sent immediately to the office for the % f ‘* And that one thing,” added Redlight Ralph, | and the coroner, the undertaker, a surgeon, and | clerk, Bi -,4 ud ‘* is the fact that the safe was robbed,” several more. . The clerk, busy at the moment, sent an assist... | * * Dae , The surgeon was just preparing to remove the | ant to wait upon her. Re } ‘*T had the same thought, but the fagt of the | bullet from the dead man’s owe ‘+ Are you the clerk? the lady asked, ee ; robbery caused me to throw it aside, I insist Ralph and Frank were just in time, for the + No,” was the reply, ‘‘ but he sent me. Tam ‘2 Te that it was murder,” ; surgeon was about to begin his work when they | his assistant. Hef “And sodo I, No mere chain of circum- | went in. ; v ‘Tt is all the same, Is therea Mr. Palmere } stances can make me think otherwise.” To describe the removing of the bullet in de- stopping here? ; “% ee And so they talked on until they came to | tail is neither necessary por desirable here, Let “T think not, ma’m. I will ascertain 1n a mo- ie) ke : where the car stood, it be sufficient to say that under the skillful | ment, to be sure.” ffi Res. Me eves “There is some one in the car.” Frank said, | hands of the surgeon it was soon located, and | The assistant hurried back to Lad office, and Cae ee by when they reached it. then speedily brought to light. soon returned with the information that no such ze “I believe there is,” Ralph agreed, he too| Detective Spottem was so anxious to see it | person was reget ed.” th . ‘edn q having heard a slight noise within. that he could hardly wait until it had first been Then he has not yet arriv ; the woman i f They sprung up the steps and tried the door. | delivered to the coroner. remarked. ‘‘ Mr, Palmere is at usband,” she 4k ee q _ “Who is there?” a voice demanded. The coroner had taken charge of the, dead | added, ‘and 1 will take rooms ! ere and wait for | ey ns is “J, Ralph Raymond,” was the instant re- | man’s revolver, and had had one of the bullets | him. He may come yet to-night; if not, then we. mae ' bse, i it contained taken from its shell. he will be here to-morrow. mee ate H door was opened at once, and Mr. Spot-| He now compared them, in silence, and then | _ Such a statement as this the reader ak A a xe ee ee) tem, the detective, was seen. handed them to the detective to do the same. ems rae strange, say the least. CO \ Sus : station the woman hotel, and being directed to the Grand Hotel, ** Good: spornin gy iy Spottem?” the superin-| ‘‘ By heavens!” the detective exclaimed, “ they im; ( Ris she gces there and at once ingest for a man ad inquired for a_ good eae Btat j tendent greeted ‘are you looking over | arealike! They are both of the same size end . F “Sao | the ground agai kind.” P Bee). “Yes,” ae | to the greeting; “‘Iam| Heinturn handed them to Redlight Ralph, ‘ 5 ? - j : : - 7
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y well, do so, Here, accept this for yourself,” drawing a crisp bill from a weli-filled pocketbook and offering it to the man; ‘and please attend to it directly.” “Yes, ma’m. Thank you.” ** And when they come, have them carried up | to my room without delay. <All my costumes and dresses are in them, and I must get them unpacked and hung up at once,” “Yes, ma’m,” the clerk—or assistant—prom- ised, now all attention and anxious to please; “and, ma’m, what kind of room will you have?” “On! to besure. I want two or three rooms, -en suite, and positively on the second floor.” ‘* Yes, ma’m,” ** And, if possible, I want them over the ve- randa. Iam so afraid of fire,” “Yes, ma’m, I will bring the keys and light you up at once, ma’m.” ‘* You have such rooms as I desire, then?” ‘Yes, I believe we have, ma’m.” The assistant clerk hastened away to the office again, was gone a few minutes, and then came back and conducted the woman up to the rooms, ** You will not forget the trunks?” she said, as che was going down, **T have already sent for them, ma’m,” he an- -swered, with a servile bow. The woman closed the door after him, but 4 ae opened it again at once to call: ; “Tf Mr. Palmere should come to-night, as he may, tell him to come to these rooms,” = Yes, ma’m,” with another bow, and the pgs passed on and the woman reclosed the -door. ) The moment she did so, an was entirely alone her face took ona new expression—an expres- ‘sion of fear and dread, as near as it may be de- | -seribed, Clasping her hands together, she strode to the center of the room with the air of a tragedy ‘queen, and there paused: ‘** My God!” she muttered, half aloud, ‘‘ what ; was it I heard said about murder ? The voices ; _» yreached me from the office when the clerk was ae seeing about my room. Can it be that at last— Bat, no! I will not believe that it can be true!” Dropping her hands to her sides then, she be- to pace to and fro acrvuss the floor in an agi- : ‘tated manner. & ‘* Somehow,” she went on, ‘‘I have had a feel- ing of uneasiness all the evening. I have felt that some great danger was at hand. And now ual! the presentiment is stronger than ever. What ' can it mean? I shall know no peace until I see Ly Burke, Why do the trunks not come? I for- : get, though, that the man has not had time to get them.” x Oe So this strange woman continued, pacing to . and fro, to and fro, and talking to herself the Beane | sxe), bite, ; She only paused once, and that was to lay ware aside her hat and wrap. a0 Ms 7 Then she resumed her walking. ss At last, after some little delay, for the reason 4 - ‘shown, the trunks arrived, and promptly taken ma! | ie up to Mrs. Palmere’s rooms. xo Tad The assistant clerk, having been generously a ee 6 tipped: was more than anxious to please. ohn = Sond . Palmere directed the porters where to ee place the trunks, and then as soon as they were Ait Z ‘gone from the room she locked the door, arfd a bis = a later turned the light in her room very pat low, be Twenty minutes later a man entered the hotel office, approached the clerk, and asked: + “Isa ies, Palmere registered here?” “Yes, sir,” the clerk promptly responded. Np. + be She inquire for me—for Mr. Palmere?” a Yes,’ ___- ** When did she arrive?” sy bled “*She came by the Night Express, and eame ~~ here something ‘over half an hour ago, Yes, ; ee pearly an bour ago, in fact.” Ye ad she baggage?” Nine 66 S, ** Cd Of course.” } “Here, Jake,” the clerk galled to his aasist- gentleman up to Parlor No, 4,” __ At mention of that room, the assistant was on _ “Ves, sir; certainly, sir; - wa. ease, ir,” he said rapidly; and he led the ies _ When they arrived at the door of Mrs. Palmere’s room, the assistant knocked, The Engineer Detective. ‘Who is there?” w ‘*T—your husband, responded. he door was opened at once. Mr, Palmere went in, the door closed again, and the assistant. clerk went back to his chair, Had any one been there to witness it, it was a strange meeting between husband and wife who had not seen each other recertly. They did not even shake hands, Mr. Palmere dropped upon a chair, and as Mrs, Palmere had secured the door, she too sat down, Neither spoke. The two big trunks were there where they had been placed, but they were no longer locked. Both of them stood open. One, the larger of the two, was entirely empty, and the other seemed to contain clothing, ete, The eyes of Mr. Palmere rested upon the empty one, Ais. Palmere was the first to speak. **Tt is borrble!” she exclaimed. ** You're a fool!” the man retorted bluntly, in low tones, ‘““Why am I a fool?” the woman demanded, with a show of spirit. ‘* Because you are always croaking about the ‘horrible’ and the ‘dangerous.’ It is not half as horrible as it might be.” ‘* How could it be worse?” ‘*Wauld it not be worse if it had worked the other way?” ‘* For you, no doubt.” ** Ay, and for you, too,” * How?” “I think it would have been made quite interesting for ‘Madame Sibylla,’ my dear, The woman turned pale, and her very soul seemed to quake, : ‘But, as it is,” she said, faintly, ‘‘ how could it be worse?” ‘* How could it, eh? Well, let me illustrate, if Ican. Suppose suspicion were to fall this way, and some clew had been left, would—” ‘* Heavens!” the woman gasped, springing to her feet,” are you sure no clew was left?” ‘* Ha, ha, ha!” the man laughed balf aloud, “T see you faintly realize how it might be worse,” ‘‘ But, tell me,” the woman persisted, “are ou sure there is no way in which suspicion can ead to you?” “To us, you mean, Yes, Iamsure. Iam no fool, and I took every precaution to guard against it. We have nothing to fear,” he woman resumed her seat with a sigh of relief. teed some minutes neither of them spoke again, hen the silence was broken it was the woman who spoke first, as before, ‘* What are we to do?” she asked. asked. Mr. Palmere instantly more,” f ‘“‘ What! you surely do not mean to carry it further pow, do you?” ‘Why not?” “Think of the danger.” “There you are again, croaking as usual, I declare you are enough to make me tired. Of course I shall try itagain. Why not?” ** Lsbould think this night’s experience would satisfy you.” “So it does, in that line. I. want no more of ®%. But, ivis wkat I have expected, and I was prepared. It may never happen again,” ‘No; but something else may.” “We must risk that,” Again followed silence, t could be the meaning of so strange a conversation? Et was clear in one respect, but it was far from clear in another. Who were those two? And what was the subject of their conversation? Had it aught to do with the murder—or suicide—of the Express- messenger? Mrs. Palmere, as she called herself, had come in on the same train, and ber husband, if he was her husband, had come to the hotel an hour later, almost. She had inqui uired for him, and he for her, when they arrived, aud yet when they met, it =x Pony who was half dozing in a chair, “‘ you show | was with an air as though they had but recently parted company. Presently’ Mire Palmere rose and crossed to where the trunks stood. Closing the lid of the empty one, she turned to the other and began to take her dresses from it. There were several of them, and some that were undoubtedly intended for stage wear. “Thave announced that I am Madame Si: bylla, an actress,” she remarked presently. * That is all right,” the man returned, ‘* You. are here for a little rest, and so forth.” ‘* Ave there any Paynes in this town?” ‘*T suppose so; it is quite a city.” ‘* Then perhaps I can catch on to do a little specialty work, or to give a matinee in behalf of charity, as I have done before,” ‘* Yes, perhaps you can, That charity racket is a good one, I will see what can be done.” ‘There will be a great excitement to-morrow, no doubt.” ‘“*Tf you mean over the case, there is a great excitement now. It has nothing to do with us, however. Itis the talk of the town, I fancy, from scraps of conversation I caught. I think, though, it will have to be set down as suicide, But come, let’s to bed, for 1 am fagged out.” Ha! ‘‘ suicide,” eh? Surely their conversation was conce ning poor Daddy Gray. Next morning, Mme. Sibylla and her husband played the parts of loving man and wife to per- ection, ras iets CHAPTER V. ONE FACT PROVEN, When Redlight Ralpb and Footboard Frank left the undertaker’s room, after the inquest was over, Detective Spottem followed them out, ‘‘ Well,” he inquired, addressing Ralph, ‘* what is your opinion now, Mr, Raymond?” “‘Tt is the same as before, sir,” Ralph prompt- ly answered, The det ctive smiled. ‘Then you will not be convinced that it was suicide, eh?” he queried. ** No, sir, I will not! Had the safe rot been robbed, I should be inclined to think that the shooting was an accident; but, as it is, I still be- lieve that it was murder,” ‘* But how can it be? How did the murderer et out of the car? And where is the bullet Prat the dead man’s weapon?” ‘* We are not sure that he fired at all at that time. That cartridge may have been shot out previously.” “That is true; but the fact thet one chamber was found empty, and a bullet of the right kind and size was found in the body, and the car being securely locked on the inside, we must call it suicide,” “I admit,” Ralph owned, ‘‘ that_everything goes to favor that theory, and that I have not a single point or clew to support ae argument, but I still insist that Daddy Gray did not die by hisown hand, You look upon the tre, of the safe as a motive for the act, while I look upon it as proof of murder,” “But, we do aot_insist that Mr. Gray robbed the safe himself, Mr. Raymond; in fact, the coroner stated quite the contrary.” ‘That does not alter my opinion in the least. I know that Mr. Gray never robbed the safe himself; and to discover that it had been mys- teriously robbed while in his charge, would never have made him take his own life.” ‘We do not know that, He may have had a fear that he would be suspected of the crime, and under the impulse of the moment, fired the bullet into his heart.” ‘*Never!” exclaimed Footboard Frank, ‘+ Hig Tapa was too firmly established, and hig in parity too well known, You are right, Frank,” supplemented Ralph. ‘“« Besides, he would have thought twice before doing so rash an act, and would he not have con- sidered that. to take his hfe under such circum. stances would be to bave the finger of suspicion pointed at him? Furthermore, would he not have left some word of writing? And would he not have left at least one door of the car unfast- ened? I think so.” _— ev Mr. Spottem was for a moment silent. Here were some points he had not thought of, or at least not in the same light. ; Mr. Spottem was not a great detective by any means, and it was scarcely likely that he would ever become a sbining light in his pro- fession. “T must admit that your argument is good, Mr.Raymond,” be confessed, presently, ‘ unless it was the man’s desire to leave the impression that be had been robbed and murdered, “In that case,” ace Footboard Frank, quickly, ** he would have been certain to leave a door unlocked,” : ‘Of course,” agreed Ralph, ‘But it is use- less to debate the question, You have your theory, apd | we have ours, The peer: a his jury support you in your opinion, and we are loft without a leg to bai pas ap tly. Still, we insist in our belief, and shall endeavor to clear the mystery up.”
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6 The Engineer Detective. ‘* Then you mean to investigate further?” ‘* Most assuredly, sir.” “ Well, I wish you success, but I am afraid the mystery will always stand just as it is,” “You give the case up, do you?” “Yes; the verdict of suicide takes it off my hands. There is nothing further for us to do, unless you require our aid in the matter of the robbery.” ‘* And that we shall investigate ourselves.” So they parted, and so stood the case then, Redlight Ralph, Footboard Frank, Luke Warren and the others of the railroad men who had been present at the inquest, all returned to the station, and Ralph and Frank entered the former’s oftice. ‘* Well,” remarked Ralph, as they sat down, ““no need for us to assure each other that our opinion of the case remains the same.” ‘“‘ Not the least.” ‘* Well, what do you propose doing first? As I told you, I shall let you take the case, and will give you all the help I can. If, however, we nd it too deep for us, then I shall send for one of Pinkertor’s best men,” “ It will not take us long to test our ability, I guess.” ‘* Perhaps not. But, go ahead and give me an idea of your intended first move.” “Well, first of all, { mean to ascertain be- tween which stations that safe was robbed.” “Ha! you take hold like a veteran! How will you set to work to learn that ?” ‘“*] will tell you: I have asked some questions already, and 1 have learned that the agent at Greenwood sends more or less money by Ex- press to this city every night. I must learn whether or not he sent any last night. If he did, that must be a part of the stolen money, and it will prove that the safe was robbed be- tween Greenwood and here.” ‘*T see; a good idea.” ‘* The safe is locked now, just as it was left on the finding of the robbery. I shall go down to the car and overhaul it, having now your per- mission, and the empty money-envelopes will tell their own tale.” ; ‘*' You are right, and the idea is excellent.” “Then, if I find that the robbery was com- mitt2d after the train left Greenwood, it will be roof positive, to our minds, that it was the rob- Ber who killed poor Daddy.’ apes, * Then tery of how it was done,” “‘ And that, from all appearances, will prove no trifling task.” ‘* You are right; and I have fears that I shall not prove equal to it.” After some further conversation regardin the case and the details concerning the funera arrangements, Footboard Frank left the office, and Ralph turned to some business, of which he always had plenty to attend to. ° Frank went first to see Ethel Gray, to inform her and Mrs. Raymond of the result of the in- uest. . From there he went again to the Express-car, where he was to take his first step as an ama- teur detective. Letting himself in, he locked the door after him, and then turned his attention to the safe. Uae tad the key from his pocket—the same one Daddy Gray had carried for so long a time Prey sopelied it to the lock, turned it, and raised 68 . The safe had not been disturbed, and its con- tents were the same as on the ae night. Frank took up the envelopes, and began to ex- amine them one by one. Presently he found two that were directed from Greenwood, and they, like the others, had had been relieved of their contents. The next step was to ascertain whether these two envelopes bad been given to the messenger on the previous night, when the train ae at Greenwood Station, or whether they had been delivered to him on his down trip in the fore- noon. Going back to the station, Frank entered the agenf’s office, and inquired: ‘* Gilsom, have you the Express-bills—the way- bills, I mean—that came on the Night Express last night?” : “Yes,” the agent replied: ‘‘do you want to sse them?” es ‘* Here they are,” handing them over. “ Are you looking into the mystery?” . ** Yes, a little for Mr. Raymond,” “Well, anything I can do to kelp you, just give ms the word. All right.” Frank looked over the bills until he found the ” shall set to work to solve the mys- one that had been sent from Greenwood with the two packages of money. It was dated on the nye day, and bore Daddy Gray’s check-mark, but there was noth- ing to show whether it had been delivered to him on the up or down-trip. : It was to be gee that he had received it on the up-trip, but supposition would not do. Detectives want facts. Finding that he could not get at the fact by means of the way-bill, he thought of another lan. F Turning again to Gilsom, he asked: “Can you oe with the agent at Green- wood by wire, Gilsom?” ‘* Yes, certainly,” and the agent turned to the key; ‘* what shall I say to him?’ “ Ts he there?” Gilsom called for a few moments, and then getting an answer, said: ‘Yes, here he is,” “Well, ask him if he sent any money by Ex- press to this place yesterday.” Gilsom asked the queston, and got the reply. ‘Yes, he says he sent two packages, and that he gave them to Daddy Gray.” . “All right. Now ask him if he gave them to him on the down-trip, or on the up-trip last night. - Another exchange of words by wire. ‘* He says he gave them to him on the up-trip, last night.” “All right again. And now, one question more: Ask him if Daddy was alone in the car at the time, and what his manner was.” This was soon done. ‘He says yes, that he was alone, and that he was in apparent good spirits. Says he was in a jolly mood.” ““Good again. That is one point settled, and one step made. I will take these bills with me to Mr. Raymond’s office.” ‘* All right; I have copied them all.” ‘Frank returned to the superintendent’s office without delay, and found Ralph in. ‘““Well?” Ralph questioned, “T have gained one point,” Frank announced. * And what is it?” “That the robbery was committed between Greenwood and Oakvale.” “You found, then, that the agent at Green- wood did send money by Daddy last night?” “Yes; and I took pains to make sure that he gave it to himon the up-trip. Here are the en- velopes, and here are the way-bills, And fur- thermore, the agent at Greenwood says that the old man was alone in the car when he saw him, and that he was in good spirits.” ‘Then you have peated: the robbery to a cer- tainty, and now the real work begins.” ‘‘ Yes, sir; the first step is taken, and was an easy one. The next will be harder.” “ And what will be your next stepf” **T shall make another effort to find where the bullet from Daddy’s revolver went to, provided he fired at all.” “But, Frank, we have made a careful search of the car.” Having given the case into Frank’s hands, the superintendent was not making a minute study of all its points. ‘“*T know that,” Frank returned, “but I have a new idea.” ‘* And what is that?” “Why, you know there was a considerable quantity of Express stuff last nigbt, as the bills show; boxes, cases, etc.; and the bullet may have lodged in one of them!” “A good point, by heavens! Frank, I see you are into this case in earnest. I have so many things to think of that I had not put my mind strictly down to the work. I believe you are more capable of working it than I would be if I tried it, Go on, and doyour best. I will help you inevery way. Try your skill, and if you have to give up, then we will call experi- enced help. ButI am satisfied that you can do it. You certainly have more ability than Spot- tem. Go on, and do your best!” “Thank you, sir,” Frank returned. ‘ Yes, I will go on, and if I can solve the mystery you may be sure that I will.” ef ‘““T know that; but solved it shall be, if it is within the power of man to do it, I have vowed to clear it up, and I will, if it costs, a fortune!” “Have you any theory to advance?” Foot- board Frank next gsked. ~ ‘‘ Have you any idea that can give me a start, or help me to a clew?” ““No,” Ralph answered, ‘‘ [ have not, for there seems to be no clew whatever, except those thut Spottem has used to advance his suicide theory, | best strokes, and You will have to put in your will lead to see if you can find a thread that one.” / hie y miecdat ira 2. Wa ae Foo ap acca te ; i oft i ne: “‘ Well, I am going now to look further for that supposed missing bullet. It will be no eas task to trace the contents of that car to the present whereabouts, but I am determined to do it if possible. Some of the boxes, ete,, were for merchants here, and no doubt can he found readily; but there are others not so easy to trace, For instance, here is a bill.for two trunks for Mrs. Palmere, with no local address whatever, Perhaps Gilsom can—” “Two trunks, “ge say?” interrupted hs ‘*T think I cun tell you where they went. ou will find them at the Grand Hotel.” ‘* All right. No doubt a little patience wilh bring them all to light. I will see you later.” CHAPTER VI. FRANK FINDS FIRE, FooTBOARD FRANK went back to the sta- tion. There everything was all hurry and bustle, as usual. The death of one man, no matter how great he be, makes little difference in the ebb and flow of the human tide, And it was so in the case of Daddy Gray. He was scarcely any more missed from that great tide, than would be a drop of water from the ocean, Trains were moving as usual, and another man now occupied the position the fuithful old messenger had held so long. Frank went at once into the office to get some points from the agent, before setting out upon the errand he bad planned. Gilsom was bu y at the moment, but soon found leisure enough to give the Engineer Detective the m- formation he wanted, Frank ascertained where nearly all of the Express packages of the previous night had been delivered, and picked up all the points he could. — he thought might possibly be of use to im. “You have a bill for two trunks, have you not?’ Gilsom asked, as Frank was about going away. “Yes,” Frank answered. “They were taken to the Grand Hotel,” the agent explained. ‘“*So Mr. Raymond said.” ; , “Yes, he was here, come to think of it, when they were called for.” ‘Who called for them?” ** One of the hotel porters.” ds thought has just come to me,” Frank observed. ‘Is it not unusual to have trunks sent by Express? I thought they generally were bandled as baggage.” ‘No, it is nothing unusual.” “ Perhaps not, now that I reflect. Baggage cannot be checked, of course, unless there is a assenger with it. These trunks may have ee forwarded to a pean and in that case they would not be checked, ; “You bave it right, so far as that is concerned, but in this case there was a passenger, I be- lieve.” “ Indeed?” “Yes; but, then, the trunks far exceeded the limit of weight allowed as baggage, and no doubt it was as ears to send them by Express as it was to pay the excess rate on them as ba 7 Seer explains it, no doubt.” “T think 1t does.” “Let me see—they were addressed to a woman, I believe,” looking over the way-bill, ‘Yes, here it is; ‘Mrs, Palmere, Oakvale. , “ And she is an actress, I understand,” Gilsom remarked, “ An actress, eb? ; ' ta ‘a ‘Madame Sibylla’ she is called, I think. . “That accounts for big ape then.” “Yes, for actresses, as a rule, do not lack for clothes.” ** So I am told.” : “You do not know, then, eb?’ with asly wink as he spok e. Gilsom was hinting at a desperate flirtation Frank had had some years previously with a little song and dance artist who had taken ‘Oakvale by storm, $0 far as the young men of the place were concerned, “Not I!” Frank averred, however, as he left the office and turned bis steps up the street. _ His first call was made at 4 store where two or sat of the boxes had been addressed and deli : 7 “Entering, he asked for the head clerk or the The head of the establishment bein i g pointed: La Se ae ee w e wa The man listened attentively, and then at — eit oes
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The Engineer Detective, once showed his perfect willingness to allow the boxes to be examined. Calling a man, he gave the necessary order. Frank was conducted down-stairs to a room where all goods. were unpacked, and there the . boxes were shown to him, . One of them had been opened, but the others, there were four in all, were still in the same condition in which they had been received. Footboard Frank began a careful examina- tion of them without delay. He turned his attention first to the one that had been opened, “Where are the boards that were removed from the top in opening this box?” he asked. They were soon foun ‘*' These are the ones, sir,” the man who was with him said, as he picked them up. Frank looked at them carefully, and then turned to the box from which they had been taken. Ends, sides and bottom were all carefully scrutinized, but no trace of a bullet was to be found. : The examination of the second box brought a like result. When ke turned to the third box, though, the Engineer-Detective made a discovery almost im- mediately. On one end of the box, near a top corner, the end of a nail was protruding; it was a wrought- iron nail, of the round kind, and the point was quite sharp. It had glanced, while being driven into the sideboard, and the part that extended slantwise through the end board was about half an inch in length, , Under that protruding end was a small bit of cloth, which looked as though it had been torn from the coat or trowsers of some one who had handled the box. , It was but a trifling piece, but it was large enough to prove its color and texture. It was of Scotch goods, of a gray color, with threads of yellow and red inwoven, eedless to say that Frank removed it at once. ‘“What is your name?” he asked of the man who was with him, “Thomas Quinn, sir,” was the answer. Frank made a note of it. ** And where do you live?” he then inquired. ‘* At No. 26 Fourth street, sir.” That, too, was jotted down. F ** Now, Mr. Quinn,” Frank then said, ‘‘ I want you to examine this bit of cloth, and then re- member where you saw me find it.” Mr, Quinn looked at the cloth, and said he would be able to ey, it again; then Foot- — Frank put it carefully away in‘his pocket- = He continued his search for the supposed missing bullet, but no trace of it was found on any of the boxes, hanking the man who had assisted him, and also the proprietor for his permission to make the search, Frank went away. He visited two other stores, and also three private houses where some of the goods of the load night had been delivered, but he ob- ‘no further clew. 2 Everywhere he received ready permission and assistance, as soon as he made known his errand. But his search was fruitless. _ When he left the last of the thrée houses men- tioned, he was not far from the Grand Hotel. He thought of the two trunks. ‘| will call there next,” he resolved, and at once turned his steps in that direction. Entering the office, he inquired: | ‘Is there a Mrs. Palmere stopping here?” Ay * a. responded the clerk, ** there is,” e : ‘ \ >< 2) on J . ae See) OF 7 ae Ce ee ae Sha A gain iy Ea ¥ eo . Po sss ’ ce “ i: fore. “T fancied I had pen yor. 9 : Sen ae vor , yes. ou are an engineer on the MC. & 0” i pe oxactly,’ _“* Well, say, is further clew to the there ay I understand Mr, it was murder.” “So we believe, but there is no further clew, 1¢ ‘While’ these remarks were being exchanged, Palmere, Mme. Sibylla’s bu ~arigag «es stairs and passed out through RL: a, Mr. nd, came ? the office, “That is Mrs. Palmere’s husband,” the clerk observed, ‘Her husband?” exclaimed Frank. ‘‘ Why, I was under the impression that she came here alone! There was no reason why I should though. It was a mere impression.” , she did come here alone, for that matter,” the clerk explained. ‘* Her husband was already here, then?” ‘No, not that. He came here about an hour after the woman arrived.” ‘That seems rather strange. He must have been stopping somewhere here in town previous- ly, though.” ‘Yes, undoubtedly,” : “ But,” Frank suddenly exclaimed, “‘ he is the very person I want to see!” and he turned to see which way the man went, “You inquired for Mrs, Palmere, though,” the clerk suggested. “Yes: but I did not know she had a husband around.” ‘Well, you're too late,” the clerk added, as he glanced out through a window near him; ‘ the man has just boarded a car,” “Oh, well, it does not matter greatly. I will go up and see the lady, Either of them can answer the question I want to ask.” , And the Engineer-Detective went up-stairs and made his way to Parlor No, 4, at whose door ne knocked. After a moment the door was opened by Mme. Sibylla. ** Are you Mrs. Palmere?”’ Frank respectfully inquired. . “1 am, sir,” the woman responded, ‘*My name is Forrester,” the young detective explained, having no oe ee in concealing his identity. ‘‘ I am an employee of the M. CG, & O. Railroad. I—” 7 “Was it fancy, or did the woman give a slight start and turn a little pale? Frank was not cer- tain. *‘ [ have called here on a little matter of busi- ness,” he went right on. ‘‘ May I come in for a moment?” “Certainly,” the woman consented, and she stepped back and permitted him to enter, “Thanks,” Frank said, he stepped within and closed the door gently; “‘my erraud will keep me here but a moment.’ will you be seated?” the. woman half-way invited. ‘*No, it is not necessary. I can state my. ob- ject in calling ina few words. You may have eard a murder was committed on the Express train last night, and—” The woman had seated herself in a large arm- chair, leaning back gracefully, with her arms resting upon the arms of the chair; but, at men- tion of the word *‘ murder,” her hands clutched the ends of the arms with a quick, nervous grip, and she sat bolt upright, her face ghastly pale, and her even staring wildly. Frank knew not what to make of this, Surely the mere mention of the crime should not cause her to start so! But, he reasoned, what possible knowledye could she have of it? None, assuredly. Striving not to let her notice that he had or served her agitation, he did not cease speaking, but continued: ‘“* And I am trying to assist in clearing up the agp wong BO he woman trembled, and the muscles of her fair face twitched. ‘The coroner's jury,” Frank went right on, “have decided that it was a case of suicide, but our superintendent is not satisfied. He does not believe it, nor do I. We firmly believe that Jobe omy was Siedeved,” rs. mere fair] and her nervous agitation was terrible a F ank was astonished, and was completely at loss to account for it, Could this fair woman possess some knowledge of the crime? “ But,” the woman asked, iu faltering tones, “why do—do you come to me? I—I— “Twill explain immediately, ma’am. There was a chamber of the dead messenger’s revolver empty, and we who believe that he was mur- dered, desire to find where the ‘bullet from that chamber went to, e have examined the in- terior of the car carefully, to find some trace of it, but without success, and I am now | ng for it in some article that was in the car that night. It is known that you had two large trunks come here by Express last night, and that they were in that car, [—» k was interrupted, The woman’s face had become perfectly ghast- ly, beads of: iration were starting out upon her forehead, her eyes were dilated and wild in pe aecrs eg and suddenty springing to her feet she cried: “Oh! my God! it has come at last!” As she uttered the words she threw up her arms and fell heavily to the floor in a faint, CHAPTER VII. THE OTHER BULLET FOUND, For a moment Frank Forrester stood power- less to act. He knew not what to make of so strange a result of bis call. Little had he dreamed of anything like this! He must learn the cause of it, No matter how he gained the explanation, he must have it. Surely, Mrs. Palmere had some knowledge’of the crime! What did she know? Only a moment the detective stood idle, and then he rifle across the room and gave a pull at the bell-rope, That done, he next threw open the door, so that whoever came in answer to the bell could enter directly; then taking some water he stooped down ky the insensible woman and be- gan to bathe her temples and rub her bands. A servant soon appeared, a woman-servant, who took in the situation at a glance, and at once sprung to lend her assistance, Frank was somewhat excited, for he was not used to anything of this sort; but he was a man of nerve, and outwardly be remained perfectly cool, “Help me lift her to the sofa, sir,” the ser- vant requested, ‘‘and then I will bring her to,” Frank did as asked, and the servant relieved him of the dilemma. He might then have retired from the room, but he had come there with an object in view, and that object had not been attained. He wanted to see the two trunks! Looking around, he discovered them standing in the rear end of the room, on the opposite side of the door from where he stood. Going to where they were, he began a hasty but careful scrutiny of them, to find, if possible, the mark of a bullet. Suddenly he was interrupted. The servant sprung to her feet and exclaimed: “Say, sir, what caused th’ leddy to faint, anyhow? And what are you a-lookin’ ‘round them trunks for? Are you a thief, and have no right here, sir?” A “¥ am nothing of the kind,” Frank returned coolly. ‘I am here on an errand of business, and I mean to perform it if ‘all the women in the house faint, I am ap officer.” This last was a step beyond the truth, but Frank had a point to gain, and knowing that such persons usually hold a detective in awe, he did not hesitate to make the statement, ‘‘Oh! excuse me, then, sir,” the servant said; “T did not know that. You see, one can’t be too careful. Indeed, though, I'm not much sur- prised to see an officer here.” Hello! what did this mean? The servant turned again to her task OF ene ing the woman to consciousness, but Frank loo: ed quickly up and asked: “What do you mean by that?” ‘No more than I say, sir,” was the none too clear reply. ‘“‘T want you to tell me what you mean,” the detective insisted, severely. ‘‘ Well, I mean what I said,” “Say it again, then, and make it a little plainer,” - $ ‘ 46 I said I am not surprised at seein’ an officer ere, “Well, go on on and tell me why,” ‘¢ Because I have ears on me head, and I have heard things tbat makes me think this fine lady is none too honest. | When she and her man are at the table, they're to the queen’s taste; but here intheir room they don’t agiee worth a cop- ip Pee What is your name?” Frank asked. ee Maggie olan, sir,” Frank made a note of it, and then ‘again turned to the trunks, a He knew that his time was limited, and his work was not done, He could question the ser- vant some other time, if it was necessary, Taking hold of cne of. the trunks 3 ulled it out from the wall to look at it on sides. It was only moderately heavy, he examining of it did not take long, and no bullet nor trace of a bullet was to be seen. Pushing that trunk back, he laid hold upon the other and larger one. That one proved empty, and came out of its place with an ease and quickness that-was_sur- prising. D bo LA ee" Frank nearly fell, for he had exerted consider- able strength. . “This is rather strange,” he mused, as he thought of it. ‘‘ No doubt, though, it contamed
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her. costumes, as she is an actress, and she has taken them out.” But, he had no time to speculate. Pulling the trunk out where he could it, he looked it over tha same as he had the ote. Suddenly he muttered an exclamation. In one end, near a top corner, he found a bullet deeply imbedded in the hard wood, and evidently hindered from going through by one of the rivets that secured the iron corner-cap! Frank examined it closely, and concluded that the bullet had been but recently lodged there. The smut from the yt was still on the end of it, as he proved by touching it with his handkerchief with the aid of a pencil, for the end of the bullet was just below the sur- face. The Engineer-Detective was elated at his suc- cess. Here was the first proof that Daddy Gray had been murdered! There were two bullets now to be accounted for, instead of one! Frank had a strong, sharp knife in his pocket. He drew it out, and without hesitation began to cut away the wood around the bullet to get it out, a While he was doing so the thought came to him that it would be better to have a witness to prove that he had found the bullet there. alling to the servant, he asked: “Ts that woman coming to?” “Yes,” was the reply; ‘she will soon be all right again.” ‘: Just step here a moment, will you?” The woman obeyed, and the detective drew her attention to the bullet and to the fact that he was cutting it out. If it ever became necessary to prove the point, he would know where to find the witness, He liked to make every point secure, He was proceeding without permission from the owner of the trunk, but, that did not trouble him. He was doing little damage to it. In a few minutes his task was done, and he had the bullet in his hand, It was, so far as he could jud’e, about the same size as the one that had taken the old messenger’s life. About the same time that the bullet came out, Mrs. Palmere returned to consciousness, Frank pushed the trunk back to its place, and stepped to where Mrs. Palmere was reclining on the sofa. ‘* What happened to me?” the woman lia ‘You fainted, ma’m,” the servant replied, ** And what caused me tu faint?” **T don’t know, ma’m,” ** When did it happen? and—” At sight of Frank she stopped abruptly and gave a start. P In a moment she had her nerves under fair control. “Were inquired, “T was,” was the reply. ‘*T am sorry it happened, sir. to such fits of illness.” “You are to be pitied, then,” Frank simply remarked, : “You came in and asked me some question, did you not?” she persisted. “Yes: or rather I started to explain the ob- ject of my ~visit, when your ‘ fit of illness’ came on you here, sir, when I fainted?” she I am subject uy am sorry, but of course T could not help it. Will you kindly repeat what you started to say?” , z It is not necessary now, madam, for I have found out what I wanted to know.” The woman shuddered in spite of herself, ‘But, tell me again what was the object of your call,” she urged, ‘and what it was you wanted to know.” ‘‘T wanted to know who killed John Gray, the Express-messenger.” “And you say you have found out what you wanted to know? It required a terrible effort for the woman’ to control herself. ** So T said,” curtly, “Tt is strange how you could get such infor- mation here, sir.” “You have been unconscious, madam, and are not aware of what has been passing.” “3 I know aa 4 A And perhaps you do not know that you have been talking.” e In spite of her efforts at self-control, the wo- man trembled. ‘‘ What have I said?” she asked. ‘**Do you remember your words as you fell to the a “No “You exclaimed— ‘Oh! my God! it has’ , eer ese) Cary lage The Engineer Detective. come at last!’ What did that mean? Did you not refer to your secret?” Frank was moving by guess but with steady assurance, The woman forced a smile, ‘*T do remember, now,” she admitted; “‘I re- ferred to the spell of illness, which I had felt coming on for some hours,” Did she speak the truth? Frank would have given much to know. It might be possible; and his suspicion that | she knew aught concerning the crime would in that case be groundless, But the suspicion once aroused, it. would not be banished from his mind. ‘‘He had resolved to learn the cause of the woman’s strange agita- tion and fainting, no matter how. And had he gained the information now? ‘* Besides, there was the statement of the ser- vant, the avow:l that she was not greatly sur- prised to sce an officer in that room, or similar words. “It was not only your exclamation, though,” the detective weut on, ‘* but what you said; and besides that, walls have ears on all occasions.” The woman started again, but instantly re- covered her self-control to some extent, and re- sponded: ‘“'You talk in riddles, and I do not know what you mean, I have requested to know what your errand here was, but since you will not tell me, I must request you to retire at once.” ‘¢] will do so,” assented Frank with a bow. “T had an object in coming here, be sure of that. And my object is gained. 1am sorry to have been the cause of bringing on one of your strange nervous attacks, iy | hope you will par- don me, Of course I could not know that you were subject to such fits.” ‘* You were not the cause of it, my dear sir,” the woman returned, in a firm tone, “As I said, I had felt it coming on for some hours, and your perenne had nothing to do with it.”’ “Well, I am glad to assured of that, at any rate.” Frank rejoined. ‘‘ Allow me to bid you good-afternoon.” —_, or Gocl-attemonn ar.” Frank went away then, and started for the shop of the man who was considered an expert in everything pertaining to firearms. The moment the door of Parlor No. 4 closed after him, Mrs. Palmere turned to the servant and inquired: ‘* Who is that man?”: “He is an officer, ma’am,” the servant an- swered promptly, recalling what Frank had told her; ‘‘a detective-man, I suppose.” * A detective?” ‘Yes, ma’m,” * How do you know heis? Do you know him?” “No, [ don’t know him, but _he told me,” ‘He told you! How came he to tell you ?” “ Why, you see [ didn’t know but he might be a thief, and I asked him his business right ut, ‘** And what did he tell you?” “ He said he was a detective, and had business here, and that he meant to finish it if all the women in the house fainted.” “What was he doing?” “Why, he was busy around your trunks, ma’m, and that’s what made me suspect he was up to mischief.” “Busy around my trunks?’ repeated Mrs, Palmere, springing to her feet instantly. 7 a’m “ My God! then all is—” Mrs. Palmere checked herself, and left the sentence unfinished. ™ Here,” she said instead, pressing a dollar into the servant's hand, ‘‘ keep this for yourself, and do not mention what you have seen and heard, but go find my husband, Mr. Palmere, and tell him to come tome without delay.” , CHAPTER VIII, RETREAT IN ALARM. | Tue servant took the money readily enough, as may be supposed, and promised to find Mr. Palmere forthwith and send him up “post haste,” Her intention was good enough, but she was unable to carry it out, owing to the fect that . Palmere could not be found.. She went back and reported the result of her search for him. Mrs. Pal:nere told her then to leave the word at the office for him, . It was all they could do, about an hour Mr, Palmerecamein, —___ He did not pass through the office, but made is way at once to Parlor No. 4. Mrs. Palmere had evidently been weeping, for her eyes were red and swollen, ‘ a i ; * “ Hello!” Mr. Palmere exclaimed, “ been at it again, have you, croaker? It beats all what a sight of tears you can shed, and not run dry. Come, straighten out your pretty face, my dear, for Ihave something to tell you. I have just met an old friend, unexpectedly, and you can’t guess who it was.” Mr. Palmere spoke in guarded tones, ‘“No,” the woman said wearily, ‘I cannot uess.” ‘‘ Tt was ‘Brace’ Tyler. He—” ‘“‘ That villain! I hoped he was dead.” ‘‘Ha, ha, ha! Brace dead! Not he. And please don’t call him villain, it is an ugly word. Besides, he is an old friend, you know.” ‘‘ Well, drop his name, please. I bave some news. for you that will cause you to forget him, 1 guess. Did the clerk tell you I wanted you?” ‘“T haven’t seen the clerk.” ‘*No matter. I sent word to the office for you to come up the moment you came in, think my presentment of evil is about coming true.” ‘*Oh Lord!” exclaimed Mr. Palmer, in some- thing like a groan, as though he were being bored to death; and he sunk down upon a chair and folded his arms, adding: “Well, out with it, and let me know the worst. You have it tad, and no mistake, Where has all your nerve gone to?” “You may make light of it, Burke, but I think you will be startled when I tell you what has—” - Well, what has happened? Come! out with it. ‘* There has been a detective here,” “What?” and Burke, as the woman called hirh, unfolded his urms with wonderful quick- ness and sat upright, staring as though he could not believe that he had heard aright. ‘*T say there has been a detective here,” the woman repeated. : ‘A detective! Ob! you’re joking.” “ Indeed I am not.” ‘© What was he here for?” ‘¢ He came to examine my trunks,” ‘“‘ The deuce!” and the man sprung to bis feet, his face ‘becoming both pale and serious with growing alarm, ** And what did you say to him?” he after a moment demanded. ‘* What could I say to him?” “Thunder! I ask you wbat you did say to him, Can’t you answer that?” ‘¢ Well, to tell the truth,” the woman con- fessed, ‘‘ I did not say very much, for I fainted.” “Fainted! Oh, good heavens! worse and worse, and just like a woman.” **T could not help it.” ‘* Why could you not help it? A pretty mess you must have made of it!” “I fear I did, though I did my best to turn away suspicion—” : “By fainting at sight of a detective—if it really was one?” ‘*‘ No, after I came to. But, Burke, we must get away from here at once, We n.ust not stay ere another hour—minute |” ‘* We will remain here long enough for you to tell me all about this matter, at any rate,” the man muttered, as he sat down again, ‘¢ Now,” he added, as he leaned forward to- ward her, “tell me all.” In trembling tones, then, the woman teld her story, relating such of tbe facts that are known to the reader as she knew, and when sbe had done the man fully shared her alarm. ‘*He said he was looking for the murderer of that old messenger, you say?” he demanded, | “ Yes.” answered the woman; “‘he said he was lnoking for the murderer of John Gray. That was what really unrerved me.” “ And why should that have unnerved you’ What do we know about the case?” The woman looked up at him. “What do we know about it?” he repeated. “We know nothing about it! Do you under stand that?” te Yes; but—” ty ii: “But nothing! 1t was a case of suicide, Cer- tainly you had Beek to do with it, for you — were in the parlor-car all the time—so you say and I— Well, can any one say whether I was — aboard that train or not?” .t “No, perhaps not; but you cannot get around the fact that suspicion is turned ment?” , The man paced the Manner for Some minutes. —_, Suddenly he stopped. ““We must get away from here at once!” he Ms exclaimed. 4" upon us; else why the visit of the detective, and his state. — floor in a very uneasy | « 3 * veaitucie > AP Aimy > = ee ee ee
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~~. ’ : : e; } : } came in. “Tt is all right; I have seen her.” * ‘ ‘That is what I said when you first came in,” the woman reminded, ; ‘Yes, I know you did, and there is no time to be lost. It may be too lateevennow. Wemust go out for a walk and never return,” ** Where will we go?” ‘Why, we will go to Brace Tyler’s house for the present, and then get away from there when we can.” ‘¢ But the trunks—what about them?” ** We shall have to leave them.” ** And lose them?” **T see no other way.” **Can we not venture to take them?” ‘* No, we can’t. If we are watched they would be seized at once. There is no way open to us except the one. I named; to go out as though merely for a walk, and never come back.” ‘ And if we.are watched will we not be fol- lowed?” i ‘By Harry! you are right. We may bein a confounded tight place. Hang the luck! if I had been here l— ButI wasn’t, and we must be moving.” ‘(My dresses, though; I cannot leave them.” ‘* You will have to, There is no other way out of the trap, so far as I cansee. Come, now, look alive and get ready for a walk.” “‘T have an idea,” ‘Ha! this is something like. You are a prize in the hour of danger, and I'm glad to see you have got over your croaking for a time.” ‘Tt is uncertainty that unnerves me. When the danger can be seen and felt, I can meet it— for your sake,” ‘** Well, what is your idea?” ‘* We are not sure that we are watched.” ‘** No; but suspicion is as bad.” ‘““Tf we are, and go out, we shall be shad- owed,” = “Certainly.” ‘Tf not watched, and we go out, we can get away.” ‘* Yes, no doubt.” “Then why not go to the clerk, pay our bill, tell him we are invited to the house of a friend, and have an Expressman take the trunks imme- diately?” ‘Where would he take them to?” “Why, to your friend Tyler’s, where you pro- pose going.” ‘ And it we are shadowed.” It will be no worse to be tracked there with the trunks than without them.” ** Perhaps you are right there,” “T think I am.” “Even if not shadowed, though, the express- man will be questioned, and we can easily be followed later, I—” ‘““T can block that game.” “You van!” ‘Yes; you can engage the hotel porter to take the trunks, and you can ride with him to show him where to go. After you are some dis- tance away you can send him back on some er- rand, and then go on without him and hire a boy to lead the horse back again.” ‘No, no, your plans won't do, That would fasten a sneaking move upon us that would Hg *o te I think I can suggest a plan.” | ‘Well, what is yours? Only be quick.” “You pat on two or three of your best dresses, OF 88 Many ag you can, and then pack the trunks. I will go down to the office aud pay our board fora week in advance. That will kill all suspicion of any intention on our part of skipping out. I will mention that we are going out’ to call on a friend in town, and possibly may not return— “No, I would leave that unsaid: I see your idea, and it is a good one.” bord iy! “Well, I will say nothing, then. We will go out fora walk, and will not come back, At least not right away.” ‘* We can send word to the clerk, to-morrow, that we are stopping with a friend.” ‘Yes; and Brace and I can keep our eyes and ears open to learn what is golag on, and our next move can be made according to what we earn. ; és a good plan; and having paid for our rooms, the hotel will be responsible for our trunks.” } . - Burke, to call him by that name, went at once to the office, entering in a leisurely man- f y ner, _ “ Have you been up-stairs?” Pe clerk asked, as soon as he saw him. “Yes,” Burke answered, er _ “All right, then. Word was left here that Mrs, Palmere wanted to see you as soon as you \ The Engineer Detective, * All right.” Burke sauntered around the office idly fora moment, and then sppenrinadaes to have thought of it, he stepped up to the clerk’s desk and said: ‘* By the way, I suppose you will not object to taking a look at the color of our money, will you?” ‘‘A thing 1 never refuse to do,” the clerk responed, smiling. ‘*‘ No immediate rush about it, though,” he added, ‘* As well now as any other time,” Burke re- joined, as he produced a roll of bills, ‘* L will settle for a eek in advance.” It was no trifling expense, to pay for one of the best suites of rooms in a first-class hotel for a week, but Burke seemed to have plenty of the popular ‘‘ needful.” Having paid and taken a receipt, he walked around idly again for some minutes, and then returned up-stairs, The woinan had been making haste, and was nearly ready. Ina short time all was done, and they went out, locking the door after them, and left the house. They had peckes and secured the trunks, but still had taken the precaution to leave many articles of clothing, ete., lying around for effect, to indicate that tueir absence had not been pre- meditated. They walked slowly and unconcernedly away ‘up the main street, and continued on and on un- til they were almost in the suburbs, Then they turned and started back, “Tam almost certain we have not been fol- lowed,” Burke remarked. : P ‘It is impossible to be certain, though,” the woman contended, - “That is so, for a genuine dstective, if he knows his business well, is practically invisible.” In truth, though, they had not ‘een followed. Leaving the main street, presently, they en- tered a smaller one, and made their way to an- other quarter of the town, Presently they stopped before an old-fashioned house that stood back a little distance from the street. ‘* Here is the place,” said Burke, as he swung open the gate. ‘It is a dismal-looking hole, to say the least,” ‘Tt means safety to us, though. I am well satisfied now that we have not been shadowed, and no one can find us here if we use proper caution.” They entered the yard and advanced to the house, and Burke plied the knocker, there being no bell; and the ponderous affair awoke an echo that seemed to fly from room to room, A man soon came to the door, < It was ‘‘ Brace” Tyler himself. “Hello!” he exclaimed, as his — fell ae the pair, ‘‘back again, Burke? How d’e do?” with a half-bow to the woman, ** Yes, back again, Brace,” Burke responded, ‘and we've come to stay.” * Come to stay! What d’ye mean? What is up? Nothin’ bu’sted, l hope.” ‘* That’s just what is the matter, Brace; some- thing has ‘bu’sted,’ as you call it, and we. have come here to get out of sight for the present,” ‘* Well, well, but that’s amazin’ strange. Come in, though, an’ welcome, an’ make yourselves right Eb home, CHAPTER IX. SUSPICIONS INCREASE. FooTsoarD FRANK changed his mind and did not goto the expert in the line of fire-arms, as he had at first intended doing, Seam he went directly to Redlight Ralph’s office. To go to the expert, be reasoned, to have the bullet examined, would let out the secret that another bullet had been found. ; That would put the murderer on his guard, as soon as it reached him, and would awaken the police detectives to the error of their ways in the case. : ; Frank was satisfied to let them remain in total ignorance that any discovery had been made. It would be more satisfaction to clear the case up and solve the mystery of the murder before they became aware of any new clews, if it were Possible. j Besides, he felt competent enough to judge for imself concerning the bullet. : It was, he decided, one similar in size and shape to the one that had been found in Daddy Gray’s body, : j op Here was proof sufficient to satisfy his own mind that the old messenger had been murdered, But how? | self-possesed when she open In what way had the murderer escaped from the car, after doing the deed, leaving all the doors locked on the inside. That was the mystery. And what knew Mrs, Palmer, or ‘Mme, Sibylla,” about the affair?) Why her unaccount- able and wonderfully great agitation? It must all be explamed, ten hen he reached the office Ralph was not there, Frank was by this time decidedly tired. It will be remembered that he had been out on the road all the previous night, and had taken hold of the case immediately after his arrival at Oakvale. His only moments of rest, if such they could be called, were when he was, ‘ washipg up,” changing his clothes and eating his breakfast. Dinner, altbough the afternoon was far ad- vanced, he had not yet tasted. The inquest had lasted until nearly one o'clock, and since then he had been continually on the go. Dropping into the station restaurant, he or- dered and ate a substantial meal, while he wait- ed for Ralph to return. When he bad finished his repast, however, and Ralph had not by that time come back, he turned his steps toward the home of his promis- ed wife, He found Ralph there. ; “Well, Frank,” Ralph presently inquired, after greetings had been exchanged, and Frank was seated, ‘‘ what have you discovered?” “T have found this,” was the reply, and as he spoke, the Engineer-Detective took from his vest- pocket the bullet he had cut from the trunk. os a another bullet?” Ralph exclaimed. es.’ ‘* And where did you find it?” Frank explained, y ““T found also this,” he added, as from his ocketbook he brought forth the bit of cloth he fad found under the nail on the box, as has been shown. ‘+ And where did you find this?” Again Frank explained. ; 6 Sow have done well,” Redlight Ralph cried. “Thad strong faith in you when you first came into the office this morning, and now my faith is even stronger still. I believe you can clear the mystery up. You certainly have made ex- cellent progress. F ‘“Why, what have you learned?” inquired Mrs. Raymond, as she and Ethel Gray came into the room, having been in another part of the house when Frank arrived. The amateur detective papental what be had just been explaining to Ralph. “Oh! I knewit was not suicide,” cried the oe messenger’s daughter, ‘‘and I am glad proof has been found.’ ‘‘Of course it was not!” exclaimed Mrs. Ray- mond; ‘“‘and now [ hope Mr, Forrester will be able to bring the murderer to account.” ‘As I shall certainly strive to do,” Frank earnestly avowed, . Going over the whole ground, then, Frank narrated all that had taken place since he had set epee his mission, ; Redlight Ralph and the ladies listened with rapt attention, : hen he concluded, all were silent for some moments, ‘* Well,” Frank inquired, what do you think?” “You say the woman was perfectly calm and ee ¥ the door to you!” Iph queried. Yess but the moment I said ‘railroad,’ I fancied she gave a Slight start, and turned a trifle pale. After that she was not calm at all, exce forced calmness,” ‘“* And she has a husband, you say?” “Yes.” - ; “JT am sure she was traveling alone last night; did you not think so, Jeanne?” to his wife, Yes,” Mrs, Raymond agreed,” she was certainly alone all the way.” “And when we reached here,” added Ralph ‘she asked us to direct her to a good hotel.” a phat is singular,” Frank observed, 7 sof”? : i Heaauial when she went to the hotel, so I have learned, she inquired at once if her bus was there.” yee ** She did!” i “ ” she es some knowledge of the crime.” “4 it is in, though,” a red Mrs. Ray- mond, “‘ that she did not do the deed. She was ia = of her seat in the parlor-car once during e trip. '
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10 “No, she did not do it, that is absolutely certain,” Ralph coincided. Frank was seated near a window, and while the matter was under consideration, he now and then glanced out, as some one passing would at‘ract his eyes, Once when he looked, whom should he see but the very woman they were talking about—Mrs. Palmere, and her husband. Lace curtains were at the windows of that room, and the shutters were closed, except the slats, and he could see without being seen. “Hello!” he ejaculated, ‘‘ there they go now— the very ones we are talking about!” Bisa ea ey .. rie \ ste i fae a "- = o*y. = = nee re i el a a ook, ‘* Yes, that is she,” Ralph and Mrs, Raymond at once agreed. ‘* Have you ever seen the man before?” asked Frank. ‘No, not that I can recollect,” Ralph replied. ‘** Nor I,” said Jeanne. ‘Have you, Ethel?” “No,” the sorrowing girl replied, ‘‘ net to my peso 9 All watched the pair until they had passed beyond range of vision. *¢ Where can they be going ?” questioned Ethel. “They seem to walk very leisurely, as though merely out to view the town,” said Jeanne. ‘*T would follow them,” declared Frank, “ but the woman would know me, and if they are making a move of any importance, and should see me, I could learn nothing.” ‘** And she would know me, too,” said Ralph. ‘* We can follow them, though,” cried Jeanne, meaning herself and Ethel, ‘‘ and no suspicion will be aroused even if we are seen,” “* Will you do it?” asked Ralph. “To be sure we will,” was the decisive re- nse from his pretty wife. ‘‘f am willing to o anything in my power to bring the murderer to justice.” “And so am I, of course,” added Ethel. “Come! or we shall be too late,” Hurrying from the room, each caught up a hat, wrap and vail, put them on quickly, and then went out, Mr. and Mrs. Palmere were in sight, but were by this time quite some distance away. “Shall we walk fast and overtake them?” questioned Ethel. “Oh, no!” exclaimed Jeanne, ‘that would never do, for Mrs. Palmere would recognize me, ¥ a E — @ fe s os) then, and might suspect us. We can walk a lit- tle faster than they, however, and gain upon them some.” ‘“‘ Well, let us do that.” They hurried along, at a moderately rapid pace, and ere long were as near to the suspec pair as they cared to draw. ; And so they followed on until they traced ; them to the home of ** Brace” Tyler. ‘| ‘‘ There!” exclaimed Jeanne, *‘ they are turn- ing in to that old house.” ‘Sure enough!” echoed Ethel. ‘‘ And, see, i the man is looking carefully up and down the street and all around.” “So heis. Let us walk right on, without a look to show we have seen them,” So they did, and Mr. Palmere, when he ex- i ressed his opinion that no one was watching " id not for a moment suspect the two vailed ay women whom he saw. aa Mrs, Raymond and Ethel walked right on, } and when they came opposite to the house, they Bo] ‘were just in time to see Mr. ‘‘ Brace” Tyler in- vite his callers in, { ‘Well, there the Est Jeanne, as the door ¢. , : ** Yes,” responded_ Ethel; “and now let us get By home and inform Mr. Raymond and Frank as Bey soon as we can.” \ ‘Yes, We will continue on to the next cor- rag ner, there yarns and then get back as quickly as ede we can. You lead the way.” By “ All right.” When they finally got back, they lost no time { in me. busband and lover the résult of their. ‘*Good!” exclaimed Frank, ‘‘the suspicion je grows yet stronger.” 4 “ How so?” inquired Ralph, ie ae “Ty happen to know something about that old ‘Ha! then their visiting there does them no credit, eh?” By “‘ A good idea; only he must be careful not to let himself be seen.” / **T will caution him.” ‘to consider means of getting into. ‘“* Well, I will go at once, for time is precious,” 4 “Yes, every moment is important.” ; A few more words were exchanged, and then Footboard Frank left the office. 1 He had obtained permission from Ralph to — his rooms at the hotel, and had been given the key. When he was gone, Ralph sat in thoughtful silence for some minutes. Presently he roused 8 “Yes,” he decided, *‘ I will do it.” Turning then to his desk, he examined a num- ber of letters and telegrams, answered the latter and some of the former, and then went down to the telegraph office and held a comversation with the train-dispatcher at Mansfield, directing him in regard to some business. ° ; ‘‘- You may not be able to find me this even- ing,” he concluded, ‘If anything unusual turns up, use your own judgment.” ; This done, he returned to the office. ‘‘ Now,” he said, half aloud, “‘ I am going into this case with Frank. The man who will watch the old house where the suspected pair are, shal} be I.” Writing a note to his wife, he sent it by a messenger, and then prepared for the work in hand. Opening a closet he took out a suit of rather shabby clothes, a pair of heavy boots and a slouch ha t. ‘* These,” he remarked to bimself, ‘‘ once serv- ed as a disguise for Morgan, when he was super- intendent and there was trouble with the men, and I guess I can make them serve me now.” He put the suit on, over his own clothes, and then put on the boots and hat. He looked like another man entirely. ‘It seems to me, though,” he mused, “ that he used a false beard. Wonder where that is?” ’ He felt in the pockets of the coat and: present- ly found it. | a | It was not a very good one, but he put it on tae and adjusted it the best he could, and as it was " drawing toward night he felt that he could make . it answer, if When he was finally ready he left the office by ! way of a rear door and made his way to the street behind the station. He met several persons, but no one gave him more than a casual glance. . i: In a short while, then, he was in the neighbor hood of the old house. t . He was just in time to see ‘‘ Brace” Tyler go- ing away. ‘That must be the fellow Frank called Tyler,” he thought, 4 Looking in toward the house, as any other passer-by might bave done, he sought for a glimpse of the suspected man and woman. He was rewarded. At a window near the end of the porch, the : ou one that was open, he saw them both, ( hey were evidently looking after Tyler, Ralph took no more than that one glance, and pa right on. (i *‘ And,” bis thoughts ran on, ‘‘ it looks to me Fale | as though the man and woman intend to remain there for the present at least. There is certain- aS ly something wrong, and if they do not know anything abcut the murder, they are guilty of { some other crime.” ; 4 Ralph was soon out of sight from the old house, which stood back from the street, as de- pe | scribed, and when he came to an unoccupied re) ee store a few steps further on he sat down on its. 44 ae stoop. *' From there he could keep watch of the gate ? leading to the old house, and was not likely to es be suspected if seen, When it came dark he ie Mae could draw nearer. w as In the mean time Frank Forrester had gone to. a: ral the office of the sheriff. In addition to the let- rs Y ter he carried, he knew the sheriff personally, © me He fortunately found himin. “i Frank soon made known bis business, and ten eae) iat minutes later he was a duly sworndeputy-sherif€& == of the county. / : Pocketing his paper he pinned his badge cn the inner side of 1} his coat, and then set out for: the hotel. ; r 2M He had no intention of making any effort io — mk: obtain a Search-warrant, and. thus show his = hand to the police. He would investigate alone | res and upon his own responsibility, and abide by the consequences. :, Arriving at the hotel he went atonceupto = ~ Parlor No, 2, and let himself in. pa eee) See read hy eee pad inom osing the door, he Jooked 4 : ind began is Cae + At Ln adjoining a gy rooms, tem There was no connecting door,as Ralph had said, so he thought of the windows.
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“dered dream of, death shall be avenged The Engineer Detective, These rooms were on the second floor, and over or nearast to the piazza. . It will be remembered that Mme. Sibylla had asked for such rooms especially, and Parlors No. 2 and No, 4, with their adjoining rooms, were the only suites enjoying that distinction, Slipping to one of the windows, Frank ralsed it and looked out. This he did. He knocked two or three times, quite loudly each time, but no answer came. Satisfied, then, that they were vacant, he re- turned to Ralph's room and once more got out through a window, Advancing quickly, then, to the next window, he found to his immeuse satisfaction that it was unfastened, In a moment he was within the room he de- sired to search, He first of all looked to the door. He had no- ticed that the one in the other parlor was secured with a spring lock, that could be opencd from the inside without the aid of a key, or could be fastened within so that no key could open it from without. This one proved to be of the same sort. _Fastening it, so that no one could surprise him by coming in suddenly, he turned his at- tention then to the trunks, Both were locked. ‘This is bad,” Frank confessed_to himself, “‘T certainly dare not force them, I have quite a number of keys, though, aad itis barely pos- sible that one of the lot may fit one or the other of the locks.” He tried them, first on the larger of the trunks, but without avail. Then he turned to the second, or smaller one, He had little hopes, but, much to his surprise, the very first key he tried turned the lock. This was encouraging, and he quickly threw up the lid, ; The trunk seemed to contain nothing but clothes, but, Frank was not satisfied with a glance, and he proceeded to explore it, aking care to remove each article and place it so that he could return it at a moment’s no- tice, he took the clothes out piece by piece. Presently he found articles of man’s wear, as well as the dresses, etc. of the ->woman’s, and, a _ Moment later, he drew out a coat that caused him to leap to his faet with an exclamation of surprise! cloth seemed to be of the same kind as the little piece he had found under the nail. _Hurrying to a window, the Engineer-Detec- ec ee sb ote in taking the piece from his © and comparing it, rT — the Pa ospy “eye Eagerly, then; he searched for the place from which the piece lad been torn, P But he failed to find it. Imagine his disappointment, “There are always more than one suit of clothes cut from the same posters of cloth,” he mused, ‘‘ and this clew is of no use to me unless I can find the very garment from which it came. But let me look again, perhaps the trowsers are there, t00. i With feverish haste he turned again to the trunk, and dived into it once more. ” sre moments’ search brought the garment tolight. Turning back to the window, he unfolded the trowsers, and then instantly uttered an exclam- ation, for there, in one leg, just below the knee was, evidently, the very hole from which the Tina had been plucked by the sharp-pointed ! ‘“‘By heavens!” Frank exclaimed, ‘I am on the right trail now! This is better luck than {i No wonder Palmere fainted. No wonder they are not here. And, but for the vhance of my seeing them as they ed bg house, we ‘would no doubt have bie in finding them. Poor old Daddy! your now. stood and gazed at the evidence he held in his hands, and for some minutes he was silent and thoughtful. How should he proceed?” His first idea was to call the clerk and a police- man, and put the room in his charge. * No, that would not do. The police should have nothing to do with the case if he could help it Nor would he call the clerk. No, he would repack the trunk, exactly as he had found it, keeping nothing out, and would go at once and procure a warrant of arrest, He would not apply at the Central Office, but would go to a justice whom he knew and whose office had no connection with the Police Court in a direct way: one being under the county authority and the other attached to the city. He lost no time. As soon as the trunk was put in order as he had found it, and locked, he left the room, not by way of the window thistime, but by the door in the manner explained, He was more than satisfied with his progress. Leaving the hotel, he set out at once to find the justice he had in mind, and half an hour later was armed with a warrant for the arrest of Mr. and Mrs, Palmere. In the mean time, barely had he been gone fifteen minutes from the hotel, when an Express- wagon rattled up and stopped before it, and “Brace” Tyler sprung down from his seat and entered the office. ts CHAPTER XI. IT GROWS INTERESTING, Wuen Mr. Palmere and ‘Mme, Sibylla” entered ‘‘ Brace” Tyler’s house, and the door closed after them, Brace led them into his best room, There was a woman there whom he intro- duced as his wife, She was a coarse-featured creature, and quite apparently none too honest. race invited his calle:s to be seated, and then remarked, ‘““So, Burke, old boy, somethin’ has bu’sted, eh? Well, things will Lirst once 1n a while, It seems ter be th’ natur’ of em, An’ ye’ve come here to git out 0’ sight fer th’ present, eh? Well, as I said afore, youw’re welcome. But what is th’ racket?” ‘Well, Brace,” Burke responded, ‘“‘I do not care to go into the particulars of the thing, but we are wanted. We have done nothing, of course, but—” *Ob! of course not,” Brace interrupted, with & grin. ‘** But we do not want to be bothered, you see,” Burke went on, he, too, smiling. , *T see, I sxe,” said Brace, nodding. “And if we can stay here for a few days, till the affair cools down a little, and then can get out of town, we shall be all right.” * All right.” said Brace. ‘I know how it is myself, an’ | guess we kin help ye out; eh, old woman?” *t reckon we kin,” the hard-featured woman answered, , x Cee nobody spotted ye comin’ here, did they, Burke?” bince quaried, j ‘No; { took good care of that. Wecamea very roundabout\way, and when we came in there was no one ib sight except two women and some boys,” ‘‘Good enough, then. Yesee when ye want ter keep out o’sight, ye can’t be too keerful.” * Ob, I took care of all that.” ‘Say, though, can’t ye confide in an old pard, Burke? What is yer lay, anyhow, an’ what be ye wanted fer?” ‘Well, since you're doing the white thing by e Brace, I suppose I ought to let you into the riffle. Mrs. Palmere shot a glance at her husband— a glance meant to caution him to take care what he ss 1 urke paid no attention to it, though, nomo than though he ha notseenit? ol ‘* You see,” he went on, ‘ there was considera- ble of a robbery committed at a hotel where we recently stopped, and as we left there early next morning before it was found out, the thick- headed landlord prapauted us.” “Ha, ha, ba!” Brace laughed, “as if you would lift esr p * Just so,” said Burke, with a wink. ‘“ But when we came here, and to-day saw a man who belongs to that hotel, we have slipped out of sight to avoid trouble,” -* Ha, ba, ba! Egzackly so.” ‘You see it would only be a loss of time for us to go back to that town and prove our in- e nocence, “Egzactly, egzactly.” 4 —EEEE Ee ee a ——S Ss pet. ae ——e “So we prefer to keep out of sight.” “* Jest so, an’ I can’t blame ye, How fer a robbery was it? Did th’ lifter git much of a haul?’ ‘*'No, it didn’t amount to beans—as I heard.” ‘“*All th’ worse. If it had been a boodle worth anything, now, a feller wouldn’t blame ’em fer huntin’ round,” ‘That's so, They make as much fuss over a little hundred or so as they could make if it were a million,” ‘Have they got any proof ag’in’ any one?” “That’s just where the pain lies,” Burke snapped. ‘We can’t tell what they’ve got. mn made one straight shot, and it came so mighty close to us that we got out. We don’t want to be taken for the thieves,” ‘* Well, you’re safe here, I reckon, an’ there’s = need o’ yer bein’ seen by any one fer a few ays. t will be seen that Burke was lying to his old friend. ‘ He evidently had no intention of letting him into the facts. ‘Can you show me to a room, Mrs, Tyler?”* Mrs. Palmere presently asked. “1 have on more dresses than feel comfortable, and musti take some of them off.” “‘Sartainly,” said Mrs. Tyler, as she rose up and , Stepped toward the door; “jist follow me.’ Mrs. Palmere did so, saying as she left the oom: “It is too bad we had to leave the trunks, Burke, and if you can think of any safe means of getting them, I hope you will.” “Where is yer trunks, Burke?’ Tyler asked, when the women went out. ‘* They are at the Grand Hotel.” * An you had to leave ’em, eh?” “ es,’ r ** Wasn’t there any show ter git em out?’ * No, none at all. “You see f was afraid we were being watched, so 1 went down to the of- fice and settled for a week, and then we went. out as though for a walk.” ‘*Purty well done, too.” Burke went on, then, aud explained the ways they had thought of for getting the trun away. : 2 “Say,” his companion suddenly put in, “I think it kin be done yet.” "You do?” “ Yes. ” ? sariaee Ws or : * ny, Something like one of yer own plans, ‘‘Go ahead and give me your Taea " Well, sup you give me a note to th’ hotel clerk, tellin’ him to deliver th’ trunks to me, You kin say a friend has made ye promise to spend a couple 0’ days with him, an’ as yer rooms is paid for fer a week, it can’t make no difference to the clerk.” * But suppose the trunks are watched?” *] will take keer 0’ that part of it.” , * How will ce do it¢ I think you will find it no fool of a job,” ‘*{ know that, but if you will give me th’ note to th’ clerk like I said, I think f kin do th’ rest of it. Pll goan’ git a reg’lar Expressman th? fu’st thing. ‘Lhen I'll ride to th’ hotel with him an’ we'll git th’ trunks aboard. Then as we start off ll give him th’ address out loud, fer th’ benefit of any one as may be watchin’, Dl give him a number on one of th’ high-toned streets,” The wagon will be followed, though,” Burke objected, vg * Will it? You wait till you hear th’ rest 0” th’ plan ” ae ‘Well, out with it.” ‘Well, we'll start. Ye see I won't go there till *most Dight, on’ after we start an git in one of th’ out-ot-th’-wiy strvets, Pil i ge xpress- man over th’ heaa an’ knock him senseless, Tben Vil take th’ ines, an’ th’ man that follers that Wagon durin’ th’ next balf bour will bave a pair 0’ Ingy-rubber legs. PU go a mighty Jong ways ‘round, an’ I'll come down at Just ip th’ street behind this house, an’ there we'll take th’ trunks out an’ start th’ horse ff,” a, that looks all right,” Burke commented; : put woulda the clerk be likely to ask where am ‘* Spose be does, can’t I tell him a good stiff lie?” : Does the clerk know you?” ‘ “Not as I knows on, ‘this is a big town, an’ no one man kin know everybody else, skeercely.” ~gihetgat ‘You do not know him; thenf™ 9 0 "No; I baven’t been in th’ hotel in’a dog’s age, an’, in fact, that part o? town is a Jittle off o’ my reg’lar domain,” ' “Well, I have a mind to risk it, Brace, for I 4 ou pb bret ot med . an « aa 4 Y. ve = 4 j mS
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12 either.” ‘* T think it kin be done as slick as grease.” Burke thought it over carefully, and finally exclaimed: ** Brace, I'll do it!” ‘*Good fer you! urke wrote a note to the clerk without delay, and put it into his friend’s hand. ‘* There,” he said, *‘ that will no doubt do the business for put it. It tells him that I have decided to spend two days with a friend, and want my trunks. I also tell him to hold the room for me, as I shall return there.” . ‘** Bully!” cried Brace, ‘‘ that will do it—good style.” The scheme was not put in operation at once, Instead, Brace waited until it was quite late in the afternoon before he left the house, It was then that he was seen by Redlight Ralph. Brace went to an Express Office and engaged a wagon, and the first one that came in wasas- signed to his use, e had to wait some time, though, before one came, When it did come, he mounted the seat beside the driver and told him where to go--to the Grand Hotel. Aud they arrived there, as shown, sbortly after Footboard Frank had gone away. When he entered the office Brace stepped up to the clerk, tossed the note to him, and said: ‘¢]’m here fer them trunks, g,!? ‘¢ What trunks?” the clerk inquired as he pick- ed the note up. ‘*There’s th’ note that’s ter tell ye; that’s all I knows ’bout ’em.’ The clerk opened it and read. *-Oh! yes, L see,” he said. ‘* Where are they?” Brace asked, - Up in Parlor No. 4, Iwill call a porter to help you down with them.” ‘* Oh, by the way,” Brace added, ‘*here’s th’ key he sent fer me ter give ye, an’ he said you was ter keep it till he kem back here,” ‘Ifthe clerk had had any doubts about Mr. Tyler, this must have put them aside. If notsent by Mr. Palmere, how could he bring the key? A porter was called, and it was not long when ‘the trunks were safely aboard the wagon, It was now growing dark. é ‘‘ Where to now?” the driver asked, as Brace Sprung up. ‘*To Forty-one Maple avenue,” was the reply, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all who stood around, . Away the wagon rattled, Brace sitting behind the driver on the end of one of the trunks. Maple avenue was one of the most fashionable thoroughfares of Oakvale, and was on a hill in the western part of the town. The nearest. way there from the Grand Hotel led through quite a disreputable quarter, And it was in that way that the Expressman started to go. When about half-way between the hotel and Maple avenue, Brace Tyler drew a‘ billy ” from his pocket, and waiting for a favorable moment, suddenly reached forward and dealt the driver a blow over the temple that knocked him insen- sible inetanidys y Brace caught him as he fell, and pulling him back over the seat, Jaid him out in the bottom ‘of the wagon. Then he caught up the lines himself, and tak- _ing the driver’s place, put the horse to its best speed, and the wagon rattled on. In the mean time, Redlight Ralph was about changing his position from the steps of the closed store to one nearer the old house, It was growing so dark that he could no longer see the gate with certainty. Leaving bis place on the steps, he moved along until he came to the corner of the yard in which - the old house stood. In the yard were quite a few trees. Ralph noticed that the saadows under them were deep and black, and saw that if he could secure a position there be could see all that tran- spired, and at the same time be perfectly secure from observation. : es He resolved to go in. He was about to climb the fence, when he where he. stood, 80 he stooped and squeezed through instead, St In a moment more he was safely concealed der one of the trees, and sitting down, await- ed developments, An’ if I don’t do th’ job right up to taste, take my head for a tootball.” ou. Itis aboutin the sense you wouldn’t part with:those trunks for double what they cost’ me, and they did not cost a trifle, —$————— Soo OS a The Engineer Detective. Some time later he heard the clatter of a wagon coming down the street in the rear of the house, It stepped, Then a moment later he heard steps ap- proaching the house, followed by a knock at a rear door. Instantly he left his sheltering. tree and hur- ried around to a corner, where be could see and hear what passed. Just as be reached there the door was opened to the man who had knocked, and a voice asked: ‘‘ That you, Brace?” ‘*-Yus,” was the answer; ‘* come on, now, and we'll feteh ‘em in.” GHAPTER XII. A WONDROUS REVELATION. REDLIGHT RALPH was decidedly interested. What meant this new move? The man who had just come was ‘‘ Brace” Tyler, and the other was unmistakably Mr. Palmere—if he could lay claim to that name honestly. Ralph was but a few steps away from them, and could see their faces, though of course not distinctly. ** Are you sure,” Burke questioned, ‘‘ that the coast is clear?” ‘*Sure as I kin be, in course,” Brace an- swered. ‘I didn’t low th’ shadder o’ th’ wagon ter drag behind any, you bet!" ‘* And the Expressman?” ‘*Ohb! he’s Jaid out fer keeps.” ‘* Not dead?” ‘*No, in course not; think I’m a fool? I only hit him hard enough ter keep him still. Come, though, biz first and talk afterward.” As he spoke, Brace turned and hurried away toward the rear fence, and Burke followed. They left the door open. ' They were gone several minutes, and when a returned they carried a big trunk between em, ‘““The trunks from the hotel!” the watcher mentally exclaimed. Such they were, as the reader knows. The two men carried the trunk up the two steps to the porch, and on into the house. hey evic cay put it down in the hall, for they were gone but a moment, hen they reappeared and went down to the street again, a new thought came to Ralph. He decided to go into the house and see the adventure to the end, and learn all he could, And he lost po time in putting his thought into action. Hurrying around to the steps he sprung up them noiselessly, and entered through the open oor. There was no light there, and first assuring himself that his revolver was handy for use, Bah felt around for a place to conceal him- self. First he stumbled against the trunk, and then his hand came into contact with the banister of astairway. This — him, and he moved as noiseless] as possible up to the floor above, remaining a the head of the stairs, where he could hear all that was said below. ; Brace and Burke had meanwhile taken the second trunk from the wagon. ‘You are sure the fellow is only stunned?” the latter eee tone. “Yes,” Brace assured, *bout comin’ to,” ‘** Well, start the horse off, then, and let’s get out of sight.” Brace took the lines and secured them to the seat, started the horse and then sprung out, and the wagon rattled rapidly away. Afterward it was learned that the horse went straight to its stable, arriving there just about the time that the Expressman regained his con- sciousness, And, naturally, no little excitement was created. _ Having started the horse, the two men lost no time in picking up the second trunk and start- ing for the house. ey carried it into the hall, and then the door was closed and bolted. ‘“Where shall we put them now?” asked Burke. , ‘Wait till I fetch a light,” answered Tyler, : and then we’ll put ’m into a room right handy ere. ' 2 ** All right.” oS gb aap fs ight Ralph heard one of them move along the halJ, and See a door, and then presently a ‘ht was brought. . t was carried by Mrs. Tyler, and Mrs, Palmere followed her. ‘an’? I reckon he’s Sennen ———— eee rere ee Ee Ee a Brace led the way, and he and Burke picked up one of the trunks, Mrs. Tyler opened a door right at the foot of the stairs, disclosing a modestly furnished bed- room. It was the room they had assigned to Mr, and Mrs, Palmere. Into that room the trunks were taken. “Tam glad to have them with me again,” Mrs. Palmere remarked, ‘‘ for I feared I had parted with my costumes for good and all. “And for other reasons, too,” added Mr, Palmere. Redlight Ralph could hear what was said, but could not see the speakers. ‘‘T notice this biggest one don’t go very high fer heft,” remarked Brace. ‘*No, you are right,” agreed Mr. Palmere. “That is my trunk, and my wardrobe is not so extensive as my wife’s.” ‘*{ should say not. think it was empty.” . ‘*Tt,. may be, or nearly so,” ‘‘T must show you one of my costumes, Mrs, Tyler,” Mrs. Palmere remarked, ‘‘ You think this dress so fine, I will show you one that will eclipse it. Burke, have you the keys?” ‘Yes, here they are.” “Tet me have them.” As said, Ralph could hear but could not see, and he wanted to make use of his eyes as well as his ears. Grasping his revolver firmly, he descended the stairs until he could look into the room, It was dangerous, so far as the risk of dis- covery was concerned, but being armed he had no fears. When he looked into the room he saw that all had their backs toward the door, and Mme. Sibylla was unlocking one of the trunks, Ralph could not remain there, for discovery wth certainly follow if he did. He looked around. On one side of the room was a glass door, covered on the opposite side with a cheap lace curtain, Evidently the door opened into an adjoining room of some sort, If he could find that room, and get into it, he could look through the glass door and see every- thing that was done, He resolved to make the attempt. Stealing on down the remaining steps almost as noiselessly as a-cat, he flitted past the open ai unseen, and then made his way along the all. : Feeling his way, he soon found another oor. He tried it. It was unlocked, and o d into a very nar- row room that was evidently used as a store- room. , It was the room into which the glass door opened, and the light that came through from the other room revealed its size and shape, and indistinctly its contents. . There was a key in the lock on the outside. This Ralph removed, put it on the inside, and then sli 0 into the little room, closed and locked the door and removed the key. In fact, a feller would This done, he stepped quickly to the glass door and looked ee He was here secure from observation, because the lace curtain completely hid him, ns Palmere had just raised the lid of the trunk. She was about to remove some of its contents, when suddenly she sprung to her feet with the exclamation: : ‘‘ Somebody has been into this trunk!” ‘‘What?? demanded Burke, eagerly, as he took a step forward to look. : “‘T say somebody has been into this trunk,” the woman repeated. ‘Its contents have been overhauled since I packed it.” ‘Perhaps you are mistaken,” KY “Tam not mistaken. The things are not as I left them.” f “It is strange; who can it have been?” “T do not tive.” he has learned the secret of the trunk, it is well for us that we are out of his reach.” en b i t sig ut the words were out. . Bike secret of the trunk?’ questioned Brace: ‘what is the secret of the trunk?” 3 meant to keep that ee Sr 1 a , ot he said, ‘‘ but since I have let show you.” © pie ‘ ae _ There was a settled frown upon Mme. Sibylla’s face, but Burke went on: ares ow, unless it was that detec- . * | Pa ‘‘Confound him! perhaps it was. If so, and Palmere had given Burke a cautioning ro ' fe ae ots ."; ee a
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VALET =? re poe 3 ey RELI EOS EO, 2 - ¢ " 8 te ts The Engineer Detective. ** T spoke about the hotel robbery, you remem- ber,” he said, “ Well, I did the job.” ** So I understood before.” *¢ And Dll show you how it was done.” Taking the keys, he opened the larger trunk. It was empty, except for a few articles of clothing. These were taken out. “Quite a sizable trunk, eh?” Burke said, as he straightened up. ‘You're right,” Brace agreed. ‘¢ Almost big enough to hold a man, eh?” ‘Thunder! I should say it ts big enough.” Redlight Ralph started. Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from the sky, came a new theory of the means of poor Daddy Gray’s murder. Had not the murderer been concealed in one of these very trunks, able to get out and in at will? And did not that account for the fact that the car had been found securely locked on the inside? . It was a startling revelation, and Ralph watched now with increased interest and bated breath. Burke laughed again. “You are right,” he said, it is big enough to hold a man, Brace; and now I will show you a trick that will surprise you a little, I think.” As he spoke, the man stepped into the trunk. “*Now,” he said, ‘‘I will lie down, and then ou are to lock the trunk and strap it securely. o you understand?” ** Yes; go ahead, and I'll lock ye up fast as ye want.” Mr. Palmere settled down and curled himself up in the body of the trunk. “Shut it down,” he ordered. “* Are ye all ready?” Brace asked. ** Yes; shut the lid and lock it.” Brace obeyed, and in a moment the big trunk was securely locked and strapped. ‘* Tt is all fast,” he announced. Half a minute passed, and then the end of the trunk was seen to open, inwardly. The end was halt turned toward where Red- light Ralph was concealed, and he could see the whole performance plainly. His blood ran cold with horror as he realized how foully Daddy Gray had been taken un- awares, and as he realized that the murderer was actually before him. Little did any of the four imagine that a pair of watching eyes were upon them. The end of the trunk was opened inwardly by the man inside, it being divided into four tri- angular sections. When closed, these sections fit so neatly bi lee that, disguised under lines of paint—as they were, they could not be dis- covered object of finding them. As soon as the end was dpened, Mr. Palmere crawled out into the room. Brace and Mrs. Tyler looked the surprise they felt, ‘By gosh!” Brace ejaculated, ‘*‘ but that beats th’ Dutch!” Mr, Palmere smiled. “You see our little game,” he said. ‘‘ Mrs. Palmere, or ‘ Madame Silvyila,’ locks me, her hus- band, up in one of her trunks, and sends them to some first-class hotel, She arrives there next morning, usually, though sometimes at the same time the trunks do. In the night that hotel is robbed, It is always a mystery. I arrive mist day, or pa “ot a ‘ ag time eee shi away again. is a delicate trick, an ed - be mrsely handled, but we have got it down fine, If I want to leave the house, I close these ends by pressing so,” indicating and closing them; ‘‘but if not, then I crawl back _and lock myself in until Madame Sibylla arrives, Isn’t it fine?” “Tt is, an’ no mistake; but I sh’d think it was mighty risky.” : t go it is, as I said, and it has to be handled tenderly.” , And so they talked on for some time, while the watcher xd and fondled the revolver he held in hand, almost unable to resist shooting _ the wretch down in his tracks. _ Here was the full explanation of poor Daddy _ Gray’s murder, and here was the murderer. ed the mystery of the Express rob- 36 ere was solv ae: “was a wonderful case, and it might have gone on for a long time without discovery, had itn see to pounder, iaiak nce And to Footboard Frank would belong all the credit of having cleared the myster; i wondered would come there sooner or later, so decided without a careful inspection with the LLL where he was, 3 ada that. to remain right where he was until he heard him. Then he would be on hand to assist him. The conversation was running on, and Brace Tyler had just voiced his suspicion that Burke could explain the Express-car mystery, if he would, which Burke strenuously denied; when suddenly there came a resounding knock at the front door that caused them all to spring to their feet in the greatest alarm. The supreme moment was at hand; and Red- Mght Ralph grasped his revolver yet more firm- ly, and quietly waited. CHAPTER XIII. A BATTLE IN THE DARK. In the mean time Footboard Frank had not been idle. : On the contrary, he was putting his shoulder to the wheel—so to say—gallantly. Having secured the warrant, his next business was to serve it and arrest the persons he sus- pected. How should he do it? He knew that it would be nothing short of folly for him to go alone to the old house, and he did not want to call the police to his assist- ance. Thinking he might possibly catch Ralph in his office, he called there, Of course he did not find him. He had no time then to go to the house to look for him, when it was no certainty that he would meet bim there if he did. : Then for the first time it occurred to him that perhaps Ralph himself had gone to shadow the old house. ’ Be this as it might, it did not alter the fact that he, Frank, must have help in making the arrest. It would be two te one against him at least, and perhaps when he entered at one door, the very ones he wanted would make their exit by ht * of another. hat would not do atall. He certainly must guard against it. in this emergency he thought of his comrades of the road. ‘* Just the men,” he decided, and at once he set out to look for some of them, — In a short time he had found Conductor War- ren, who agreed at once to assist him, and ere long two others were added to his force. With these three he set out immediately to find his intended prisoners, They were only a short distance away from the station when they met Joel Spottem, the de- tective. He stopped them. ‘““ Ah! how d’e do? he remarked. ‘‘T suppose nothing new has turned up in relation to the murder, eh?” ‘““We have not given up ouridea, though,” Frank answered, evasively. - ** Still think it was murder, eh?” i Yes, as strongly as ever.” , Well, I hate to spoil your hopes; but I guess you wil never be able to prove it.” No, perhaps not. But you must excuse me, Mr. Spottem, for I am in a hurry.” “ Certainly; good-night.” Frank and his friends responded and passed - and in due time they reached their destina- ion. ‘Here we are,” said Frank, ‘and now we must get to work. This is a new business for me, but with your help I hope we won’t make a mess of it.” He looked around for the man Ralph had promised to send there, misgiving that per- Seeing no one, he had'a haps his birds had flown. he man would keep out of. sight, though, of course, and he might be there in hiding. He regretted now that he had not suggested some signal by means of which the man could be found, if there. : But it was no time for regrets or delay then. ‘Come on, now, and file silently in,” Frank said, as he held open the gate, ‘‘and make as wide a circuit as you can to the rear of the house.” Luke Warren and the other two obeyed, and Prank closed the gate noiselessly after him when they had passed, and followed them. hen the rear of the house was reached, Frank stationed two of the men there, and then he and Luke returned to the front. The windows were now all closed, but they ard vo within, Going up on the porch, Frank cautioned Luke to be ready to guard the door, and then he raised the knocker and startled the echoes with- in the old house, : ‘ f noise, excitement, and confusion. ‘Who can that be?” cried Burke, as his face assuméd a ghastly paleness. “ Hang me if I know,” responded Brace, ‘t but I soon will. You all stay right here an’ keep quiet, an’ I'll go to th’ door.” “It may be only some pal o’ yourn,” Mrs. Tyler remarked. As for Mrs. Palmere, she was the worst- frightened of the four, and rushed teward her husband with outstretched arms, ‘¢ There, now, croaker,” Burke warned, as he waved ber back, ‘this is no time for shedding tears on me, so keep off! I may have worse business to attend to shortly.” ; As he spoke, tle rascal drew a revolver and examined it hastily. Meantime Brace had gone to the door, Redlight Ralph left his place by the glass door, and quick y unlocked and opened the one leading into the hall in order to listen. Brace opened the front door at that moment, and Ralph heard Frank inquire: ** Are Mr. and Mrs. Palmere here?” ‘* No, sir,” Brace answered, “‘ they ain’t.” - Redlight Ralph sprung out into the hall in- stantly, shouting: ‘“Frank, he lies! They are right here in this back room! Come on!” Brace was thunderstruck, and for the instant was unable to move or speak. Not so Frank. He sprung forward imme- diately, dealt Brace a blow with bis revolver that sent him to the floor, and then rushed on to join Ralph. In the same moment, though, Burke threw open the door of the room he was in and sprung out, making a rush for the rear door and shooting back the bolts in a twinkling. “ Stop!” shouted Ralph, ‘‘ or I'll fire!” ‘Shoot and be hanged!” cried the hunted man, as he flung open the door. Ralph did shoot, two shots in quick succession, but the man had swung the door shut the instant. he was out, and the bullets did not reach him, Instantly a scuffle, shots and shouts were heard on the porch, and with a cry to Ralph to. look after the others, Frank, who had barely paused, rushed right on through the hall and ut. At the same time, too, Luke Warren was having a Gesperate struggle with Brace Tyler ; and, just as Frank sprung past where Ralph stood, the two women rushed out and Mrs, Palmere sent a bullet within an inch of Ralph’s face, It was a desperate fight. The young Fo mec flung open the door just in time to see a final shot fired, as the desperate man threw off the two men who had endeayored to stop him, one of whom was wounded and fell down ; and then the fugitive sprung away toward the street. Frank fired after him, but without effect, and shouting to his men to rush in and help secure the others, he started in pursuit. The man who.was wounded was now out of the struggle, but the other obeyed Frank’s order without delay, Springing into the hall he found Ralph, whom he recognized at once, owing to his false beard having been torn off, struggling desperately a the two women, who fought like very ers. ith a bound he was at Ralph’s side, and then he frappled with Mrs, Tyler, leaving the other to Ralph. Mme, Sibylla was perfectly insane in her rage at being taken, and fought desperately, trying band to use her revolver again. his Ralph had managed to prevent her from doing, and now, relieved of Mrs, Tyler, he soon overcame and disarmed her, Tyler was a much stronger woman, and the man who had taken her in band found that he had his hands about full. He was a strong oung fellow, though, and it was not long when e;woman was forced to yield. ‘The struggle between Luke Warren and Brace was still going on, in semi-darkness, and it was doubtful which would win, Redlight Ralph realized that Luke must be as- sisted, and looked around for some means a curing Mrs, Palmere in order to go to help i Luke, however, was yet good for his man, and was determined to hold him, Barely one min- ute had elapsed since the tumult began, but it seemed that sufficient noise had been made to arouse all that quarter of the town. With the shouts of the men, the cries and screams of the two women, the spiteful crackin of the revolvers, it had been a minute of ‘wildest Nor was it ended yet,
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Mme. Sibylla was screaming heartily, evi- dently with the hope of increasing the confusion and so securing a chance to escape, and Mrs. ‘tyler was swearing and scolding ina manner frightful to hear. Neither Ralph nor his assistant could release them for a moment, nor could they find any ready means of securing them, And the struggie between Luke and Brace went furiously on, Half a minute more passed thus, and then heavy steps were heard on the porch, and men rushed in, Were they friends or foes? That was soon decided, as Luke Warren caught sight of a policeman’s uniform, and ex- claimed: ‘“* Here, officer, lend a hand, quick!” “Who are you?” the policeman demanded, as he advanced, “We are railroad men, who came here with a deputy sheriff to arrest the persons in this house,” ‘¢ That’s a lie!” cried Brace, as he struggled all the more to get away. “Tt is false!” screamed Mrs, Palmere. ‘* They are thieves and murderers!” "ti an instant confusion was worse confound- eda, The officer was bewildered, but only for a mo- ment, Redlight Ralph dragged the woman he held along to where the officer was, as he could not let go of her, and said, in decisive tones: ‘* Officer, I am Ralph Raymond, manager of the M. C. & O. Railroad. Secure that prisoner, and then hear my explanation.” This had the right effect, and in another mo- ment Brace Tyler was conquered. Some three or four persons had followed the liceman in, and Ralph directed one of them o step into the room and bring out the light. When this was done the excitement abated, and Ralph told hig story. ‘* And where is the deputy now?” asked the policeman, “One man fot away,” answered Ralph, ‘‘ and he pursued him.” ** And you want these three arrested?” +f Yea,” - “* You charge them with murder?” “T will'go with you to the station and make the charge.” “Oh! all right.” Then the prisoners were quickly secured, de- spite the tearful protestations of Mrs. Palmere and the threats and curses of Brace Tyler an his worthy consort. And when their hands were tied, Ralph and the officer set out with them for the police station, Ralph telling Luke Warren to remain and guard the trunks until he returned. As soon as they were gone, Luke's attention was called to the wounded man, . He was assisted to rise and was helped into ‘the house, where his hurt was examined. Tt was not a dangerous wound. The bullet had struck him in the thigh, and could be felt under the skin. It had missed the bone, and had not gone quite through. A bandage was put around the leg, and as- ‘sisted by his companion and one of the men who had come in with the policeman, the wounded man went home. : Redlight Ralph and the policeman, with their prisonevs, soon reached the police station, and a3 Ralph made his ctrah Oy there was one man present whom it complete “tage hs That man was Joel Spottem, the detective, He could not believe that he heard aright. ‘“Good Heavens!” he exclaimed; ‘was it murder, after all?” “Tt certalply was,” Ralph assured him. “ But the car—locked—how did the murderer escape?” ‘You will learn in good time,” said Ralph. ““T cannot explain now.’ Ralph saw the necessity of calling the police to assist in findfag the murderer, if he had got away from Frank, as it was to be supposed he bad, and a general alam was sent out at once. Then Ralph and a policeman went back to the house and removed the trunks, and then the house was closed up and a watchman was stationed there to guard it. CHAPTER XIV. A STRANGE CHASE, WueEn Frank started in pursuit of the chief villain he was fully determined that the man should not escape. “Stop!” he shouted, as he ran down toward The Engineer Detective. the street, ‘‘stop! or I will drop you in your tracks!” but, the reply was a defiant shot, and . ial whistled unpleasantly close to his ead, In a moment the man had flung open the rear gate and was out in the street. Frank was almost at his heels then, but owing tothe man’s violently flinging the gate shut in his very face, he was staggered and almost knocked down, and thus lost a little time in opening it. When he passed through he could just see the retreating form of the murderer about half a block away, but the young engineer ‘‘ put on steam ” and dashed ahead at a furious gait. The race continued for three or four blocks before anything occurred. When something did occur, it was in a way that at first glance boded ill to Frank, and promised to secure the escape of his man. A policeman sprung suddenly out of a cross- street, and raising .2 locust aloft, ordered Frank to stop. ** Don’t detain me,” Frank shouted, ‘‘ I am after a prisoner! 1’m a deputy sheriff!’ ‘**Stop!” the policeman cried, ‘‘ stop, I tell ye! I wan’t to know who you are!” Frank was right upon him, and making a feint as though to dodge by him, he struck out suddenly with his fist and sent the blue-coat to the ground. On he ran, then, not having stopped even for a moment. It is a serious offense to strike an officer, or is said to be, and in this case it certainly was—for the officer; but, Frank knew that a delay of a single moment would destroy every chance of his laying hold of his prisoner, and there was no other course open to him. By the time the policeman had come to his senses and picked himself up, Frank was a block and a half ar ay The course the fugitive was taking led him to the tracks of ths railroad, and when he reached them, at a crossing a short distance above the station, Frank had grived somewhat upon him. The man glanced back, just when he was fairly upon the crossing, and by that glance he almost ended the race then and there. He struck his toe against some object, and went sprawling at full length on the planking and tracks, It was a severe fall, but he was up again in- stantly and speeding on. Frank was now unco.nfortably near, and, had the man lain but a quarter of a minute, where he fell, the young engineer would have been on him. As it was, bis chances seemed lessened, Suddenly he made a new move. He left the street and darted away down the track. A short distance ahead was a switch-engine, standing on the main track and all user steam. A sudden thought came to Frank: What if the man-~vere to jump aboard, pull the throttle and dash out of the city under full steam? ; Barely had the thought come, when, to his great surpwiad, the fugitive did just that very ing Frank stopped, gazed after the retiring en- gine, which was speeding away with wide-open throttle, and for one moment he gave up in de- spair. But he suddenly roused up. ‘* No,” he cried, ‘‘ never /” He glanced at his watch. It was forty min- utes before any train was due to arrive or de- part. At the next street crossing below stood the locomotive of a Freight train on a side-track. The train was all “‘ made up” and ready for the road, and was waiting for time. “By heavens!” Frank cried, as he glanced around, “I'll give chase! If he escapes now he may never be seen again! He must not escape.” _ Quickly he ran down to where the train was in waiting. It was his own train—that is, the one he would have gone out with as engineer had he been on duty, When he reached the locomotive the first thing he did was to cut it loose from the cars. Then he caught up a redligbt and put it down on the main track. Next he ran to the switch and opened it, and then back to the engine, pare the throttle, and, with a shrill seream of he whistle, was away like the very wind! The engineer, fireman and trainmen of the train were all seated on a bench at the side of a flagman’s shanty, a short distance, all wonder- ing where the switch-engine was going to at such speed, and no one saw what was going on near their own engine until they heard the whistle and saw it start off. i Up they sprung, but they were too late. ‘What in blazes is going on here?” cried the engineer, in great excitement. © one coud tell bim. ‘‘Hang me if I know,” he added, “ but it is a reg’tar railroader on my engine, sure, and he means to bring her back, , he left the red- light there!” All this was discussed at length, but our inter- est now centers upon the pursuer and pursued. The engine was Frank’s own regular machine, and he knew just what it coulddo, He knew that it would .only be a question of time when he would overtake the switch-engine. The lat- ter had smaller wheels than his; and was not so good a runner by any means. As soon as he was fairly started,the Engineer- Detective pulled the throttle wide open, and his machine seemed fairly to fly. , It was risky work, running without orders, but it was a certainty that if there was any train or engine coming in the opposite direction the switch-engine must meet it first,so Frank was comparatively safe, Out of town he flew, up the long grade that led to the hills, around the big curve in the cut as the road has once been described in the story of ‘‘ RepLIGHT RALPH,”) and then for some dis- tance he had a straight track. hen he came around upon that straight line, he saw the headlight of the switch-engine some miles ahead, Switch-engines, as a rule, carry a headlight on each end, ; The headlight of the engine Frank was on had not yet been lighted. This was fortunate, for in the darknes he might be able to catch up with the fugitives before he was discovered, He had plenty of water, fire and all else, and knew how to keep up the supply of steam, of course, With the fugitive it was difficult. He was well supplied with*water and fuel, but he did not know how to use them. ’ In a few minutes Frank noticed that he was gaining. ‘“T will have him yet!” he cried joyfully, ** and Daddy yiay shall be avenged.” On, on, he fairly flew, and the headlight of the other engine drew gradually nearer and nearer, Finally, when he came to the foot of a long up-grade, Frank was so close to the other en- gine that its rear headlight fell upon bis own engine, and he knew that he could get no nearer unseen, if the fugitive chanced to look around. He had heen slacking speed a little as he drew near, but now he pulled the throttle wide open again for a final spurt, then partly closed it and catching up his revolver he sprung out through the front door, ran forward to the cow- catcher, and there crouched down, The engines were drawing close together now, and as soon as they were near enough for bim to do it, Frank sprung over to the tender of the one ahead. The tender of the switch-engine was but a small affair, and it was but a step from it to the cab. The moment Frank was on it, he reached up and caught hold of the handle and stepped into the cab directly behind the man he was so de- termined to capture. , Burke was looking straight ahead, ard on the floor under his feet lay the engineer of the en- ine, whom he had nat senseless at the start with a blow from his revolver. ; Just as Frank sprung up, the two engines struck with a slight shock. Burke turned instantly, to find bimself face to face with the Engineer-Detective, who held a cocked revolver ready, in his right hend, while saith his left Frank grasped the man by the neck, “Surrender!” Frank cried, ‘or I will shoot!” “Never!” shouted Burke, and he dodged and attempted to draw his own weapon, ; It was no time for trifling then, so with a hasty aim Frank pulled the trigger. There were a flash and a report, and Burke staggered back and fell across ihe boiler with blood streaming down his face. — Frank had fired to kill, and certainly thought the Man was dead. He was not, however, though Frank’s bullet had cut an ugly furrow along his scalp and rendered him insensible. .. . Frank’s first care was to bring the two en- gines to a stop, This done, he turned to his prisoner to learn whether he was dear or not, Finding that he was not, he secured his hands and feet with strong cords, and then laid bim down upon the floor of the cab on the other side of the boiler.
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rn tie ee, “ _ the county had rushe By this time the engineer of the switch-engine ‘was just coming to, and Frank assisted him to get up and bathed bis head and face with water. ** Where ara I?” were the man’s first words, Frank explained what had taken place, and the realization of the danger he had been in re- stored the man’s mind to its normal vigor. ‘* Heavens!” he gasped, ‘‘suppose we had met some train! I remember now the fellow’s jump- iag up on the engine, but [thought it was the fireman. 1 was seated in the cab, and merely turned my head to see who it was, when I saw an arm uplifted to strike me, I tried t» dodge, and that is the last I know about it,” “Can poe run or shall I couple Frank asked, ‘** Yes, 1ean run her back,” was the reply. “Tam all right, except a fearfully sore head.” While talking, Frank had tested the water in the boiler, turned on the injectors and fixed up the fire, and seeing that the engineer, was, as he declared, all right, be now left him and returned to his own engine. ; Ilis prisoner being safely bound, and not like- ly to return to consciousness for some time any- how, Frank left him in charge of the other engineer. Lt 5 The run back to Oakvale was made with due caution, and without incident worthy of men- tion, and when the two engines arrived there and explanations were made, Footboard Frank was the hero of the hour. The news of the mysterious starting-off of the two engines had spread rapidly. Redlight Ralph had heard of it when he was returning from the police station, after the truaks had been put in a safe place, and at once the — of the matter suggested itself to his mind. It was not only possible, but it seemed highly probable that he guessed aright. Ie rushed at once to the telegraph office, and did atl that could be done to avert a collision, and when the two engines returned safely, he was oue of the first to congratulate the Engineer- Doteptive on his success. - It had been a desperate chase, but Frank was the winner. Burke was carried to jail without delay, when a doctor was called to attend to him, and when he came to he found himself securely caged. lirs. Palmere was taken from the police station, then, on the warrant Frank held, and she, too, was lodged in jail. The town was a lexcitement, and ‘* Footboard Frank, the Enginee-rDetectivé,” was upon every- body’s lips, Frank was by this time completely tired out, having had no rest for more than thirty-six hours, and he lost no time in going home to get some much-needed sleep. —— CHAPTER XV. THE CRIME AVENGED, Next day Daddy Gray’s body was taken pyar and on the following day the funeral Daddy had been a ver ular man in Oak- vale, and the funeral es arvely attended. After the burial the house was closed up, and Ethel went away With Mrs, Raymond to spend a few weeks with her at her charming home at Mansfield. ; < The r piri was almost heartbroken. She had aca. her father dearly, and the hai been all in all to each other ever since the death of the wife and_ mother some years previously, Mr. and Mrs. “‘ Palmere” \.ere given a hear- ing, which resulted in their being remanded to jail witkout bail to await their trial, - There was no doubt of their guilt, Brace Tyler and his consort would have been our engine back to Oakvale? ast to it and pull it there?” _ released on bail, but n8 one could be found who -weuld stand as security for them. When the day of the trial came, there were more people in the little ee of Oakvale than — ever been seen there at any one time be- ore, It seemed as though the whole population of a into town en masse, ~The court-house was filled as $000 as its doors BS Were opened, by persons who had_ evidently come with the intention to sit there all day, and + ; Me side in the yard there was one dense mass of The very best: 1 talent had been secured of le a ae that the defense would day y ‘as taken up in selecting a then tho triat occupied two days The Engineer Detective. The prosecution had kept the proofs of guilt as secret as possible, and when they were all offered in evidence the defense was left with barely a leg to stand on. The discovery of the crime was gone over first, and all the details were set forth, showing the evidence upon which the coroner and his jury had based their belief that it was a case of suicide. After that Frank Forrester, the ‘‘ Engineer- Detective,” took the stand, and presented his array of proofs. First he mentioned his belief that it was not suicide, but murder; and them he went on to explain in detail how he had found the clew and run the prisoners to earth. He told of his search for the supposed missing bullet, and what it led to, He exhibited the bit of cloth found under the nail on one of the boxes that had been in the car that night, and named Thomas Quinn as a witness to the finding of it as stated. uinn was called and corroborated the story. hen, still narrating his search for the bullet, Frank described his going to the hotel to look for some sign of it on the two trunks, and told of all that followed, He explained how and where he had found the bullet, and called for Maggie Dolan, the ser- vant, to prove his statement. The woman appeared and testified to the truth of it, and was held to give further testimony later on. The bullet was shown, and also the revolver that had ‘been taken from Burka at the time of his capture, Daddy Gray's revolver and the other bullet, too, were shown, and both weapons proved to be of the same kind, size and pattern. Going on, Frank told the whole story, except the part concerning his second visit to the hotel, He told of his being sworn inas a deputy sheriff ; of bis getting the warrant of arrest; of his going to Brace Tyler’s house, where the man and woman then were, to serve it; of the fight that followed, and of his desperate chase and the final capture of Burke, oe he concluded the room rung with ap- use, { 7 Maggie Dolan, the servant, was then recalled, and related what she had learned of the prison- ers while they were at the hotel. Ralph Raymond next took the stand. He testified to his going to watch the old house, and recited all that took place there, as is known to the reader, ; The two trunks were then carried into court, and the smaller one was opened first, In it was found the pair of trowsers from which had been torn the piece of cloth that had been shown by Footboard Frank. Then the other trunk was opened, and its mys- i * explained. etective Spottem was proearys and he fairly turned green with envy as he saw how badly the Engineer-Detective had outdone him. e chain of evidence was too strong to be broken. It was clear that the mnrderer had concealed himself in the trunk with the intention of rob- bing the Express-car. Daddy Gray had no doubt discovered him before he, the latter, could make an attack, and had at once drawn his weapon, Seeing his danger, Burke must have whipped out his own revolver and got in the first. fire, killing the old man almost instant] ; the bullet from the hatter’s revolver striking the runk, On the other side considerable of manufac- tured evidence was introduced to prove an alibi for Burke, but the witnesses contradicted one another seriously, and at last the defense broke down. The jury returned a verdict without leaving their seats, “Guilty.” Tbat, of course, meant puil the first degree, and referred on The trial of Mrs, “ Palmere,” io her share in the robbery, etc., was to follow, The judg, passed senteuce upon Burke with- out delay, and the condemned man was led away at once to be locked in the murderer’s cell. The woman’s case was then called, aud she pleaded guilty, made a confession in full, and implored the mercy of the court. er name, she said, was not ‘ Palmere,” but ‘* Holden.” She was the wife of Burke Holden, She had been a public singer before marrying him. When she first met him she supposed he was an honest man, and loving him, married him, She soon learned that he wasa profession- al burglar. She declared she had used her best of murder in to Burke. influence to win him from a life of crime, but 15 i without avail. He it was who invented the trunk scheme, and she had been obliged to assist him in carrying out his plans, They nad robbed hotels, boarding-houses, Express-cars, etc, to the extent of mauy thousand dollars. She had for- warded her trunks to Oakvale by Express on that fatal night in order to give Burke a chance to rob the car. He had no intention of killing the messenger, as his plan was to steal upon him un- seen and knock him senseless. The old man had discovered bim, though, about as soon as he was out of the trunk, and he, Burke, killed him in self-defense—so he said. He went right on, though, and robbed the safe, replacing the key in the dead man’s pocket, It will be remembered that Mrs. ‘t Palmere” asked théway to a hotel, and when she arrived at the Grand Hotel, inquired at once for ‘' Mr. Palmere.” That was to pave the way for Burke’s appearance, As soon as the trunks were taken to the room in the hotel, Burke came forth, left the house via a window and the piaz- za, and afterward made his debut upon the scene. The woman was tried, found sory, and sentenced to prison years, But the sentence was never carried out, nor did she ever enter the prison. On the second morning after her trial she was found dead in her cell. In one hand was a letter addressed to Burke, and in the other a tiny vial showin that she had taken her own hfe by means o poison which she must have had secreted on her person. In her letter to Burke she said: “* * * Tloved you—with heart and soul I loved you, and see to what depths I have followed you! Oh! if you had but listened to me, and had given up your life of crime, how different it would be with us to-day! But, it is now too late. Good-by, Burke, though perhaps not forever.” When the murderer read that, he broke down and wept, and regretted that he had not paid heed to the counsel of the woman who had so truly loved him. In due time he ended his miserable life on the gallows, as he deserved, Brace Tyler and his wife, too, were given their reward, Frank Forrester received the highest praise from every quarter, The case was printed ‘in full in the newspapers, and was commented cn as being one of the quickest and most clever pieces of detective work on record. Starting with no clew whatever, he had in one day ferreted out the guilty ones and arrested them! Needless to add, Detective Joe) Spottem hung up his harp, so to say, and, figuratively speaking, went into mourning, Redlight Ralph would accept none of the honor people wanted to thrust upon him for bis share in the work, but gave it all to Frank, He, Ralph, had firmly resolved that the mystery guilty, as acces- or a number of should be cleared, and meant what he said; but the young engineer had done the work, and to him all praise was due. The Express Company gave Frank a hand- some reward, and later he received a bona fide offer from the great Allan Pinkerton to engage him in his service as a regular detective; but, Frank declined. He declared that he was not cut out for that business, and knew it. If, how- ever, any case should ever come up on the rail- road, he might try his hand at itagain. In the mean time, he would stick to his good engine, Conductor Warren, Agent Gilsom, and the other railroad men we have mentioned, are still with the M, C, & O. ; The man who was shot by Burke Holden, on the night of his arrest, soon recovered from his wound, os In due time Frank and Ethel were married, and now reside at Oakvale, in Ethel’s old home, Frank has several times dipped into detective work, since the case we have chronicled here, and he is widely known as ‘‘ Footbeard Frank, the Engineer-Detective.” _ THE END,
Page 16
2-0 ee ee 2 Tages ey > eee a ete nines ee BEADLE’S*H ALF- DIME* | IBRARY. Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. No Double Numbers, j ,, BY EDWARD L, WHEELER. Deadwood Dick Novels. 1 Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road. 20 Double Dagrers ; or, Deadwood Dick's Defiance, 28 Butfulo Ben: or, Deadwood Dick in Disguise. &5 Wid Ivan, the Boy Clande Duval, 42 Phantom Miners; or, Deadwood Dick's Bonanza, 49 Omaha O11; or, Deadwood Dick in Panger. 5& Deadwood Dick's Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar. TB Dendwood Dick on Deck; or. Calamity Jane, the Heroine. 7 Corduroy Chartle 3 or, Deadwood Dick’s Last Act, 100 Deadwood Dick in Lendville, 104 Dendwood Dick's Device: or, The Double Cross Sign. 169 Deudwood Dick as Detective. 129 Beaty ood Dick's Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s Gulch. 7 18S Blonde Ei; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base. 149 A Game of Goldy or, Deadwood Dick's Big Strike. 156 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood} or, The Picked Party, 195 Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, The Riv: Is of the Road. 201 ‘The Black Hills Jezebel; or, Deadwood D ck’s Ward, 205 Dendwood Dick's Doom; or, Calamity Jane’s Last Ad- venture, 9t? Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. ¥21 Sugar-Conated Sam; or, ‘The Black Gown, 252 Gold-Dust Dick, A Romance of Rough.and Tougha, 268 Deadwood Dick's Divide; or, The Spir.t of Swamp Lake. 26% Deadwood Dick’ Death Trall. ’ B09 Deadwood Dick’s Blg Deal; or, The Gold Brick of reyon, 821 Deudwood Dick's Dozen; or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats. 847 Deadwood Dick’s Ducuts; or, Rainy Days in the Dig- ginys, BSL Dendwood Dick Sentenced; or, The Terrible Vendetta. 562 Dead wees Dick's Clatimn; or, The Fairy Face of Faro Y TL. 405 Deadwood Dick tn Dead City. 410 pestwaed Dick’s Diamonds; or, The Mystery of Joan orter, 421 Deadwood Dick In New York} or, A “Cute Care,” 430 Deadwood Dick’s Dusty or, The Chained Hand, 4485 Dendwood Dick, Jr. 418 Nickel-Plate Neds or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Defiance. 453 Sunflower Sam, Of Shasta; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Full Hand, 459 Flush Fan, the Ferret; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Big Ronnd- U ye 465 Phitto Fly, of Phenix; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Racket at ‘aim 10, 471 Bezeman Bill; or, Deadwood Dick Jr's Corral. ATO peueavonnt Marry, the Hurricane; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s ig Detective, 481 Moll Mystery; or, Deadwood Dick Jr. in Dendwood. 401 F vince Pistol, tue King of the West; or, Deadwood Dick r’s Compact, 496 Monte Criato, Jr.t or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Inheritance. 500 Deadwood Dick's Diggings 3 or, Dr. Death-Grip's Swoop, BOS Deadwood Dick’s Deliverance. 51S Deadwood Dick's Protegec, 522 Deadwood Dick’s Three. 529 Deadwood Dick's Danger Ducks, 544 Dendwood Dick's Death Hunt, 539 Deadwood Dick Jr., In Texans, 544 Deadwood Dick, Jr., the Wild West Vidoeq. Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. 26 Cloven Woof, the Buffalo Demon. $2 Bob Woolf’; or, The Girl Drad-Shot, 89 Death-Face, Detective; or, Life in New York, Old Avalanche; or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand, BS Jim Bludsoe, Jr., the Boy Phenix, 61 skhorn Mill; or, The Red Kifle Team, 69 Buck Rifle, the Sharpshooter; or, The Boy Detective, 80 Rosebud Ktob or, Nugget Ned, the Knight, 84 Idyl, the Girl Miners or, Rosebud Rob on Hand, 88 Phetograph Phil; or, Rosebud Rob’s Reappesriince: 92 Canada Uhet 3 or, Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp, 96 Watech-Eyes or, Arabs and Angels of a Great City, 118 Jack Moyle the Young Speculator. 117 Gilt-Edged Dick, the Sport Detective Cinnamon Chip, the Girl Sport. i25 Bonanza Pah, Miner. e *88 Boss Bob. t ing of Bootblacks, 141 Solid Sam, the Boy Road-Agent. 145 Oavtate Ferret, the New York Detective; or, Boss Bob’s 088 JOD. 161 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 177 Nobby Nick of Nevada; or, The Sierras Scamps, 181 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo, 09 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective, 18 Fritz to the Front; or, The Ventetlaguiet Hunter. 226 Snoozer, the Buy Sharp; or, The Arab Detective, 286 Apollo Bil, the Trail Tornado. 0 Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator. 244 Sierra Sam, tho Frontier Ferret. 245 Sierra Sam's Secret ; or, The Bloody Footrintes 258 Slerra Sam's Pard; or, The Ange! of Big Vista, 258 Sierra Saim’s Seven; or, The Stolen Bride. 278 Jumbo the Boy Patrol; or, The Rival Heirs, 277 Denver the Detective Queen. 251 Denver Doll's Victory. x Denver Doll's Hirooy or, Little Bill’s Bonanza. 91 Turk, the Boy Ferret. 96 Denver Doll’s Drift; or, The Road Queen. No, 1, the Dashing Toll-Taker, $08 *Liza Jane, the Sir! Miner; or, the Iron-Nerved Sport. 825 Kelley, Hickey & Co., the Detectives of Philadelphia, B80 Little Quick-Shot; or, The Dead Face of Daggersville. 4 Kangaroo Kit; or, The Mysterious Miuer, ® Kangaroo Kit’s Racket. . Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Blood, 5S First-Class Fred, the Gent trom Gopher, 6s poke Jim, the Gold-Gatherers or, The Lottery of 872 Yreka Jim’s P’ : 87S Naot ed; or, Secret of Slab City. 2 BR2 Cool Kit, the King of Kids; or, A Villain’s Vengeance, a8 Xreke-dige’s Joker} or, The Rivals of Red Nose, 889 Bieyele Ben; or. The Lion of Lightning Lode, 894 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dam, 460 Wrinkles, the Night-Watch Detective. 416 High Hat Harry, the Base Ball Detective. Sam Slabsides, the Becgar-Boy Detective. 2 Jim Beak and Pal, Private Detectives, Santa Fe Sal, the Slasher. 6 Sealskin Sam, the Sparkter. BY BUFFALO BILL (Hon, Wm, F, Cody) Ein Sppt act tale Pina ’ ; re, the order Robin Hood ; or The Prairie Rover, 158 Fancy Frank of Colorado; or, The Trapper’s Trust, 819 The Black Rider; or, The Horse-Thieves’ League, BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, 7% The Flying Yankee} or, The Ocean Outcast. 17 Ralph Roy, the Boy Buccaneer; or, The Fugitive Yacht, 24 Diamond Dirk ee The Mystery of the Pahowatehe. 62 The Shadow Ship; or. The Rival Lieutenants. 25 The Boy Duelist; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Wolf, 02 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Smuggier, 1t The Bea-bbevil 3 or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. 16 The Hussar Captains or, The Hermit of Hell Gate. 97 Little Grit; or, Bessie, the Stock-Tender’s Daughter. 204 Gold Plume ; or, The Kid-Glove Sport, 216 Bison BIL, the Prince of the Reins. 222 Grit, the Bravo Sport; or, The Woman Trailer. 229 Crimson Kate 3 or, The Cowboy's Triumph, 287 Lone Star, the Cowboy waptain. 245 Merle, the Middy ; or, The Freelance Heir. 250 The Midahipman | utineer; or, Brandt, the Buccaneer, 264 The Floating Feather; or, Merle Monte’s Treasure Island. 260 The Gold Ship; or, Merle, the Condemned. 276 owe Monte’s Cruise; or, The Chase of “The Gold . ‘pe 280 Merle Monte’s Fate ; or. Pearl, the Pirate's Bride. 1 1 i 1 ‘| 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. BOS keno Kits; or, Dend Shot Dandy’s Double. $14 bac Mysterious Marauder}; or, The Boy Bugler’s Long rail. 877 Bonodel, the Boy Rovers or, The Flagless Schooner. B88 7 he Indian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island, 887 Warpath WILL, the Boy Phantom, 898 Seawalf, the Boy Lieutenant. 402 Isodor, the Young Conaptrator; or, The Fatal League. 407 The Boy Insurgent; or, The Cuban Vendetta. 412 The Wild Vachtamans or, The War-Clouu’s Cruise, 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refayee. 488 A Cabin Bors Lucks or, The Corsair. 4387 The Sea Raider. 441 The Ocean Firefly 3 or, A Middy’s Vengeance. 446 Haphazard Harry 3 or, The Scapegrace of the Sea, 450 Wizard WHlls or, The Boy Ferret of New York, 454 Wizard WIHT Street Scouts, 462 The Born Guide; or, The Sailor Boy Wanderer, 468 Neptune Ned, the boy Coaster, 474 Florays or, Wizard Will’s Vagabond Pard, 488 Ferrets Afloat; or, Wizard Wil)’s Last Case, 4ST Nevada Ned, the Revolver Kanger. 495 Arizona Joe the Boy Purd of Texas Jack. 497 Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. 508 Vhe Royal Middy 3; or, The Shark and the Sea Cat, 5607 The Ilunted Midshipman, 611 The Outlawed Middy. 620 Buckskin BILL, the Comanche Shadow, 5625 Brothers in Buckskin. / 5680 The Buckski: Bowers, 585 The Bue skin Rovers. 5640 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marauder of the Rio, 545 Lieutenant Leo, the Sou of Lufitte, BY CHARLES MORRIS, 118 Wil! Somers, the Boy Detective, 122 Phil Merds) the Boss Boy. 126 Picayune Vete 3 or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective, 180 Detective Dick; or, The Hero in Raga, } 2 HWandsome Harry, the Bootblack Detective, ; will Wildiirc, the Thoroughbred. 157 Black Resa, Will Wildtire’s Racer. Mike Merry, the Harbor Police Boy, 162 WH Wildfire in the Woods, 165 Billy Baggage. the Railroad Hope 170 A ‘Trump Card; or, Wil! Wildfire Wins and Loses, 174 Bob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. 179 Bob Rockett, the Bank Runner, 188 The Hidden Hand 40h Will. Wildfire’s Revenge, 187 Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; cr, The Smugglers, 189 Bob Rockett; or, Driven to the Wall. $36 Shadowed ; or, Bob Rockett’s Fight for Life, 06 Dark Pad, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective, 3 ‘Tom-lanner oung Detective. ater-Hound; or, The Young Thoroughbred, 805 Dashaway, of Dakota; or, A Western Lad in the Quaker ber W ide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times, 87D Laver the Soler} or, The Bloods of the Boulevard, yd + the Riyer-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Inger 3 or, The Entrapped Cashier, 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invincible an, the Pinkerton Ferret, 456 Billy Brick, the Joily 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 } ©, 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 Hurricane Bill; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard. 119 Mustang Sam § or, The King of the Plains, 186 Night-Mawk Kits or, The Daug)ter of the Ranch. 144 Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. 151 Panther Paul: or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue. 160 The Black Giant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeqpardy- 168 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. ) 184 The Boy Tratlers; or, Dainty Lance on the ‘War-Path, 208 The Boy Pards; or, Dainty Lance Unmasks- 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City. 810 The Barranca Wolf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. 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. r 482 Stonewall Bob, t | 560 Pawnee uF the Prairie Shadower, By Co “ig ‘V’eente pat yy or sent by m y BY OLL COOMES. 5 Vagabond Joe, the Young Wandering Jew. 18 The Dumb Spy. 27 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide, 81 Keen-Knilfe, the Prince of the Vrairies, . 41 Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. 58 The Border King; or, The Secret Foe. 71 Delaware Dick, the Young Ranger Spy. 74 HMawk-eye Harry the Young Trapper Renger. 88 Rollo, the Boy Ranger. 184 Sure Shot Seth, th- Koy hifleman. 148 Sear-Face Saul, the Silent Hunter. 146 Silver Star, the Hoy 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 5; or, The Seas Outlaw Hunters, 208 The Boy Hercules: or, The Prairie Tramps, 218 Tiger Tom, the Texas Terror, 224 Dashing Dick; or, Trapper Tom’s Castle. 228 Little Wildiire, the Young Prairie Nomad. 288 The Parson Detectives or, The Little Ranger. 248 The Disguised Guide; or, Wild Raven, the Ranger, 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Ryairie Ranger. 272 Minkakin Mike, the Boy Sharpshooter. 290 Little Foxfire, the Boy Spy. £08 The Sky Demon}; or, Ralubelt, the Ranger. 884 Whip-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero, 409 Wercules; or, Dick, the Boy Ranger, 417 Webtoot Moxe, the Tramp Detective, 422 Baby Sam, the Boy Ginnt of the Yellowstone 444 Little Buckskin, tne Young Prairie Centaur, 457 Wingedtoot Fred; or, Old Polar Saul, 468 Tamarne ‘Vom, the Big Traprey Boy. 478 Old Tom 4 lad the Red River Epidemic, 1¢ Boy Trojan. BY T. C. WARBAUGH, 28 Nick o’ the Night; or, The Boy Spy of '76. $7 The Ridden Lodge; or The Litth Hunter. 47 Nightingale Nat; «1, Tne Forest Captains. 64 Dandy Sacks or, The Outlaws of the Oregon Trait, 82 Kit Nuaretoot the Wood-Hawk. 255 Captain Avelt the King-Pin of Bowie, 267 The Buckskin Detective. 279 Old Winch; or, The Buckskin Desporadoes, 294 Dynamite Dans or. The Bowle Blnae of Cochetopa, 802 The Mountain Detective: or, The Trigger Bar Bully, 816 Old Eclipse, Trump Card of Arizona, 826 The Ten Pardsy; or. The Terror of Take-Notice. B86 Big Benson; or, The Queen of the La so. 845 Pitiless Matt; ov, Red Thunderbol'’s Secret. BEE Cool same oo Par 30 The Terrible Six. 866 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective. sné Captain Cutlass; or, he B cexneer’s Girl Foe, 96 Rough Robs: or, The | win Champions of Blue Plazes, 411 The Ktiken B.nasos or, The Rose of Ruach Robin. 418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter. 425 Texas Trump, the Burder Rattler. 486 Phil Flash, the New York Fox. The City Vampires; or, Ked Rolfe’s Pigeon, 461 One Against Fifty; or, The Last Man of Keno Bar, 470 The Boy Shadow; or, Felix Fox’s Hunt, 477% The Excelsior Sport: or, The Washington Spotter, 499 Single Sight, the One-Eyed Sport. 502 Branded Ben, the Night Ferret. 512 Dodver Dick, the Whurf-Spy Detective, 521 Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge. B28 Fox and Falcon, the Bowery Shadows, B88 Dodger Dick, the Dock Ferret. 548 Dodger Dick’s Double; or, The Riyal Boy Detectives, LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. “ A.Good Man Down. By 547 Sandy Andy {Express Detective. By J. C. Cowdricks raham. le, the Boy Shadow. By Jo Pierce. Bae Arie ais “Denperate Case, By T. C. Harbangh ck’s Desperate Case. By T. C. Har le aad Pendwood Dick, Jr., in Gotham. By E. L. Whesler. BBS The Creole Corsair. By Col. Prentiss Ingraham. @ Lariat Lil; or. The Cast fora Life. By Philip § Warne. a4 Rroadway Billy’s Death Racket. By J. ©. Cowdriek, 55S The Sure-Shot Pards. By Arthur C.G : ; », By Jo Pierce. 559 Harlem Jack, the Office Boy Detective P, Ingraham, B61 Deadwood Dick in Boston. By Pdward I). Wheeler, 562 Blundering Baall, the Hermit Roy Trapper. By Oll Coomes. 568 Dodger pe the Roy Vidoeq. By TC: Har augh, 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner, By John W. Oxbon, 565 Kent Kingdon, the Card King, mes Prentiss Ingrahame 566 The Secret “ervice Boy Retective, By Charles Morris. 567 Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Philadetphia, By Edward L- Wheeler. r . @y Lieut. A. K. Sima. ray pa any rg ne i. ia Own-Fiook Detective. By Jo_ ' Pierce. ’ ’ le, the Card Queen. By Col. Prenties Ingraham. Bet es ares Puen? ae Young Encineer. By J. E. Cow drtek, 5z2 Deadwood Dick, Ire in Chicago. y E. L. dah oa 578 The Two Shadows. By T. C. Harbaugh. Ren y July 17, 574 Old Weanscl-top, the Man withthe Dogs. By P. 8. Ware, Ready July 24, The Su we Rrteahasn., haan duly 31. 576 The Silver Spart. By Lieut. A. K. Sime. eady August 7. 57 Pavement Pete, the Secret Sifter. By Jo Pierce, Ready Augnuat 5. 578 Drndwood Dick, Jr., Afloat. By Edward L. Wheeler. Ready August 22. ¥y A New Issue Every Tuesday, = ¢ Library is for sale by all ; BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New Yor n-Scout Detective, By Colonel Prentise & te