Pluck And Luck (no. 892) (1915 07 07)
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FRANK TOQUSEY, PUBLISHER, 168 WEST 23D STREET, NEW YORK NEW YORK, JULY 7, 1915. BORN 70 BE FAN AGTO AY GUS WILLIAMS. AND OTHER ibibo ready” Reddy’s inegnressible horror, Bradinhe approached t the trunk. But ilhea ue could opel — the did, and, PIA ag '
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Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. No. 892. NEW YORK, STUDYING TO BECOME AN ACTOR. It was a cold and blustery New Year’s eve in the year 1875. The streets of New York were veiled in a blinding snow- Storm, a raw and biting wind was shrieking over the house- tops, people and vehicles came and went like. shadowy phan- toms through the mist of whirling flakes, and the chimes of Trinity Chureh boomed eleven dull clangs. Snow on the ground, snow in the, air, snow on the houses and trees, and snow upon everything. Indeed, it was a verde: able old- fashioned snow-storm. At least that is what Roderick Random said to His old Ital: ian teacher, as he peered out the window of the high tenement in which Signor Pippo Ravelli had his quarters, in a densely Populated locality in Cherry street. The room in which they were was rather comfortably fur- nished for such an impoverished mortal as the old teacher of elocution and acting, and seemed to suggest that the pro- fessor had once had better days. A bright lamplight glowed upon the table, showing that the furniture was in a good state of preservation, a cosy fire was burning ruddily in the stove, beside which the signor sat, and there was a good ingrain carpet on the floor. Roddy had been wrapped up in grave thought, and now _ turned toward the little old professor, who was conning over -an acting edition of the Gladiator, which the boy had been studying under his tuition. The young student of Thespia was a quiet- looking chap’ of seyenteen, but had the appearance of being at least three years older. _ His figure was tall and well built, and although his clothing ‘was threadbare and scarcely fit to wear, it was clean and neat in every respect. A mass of dark-brown ringlets clustered upon his shapely head, beneath which shone an intelligent white, forehead. The contour of his features was of the aquiline type, and there flashed a pair of brown eyes under his straight brows, in Which burned an unmistakable fire of ambitious resolution. Yet. above it all, the only sorrow of any account in the boy’s! life had left its mark upon his face, in the form of a melan- choly expression, which sometimes settled down even in the midst of his happiest moments. Pippo roused himself from his meditation over the play; as Roddy turned toward him, and rising from his seat beside the Stove, he said in hoarse tones: “Per Bacco! Youa was born to be an actor!” “Why do you think so, Pippo?” queried the boy, with a sad smile. ‘Who coulda giva de lines of dis play better dan youa just recita? But now fora de odders. Honeymoon,’ ‘Found in a Four-Wh er,’ and’ ‘Julius Cesar’? - one f i : CHAPTER I. if at ten 0 ‘clock, and never confided in anybody. ua, makit, de study ‘De} kicked out of his apartments than pay the Tent. 1 Jta you snow it some of. de aa eleara Be stage « an’ git it} PLUCK AND LUCK Stories of Adventure Entered at the New York, N. Y., Post Office as Beoond-Giass Matter by Frank Tousey, Publisher, 168 West 23d Street, New York. or JY oY AOS, Price 5 Cents. RODDY THE CALL BOY i gees i BORN TO BE AN ACTOR By GUS WILLIAMS “I took the part of the Duke of Aranza in the first-——— Ftd yes. Joe Capize, second low comedy, in de sec- ond-——=" ' “Marcus Brutus in the third play—a tragic role,” “Carissima! An’ youa know it act first, seene first, Honeymoon’?” “IT have all the plays down fine. The one you mention shows a street scene in Madrid. Hnter Duke and Montalban, left, followed by servant, crosses behind to right, speaking to servant—but shall I spout, Pippo?” “Giva me de first lines. Buta be careful—careful of-de in- flections!” Roddy nodded, threw himself into the character he was as- suming and began: “This letter you will give my steward—this to my old ten- ant, Lopez. Use dispatch, sir; your negligence may ruin an affair which I have much at heart. (The servant exits here, don't he, Pippo?) Why, how now, count?” “No, no!” eried the little old professor, running his hands wildly through his gray hair and making it stand on end. “Raisa de voice more, Roddy, dis way. Why! How now, count? Dat makit de line shaded better.” ; seathls Roddy nodded and repeated the words with a different ac- _ cent, then continued the rest of the duke’s role. Ravelli had his whole heart and soul wrapped up in. his elo- cution and acting, and was sure that Rodtiy would some day — make him famous, for the boy undoubtedly possessed a won- _ derful capability for acting. We lived in the same house as Ravelli, with a played-out actor, by the name of Bradford H. Bull, who posed as his stepfather. This individual was a very eccentric character, © strongly addicted to drink and brutality, and when in his cups beat Roddy unmercifully, with the least provocation, and — spent all the earnings of the boy, who was a call-boy in the Olympic Theater, for beer and liquor. It was after his nightly - return from the theater that Roddy took his gratis lessons from the old Italian who had befriended him, and that is How e we find him there that cold New Year’s eve. i Roddy never learned much of Rayelli’s history. The Thalia “ lived in the tenment when Bull moved in. He gave lessons aspirants to Thespian fame, at which he gained a meager li ing and usually went out in the evening, returning punctually of “De Roddy found a sympathetic consoler in Ravelli when he told i him his story. Bull was his stepfather, had given him the advantage of an education, and at the age of fourteen secure him the place. of call-boy in the theater in which he was Caen employed. “But whata he doing for to live?” ‘asked Pippo, curiously “Nothing,” said Roddy. ‘He believes the less work lel the better off he will. be. Besides, he finds it chea times when he gets very, hard up. paters sit Die up a job, haan as substitute: for some a
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2 RODDY. | THE CALL BOY. ' ai | The rest of his time is spent loafing around beer saloons, play-; ing cards, throwing dice, getting drunk, and coming home to thrash me. Every pay night he comes prowling around the stage-door, waiting to pounce down upon half of my wages-— ithe little money he leaves me being all I have to live upon. But there is one day each year when he disappears, and I do not see anything of him for some time.” “Whena dat day coma?” queried Pippo. “Always on New Year’s day. Once a year he comes into possession of five hundred dollars, but where he gets it is a mystery to me. That means a grand spree for him of uncer- \jtain duration. He don’t come back until the last cent is gone. That is the only time I have any luck, for I can keep all lot my wages and have plenty to eat. Ah, Pippo, I have a hard time of it.” } . “Sancta Maria! (Pippo. _ “Tt always struck me as being queer. Ill run away from the old wretch some time, as I’m getting tired of his abuse.” ] The boy never referred to his past after that, but endured his hardships in silence. The acting went on in the little old Italian’s room until near twelve o’clock, when they were both startled by hearing _|footsteps ascending the stairs about which there could be no ‘mistake. These sounds were accompanied by a good deal of profanity and grumbling. Mr. Bradford H. Bull was returning home, and it was evi- dent that he was accompanied by another person. Just as oddy ended with “I’m ashamed to try your patience, sir; but women, like watches, must be set with care to make them go well,” when there came the sound of a scrambling just outside of Pippo’s j\door, followed by a terrific bang, much as if somebody had ‘tripped on the stairs and had fallen upon the landing. “Oh!” roared the voice of Bradford H. Bull the next mo- ment. “Dear me, what has happened. Very awkward, I’m sure. Did you fall?” came another voice, in the low tones of a softly fmodulated and aristocratic voice. | “Confound it, Morris Hardcastle, I’ve broken my nose.” “Then why do you not have a light in this disgusting hall? Why, sir, the stench alone is enough to knock a nigger down, ‘without mentioning a man hitting his toes on these riekety istairs. But proceed, sir; proceed to your rooms.” ' Roddy paused and glanced askance at Pippo, wendering who |this nice-spoken personage could be whom the delectable Mr. Bull was bringing home. . “Then follow me,” said Mr. Bull’s sir.” “Heavens!” groaned the other. “Jt is really more than a fel- low can endure, you know. You poverty-stricken people ought to have better accommodations, upon my word. Positively, 1 don't know how I endure this—pah!” . © He ended his remark with an exclamation, of disgust, and 5 then Roddy heard their fooisteps receding from the hall and . aseending the other flight of stairs, evidently on ‘their way to Mr. Bull’s rooms. ‘ “Ave Maria!” whispered. Pippo, with a serious look. beast he coma home,” : »“T wonder who he has brought with him?) muttered Roddy 2 surprise. dat is funny abouta de money,” mused voice. “One more flight, “De The signor shrugged his shouiders, a peculiar smile hover- ing over his smooth face, and a knowing twinkle in his black eyes, as he replied: ~ Ge “Mebbe he bringa de mana play poker. ; ide gamble.” - “Tt is hard to guess,” muttered Roddy, entirely forgetting ‘his acting. “The woice of that fellow sounded strangely fa- miliary to me, Pippo. I have heard it before. But I can soon _ find out who. he is by following them.” ie “You go up-stairs now?” ” “Yes. If Iam not in, and he wants me, I will get a beating.” | “Den go. You coma in to-morrow sure, to finish de ‘Glad- “iator’?” ~ “Certainly. I want to get the stage business perfect in that piece, for they are going to give it ‘in the Olympic next week |with Gilbert in the title role, and Jerry Wildrake, the ae ‘Imanager, likes me to know the entrances.” : As he finished speaking, he bade his old friend good-night, and passed out into the dark hall. Groping his way to the rae he softly ascended the stairs to the next floor, and He always makit e heard his father uncorking a bottle and, chuckling immod- Ss a light blazing in the kitchen window. Nearing the door, § Le over bis opinion of the brandy it epntained,:- hen ne ‘eye, and turned the wiek a little higher, !erape aroun you the. five Roe Roady stole through the hall and softiy entered the front room, which was used by his father as a ‘sleeping apartment. ; The door between the rooms was open, and as he glanced through he saw Mr. Bull take up the lamp and walk toward him, telling his companion to follow him into the front room with the bottle and glasses. Suddenly stricken with consternation, as.he did not want to be found there, because his father certainly would quarrel with him for not having made his presence in there known, Roddy turned to fly. “But no,” he muttered, as his glance fell upon a huge trunk between the windows in ‘which his father kept some theatrical costumes, “I'll get into this trunk, and discover what they are up to. If I don’t, and he is playing any tricks, he will take mighty good care to get me out of the way by sending me off somewhere when I make my presene here known to him.” And without losing an instant, as his father was dangerously near now, he quickly lifted the lid of the big trunk, got in and closed down the cover. ; No sooner was this done, when the rays of the light Brad- ford Bull carried cut into the room and fell upon the trunk. The light illuminated the room throughout, and showed up the ugly ecrevies in the bare, dirty floor. The walls were yel- low, cracked and broken in places, the apertures showing the ~ skeleton ribs of the laths beneath. A sheetless and dirty bed, a wooden table, three ieowon * chairs, the trunk, and a rag, half covering one of the windows, was about all the room contained. The ceiling was very low, and sloped Pee at the front of the room, with. the windows breast high and built out in ‘two aperatures through the roof. ac Mr. Bull set his lamp.upon the Sa esi shut. one just as his OM BEI gingerly entered the room. The played-out actor was not an Adonis to look upon,. fot! his feet were too big, and his legs, incased in a pair of tight. gr: pants, were too skinny and knock-kneed: Besides, he was mage Lis row-shouldered,. chicken-breasted and long-armed. He’had on a rusty-looking frock coat, buttoned very tightly across his chest, which made the tails stick out like a ballet dancer’s dress, and his long, thin neck was incased in a paper collar of his own manufacture, encircled by a portable black cravat of ancient origin. Hair was very searce on top of his head, add the fringe that encircled the back was as red as fire and so stiff. that it stuck straight out. His face was long, narrow and cadaverous, his bulging eyes” a watery green, and his long, thin nese and big ears as red as his eyebrows, which comprised all the hair there was upon his angular physiognomy. In his han carried a rusty stove-pipe hat with a band of he hide and protruding from within this headgear, were a pair te ‘time- -“WOrn gioves. All in all, My. Bradford H. Bull was a fine specimen of these shabby, genteel barroom bummers, who want to keep up an. appearance of respectability, which their faces give away as a cold failure. The company in which Mr. Bull found himself seemed to Roddy, who was peering out through the crack he made by slighily raising the lid of the trunk, to be a shade more delectable. He was a man in the prime of life, was well built, hand- soniely attired in the height of fashion, and had dark : black mustache, and a pair of glossy, curling side-whiskers. In short, he was to all appearances a very high-toned individual and seemed to be. suspicious of everything upon which his dark eyes rested, in their uneasy, neryous roving from one object to another. He set the bottle of brandy upon the table just as Mr. Bull, having arranged the light to his satisfaction, locked the decors, and drew two chairs up to the table with the remark in a somewhat nasal tone of voice: “There now, Morris Hardcastle, we are fixed so that we can converse here without fear of interruption, except by the invi- tations of that bottie of very good brandy which you ‘had the goodness, to provide for the occasion.” They both sat down, then Mr. Hardcastle said: ; “Are you quite positive, my dear Bull, that we will have no interruption?” “By the gods, sir. ean get in here.” “Very well. . The boy is away somewhere, and no One T will hee you why, instead of sending od dette I alw a8 pet for Roc ame | ib
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» CHAPTER II. A DISCLOSURE OF CRIMB. “So!” thought Roddy, inside of the trunk, “it is for this . dollars, eh? But what does this fastideous stranger mean by Saying he paid the money to Bradford Bull for keeping me? There is some mystery here, I suspect.” The idea of a shocking surprise made Bradford Bull jump. He glanced at his companion with an uneasy expression, his bony hand convulsively grasped the neck of the brandy bottle, and he said hurriedly: “What do you mean by that, Mr. Hardcastle?” “Oh,” replied the other; “positively, you look scared, Bull.” “Am I not going to receive the money as usual?” “No,” was the calm response, as Hardcastle drew out a cigar and lit it. Mr, Bull started again, a blank look of dismay crossing his red face. “Before we go any further,” said he, in choking tones, as he guiped down a lump that seemed to rise in his throat, “let us sample this cognac, which I see is labeled with the brand of a fine old vintage, Mr. Hardcastle.” : “Help yoursel?,” replied the other, nodding his head. He cast a furtive, calculating glance at the actor, as with trembling hands he pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured a liberal potion into a glass. _. “Your very good health, Mr. Hardcastle,” said Bull, raising - his glass. Drink,” responded the other, nodding again. Mr. Bull required no second bidding to pour the fiery liquor down his throat. ‘Then he smacked his lips, looked intensely Satisfied and uttered a sigh of relief. “Now, then,” said he, “I am ready to hear what you have to say, sir.” “Good. To commence at the beginning then: ~ still with you?” i } “He is, and a fine-looking fellow he has grown to be under Iny ‘tender care.” “And he still believes you are his stepfather?” “Of course. How could he think otherwise?” “Well, Bull, the time has come when I must alter my plans.” “Alter your plans? Why, what is the matter?” “His mother is giving me a good deal of trouble,” “tial” said Mr. Bull, grasping the bottle again. é “My mother?” muttered Roddy, with a violent start. he is not my stepfather!” ; “Yes,” continued Hardcastle. . dead.” “What has she been doing?” queried Bull, uneasily. “She has agents looking ail over for him.” “That is too bad, sir. But still they would never dream of * looking for him here.” : » ‘The deuce! How can I tell? Positively, it makes me so | - Uneasy I can scarcely sleep. If the boy is discovered I will go Is the boy “And “She does not believe he is to jail.” “And I,” said ‘Bull, dirty room -Y ou will positively go ‘with me.” _ “Ha!’ said Bull again, and in a -aekate he poured another drink into his glass. “This is horrible. ! am unnerved. A ; e stimulant, Mr. Hardcastle, will not come eas Here's your very zood health, sir,” ' And before Mr. Hardeastle could reply he swallowed the brandy and filled his glass again, “Therefore,” said the fastidious gentleman, “while we have time to save ourselves let us icra eeyettage of it. Really,’ Bul, 1am quite alarmed.” * “But, Mr. Hardcastle, sir, what can we do about it?” ..“Do! Why, take active measures at once. What is five “hundred a year to you in comparison with your fr eedom from Prison? Positively nothing.” ») “That is what I say—just exactly my pean es ae Hard- a Castle, sir.” “Then let us put the boy out of the way 50 that he wil never | ges found again.’ eyes began to bulge, _ “That boy stands in-my way to a fortu us of sending both of us to jail, iy ¥ ne. He ca Will you hesitate to save alse a RODDY THE CALL BOY. Mr. Morris Hardcastle that father got his yearly five hundred. pe a frightened glance around the | “fn?” demanded the actor; with a violent start, as his SECRET. iall to no purpose.” n be the gasped Bull. —say five i ae . : . Je 3 casting his suspicious glance around the murky room. “TI do not say that! Positively you seem to lay the utmost stréss” upon what I wish to convey, Bull. I say that the boy: must +|be gotten out of our way most effectually. That is pretty plain < —isn’t it? I do not stipulate what means are employed, so long as the job is done to the letter. You can accomplish it in any manner you choose.” “Me?” echoed Bull, in startled tones, as if that fact had only just occurred to him. ~— “You? Yes, of course, you! Who else, I'd like to know.” ~ This appeared to be too much for Mr. Bull’s weakened nerves. to stand. Up went his glass. again, and down his ‘throat went its con- tents. a) you willing to undertake the job for the price bi stipu- lated?” “Your question is so sudden. flection.” ; x “Bah! Answer me. Why hesitate? The case is urgent and as much in ‘your favor as my own. Besides, you have no reli- ance except upon thé annual five hundred I always gave you. This is a golden opportunity you may never again have as long as you live. Just think. .At this moment you are penni-+ less, and have no chance to make a dollar. Now see here.” He drew a wallet from his pocket, and displayed a huge roll of bank-notes. It made Mr. Bull’s watery 6yes glitter with avaricious longing. Uy ee “How much money have you got there?” he asked eagerly. “Ten thousand dollars. One-half of it is yours, if you close the bargain.” © “Why don’t you tell me the tue inwardness of Roderick 4 Random’s case?” ne “T will, if it will be any satisfaction to you t@ know it.” “Proceed, then, Mr. Hardcastle. 1 am all attention.” , “Very well. And when you have heard all, really you can- not help accepting the job I proposed. As you know, I made a bargain with you, twelve years ago, to assume the guardian- ship of a five-year-old boy, whom you have since cared for at a femuneration of five hundred dollars per year. That hoy? ee was the son of my sister's husband by a former marriage. My sister cared as much for the child as if it was her own. Un- fortunately, though, when her husband died, she was taken sick, and since then has been a confirmed invalid. Halt of her husband's fortune of half a million was. bequeathed to her, and I was made guardian of the other half, to save it for Roger Random’s son. He would get it when he | came of age, ‘Sy My design was to sécure that money for myself, through’ the — instrumentality of my own son, by letting him impersonate . Roderick Random.” “A. good plan, by the gods!” chuckled Bull, admiringly. i “Much better than you imagine,” replied Mr. Hardcastle. “Nobody was aware that I was secretly married, and had a — son by my wife, who years ago died. Hence, my son's identity — was lost. to the world. Whsn my sister was taken sick she asked me to take little Roddy to a competent person to bring” up. I brought him to you, and substituted my own son in care’ of a respectable family by the name of Wildrake.” ‘ “Jerry Wildvake?” queried Bull, with mudeenly aroused. interest. “Yos. The faniliy was poor, but of late years Jerry Wila- take secured a lucrative position as stage manager of the Olympic Theater. “VYes--Il am acauainted with him, castle.” “I did not let my sister know who had charge of my son, o course, and recently brought the boy to her and tried to palm him off on her as her dead husband’s child. Gnfortunately, theugh, the boy was tue.living image of me. My sister dis- covered the deception ins tantly, and accused me of trying. i cheat her. I denied it, and brought my boy away again, T T told her Roderick had died, as I feared she would get mo trouble. She did not believe it and had a seatch for Rode made at once. She ard I do not love cach obner much, you may depend, but for appearance sake she is obliged to sustain me, for she livés in very grand stylo in a fashionable quarte: of this city. I told her that she was mistaken, snd did my utmost lo dissuade her of the idcu that I was cheating her, a I have had no time for re- ies But go ou, Mr..Hard-_ “And if she discovers that I am mixed up iz your plot’ “You, as well as I, as I said before, will go to jeil, for she erciless.” Sarak “Then the best thing we can ae is to get the boy
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4 RODDY THE CALL: BOY. “But we need not murder him.” “I did not stipulate that there should be any bloodshed.” - “We can ship him off to some foreign country, or on a long whaling cruise.” “Just the plan. Really, Bull, you are a volatile fellow.” “Very,” said Mr. Bull, with a self-conscious nod. Mr. Bull excused himself, took up both glasses and left the room, returning shortly with evidently clean tumblers, but one of them had knockout drops at the bottom. Then he filled both glasses and they took a drink. Roddy was peering out at them, fecling decidedly uneasy. Then suddenly Morris Hardcastle uttered a suppressed groan, started half-way up from his chair, his eyes opening wide with a horrified expression, then he sank back in his seat utterly unconscious, and a Joud laugh pealed from Bradford Bull’s thin lips. He seized Hardcastle’s wallet, and sprang to his feet, thrust- ing it into his pocket. “Great heavens!” muttered Roddy. man to rob him?” - It looked so, and the startled and horrified boy nearly fainted from terror. “Drugged!” cried the actor. “That money was too much for me, and I was lucky enough to have the potion in my pocket, which I put in the water he drank with his brandy. And now * to gét him out of the way. I will send him to sea with my friend Hanks, on a long whaling cruise, and this is just the thing to ship him in.” * Then, to Roddy’s inexpressible horror, Bradford approached the trunk. But before he could open it, Roddy threw up the lid and sprang out. -Bull recoiled, uttering a yell of affright, and the boy rushed to the door, unlocked it, and dashed out into the hall. “Discovered!” yelled Buil, in accents of impotent rage, as he rushed after the boy. e But Roddy made good his escape to the street, and Bradford -_- returned to the room. Imagining that the actor had murdered Hardeastle, Roddy procured a policeman, and hurried back to the room with him. But when they arrived there, ten minutes later, nothing was to be seen of Bull or the unfortunate wretch who, had taken the deadly drug. The trunk was also gone, having been taken to an undertaking store at the Five Points. This was run by a “man named: Denny ‘Fagin, an old crook and friend of Bull. It was two « th Jater, and Roddy had been living in a lodg- _ing-house, . Bul ) having vanished from his apartments. » ~ After the pe ee ance in the evening, Roddy took a walk, “going down towards the river, and shortly reaching it. But few people were in the street, and the ships and rigging ‘atthe docks were covered by a coating of frozen blocks of ice. When he reached South street, he paused, with the intention | of retracing his steps and going to the wretched lodging- house in which he now had taken up his quarters. -/On the corner was a liquor store, which was chiefly patron- iaed by the longshoremen and sailors from the near-by vessels at. the docks. The side door of the’ saloon opened, and Roddy saw.a burly man, clad in blue flannel and a felt hat, emerge with another ‘individual, who carried a whip and had the appearance of be- - ing a driver, ' They were engaged in conversation ag they came out of the - saloon, and as Roddy was about to pass on, his attention was 4 i suddenly arrested by the first words he heard: the rough-look- ing man with the-whip utter. COV feteh, ther thrunk down ter-night, Captain Hanks!” Bald he. “Keel haul me!” growled the man in blue, savagely, as he ‘@astea a quick Biles: at Roddy, teeming with suspicion and fear. “QGan’t yer stow yer jawin’ tackle when yer a-sailin’ ‘three sheets in the wind? I never clapped eyes on a more careless lubber! Might’s well publish yer business.” | They walked on down South street toward Hast Houston, pane passed out of Roddy’s hearing, the sailor gazing back once “Has he poisoned the . t were talking about. § v ; Roddy remained perfec tly uncone erhed as _to ontward ay = agitation over the words whitch had reached his ears. |. dt Ee Jingo!” he muttered, “this is queer. That man Hanks 4 aptain on whose vessel Bradford Bull anted to ship the trunk, with Morris Hardcastle’s body. ini Moregver, it must be thai the fellow with the wl pha be red. to transter the’ tru vk trom its present 1 ne y or twice to see if the boy had paid any attention to what they . | ship, and they must. have been making their arrangements ‘the men lifted hi about it in that saloon. It seems to me I’ve met that apres : man before.” He waited until the two men were fully a block ahead of him, and then he edged after them. The men did not trouble themselves any more about the boy, after they had gone a few blocks, so Roddy went after them, at a safe distance, with the utmost assurance, They waiked on several blocks, until near the foot of Grand street, where the bend in the river occurs with its frightfully swift currents, and then they separated after shaking hands. There was a large bark moored at the bulkhead, to the stern of which a gang-plank rose from the anchorage of the dock. | The captain crossed upon the gang-plank, and walking across the deck, disappeared into the cabin. Upon the stern of the vessel was the name THE RANDOM LASS. As the boy stood watching the sailor, he did not see Brad- | ford Bull suddenly come around a corner; but the moment the actor’s glance fell upon the boy he dodged into a hallway, and kept a sharp watch upon his actions. : Roddy started as his eyes rested upon the name oe the vessel, | and he muttered: “Why, how odd that the ship should bear the name of Ran- dom! ‘That is my own name. .I wonder if Roger Random, my | father, ever had anything to do with the vessel? It would be | queer if he did.” Roddy hung around for a while and then walked away ae the street. - Just as the boy arrived abreast of a coach, standing near the curb, they sprang upon him, a handkerchief was clapped to his nostrils saturated with chloroform, and the next instant | unconscious form into the coach dnd thee 9 vehicle dashed away. ; Roddy did not remain unconscious very long, as a had not wholly overpowered him. He suspected the moment he was attacked what was in store for him, and held his breath as soon as he felt the linen thrust under his nostrils. $ Presently the coach paused at the bulkhead beside The Ran- — dom Lass, the driver alighted, opened the door, and the two | men got out, carrying the limp form of the call-boy between — them toward the gang-plank, They went on board with all haste to escape the observations of any policeman who might be patrolling that beat, and have his svépicions aroused. There were a couple of dark visaged sailors on watch on the deck, but they paid no attention to what was Shansp ee be- yond a single curious stare. “Any one come on board?” queried one of Roddy’ s eaptors, who proved to be Hanks, pausing an instant. i “Von man mit de drunk,” replied the Danish fovemagt hand ee | spoken to. ; “What did you do with the trunk?” bina ca the eaptain, “Stowdt it forrard, sir, in de to “casile. is : “And where ig the man?” “In de cabin aft, sir.” “Good. Heave ahead, Fagin.” ei They carried Roddy to the small cabin, wherein Bradford | Bull sat beside a table, and laid the limp young figure upon a the lounge, uss | “Ah,” said Mr. Bull, hastily arising. “You've got him, eh?” | “Safe as a rivet,” replied the captain, while Denny sat down “What disposition will you make of him. I mean, un sail?” , a Stow him below the to’ castle with the other wior s in trunk.” rN SS rs A sailor was called in, and feshiven him and Denny the a was carried across the deck and down the companion way into the forecastle. None of the men were in there, as they would not all come on board until the following morning early, but. a ship’s lantern swung from a beam overhead, lighting up. the” dark and dirty place, and. showed Denny the huge trunk in, which Morris Hardcastle laid in an unconscious state, just as. he had been Unie trom Denny's resort. Several. large. a tin t ‘ Ae ft had bee net trunk so that the man could have ple Ly i] or air, nd was to be heard he must have been «| still he drug given to’ him that day. by ! ina upon a bunk, the sailor went upon deck y down in the forecastle, peeping into the’ one. of the holes. Fagin was told to lock the 1 he came out so that Hoaeyy ould
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_RODDE THE CABL. BOY. at sea, and as Mr. Fagin was curious to see who Bull's prisoner | was, he bent over the trunk to open it. Now was Roddy’s chance to make a dash for liberty. — He softly slipped out of the bunk, as Fagin’s back was .turned on him, and picked up a- wooden mariine spike from the dirty mattress he had been lying on. Fagin was so intent - upon his inquisitive work that he did not notice the shadow ». of the boy, which was thrown before his eyes. Roddy’s‘face was as*pale as death, for he knew that should ‘he fail in his endeavor to get the best of Fagin, the wretch ‘might kill him outright. When he got close.to Fagin he raised the marline spike. _ Down it came with a thud upon the rascals head the next ‘moment. Uttering a groan, Fagin feli to the floor utterly insensible. The boy stooped over him and gazed in his face. It was as pallid as death. His eyes were closed,-but he breathed naturally. 'The next instant Roddy unlocked the trunk, dragged the in- ‘sensible Hardeastle out of it and thrust him under the bunks. Then he managed to work Fagin into the trunk, closed the lid down, locked it, and dropping the key into his pocket, he glided toward the companionway stairs, muttering triumph- fantly: , “There! I’ve turned the tables en him, and both he and '. Hardeastie will go to sea and not trovble me again for two years, at least. And now to escape from this vessel unseen.” Up the stairs he went, and a moment later he crept out on the deck. CHAPTER III. AS SEEN THROUGH THE WINDOW. y Roddy reached the deck filled with delight, and bolted the companionway decor, for he knew well that. unless some un- foreseen accident occurred both Fagin and Hardeastie would be carried away. to sea, and would not be able to molest him again... He only regretted that he. was unable to send Brad- ferd Bull along with them; but that was-out of the question. Of course, if Hardcastle was taken out of the country Bull would have no fear of a betrayal by Roddy of his robbery; but the boy had no desire to keep the actor in his power. On the contrary, as goon as Bull was sure:that the boy cculd do him | no injury, be might cease his persecutions, and that was just, what Roddy wanted, The snowstorm had increased when he reached the deck, and through the veil of falling flakes he could see the two sail- ors standing at the stern of the boat, where the gang-plank rested. It would. be too dangerous to attempt to pass them, go the boy went back on his hands and knees, and crept across the deck like a yeritable shadow, until he got to the bulwarks cn the port side. Here everything was in darkness, The distance from the ship to the string-pieco of the bulk- head was fully ten feet, Berend floating log bumpers holding the vessel off. Luckily, though, the tide had been rising, raising the ship's rail high above the deck and making up his mind'to risk a jump, Roddy caught hold of the foremost shrouds, swumg himself up on the bulwark and oe with all his agility and strength. . He landed squarely on “hi tet j net across the string-piece, sa the next moment he sped with happiness over his making but very little nois away through the storm, th escape. Bare He did not pause until. he was several blocks from the river. Then feeling perfectly secure he moderated his pace and walked along toward tie Bowery in a more tranquil frame of mind. hs ; sf “Well,” he muttered, “Tm safe at last. I.only hope that this is the end of Bradford Bull's persecutions! He was bad - enough without hiring those: other ‘two rascals. Another thing Ka! is lucky for me just now, and that was the fact of Mr. D——’s _ recovery, as his ietter to-night to old Wildrake ail so Bull i wiil not be needed at the theater any _ his role of Julius Cesar. Next week a variety shi that another drama. Waldrake said hi and as I won’t have Bull to drink up @ I'll be able to get along all right now alone. Another thing, I'd like to find my der how I could do it? The best thing = eal nger t - Ravelli d- tell him all that sR 85 ; peor e ld fellow be able t s| old teacher. Musing in this strain, Roddy reached the Bowery. Most of the business places were closed, only the lights in saloons and museums gleaming ° ‘here and there through the whirling snowflakes, AP tee a < inutes, of mid- — es The boy had on a well-worn coat, and a derby hat, ‘covered with snow, and’ his shoes” became ‘soaking wet, but he did not notice it. - He paused at a ‘goncert saloon for a few mines: and then — went on across town. When he reached the corner of Canal street, he was about to turn down, when he saw a tall man in a tight black coat, the skirts sticking out around his thin lags, and an old stovepipe hat upon his head, who was hurrying on ~ ‘ahead of him. : Jt was Bradford Bull, and it made Roddy start to see him. - He held an old and faded umbrella, and his hands were in- — cased in his dilapidated gloves, through the ends of which his fingers protruded. Judging by the direction he was pursuing, the buy. imagined # that he was making his way toward Denny Fagin’s place at the Five Points, and the boy softly laughed when he thought what a hard time the actor would haye to, find aS pseudo un-— dertaker there. oe 40 “TI think I'd better get out of his Micerussign as soon as pos- ieee sible,” Reddy muttered. “Let him imagine that Fagin is there, if he likes—the longer the better, and by all means until 9 the rascal is well away on his voyage to the South Seas, where the Random Lass is going for whales. He may recover his’ i senses inside of the trunk, and yell to be released, but. they may think it is Hardcastle, and won't pay any attention to him until they are far away from land. Then, when they dis- — cover their mistake, there will be no means of sending him — back, and he'll have to complete the voyage.” Reddy laughed softly to himself, and turned toward the east side again, leaving Mr. Bull to pursue. his way, unaware that-he had been pursued by fhe boy whom he imagined was — fi secured in the forecastle of the bark, down at the river ront Upon reaching Cherry: street, Roddy made his way back see the tenement in which he had lived with Bradford Bull. He did not forget Pippo Ravelli’s habit of going out, not to — return until ten o’clock every night, and as he passed near the © Catholic church with the fiery cross on its steeple he glanced — lat pee clock, and saw that it ny lac ‘ked a fe nig He had no fear of being unable to pe 1e fouematts auael . for the street doors of such buildings are caput ever locked : at night. Besides, Pippo never retired before iwelve or one oeboek, as. his evenings were devoted to const g the contents of every qi play and opéra uwnon which he could lay his hands.- re When Roddy reached the house, he saw somebody just dis- appearing in the doorway, and paying no heed to the man whom he imagined to be one of the tenants, he followed him into the dark hall. It was a double tenement—that is, there was a set of apart ménts on either side of the hall--and not a light broke the Ane. 3 4 tense darkness that pervaded the foul-odored passages; The boy heard the man going up the stairs ahead-of him, | and as he was ascending the stairs leading to the landing be low the top floor, upon which the old Italian had his apa ments, he heared a door open and shut, and the sounds of. man’s footsteps ceased. Ss No light came out upon the hail, so Roddy judged tl hes sonr have heen the tenant who ocenpied the other half of the oor, ' men old teacher was ifs Share the pat cee — hand. : Then Roddy sat down beside’ Ravelli and told nim. gti had transpired. since at had robbed Morris Hardcastle ue Sthitsares ‘ the apartments once, and that was to aemone his ndbanen fur niture; after telling which Pippo insisted that Roddy sh q take up his quarters there. ‘The boy was nothing loth to this ‘err angement, and. as earn /had nothing else to do, Roddy took a lesson, as usual, from his . Then he remembered the man who had come upstairs of him, and when his lesson was fitished, he Said:! fel see that your neighbor still has his ap ‘Ah, en eae nol him: ‘out. ‘ee al
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e 6 RODDY THE CAT Oe “Oh, he’s gene, eh? Then who was it that moved in?” “No wong. De rooma is yet notit de occupy.” “But, Pippo, I heard some one go in as I came up the stairs.” “Musta bea mistaka. Prob’ly de mana dat takit your olda room upa de stair.” “Are our rooms taken? one enter next door.” “Dat not couldit de bea,” But no, I am sure I heard some said Pippo, nichts his head. Roddy looked mystified. He was sure that he heard some one enter the other apartments. .Still, as the hall was so dark, he did not wish ,to insist upon it after what Pippo told him, as, after all, he might have been deceived. There was ‘a possi- bility that the man had gone up the next flight of stairs and entered Bradford Bull’s old apartments. It preyed upon his mind strangely, but why he involuntarily attached so much importance to the event he had no idea. He thought the matter over a few minutes, and then said, as he recollected his stepmother: “How could I find out where Hardcastle lived, Pippo?” “Perhaps de signor Bull he knowa de place.” y _ “jt's more than likely, but I would not dare to broach the “subject to him. I want to keep out of his way, in fact.” “Maybe I finda dat out fora you.’ “Tf you can, Pippo, I might be able to diseaver my step- mother. id “Den youa notit de trouble; I see Bradford some time.” “Do not let him know that [ want the information, or he will suspect.” “No, no, no,” interrupted the little old Ttalian, with a cun- ning look. “I notit one fool, Roddy. Youa fine de woman, den yeu getit de money when youa havit de: twenty-one year. Trusta old Pippo for dat.” '“Then I shall rely upon you, my old friend. And now, don’t | you think it will be an imposition for me to stay here with you-——” “No, no, no, Roddy. Disa house isa you home.” “But, Pippo, you have no room for me here.” r “Bah! Dat not isa de matter. I hava not more dan one fire. De odder rooma too cold. Ifa you notit de care to sleepa ‘here in dis room on de lounge—one folding bed, youa be warm { an’ comfortable in here.” { Roddy would have demurred further only that Ravelli would ‘ not ‘have it, so the boy was forced to keep quiet, and a short time afterward the Gld Italian got up and, bidding Roddy to help him make up the bed, the folding lounge was opened out, , tadttress placed om it, over which sheets and biankets were aid, one of Pippo’s pillows brough in, and then the old Ital- 4 ian locked the hall door and bade Roddy good-night. © Pippo went into the next room, leaving Roddy @ione. /The boy glanced around his ORY quarters in huge con- tentment. . The room served as both kitchen and dining-room, and was: quite comfortably furnished. There was a. carpet on the floor, “pictures on the walls, and a stove upon which a kettle was. singing. The furniture was in good condition, and every thing Serupu- - lously clean. A clock was ticking on the mantelpiece, and be- tween the two windows, at which hung a pair of shades’ rolled ‘hali-way up, was a wooden table, upon which stood a lamp that flooded the room’ with light. The folding bed-léunge, upon which Roddy was to dass the night, stood against the ~. wall on the left-hand side on entering, and at the foot of the ‘lounge was a chair, upon which the boy began to lay his cloth- ling. Below the chair was the door which opened on the hall, d beside it the door leading into Pippo’s bedroom. The old ftalian had closed the door, and Roddy could hear. him dis- obing. The boy sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled off his shoes. He gazed around the room with supreme con- t, for he could not remember having ever slept in such cozy quarters before. ‘The darkness of the night outside made the windows. look black as ink, but he could see the silent snowflakes playing down past the window, and piling up a soft, white carpet on the iron-railed fire-escape balcony that crossed the back of ‘the house. A meiancholy look crept across Roddy’s face as he continued -undressing. -“Born to be an actor,” he mused. “That is what Pippo said of me, and even old Wildrake intimated as much. But such a _ poor, miserable homeless wretch as I am has no show. Others EG have the advantage of money and influence are the ones who get ahead and tread”such as I am down. I owe e bery- oe I know to Pippo. He has been very good to me,’ : > The wind was beginning to rise out of doors, and it hurled £3 UG - ; Was just about to spring frem the bed, when a flitti the pure flakes against the windows and sighed over the house- tops mournfully, Roddy knelt rie and said his prayers. {t was a habit he was accustomed to, which Bradford Bull had taught him twelve years before, when the man was much better morally than he was now, and Roddy never neglected it. Then he crept into his comfortable bed, after turning the light of the lamp a little lower, and within a few minutes he fell sound asleep. Unburdened then of all the cares and strife of his: unhappy young life, the. boy slumbered on, the only sounds mingling with his soft breathing being the ticking of the busy clock and the singing of the kettle. The hands of the time-piece edged around to the figure one. Then a single silvery chime rang through the recom. The sound was soft and sweet, but it seared Roddy’s brain like a knife of fire. Uttering a deep sigh, he suddenly awoke and sat bolt upright. ; Then he swept a quick glance around the room. + The wind rattled the window-panes, and he glanced at the dark night scene. A Most startling sight suddenly met his view. Outside of the dark window further from ‘the bed, he saw the outlines of a man, who was staring in at him with lurid eyes and a malignant expression. Instantly the boy recognized him as Bradford Bull; and he outside of the other window caught his view. The ure was) further away from that window than Bull from the other, and looked dim and shadowy. : It was the bent form of an old man with long hair, and in his hand he clutched a pistol, which he was aiming at La ;actor at the other window. Although the snowflakes were falling thick and fast. non ' the two men standing ont on the fire-escape bie. ‘Reddy recognized the other. He was Pippo Ravelli. ver CHAPTER IV, A PRISONER. The tableau presented to Roddy’s view was mest startling as his glance fell upon the two windows in Pippo’s kitchen. Startled from a profound slumber by the striking of the clock, he was half awake when he saw Bradford Bull glaring — in through the window at him and saw Yhvelli through the other window ‘standing out on the fire-escape halcony aiming — a revolver at Bull. he falling snow lent the picture a weird aspect, for the qn o terior of the room in which Roddy sat up in his bed was dimly — glowing with the light of the lamp-on the table, and the haif- {: shaded windows were as black as ink. The figures of the two men outside were startlingly outlined against the dark back ground. Bull was close to the window, and was more plainly : revealed than Pippo, whose figure had a shadowy SDDeeT eng ah framed by the other window. | — iy Then it flashed across Roddy’s mind that he had not ‘hea deceived ‘by hearing the footfalls of the man going into the yacant apartments next door to Ravelli’s rooms, when he had first entered the tenement that night. : Hvidently Bull had not gone to Denny Fagin’s undertaking F establishment at the Five Points, as Roddy imagined when he © escaped from the Random Lass, after he fixed ane pee Hardeastle to gail away to the South Seas on the whaling voy : ae his stead by lookin them up in the forecastle on the ar The actor must have changed his mind, and come to see Ravelli for some purpose, and hearing Roddy comi upstairs and not knowing who he was, he had probably ed into the vacant rooms to listen and discover. He now knew that the boy had escaped his clutches, but to | assure himself he had climbed out the window on the fire- — escape baleony, and walking over to Ravelli’s windows, he peered in and’ saw the boy sleeping inside. The actor was startled and puzzled, as he could not imate |how! the boy managed to escape from the ship after being locked down in the forecastle in an apparently senseless con- dition from the effect of the chloroform with which Captain ‘Banks and Denny Fagin had stupefied him when they ae taken him aboard the bark. Still there was the boy before his eyes, and as he ‘glared in rough the Mie a devising some means of getting Roday. the he did not come alian come thro o e"vacant TO tothe Lica. with a revolve é
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_ “By the living jingo!” exclaimed Bull, in dismay. collared!” “Si! Per Bacco, an’ yeva mova de han’ an’ I blow de brain!” - could force him to pecket it with the utmost promptitude be- about to thrust his hand into his hip-pecket, to draw a weapon RODDY THE ay BOY. Pippo had arisen to get a drink of water at the sink in the kitchen when he caught sight of Bradforé’s form outside of the window. Hastily dressing himself, and securing his revolver, he passed out into the hall, through the front room door, crept into the vacant rooms, and went out after Bull, as he feared that the man had come to injure Roddy. The old Italian had engendered a deep-rooted affection for bid boy, and would permit no harm to befali him if he could elp it. Besides, he knew very well that is long as Bull knew Roddy had escaped from the ship, he would go back to the Random Lass, and perhaps discover Danny Fagin’s plight. The keeper of the under ‘taking shop would be released, and Reddy would have another enemy to fizht against. But Pippo had no intention of permitting anything of the kind. Ee made up his mind 4 make a prisoner of Bull, and keep him locked up until the following night, in order to give the’ ship ample time to put to sea, and carry away Fagin and Hardeastle with it. Roddy would then. have two enemies less to @eal with. Fearful lest Bull might shoot at the boy, Pippo had drawn a bead on him, so that if the actor produced a weapon, he fore he-could use it. Several moments passed, and Bull was just about to open ‘the window to enter the room when he heard the clock strike one, and before he could conceal himself he saw Roddy sit up and glance at him. The actor was always quick to act, so he threw up the win- dew and sprang into the room just as Pippo darted after him. He did not see the old teacher of elocetion, and was just with which to frighten Roddy inte ¢ompliance with his: or- ders, when he was suddenly made to jump. and glance nerv- ously over bis shoulder, by seeing Pippe sitting in the window cocking his revolver. ' ve : “Tl am ealmly replied Pippo, aus. he leveled his weapon at the actor’s head. Pull held up his hands in the wildest alarm. “Drop it!” he exclaimed, dodging from one side to “Don't shcot!” ~ “Dena youa doit whata I tellit you!” exclaimed “Yes, yes! Anything. Roddy—help me!” panted with increasing alarm. | His teeth began to chatter. and his hair to vise on end. | Pippo stepped into the room and clesed the window, while Roddy sprang from the hed, took his pants from a chair and} hastily put them on. When Bull appeated to him for assistance the boy burst out laughing. “What!” he exclaimed. “Help you? I guess not, Bull.” “Oh, Roddy, is this the way you treat the man who brought you up?” “Bah! Stop your whining, you miserable hound... I’ve a great mind to tell Pippd to put a bullet in your careass for the other. Pippe. Bradford, ali the misery you have caused me. _ But it isn’t likely he w i shoot you, if you, dy as, we want.’ ; | “And what is that. amiay i he so bot as to ask?” trem- ulowsly quericd Bull. “We a makit him a Jockit, de odder room,” said Pippo. “Hea go backit de ship, an’ finda de’plan. Ah. no, signer iio! | Wea. playit de, game hetter-dan yeu. First, we hava de} soldier!” x \ “Bh?” demanded Bull, with a frightened glance around. The old Italisn had lowered his weapon, but still kept it in readiness for use. “Which room, Pippo?” his old teacher. “Next door,” replied the old fellow, returning the wink. “Youa takit de lamp.” a The boy seized the lamp from tlie table, aud opered the oor. » Mr. Bull gazed on with a look of trepidation upon ‘his. long, queried Roddy, with a sly wink at _ thin face, and ruefully rubbed his long, thin nose, as he was not quite certain of his fate. “The hall was as dark as Hrebus, and as he glanced out an idea suddenly oceurred to him. He distrusted the appear- Bis captors the first ance of things, and meant to make an bia? to ag froin ne ws he ae j SSS SS | darkness. you'll get the worst of this tussle in the end: eed ae a bale ea a seySene ae and ve intense “Now, signor!” exclaimed Pippo, interrupting his plotting, “right abouta de face.” “What! Do youn want me to follow the boy?" queried the actor. “Wm. h’'m,” said Pippo, nodding. eee maranie! bi Roddy went ahead, the actor made a mnilitary salute in. a grim fashion, and preceeding after the boy, bad stuffed soma i matebes in his pocket, and Pippo brought up the rear, with — the. revolver in his hand. ; The door of the reoms next door stood wide open, as Pippo — had left it. and Roddy went in, turned to the right, passe through a door into a small’ bedroom, and Mr. Bull edged up a little closer to him. Roddy was just about to open the door communicating with the next room, when Mr. Bull suddenly gave the lamp a kick, ~ and sent it fying out of Roddy’s hand. It arose in the air, — was extinguished, and struck the floor with a crash that sinashed it to fragments the next moment. eS Instantly the room became wrapped in profound darkness, — and Roday gave utterance to ax inyoluntary shout of dismay. “Pippa!” he eried. “Guard the door. Don’t let him og ie cape.” “Altro!” growled the Italian; then there sounded the click of the trigger of his weapon, and the patter of his feet, as he glided to the doorway. Mr. Bull dashed open the door abead of him, flung Boddy ¥ ‘ aside, and ran through the next bedroom, with the intention “f of passing to the front of the house, and making his escape — through the front hall door. wt Reddy divined his intention at onee, and ran after him. “ reo “Come, he cried. after. all.” “No, no!” came the yoice of the old’ man, in gleeful accents, from somewhere in the darkness. “Inotit de fraid. De doora she lockit, an’ can’ta get away.” At this moment Mr. Bull Seized the knob in the front room door, rattled it furiously a moment, and then they . heard 2 terrific bang as he hurled his body against it, in the era of forcing it open. a Roddy drew the matches from his pocket and ignited one, As he heli it up, he could not refrain from. laughing at.the — comical figure Cut by Mr. Bull in his frantic ensleay. or to force open the door. The fringe cf hair around his ears stood on end, ne ber ‘ made paper collar had become torn, and now stuck out around his long, skinny neck: he stood on the tips of his toes, with, A his left shovider drawn up, and pressed with his bulging: Tore! head against the pancis with all his might. : saat At this juncture Pippo came in, and letting go the. ee Mr. Bull ingde a mad rush across the room. He tripped, fel with a bang that blackened one of his watery eyes, picked — himself up, and then dove head. first into a Closet, in the Pippo! “Come on, or he will escape; Us “« “Hurrah!” exclaimed Reddy. ag he slammed the door ane after the frightened actor, and shoved a bolt into its socket. — “We've got him just where we want him, Pippo! Come in! here, old fellow. He's cooped up in this closet!” “Let me out!” roared the smothered tones of the enraged Bull. “Til have the Jaw on you.’ We banged on the deor w a feet and hands, just as, Pippo. came in. “Nowa, Bull, voua keepit de still,” advised. Pippo, “or ak hava de law myself!” * Visions of spending the night in jail were very “unpleas: to Mr Bull, " He had been there before, and had no desire to try it again. Consequently he remained as still as a sami for a mo- ment. “What shall we do, Pippo?” asked Roddy. here?” “Why certain. odder doors, an’ i f eee h mM Det isa de bes’ place. Wea lockit alla fe-morrow letta him go after de shipit | leava de deck.” : “Blame you!" growled Mr. Bull, in rather savage tone inside of the closet. “I'll get even with you for this, see i don't.” 9 “I advise you to leave me alone,” said Roddy. “If you don ey é Tu send you, : to prison, you old villain!” pis? “Weoll—I—sweuar!” groaned the actor, “and after: et by i done for him! I—oh!” Tle ended his remarks in a singular’ gurgle, eheni the sounded a squeaking sound, much as if a cork had -heen
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s RODDY THE CALL BOY. of relief. It was evident that the actor had a pocket flask with him, and had been regaling himself for solace. As it was useless to waste any more words with him, Roddy and Pippo went out, locking the doors after them, and, re- turning to their beds, they retired to shumber until the break of day. The snowstorm had ceased, and the sun shone out cheerfully upon, the brightest and frostiest weather they had had in several weeks. After breakfasting, some food was prepared for Bull, ' they both started into the other apartments with it. ing the bedroom doors, they reached the frout apartment, and . then a sight met their gaze that filed them with dismay. ‘The and closet. door stood wide open: the bolt-socket had been bursted away from the woodwork and Mr. Bull was gone! The lock and screws of the front door lay on the floor, show- ing how he managed to get out. Roddy looked glum and dispirited, and Pippo pulled a long face. “He's gone, sure enough!” said. the boy as last. “An maybe he goa to de ship!” groaned the old ftalian. 5 “There is only one way to find out, Pippo; I'll run down to » the dock and see. In an hour I'll be back, and let you know the news.” “Yes,” assented Pippo, bes’.” ‘They returmmed to the old Italian’s apartments, Roddy put on his hat and coat, and hurrying downstairs, he made his way toward the river. As he was hurrying into Grand street, he saw a figure ahead » of him that almost caused his heart to stop palpitating. “There he is, now!” be muttered, “And he’s goiig to the dock, too! It must be that he did not get out of the closet un- nodding his gray head. “Dat's de ss, ih ‘ a sy ago. I suppose, though, he stopped into a saloon and had his » usual ‘ere-opener, as be ¢alls it, and got his flask filled up - agnin. Gee! That fellow is a terror!” The boy crossed over to the other side of the street, and kept his eyes upon his long-legged enemy. If Roddy eould have-devised any possible means to stop Bull fron going any further, he would have done so. But there * was no way in which he could accomplish it, so-he was foreed to trudge along and wonder what the actor was going to do. 4 When within a block of the river, Roddy caught sight of the Random Lass. _. She was yet at the dock; but he saw that the sailors were _-anmooring her, and a tugboat was taking a line to pull her out in the stream. ‘The actor might ‘get on board after all. Tn his desperation to thwart the rascal, Bull. . Roddy ran up to the boy, him. | That was just what Roddy designed, and as the irascihle - Bull gave him chase, he darted down a side street, with the his fist doubled up, with the intenticn: of thrashing ~ actor in pursuit. f Roddy did not run far. He let the actor get close to him, “Then he threw himself flat on the sidewalk. Bull stumbled ‘over him and went sprawling into the gutter, When he got on his feet, Rody was gone. Bull then isde his way down to the boat. Put the Random lass by that time was being towed down the river. 4 CHAPTER V. ; THE CALLBOYS'’ CUANGH. The scene sy sheoene nearly two weeks later, ona freezing cold morning, — The Olympic st: ige was in a state of sublime confusion after the variety company took it, and all the regular em- ‘ployees, from the fifty-cents-a-night super up to the stock- holding manager, were inclined to sulphurize the sacred scenic air. Roddy had gone up in the flies to look for some of the border men, who were wanted down in the scene dock, and a hewspaper reporter came in to talk about the drama which fe Mr. Jerry Wildrake was going to put on the following nveek, at his own risk, for the first time in America. The Olympie’s ‘was no mean stage to make such a great effort on, for Laura <eene, Mrs. John Wood, Owney Burke, John Gilbert, Charles Parsloe, and a host cf our most popular actors and actresses ig made it the scene of some of their best work. Wildrake had chosen -his cast from the books of a Union Square theatrical company agency a week before, when the » Variety show succeeded the Shakespeurian. » dra ama he suits sae Unlock- } til a short while ago, else he would have been dow here long! The moment the actoms glance fell upow him, be tushed at } a sie through one of the Bg! aay by. ‘that come here, Cresar, and as those he had picked out had played im the drama in London the season previous, he had no fear of the play proving anything but a suecess. There was, however, one role to be filled for which it seemed impossible ‘to secure just the proper person. The character was juvenile, very important to the play, and it fretted the nervous and blustery manager a good deal. ~ What to do about it, he had no idea, until Roddy came down | fron: the flies, and his glance rested on the energetic young callboy. “Blame it!” he exclaimed, his face mechs up. “He’s just the one I want! Oh, what a lunkhead IT am! Just like me, though. Some one ought to kick the suspenders off my pants. I say! Roddy, you infernal scamp—eome here.” “Yes, sir. I just sent the bordermen down,” said the boy, running up to the manager. “To the deuce with them, I want to talk business to you, my lad.” “Well, sir? Business? What can I do for you, Mr. Wild- rake?” “My boy, you’ve taken part in some of the variety farces haven't you?” “Yes, sir. I just sent the bordermen down,” said the boy. “How would you like to take a very decent role in the new , drama?” : Wildrake keenly watched the hoy as he asked this, and saw him start, turn red in the face, and a latent fire of enthusiasm spring into his eyes at the prospect. “What!” he eried, scarcely able to realize the what was said to him, “me take part in a drama? Wildrake, it is my only ambition!” “Could you learn a part between to-day and Monday night?” “This is Iriday morning. Yes, I could, if there is not too nuich of it,” “The play is blamed simple and the part is easy—just suited to: yob.. Of course, if you make a success of it, PU pay you the regular salary. But don’t you dare to tale it if you dow’t think yourself fully competent to do so.” 4 “What is the name of the play and the part Iam to assume, © sir?” “Tt is called “Phe Boy King. It’s an ancient Mnzlish piece. The plot is worked out in three acts and six scenes. Act first shows some conspirators stealing the infant son of the regent queen, and tells how the Earl, her enemy, raised the child to boyhod rtp sh dab of his rank, You ho not appear until the second act. Then you go on as a harlequin, haying been ~~ roving about the fairs with a band of strolling players, with whom the Earl fostered you. he queen has heard of your Punchinello fame.and sent for you. In the palace yow dis- cover a-plot on the part of the Harl to have the queen assagsi- nited, So he can succeed her, and warn her of it. he second scene of this act shows the royal bed-chambeyv. You are cou- ce aled. behind a curtain, after placing a dununy figure in the queen's bed, to give the alarm to the guards concealed outside tovrush in upon the conspirators when they come to commit the crime. They discover the trick you played, five their pis- tols at you, and fly just as the household guards ran in upon the scene.» Then you fall—shot. i wake “The third act reveals your identity to the queen a you regain your kingdom. You'll have the leading character, but there is.not much to it.” — “TIL look over the play, tike “t.7/7% “Oh, you can do it, if you try, Roddy. “You're a born actor — anyway. I've kept my eye on you all along, and if you come up to my expectations in this thing, I'll do all I can to bring you out, for I know you’d like to be a full-fledged acter.” The hoy was wild with delight, for the nearest and dearest — wish in his heart was about to be fulfilled. He had hoped, longed and prayed for some such a chance as this, and.at pris : the much coveted opportunity had arrived. i Since the day the Random Lass sailed away, he ta nae i boarding with old Ravelli, and his lessons had gone on with- out either of them seeing or hearing anything of Bradford Bull; and the boy stwlted and worked hard to attain the nearness to perfection in the profession, studied by all those ambitious for Thespian fame. Ge: The boy then thanked the fat manager, and turned away. Near by him stood one of the new supers intently watch him. } He had been listening to all that’ passed between the boy and the manager, . and as Roddy turned around and catigh his. curious glance, he started, urned hastily LW 1 truth of Oh, Mr. —s and let you know to-night if I can | aa iios
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_RODDY THE CALL, oe trance, where he mingled with some of {he men, among whom he vanished. There had been an extraordinary staré in the man’s eyes thai struck Reddy as being very peculiar, and made him feel . decidedly uncomfortable. Hewas a stoutly built fellow. attired in tight pants, a red shirt and a greasy jacket, the whole combination of which gaye hin uw particularly tough look. _ His face was coarse and red, his eyes small and lis hair all cropped off, much as if he had not long been in the eity from Blackwell's Island. The man paid no more attention to the boy than any of the others, which set the boy’s suspicions at rest finally, and after the work was over for that morning, Roddy securef a copy of the play and started for his new home as fast as he could 20 to impart to his old friend the news which had so delighted him. ' The super who had been so ‘intently Watching Roddy soon after left the theater. When the boy reached the house he was disappointed at not finding Pippo in. Not to waste any time, however, he set to work with a will upon the play he had, and began to learn the words and actions of the character he was to assume. About three ofclock Ravelli entered, and Roddy told lim ‘the news. The cld man seemed to be as much delighted over it as Roddy himself. The boy showed him the play, and Pippo told him how to proceed with it. Roddy had a wonderfully retentive memory—one of the first perquisites of a good actor—and his elocution was remarkably fine. The part he was to-assume was the most prominent, yet he had really less work to do than any of the other actors, for the siniple reason that what he was set for was to the point—no superfluities making up his role in order te lengthen it out. Of course he could add all the stage business of an original kind he was capable of, to make the part more prominent. But ho realized the greatest salient point about it to be like a good joke—the less words employed the more pith to the issue. = ‘em j relv *clo¢ ing li 1 He remained up till twelve o’clock working like a beaver, Liitersnt solar and when Ravelli finished some work he had to do, Roddy told him that he had entirely mastered the lines of the character. To exemplify, he went through the role. This proved exceedingly satisfactory to Pippo, who was a very critical man. Then the stage business was taken up. It really required more work and care than the lines. The little kitchen was extemporized into a miniature stage, and the relative positions were exercised and rehearsed over and over, The clock had struck three ‘Betore they stopped, tired and Sleepy. The result, though, showed Pippo that the boy was a born genius in the’acting line, and that he had a yery correct con- ception of the character. The next merning the tireless boy attacked his task again With renewed vigor, for he was fired with ambition, and eager to improve his chance to gain a foothold upon the stage. This opportunity was therefore to be nursed with all the care of which he was capable. In the afternoon he was obliged to desist, and go down to the theater for a matinee performance of the variety show. Roddy practised with Pippo that night, all day Sunday, and again on Monday up to noon, for he was determined to get the role down fine. He was nervous when the momentous day arrived at ‘last, but did not shew it when he went to the rehearsal in the after- noon, - The play was advertised heavily, and Roddy retained his own name on the show bills, programmes and newspaper an- mouncements, When the rehearsal. was over and he left the theater, the tough-looking super, whom he observed on several occasions ae the last Friday eyeing him in-a suspicious manner, fol- owed him out. He kept some distance behind the boy until op th blocks were passed’over, and then he went into a liquor saloon, and going through he entered a small room in ' the back, filled with tables and chairs. In a corner by the _ stove sat Bradford Bull, reading a newspaper and sipping a steaming hot punch that stood upon a table beside him, _ He arose and beckoned to the supe when he came in, and after the tough individual. had_ ordered a drink, Beit Became 2 aged in earnest car. ae snd the actor in ecarmest | Take “The are eqnnot help succeeding,“ tones, after a while. “J stole this key from the man. it and you can open the door with it.” “Yes,” ‘replied the other, “I'll do it er git killed meself. now. give us the sends. He took the key which Bull handed to him and put it in his, pocket. ‘ “Shouid your first plan fail,” said Bull, drawing a bul shown his pocket and placing it in the inan’s hand, “the second can’t. You are to take the part of the conspirators who fire at the i king. Be sure you have a bullet in your weapon and “hit im.” The man nodded, and a sardoni¢ grin Wit a hig nel red face. ; A few minutes later he arose and took leave of the actor. “And now,” muttered Bill, witha dark frown, when he was alone again, “we'll see who will win. Roderick Random, you — have done wrong to arouse my enmity! Once you are dead my — fortune is made on your father’s money, and 1 will Legals Te-" venge for the injuries ies did me.” = pa SES ; CHAPTER VI A, TERRIBLE ENCOUNTER. By half-past six Roddy was back. to the Guat arene panied by Pippo, who was anxious to see his pupil make his debut in the new play. A Had the boy been less excited, he might have noticed the “ manner in which the tough super followed him with his squceui at ie wherever he went. AYE Ag he was not to go on until the second act, he had pied 4 of time to dress and have his iace made up; so, after giving Pippo a seat on the left wing, he went to the dressing-room ny and got on his harlequin suit. It fit his whole body like giove, and showed oft’ a well-developed young form from hi } neck. to his heels. Around his waist was a girdle, from whieh ¢ a hung a sheath containing a dagger. Ne ; Putting on a pair of low slippers, and drawing a white alculta cap over his hair, and fastening it on at his ears, he coated his face with white powder and then surveyed himself in the glass while he penciled his. eyebrows. Tt was a pretty sat, of small diamonds, each one being a 34 Roddy's dressing-room was close to the ae that led into i the cellar, and when he went in he noticed a brazier standing hear the sink, in which a hot charcoal fire was burning, 1000, which an iron rod was thrust, with a handle of wood. A boy sat on a stool beside it, dozing, and the actors who had 1p. dressing were as seIn DINE in the ag the sherpa waitin, summon them. , tering jinished his dressing, Roddy was just preparing: to ot ‘ootsteps outside of his avon It was arowned an instant later by the prompt-bell that a up the curtain on the first act aiter the music stopped; th there came a loud thump on his door. Wondering what was the matter, Roddy opened the door’ ' “Oh!” exclaimed a voice outside, “be’s you Roddy de eal Oye”, a) “Yes!” he replied, eyeing the other. “What do you want?” The person who stood before him was a stnister-looking et 5 dividual, ‘ He wore black tights and shoes with long, pointed toes; “ita sody was enveloped in a long, black cloak, under whic¢ gleamed a pair of pistols in his be It; upon his hands were dark gauntlets, a black mask covered hig face, and upon his Ww: of long hair was a slouched hat with a long, somber plume Lis The man evinced the utmost excitement, as he rm hastily: , “Cen folly me—folly wb Hera ain’t no time ter toner” pis Ie “1 don't understand what you mean,” exclaimed i A surprise, * : “Didn't you bring an ole duffer wid yer, wid long, hair?” “Ah, you mean Pippo, the man I left sitting in ‘the | wing?” ‘ trap- door.” ; The boy hurried from his os ah after the man si. ran to the cellar door. ; = They were on the right-hand side ‘of the stage, and thi scene e ay oy tana coe see panes ie sane ‘for the first act being set, and the aes asa oO course
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10 RODDY THE CALL BOM, Not a soul was in sight, except the boy who was aotine near the brazier. The conspirator unbolted the cellar door, and Roddy grasped a handful of matches and a candle from the shelf inside on the wall. The cellar was shrouded in the densest gloom. Roddy was guided wholly by the footsteps of the man in the darkness. The super had hurried ahead of the boy, and presently his footfalls ceased to sound on the cement pavement. But an odd noise suddenly broke the stillness. It was much like the turning of a key in a padlock. The next moment the boy was astonished to hear the sound of flying footsteps passing him, and he heard his companion reach the cellar stairs and run up as if his life depended upon it. Wondering what this meant, the boy lit a match and ignited the candle. As the dull glow flared up, he saw dozens of posts all around him, supporting the cross-beams under the stage. But not a sign of Pippo was to be seen anywhere. Puzzled to comprehend why he saw nothing of Pippo, he _ took a step nearer to the hatchway, holding the candle aloft so he could see better. The next instant he was half paralyzed with consternation to’ hear a thunderous roar, and one swift glance showed him _ that the box under the hatchway was a large cage, in which food an enormous male lion! The door was wide open, and the beast was half way out of the cage, glaring at Roddy with eyes that glowed like balis of fire in the darkness! It was the beast that the tamer had been exhibiting in the variety show the week before, which the man had stored in the cellar until he could remove it, When the conspirator regched the head of the stairs he bolted the door and glanced around. | _ Seeing nobody looking, he hastily glided away through the! Scene dock across to the stage door, beside which was a little! i +s & . sth 0)? . ford Bull. “Well,” he asked, arising, with an evil look upon his face, “what success?” “Hush! Not so loud!” finger warningly. ~ room, lit up by a netted single gas jet. In this room sat Brad- | k : } - He was the same man whom Bull had met in the saloon gasped the/ super, holding up his that afternoon. “Did you fix him?” whispered Bull, eagerly. .“Yes; I lured him down wid a lie, an’ opened der cage door wid der key yer gave me. I jes’ lef’ him this minute. An’ oh, Lor’! I’m terrible excited!” He was shaking like a leaf, and Bull patted him on the back. “Don't give away like this,” exclaimed the actor in alarm, “or you'll get collared. I must go now.” They shook hands and separated, just as the ‘tones of that distant roar faintly reached their almost directly beneath their feet. It made them) both invoiuntarily shudder and look guilty. Mr. Bull’s pace past the old doorkeeper was accele rated a good deal, and the super hurried aw:ty to make his entrance ‘upon the stage in anything but a happy frame cf mind over the rascality he bad perpetrated, The roar uttered by the lion did not have half the dreadful smothered ; ears, from oe ¥ vot import to the two rascals it did to Roddy, though. pe ' He stood there like a statue, holding the candle over his head, too segrtled and overwhelmed with horror to utter a - word. he beast had not been fed since that morning, and conse- “quently was in &@ most savage mood. Uttering a series of deep, | pura roars, it sprang from ie cage and, with one leap, -janded in front of the boy. Knowing very well that if. he ‘turned and ran away, the ~ beast would not hesitate an instant to spring upon him, ie Roddy kept his glance riveted upon the fiery orbs of the sav- - age monster, and then shouted for help. No sooner had his voice pealed out, though, when the crouch- ot pine beast sprang at him. He Saw it coming, but before he’ 5 pace he was knocked over on its *hilcle with the ponderous beast on top of him, roaring anu snarling in a deafening man- “Roddy taised his dagger and plunged it into the lion's neck through the ‘thick, tawny mane, and rolled over. he beast uttered a frightful cry of pain, and bounded back, ahs at the wound the voy had dealt it. _ “Now is my chance!” ‘thought Roddy. “I. can get up, i that landed it within the But before he could move an inch, the beast sprang toward him again. It was maddened at the stab the boy had given it, and ferocious with hunger. CHAPTER VII. BEFORE THE FOOTLIGHTS AT LAST. As the lion sprang at Roddy the second time he gave him- self up for lost, for he Ene w very well he could hardly defend himself with only a dagger Down closer to the pea a crouched the lion ready to spring. upon him, and an instant later he saw its massive body cleave the air. « Roddy’s quick, keen eyes were fixed upon the brute, and as it enme he lurched himself over on one side. And not an in- stant too soon, for, ere he was well out of ‘harm’s way, there ‘aine 9 thud as the beast alighted upon the spot he had just, evacuated. The boy breathed a sigh of relief. The next moment there sounded a shout, and bounding to ~ his feet he saw the lion dart back whining and crying, with the boy in front of it whom Roddy had seen sleeping besice the brazier upon the stage. The youth held,the red-hot iron bar in his hand, which he wis thrusting in the lion's face, causing it to retreat in abject feur. Behind the be stood Pippo and Wildrake, gazing on in. horror, Cringing to the floor, moving its head from side to side, and : utterly cowed at the sight of the fiery iron bar, the beast went — back step by step, growling, snarling and whining. It held the. fire in deathless dread, and the object of the lion-tamei’s as- — si{fant was evidently fixed upon driying the beast back into the cage. It. swerved from side to side, crossing and moying in an tr- regular line, but finally the youth with the iron bar backed it © up to the open door of the cage. All this time he had not uttered a word, but kept his eyes — fixed determinedly upon those of the lion, and as soon as he had the ravenous beast on a line with the door he made a Iunge toward it with the hot iron that elicited a frightened” growl from the king of the jungie, it made a bound backward cage, and the next moment the doar | slanuned shut and it was made xu captive. ‘ Then Roddy uttered a heartfelt sigh of, relief. “By jingo:” he exclaimed, hurbying to tite boy's sidéy “you just arrived in time.” é “Tow did this happen?” queried the plucky boy, as he re-.- locked the door. ‘ “J was lured down here by the person who liberated the | beast to get killed.” “Jerusalem! I see that the cage bas been opened by seme- body, for there is a key in the lock which I recently imagined ‘(lest while in a barroom with an actor.” “What actor was that?” and Pippo dew near. “tis naine is Bull—Bradford Bull,” replied the youth. “Phen you can depend that he stole the key from you,” said Roddy ‘earnestly. : “Stole it from me! Why should he do so, I'd like to know?” “Tn order to put up this job on me, for he is my enemy.” “Paunder and lightning!” exclaimed Wildrake, wrathfully, “this was a put-up job, did you. say? Then where in thunder is that scoundrel Bull?” “We didn’t get me down here,” is too cunning to expose himself, to do his dirty work.” The four then went upon the stage, just as the callboy went by, crying: “All ready for the second act.” The scene was set. and a moment after the bell rang for the orchestirm, accompanied by a sudden lowering and rising of the footlights. Roddy drank a glass of water, brushed the dirt off of his tights, glanced over the lines of his part, and hurried to the’ third right entrance, w here. he joined a queer-looking group of players. “T must contain mysel?, “he muttered, desperately. “Let me gain control of my faculties. If I play it badly they will sneer at me; if I play the part good they will applaud me It ig” just as easy to do the work well as it is to” execute It badly. Therefore, I must do it as good as Lam able.” . ; Yet in spite of this fortifying resolution he began to tremble, and his face grew very pale under the powder upon his eagerly asked Roddy, as Wildrake iy replied Roddy. “The rascal He hired cue of the supes’ face, as aS got his cue ey go on a the others to carry. out rast X his part. The moment he mot on the teins. everything for an instant
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began to swim before his gaze. Te felt as if it would be a AABDY relief if the floor would open at his feet and ssvallow dim He gasped for breath a moment like a drowning person; then like a flash his sudden stage fright was gone, a firm resclution came to his aid, he felt careless and indifferent to the hundreds of faces before him and more perfectly at ease thon if he was only before an audience of children. Iiis keen glance swept around at the sea of faces. Ready then got his cue, and began his act. “The musi¢e began after that. and the strolling players gave an cutertainment for the queen’s amusement, after which the rest dispersed, and the voy had the stage alone for a few minutes, Warming up to his work, he threw his whole soul into the Wo: ds and action, and as the manager glanced through a “peep-hole” at the audietice, he saw their interest in the boy sradually deepening until when Roddy reached the climax, there came a ripple of applause from every part of the house. The first seene of the second act ended, a perfect thunder of applause followed. “Roderick Random! Roderick Random!” eame the ery from the audience. It was taken up by everybody, and a perfect furor ensued with a clapping of hands, stamping of feet, and the usual pandemonium of thumps, howls, whistles, and bang- ing of the “bouncers’ ” rattans up in the gallery. Roddy was behind the scenes, his heart swelling and palpi- tating fast. His eyes snapped and sparkled, and his soul was enthused with the wild fire of delighted emotion, as these sounds reached his ears. It was a most unprecedented ovation, and the proudest mo- ment of RNoddy’s life. “T must Have been bern to be an actor!” he mused, as he! retired amid a renewed round of applause. “Anyhow, I’ve caught the house. and a most surprising amount. of apprecia- tion. Ill never forget this night as long as I live—néver!” The next scene was being set.as a bedroom of the palace, and Roddv changed his harlequin costume for a courtier suit of faint lilae color. Tights and trunks, doublet and cape lined with bright erim- son. a small rapier at his side, and a white plumed cap on his blond wig... made him leok magnificent. The queen of the play was to be assassinated at the duke’s order by the dark-masked conspirators, and as Roddy arrived at that part of his act where he watches them come in to mur- der the queen. he wondered which was tiie man who lured him down into the cellar to encountcr the ferecious lion. The boy’s acting in the second scene surpassed that of the first. as he now had redoubled confidence in himself, At the end of the scene he was discovered by the conspira- tors, and he saw them draw their weapons to fire at him. little did that vast audience, any one on the Stage, or tocdy himself imagine that Bradford Bull's emissary had a beilet in one of the pistols then leveled at him. The man had Succecded in his design upon finding that Roddy escaped the jaws of the lion by surreptitiously putting a bullet in the pistol: of one of the other supers, and that reyolyer was now aimed at. the boy. The scene thrilled the audience to a high pitch of suppressed excitement. There came a series of reports from the w eapons. “Oh, I am shot!” screamed Roddy the next instant. Tie recled back and pitched over on the stage with his hand clasped) to his ‘bosom. The curtain went down amid a thunder of applause from the avdience, who veted that the boy’s acting in that scene was wonderfully realistic. Put none of them knew that an Assassin's shot had been fired at the boy.\ ” CHAPTER : VIII. BRADFORD BULL'S PLOT. When the curtain fell the supers hurried off the stage to the dressing-room to prepare for the third act, in which the iventity of the Boy King was to be disclosed. Roddy lay upon the stage unnoticed for a few moments, in the bustle and econ- fvsion that ensved the dropping of the curtain. Oviside, the band began to play an interlude and numbers of inen got up to go out during the intermissions, as the air in the theater scemed to be very sultry. ; The scene-shifters heard their “boss” rushed on the stage. ( One of then nearly fell over the form of Roddy. and uttered a cry. Wildrvake and Pippo rah up to him in wondering surprise, 3° eall., “Strike!” and RODDY THE CALL BOY: il a a “By the everlasting snakes!” exclaimed the stage manager, — “what's the matter?” “Ave Maria!” cried Pippo, in alarm. “De boya “be. killa!” It made Wildrake fairly jump, and Pippo knelt down beside him and peered into Roddy’s ne very earnestly for a mo- — ment, ! “He isn’t dead, blame you!” evied the manager. “He's fainted. The excitement has overcome the dear little rogue. Get some water, old duff.” { Pippo shook his long gray hair, bounded to his feet and hur- ried away with a look of suspicion and fear upon his smooth.- old face. He returned a moment later with a tin cup filled with water, and as Wildrake had lifted Roddy up in his arms, Pippo laved _ the boy’s tempies. ‘In a few minutes he recovered his senses and sat up. “Oh!” he groaned, placing his hand to his head. “Who shot me?” j “Who shot you—why, blame your bones, Roddy, you've only — fainted!” said the puffihg and panting stage manager. ays “Tt must have been the same supe who came to my dressing- room and told me to follow him down into the cellar,” said Roddy. “His first design was to have the lion kill me; failing in that he must haye resolved to accomplish his villainous pur-. — pose by shooting me.” “By Hamlet's ghost, I'l flay the villain if you will only point him out to mé, Roddy!” exclaimed Wildrake, dancing up. and down excitedly. i : There was no time to lose just then, as Roddy had to change his costume, so he hurried away to his dressing-room, ac- companied by Pippo, who swore he would shoot anybody who dared to molest the boy in future. Having finished dressing, Roddy came out on the wings again, and while passing the supers’ dressing-room door with Ravelli he overheard the stage-maniger’s yoice inside address- ing the men in an angry tirade. A few minutes later the orchestra stopped playing, and the curtain went up on the last act, Roddy did not make his ap- pearance wipon the stage until the commencement of the second» scene. His acting and elocution were extraordinary, and his inter- pretation of the character was simply marvelous in its utter | perfection of detail. He was molested no further, and when the final curtain de.» scended, and the thunders of applause had ceased, everybody in the audience conceded that the boy was a born actor, a. — bright rising star in the Thespian firmament, and a most en- if: viable honor to the profession. Roddy hastily got off his costume, every article of which — Pippo carefully and tenderly hung upon a row of pegs on the wall, and as soon as the boy was arrayed in his own cothing, hat and overcoat, they hurried from the theater into Crossby street. “We will hide ina doorway until the supe comes out.” said Roddy, hurriedly, “and then we can follow him. and discover if he don’t go to meet Bull. I saw the old bald-headed villain’ in the audier nee, Pippo, and when I came out in the last. act, I saw the most beastly look cross his face-——he ran his through the bair over his right ear, as if overwhelmed with — (isappointment and fury—seized his old plug hat and green umbrella, and jerking himself to his feet, he suddenly rushed - out.” “Thinka youa getit killa!” said Ravelli with a chuckle. “Fo acted as it he was powerfully affected at the sight. of me.” Roddy kept his glance fixed upon the stage door, closely — scrutinizing every one who emerged, and after a. while he — started, clutched Pippo by the arm, and drawing back close to the,door they were leaning against, he whispered: “Were he comes, Pippo! Be careful, or he will see us!” They both drew as far back as possible, and an instant later the very teughJooking individual with tight pants on and a pea-jacket over his red flannel shirt, came slouching along, with a cap upon his down-bent head and his hands thrust. into. his pants pockets. He passed close by the two watchers without seeing them, ane they: 5 ite held the ar Le aa lest he might Lene Shey, * F ‘ ¥ y Ds pin a ne = ie oy , zi Rete Ae He went along several blocks, and just as he was about, to a the saloon where Mr. Bull had made a rendezvous to 14cet him, the actor suddenly emerged from ‘the resort. ‘He on ispered to. the man a moment. The he hurried away. mne super turned down a side street — G5
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+, “But failed after all!” growled Bull, 2 after a short silence, 12 RODDY. THE and made his way to the Bowery. followers. 3 When be got to the corner of Hester street. he went into a saloon, and Roddy glided up to the door and peeped in over the top of the half shades. He'saw the man walk toward the back of the saloon and enter a Small compartment at the side.’ There were two such places'in the saloon. the one the man entered opening on the barroom, and the one néxt to its having an entrance from the side street. Upon seeing this, Roddy beckoned to Pippo to follow him. They then made their way to the side entrance and went in. The compartments were only small ground-glass partitions about eight feet high, the fronts of which had small windows facing the barroom, through which people in the place could have their drinks in privacy. The place in which Roddy and Pippo found themsely es con- tained a table and a couple of chairs, and they had no doubt that the ether was similarly furnished. Ringing a hand-bell, Roddy ordered a couple of sodas ina low tone, he and Pippo drank them, then Pippo got under the table. Roddy opened the side door after the waitei took the two glasses away, shut it with a bang, and noiselessly slipped back and crouched under the table with Pippo. He wanted to leave the impression upon the man in the next compartment that they had gone out after getting their drinks. It was lucky they were safely hidden-from yiew. for no sooner was Roddy hidden under the table beside his companion, when the man in the other compartment stood up on a chair and peeped over the top of the partition. Seeing the place apparently empty, he got down again, his face disappearing and the two listeners heard him cal) for a glass of rum. Shortly afterward, they heard somebody go in from the saloon and join. him. “Hello. my boy.” said the well-known accents°of Mr. “you beat me, I see.” “Yair... Wot did yer pursued by the two silent Bull, ispect me ter doy erawl along’ an’ eet RECZO? ” -, “Not quite. You know why FT sent you here: you might have been suspected of trying to kill the boy. some one might have followed you.” “Yair. But ther manager dont ‘spect who it wuz among us. When I seen them saye him from ther lion, I put a builet in one o° ther super’s pistols. an’ he nearly killed ther boy.” with a muttered im- I-was afraid Then precation. “Pippo!” muttered Roddy, softly, as he nudged his\ ecom- . panion, “you hear. that? ‘Chey did it!” The old eachen nodded and held up his finger -. Silence. “Wot’s ter enjoining be did now?” queried the tough-looking super, during which Bull ordered a bottle of liquor and helped himself several times in suecession, “Do? ©What shall we do? ‘I'll tell you, The boy must be _ gotten rid of. His father left a big fortune which T am try- ing to get. You must work for me. Here is that money. I owe you.’ “Ah!” thought Roddy. “He has stolen Morris Ei urdeastle’s plan and means to work it out.’ “T had ten thousand dollars,” said Bull. “but gambled. it nearly allaway. ‘There is a chance for me to make a big stake now. A woman is in the case, though. Her uname is Hattie Gray. She is Roddy’s + abepmothien, and a half-sister to Morris Hardeastle.” “Der feller wot yer eee me as fust tried ter/git rid 0’ der boy?” asked the ‘super. ‘ “Ah! thought Roddy, “so that’s her name? No wonder I could not find it in the directory!” “Yes. Hardceastle’s son is in care of Wildrake, the’man- -ager.. We must get him to impersonate the missing heir again. But before. that can be done, Hattie Gray must be f taken away and put in some place where she cannot interfere with my: plans. Young Hardcastle’s agreed already.” - “An? I know jist where she can be hid, if money is planked ‘down fur.it.. My. father’s got a——” “Oh, you mean Denny Fagin’s place—the Cobweb, in Five Points?” interrupted Bull. “Next to the undertaking shop.” So. *¥air. Even, der p'lice don’t trouble dat place much,” re- plied the super. — §Then we will try to abduct the woman to-night und carry her there. We will not have much trouble, for she is an t- yalid. Once there we ean hold her. get young Hardcastle to claim and get Itoddy’s money, aid then we will have our share Ges is plunder.’ fi ee ’ CALL BOY fic pee era “Then as the bottle is empty and I have one drink left; 7 here’s to the success of our plans.” F “And now that: [ve discovered the woman—imy step mother,” said Roddy as the two men arose and went out, “Ill follow you and see if T cannot thwart your designs!” ~ And followed by Pippo, the boy hurried from the saloon after the. two plotters. ; CHAPTER IX, MRS. RANDOM. ea After leaving the saloon on the corner of Bowery and. Hester street, in pursuit of Bradford Bull and the super, Roddy and the old Italian saw the aétor and his accomplice» ‘hoard a Third avenue car going uptown. The night was very clear, and excessively cold, yet the two plotters stood on the front platform of the car. This suited — Roddy and his friend to perfection, for it gave them an oppor-~- tunity of getting on the rear platform of the same car. i “Pippo,” exclaimed the boy delightedly, “I am in luck to-. night. First of all I escaped the lion under the theater, then I escaped the assassin’s bullet—and then by following that) super to the saloon from the theater, I have been able to dis-: cover not only who the rascals were who tried to take my life, ° but also the name of my stepmother, and the plot these vil- lains are hatching. We must strive to balk, them if we can.” “We notit de letta steala de woman, an’ bringa to de Cob-. web,” said Pippo, keeping his glance fixed upon the plotters - by peeping through the glass windows of the car. “Ifa de son of Morris Hardcastle he plota de game, too, we stopa de ~ racket.” » “The young villain was coached in his part by his tathen ; . ing doubt,” said Roddy, “and now that Bull has broached the saime plot to him he needs no rehearsal. I wonder if he knows what Bull did with his father?” : cit age “I guessa he notit de knowa, or makit de kick.” “And that super is Denny Fagin’s son! He don't know that ; his father is gone on the Random Lass, either. How surprised i the villains will be when they find us on their track to upset their plans! If they once abduct Hattie Gray, and get her in that. detestable Five Points resort, all the police in New York could not get her out again. It is a terrible place. I once lived there with Bull when I amagined he’ was my stepfather. _ That was before I discovered, that Morris Hardcastle paid him _ $500 a year to keep'me in hiding for the past twelve years. — But we can follow them, learn where my $tepmother lives, and _ apprise her of her danger before they can execute their de- — sign. r Pippo nodded his gray head acquiescingly. p “Then,” continued Roddy, “I will make my identity known, } to her, and tell her all that has been plotted and done against her and myself by these wretches, who want to cheat me out — of my division of the half million my father left. I'll have — Bull in jail before long! ¥ Bate “Carissima., yes!” assented Pippo, with a vigorous nod, Bull and his companion rode up to Harlem on the front platform, and their pursuers ‘saw them conversing in whis-~ pers, by bending close to each other’s ears, so that the driver! could not overhear what they said. On the corner of Ninety-sixth street they alighted, and Rod- dy vode on with his friend until they He oar down the street before they get off the car. On an elevation above Third avenue stood an 2 old house, half stone, half luniber, facing the avenue at an angle, the yard — extending from. Ninety-sixth to Ninety-seventh streets. [t'is — there yet. There were some trees around it, and the rear view © was not then interrupted by the brewery Which now almost — hides the river in the back. The house is a double one, with an old-fashion door in the: center. j Its wittdows are small, and the stone walls are painted white. This was the residence. of Hattie Gray, and a look of deep interest overspread Roddy’s face as he contemplated it, and” thought it must have been his, birthplace. - a ee At the present date the house looks old- fashioned, (ieee sa wretched; at that time it was considered. avery. handsome: mansion. | “This must be the place, Pippo, " said Roddy... “geo, hiegt ease a gone down Ninety-sixth street. andare walking up that: side ¥ entrance toward that old well.” “Altro!” sharply interposed Ravelli, dranbhae: Roddy ‘ba behind a-tree. “De, super——” 4 “Ah! / He has parted from Bull, and, is coming. this way, ia They ‘watched the man, and saw him cross: the avenu
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RODDY ter a livery-stable near by. Bull, in the meanwhile, stood a shadow by the well. ; ‘ From the livery-stable the super went down the avenue to ug store. ‘See here, Pippo,” restlessly muttered Roddy, “this inactiv- ‘won't do. We must’ bestir ourselves. If we remain here ing our time away they will sueceed. You go after a police- in. I will then climb up that hill, and try to get into the use without being’ seen by Bradford Bull, alarm the lady, d you can come in with an officer, and catch the miscreants the house, with the proof against them.” ‘Good! replied Ravelli. “Take de cara dey notit de catch ady.” “Mave no fear for me,” reassuringly replied the boy. Pippo nodded, glided away after the super, and Roddy ssed the street. The actor could not see himsfrom where he stood, as the boy nt toward the Ninety-seventh street side. Secure from the servation of Mr. Bull, and wondering how he was going to t into the house, Roddy climbed over the iron rail fence. Then he erept toward the: house, and getting down in the ea he tried the basement door, but found it locked. He did t dare to knock, for fear of alarming the actor and putting m to flight. Not a light shone in any of the windows. Lle therefore concluded that the inmates of the house had ‘ired. Sliding up to one of the windows, he saw that it was se- red by an ordinary common latch, and drawing out his cket-knife, he opened the thinnest blade, shoved it up be- een the outer casing and moved the latch back. Chen he lifted up the sash, went through the window, and sed it down again. , He found hiraself enshrouded in impenetrable darkness, but fer he raised the shades the clear, cold light of the frigid Nuary night came in and dimly iilumined the apartment, ‘Wing him that he was in a dining-room. rred to him that if he was diseovered by any of the inmates the house befere he could ‘explain what brought him there y might imagine he was a burglar and shoot him. 'y well that his enemies would soon get into the house and ‘omplish their design. : oy: Not daving to ignite a match, he groped his way to the hall oT, opened it, and passed through. The utmost: silence pre- led everywhere, giving him an uneasy feeling, but he cau- usly made his way through the obscure hallway, and after found the stairs he crept. up through the darkness to the ‘lor floor. Pausing to listen, and hearing nothing to alarm 1, he proceeded on, and managed to find the second flight of /’s leading up to the bedrooms. I hope Pippo will manage to secure help,” he muttered. he don't, the wretches will make their escape and we may | into trouble.” When he reached the hall above he saw a small window on } landing, which overlooked that.part of the house where } actor had been standing by the well. Curious to see if 1 wag yet there, he glided quietly over to the window, ed the yellow shade, and glanced out. | le had an uninterrupted view of the garden. Not. a trace of the actor or his accomplice was to be seen. put as Roddy’s glance roved over near the path leading up ithe house from the side street, a sight met his view that ught an unguarded cry of consternation from his ips. PPO was lying across the path on his pack, either dead enseless! < A aa he old Italian’s dark-clothed figure was plainly revealed in clear starlight, his face as white as snow, and his figure Still and rigid. meey have discovered him and laid him out,” thought y he boy did not know the real truth then, but his idea was wrong. Mable to find a policeman, when Pippo saw the super leave drug store and hurry toward the house he became panic- cken for his pupil’s safety, and followed the tough indi- al back. He saw a coach draw up beside the eurb in ety-sixth street, but did not notice that the actor was ching him. While he was cautiously making his way to- 7d the house, Bull stole up behind him, and dealt him a blow ' the buit end of a revolver, that stretched the old man less in his tracks. ip eing Pippo aroused the suspicions of the men, and they ae Est ad THE CALL. BOY. dis heart began to palpitate a little faster’as the idea oc- Mhe boy did not hesitate an instant. though, for he knew | 13 rere looked around to see if the old Italian had any companions. Nobody appearing, they concluded that he had followed them alone, but this incident caused them to accelerate their move- ments a good deal, as they did not know what to expect next. They were sure that some time must elapse before the - Italian would regain consciousness, so they left him where he- had fallen, produced a bunch of skeleton keys, and going around to the rear of the house, they began to force. an en-- trance. ; : : It was just after Pippo had fallen that Roddy saw him. The ery he uttered had been most incautious, and he. re-, coiled from the window with a noisy step that echoed loudly — in the large, silent hall. j Z A moment afterward a door was thrown open, and a flood of light suddenly flashed out upon the dark hall and fell all around Roddy. : : He uttered another cry, and glanced toward the open door- | way. ; Upon the thresho}]d stood a woman attired in a dark velvet gown. - She was perhaps thirty-five years of age, and had a white, thin face, large and luminous black eyes, encircled by dark streaks, that lent them a hollow look, while upon jer shoul- ders fell a thick mass of disheveled, raven-hued hair. <A. star- tled look was upon her white face, when her wide-spread eyes turned upon Roddy, and she opened her thin-lipped mouth as if about to:seream. But seeing only a boy confronting her, a frown crossed her careworn face, she repressed the ery, and asked in surprised tones: “Can this boy he a thief?” “Excuse me, madam,” said Roddy, hastily, as he recovered his assurance. “I am not a thief, but I have come here to warn you of a vile plot which was laid by a man nanied Brad- }ford Bull to abduct you, aided by a ruffianly accomplice.” ~ “Abduct me?” echoed the lady in astonishment. “What ridiculous story is this? You cannot deceive me. No honest , person breaks into people's houses at dead of night in this manner. You must be a burglar. J shall scream for-——” “Hush!” interrupted Roddy. “Listen to me. Is not your name Hattie Gray?” | : “Yes, that is my name. But, I tell you— “Keep still! Do you know who I am? 1 will tell you. My name is Roderick Random.” 2 shies “What?” exclaimed the amazed lady, with a violent start. , “You are my dead father's second wife—my stepmother—. . the half-sister of Morris Hardcastle. You see 1 know you!” f exclaimed Roddy. « “And this boy's face,” murmured the lady, bending an earnest stare upon the call-boy; “how like the countenance of my husband! It is the exact image.” “See here,” said Roddy. “Your stepbrother, Hardeasile, tried to palm his own son on you for me, as he had piaced me in care of Bradford Bull.. The actor sent your brother awey on a ship, and Bull wants to get you and I out of the way so that he can get Hardcastle’s son as your brother did to im-— personate me, and thereby lay claim to the property my father left me,” The lady gazed at Roddy in bewildering surprise, and faintly © articulated: - “What—what is all this you are telling me?» ; “Let me finish—we have no time te lose,” said. Roddy, grasping the balustratle nervously, while the lady clutched at the door casing. “Bull knows that you repudiated Hardcastle’s claim when he produced his son and said he was me. Thers- fore he wants to get you out of the way until he can, with the son of Hardcastle, force my claim and get possession of the money. If you are’ not restrained you would refute his claim as false; hence he wants to abduct you until he has accom- plished his purpose.” “Oh,” muttered the lady, clasping her hands, “what villainy is all this?” / : : “To let you better understand how desperately determined this man is,” continued Roddy, in rapid tones, “I wish to in- form you that he is upon the premises now with an aecom- plice to carry out his design. You are 'to be carried away in a coach this very night, and kept secluded in a vile resort in the Five Points. The men are at this moment trying to get into the house. 1 have’come here to warn you.” “And J, you little wretch, am here to kill you!” hissed a voice behind Roddy. He uttered a cry, wheeled around, and sprang back. At the head of the stairs stood Bradford Bull! HN : Behind him, several steps further down, was his hireling in’ thetobsturity., devel an. yoko es Neen ea) SPS na Sm WENN NY Saks
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14 The actor had a terribly malignant scowl upon his face, and was shaking his fist at the boy in a paroxysm of the most de- moniacal fury. He could not imagine how the boy and his teacher happened to be upon the scene. Roddy was fairly thunderstruck. He did not think that his enemy had yet gained ingress to the house. Yet there was the shabby rascal confronting him, and the boy realized that he was in a very dangerous position, and almost at the mercy of the others. Pipfo was disabled and lying in the garden utterly senseless; Roddy could there- fore expect no assistance from him. Moreover, the woman was not to be counted on, and as Ra- velli had been unable to find a policeman, no succor could be expected from the law’s agents, no matter what might occur! “Oh,” muttered the boy in alarm. “He is here!” Mrs. Random uttered a piercing shriek as her glance fell upon the twe shadowy forms coming up the stairs, and she reeled back into the room, her white face blanching with fear, her large eyes distended, and a fearful fit of trembling con- yulsing her weak figure as she shut the door. She had been an invalid so long that she was not very strong. : “We are betrayed!” hissed Bull, springing up on the land- ing. “This boy has almost thwarted me again. The woman knows him now, but all is not lost yet. Before any further harm can be done we will overpower them. Ah! a door opens —there comes a servant. Run, Fagin! Attend to that do- mestic before she alarms the whole neighborhood with her cries. I will attend to the woman and the boy. Use the chlo- roform you got at the druggist’s.” “Back!” cried Roddy. “Stand back or I’Il——” “Bah! a fig for your threats!” sneered Bull, contemptuously. Roddy seized a chair and brought it down upon his enemy's: head with a resounding crash that elicited a malediction from ‘the furious actor. , The next instant, though, the boy received a crushing blow and, uttering a groan, he fell over upon his back on the floor! CHAPTER X. THE WILL. The moment Roddy fell Bradford Bull rushed through the hall, rubbing his sore head, and hurled his lanky body against the door which Mrs. Random had closed. It burst open with a loud crash and the actor sprang into the apartment.’ A woman servant had run out in the hall, alarmed by the ery her mistress uttered and the noise made by the invaders. The very tough young Fagin had provided himself with a vial of chloroform, ‘and spilling some of the contents upon his handkerchief he ran up to the servent and, seizing her in his arms, he clapped the handkerchief to her nostrils. The moment she inhaled the stupefying fumes she fell back fast asleep, and the miscreant laid her down upon the floor and then hurried into Mrs. Random’s bedroom after his employer. It was an ordinary sleeping apartment, tastefully furnished, and was warmed by a glowing stove. In the middle of the room the actor was struggling with the lady. Fagin went to ‘his employer’s assistance, and being prepared for just such an, emergency, between the two they bound and gagged Mrs. Ran- dom and tied her to a bed-post. { ” “The poor lady was in a terrible condition of fright and ner- vousness. ; The excitement so overwhelmed her she was on the eve of fainting, y ; “At last!’”? exclaimed Bull, panting, when they had rendered the lady helpless. “She can now do us no harm, Fagin. And you, Madam, need have no fear. We do not intend to offer you atly violence beyond that to which we were just forced. It pains me, I assure you upon my word as a gentleman and a scholar, madam, it absolutely pains me to think of the indig- nity we have perpetrated. Hxcuse us, I beseech you. We could not help it.” 4 Mrs. Random was apparently somewhat reassured by the plaud suavity of the glib spoken rascal. She saw very plainly that Roddy had spoken the truth. “If they mean to abduct me,” she argued to herself, “I need have no fear. They are ruffianly-locking men, but then they aye no object in doing me any real injury. All they want is to secure themselves from molestation while they rob me and my husband's son—if, indeed, the boy is really Roderick Ran- dom—the child whom my false-hearted half brother hid away, so that he could try to impose upen me with his own off- gpring!” Maine F f vi ‘ ai E aE at 4 RODDY THE CALL BOY. the door, and gazed dolefully at the liquor which Young Fagin sat down upon the edge of the bed, and the ever-thirsty Mr. Bull pulled his ever-full fiask from his hip- pecket, with the remark: ; : “By the gods of war, Fagin, I’m winded!” nen “An’ I’m dryer dan a fish. Gimme swig, gwan,” said Fagin. “Certainly—certainly,” said Mr. Bull, as he pulled out the } cork, held the bottle up to the light, shut one of his watery) eyes and glared through the flask with the other. “Only wait] until I wet my whistle, my boy. Age before beauty, as the | proverb says, and I’m not sure but what this rye may be) Bourbon. Let me see.” : He placed the bottle to his lips, rolled up his eyes and began), to gulp. ¥e, The tough individual eyed him with a longing expression,| and growled: tal “ull on, ole feller; d’yer wanter guzzle der bottom 0° der| bulldog?” . ; : “Excellent stuff—real rye,” observed Mr. Bull, smacking his, lips and scratching the end of his long, red nose with hisp thumb. “And now, my excellent young friend, let me tell yo we have no time to waste in drinking. Our business here is) too important. You know that as well as I do, and—— But excuse my forgetfulness. I was so impolite as to drink with out proposing your health. Consequently I must rectify the error. Let me hope that you will forgive me, and here are my regards.” “ Again the flask was tipped up at an acute angle, and the liquor began to wobble into his capacious mouth, while hé~ condescendingly winked at his companion several times oye the top of the amber-colored bottle.” Y “But—ha!” said he, a moment later, suddenly lowering flask, and starting back so abruptly as to cause his ecompanio} to spring up in alarm. “I.am forgetting myself! This wil) — never do, Fagin! There are some very valuable papers if + this woman's possession, such as her dear departed husband last will and testament. Without the aforesaid documents » our possession we would have the utmost difficulty to pro Roderick Random’s claim. Besides that, my boy, there — be sundry other things of need to us which Mr. Morris Ha castle possessed, for he resided here, you know. I have rej” erence to any receipts and so forth, belonging to me for ti} ™® keep of his ward—very condemning papers, if ouce brougl to light in the face of our future movements. We must the fore secure them. Jenee, why should we muddle our brai with fire-water? It would be a most unwise plan, I am sur “But, I want a pull at that bulldog#’ sullenly said Pagin “Nonsense!” blandly replied Mr. Bull, as he poked the eo into the fiask, and dropped it very slyly into his coat-t pocket. “Nonsense, dear boy. I wouldn't permit ft under 4 circumstances just now. We must keep level heads, ov might make a blunder that would send us to jail, don’t yi comprehend?” { “is Mr. Fagin was not satisfied, but he did not say so as_ arose. an He simply uttered a sort of savage growl, and asked in It toughest tones: NP “Well—what d’yer want, yer ole hamfatter?” tire , Mr. Bull only smiled serenely, and vented a chuckle, as realized that he had made Fagin’s mouth water and saved hil self another drink. He did not mind the allusion to “hat fatter,” for all the professionals called him by that. odio} epithet. Ee scorned them for it, though, in his tragic sq and stuck up his nose at the derogation it implied. So he nored the remark and replied: “T want you to help me search these apartments for legal-looking documents you may run across, do you 1 stand? While you are ransacking the other room I ¥ search through this one. And now—go!” OF Ge ees He pointed at a door of communication, and Mr. Fagin sw gered out of the room with a lofty look of disdain an gust upon fis red face. aee® a The moment the door closed upon him Mr. Bull gazed speculatively, pulled his old and rusty plug hat down eyes, scrutinized Mrs. Random an instant, and then sudd hauled the flask out of bis pocket to refresh his memory, y “T fooled the yeung rooster very sharply out of this d Put hardly was this idea in his mind when the door o) again, Mr. Fagin poked his head in, and then let. drive an old shoe. aa Ee ys 5 al It hit the flask, knocked it flying across the room with of the few teeth in the aetor’s big mouth, and as a roar’ rage and mortification burst from Mr. Bull’s lips, his fon became convulsed with a grin, and disappeared. The netor, ripped out an expletive, shook his skinny our oo
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RODDY THE CALL BOY, of the bottle on the floor. Rut he did not waste any time at reviling ‘bis companion. He had overheard nearly all Roddy told Mrs. Random, and knew very well that now that an ex- planation had come about he would have to successfully end the scheme he had embarked in, or run the risk of going to prison. It puzzled him to account for Roddy and Pippo's knowledge of his plans, and their presence upon the scene; but as he could form no solution to the mystery, he did not speculate over it. Hearing his companion busy in the next room. he turned toward Mrs. Random with the remark: “Now sce here, madam, you know we are peaceable men, who do not want to go to extremes in carrying out our. pur- pose. Therefore I want you to truthfully reply to a question I am going to ask you. I will not argue this ¢ase—the facts of the present situation speak for themselves. You are hope- lessly in our power. with’ nobedy handy to help you.” He fished a small vial from his pocket, held it up, and then continued: : ; “Phis tiny bottle contains chloyoform. I am going to pe lease you of the gag, so you can ®peak. In the meantime, I will hold this vial in readiness to stupefy you in case you-at- tempt to scream for help, in a fit of treachery.” As he said this he unfastened the handkerchief from her “mouth. ' Mrs. Randem uttered a suppressed groan, “Oh, you inhuman monster, to treat a sick woman this Way,” she cried, bitterly. ” ' “Hal You are sick? I did not know it,” said the actor, simulating the most intense surprise, although the hypocrite (knew very well that she bad been an invalid nearly all her life. “Too bad, * he went on, in sorrowful tones, declare,’ “and you assuredly must consider us a pair of brutal wretches. iit is not so, though, madam, J assure you upon the word of a gentleman Who has seen better days. You must not judge V¥ appearances. I admit that i MOOR | shabby and seedy and | inl flavored. but ‘do net be deceived. Beneath this threadbare out beats a gallant heart—a heart the blood of which is enly Coursing for the ladies—the dear gentle sex-——” “Rascal!” inter rupted Mrs. Raudom in disgust. re!” . *T beg pardon. madam, you are addressing a gentleman,” Vortily snid Mr. Bull, drawing his skinny legs up and thump- fie his bony chest so bard he burst a button off of his tight black frock cout. “Do not insult me. IJ menn to treat you lady. Now tell me where you have hidden yowr hus- ‘s will by which he bequeaths to Roderick Random one- Alia! of bis legacy? You probably believe the calumnies of ithe yiperish young scoundrel whou you met in the hall. Let hie beg and implore you te give no credence to his infernal dies, Ee is a most notorious reprobate. Wis words are as false - sUie05 false as tie wings | Ro you believe him. | pate did, upon my soul! Ro you see he pict 4s ie paper? H kd. But tell nie. } said Airs. Rando, With grim deter- /*T shalk not fell you!" PMination. | “Oh. I say! Come now--don't be obstinate!” expostulated qpull, insinuatingly. “You can get no informatien from me, you wretch!” “Dear me! How fiery you have become all of a sudden! By the living Jingo. you've got a violent temper! }%n not your husband, ma‘am!" said Pull, ai He saw that she was resolved upon the course ig Was pur- Wing, so he picked up the gag from the floor and pulled ont als Vial again, hoping to intimidate her, me Ah! exclaimed Mrs. Randoin, with a shudder. “drug me!” at *“Madam—I cannot—absolutely cannot express the pain tt “Roses me,” said Bull, in mournful tenes, as he ‘placed his oWtnd over iis heart and doleftlly shook his head, “but you 7 f've surmised the object of my intention. Tf we cannot in- Reo you by soft sudsion to confess, we must render you help- and prosecute the search for the missing papers in person. observe, L say we; by which, madam, you notice that L do Nt exactly hold myself blameless for this harsh treatment, but A Wish to ‘modity the just wrath you must entertain by recail- ig Ee your mind that Tam aah alone to blame for my actions. ““¥ou mean i Bote Soaseett any” Capkthet eee talk,” sharply inter. , pted the bound woman, in accents of anger and torture. Al Se ss to you in order to prevent you stupefying me with Mw drag, Cun I vely upon that as a bargain?” espite my shabby coat,” said Bull with a bow, “I told you a gentleman. ‘Teli me where I can find the papers, and “Release I am glad} Co i promise net to raise any disturbance, and I swear to you that no harm shall befall you.” “T accept your word. In the bottom drawer of that bureau you will find a small jewelery casket. Lift out the top tray,” said Mis. Random, “and in the bottom you will find the papers ye are in search of.” * “Madam, 1 heart,” said Pull, with a ‘ignated bow and a grand flourish! of his hand. The lady cast an execrating glance full of contempt and disgust upon the old rascal and did not reply. Then Bull opened the drawer, drew out the casket and extracted th papers he wanted, A thrill of joy passed over him as he; swept a swift, keen glance upon them, gathered their pur port, and thrust them into the breast pocket of his old black coat, “Just the papers I'm after,” he chuckled, gleefully. «na ah, here comes my friend again, with a countenance lit up a if by midday sunbeams.” At the same moment that the dive-keeper’s son efitered from ‘ the other room Roddf peered into the apartment, around th door jamb, He had recovered from the effect of the blow, and haying} risen, had crept to the threshold, just in time to see Bul appropriate the papers from the jewelry casket. “Phe villains! They have succeeded!” muttered the boy. “Well, my sagacious tenderfoot, what success?” cried Bull, “Pye got ’em, I guess!” replied Fagin. “Found ’em in a) box in der dloset.” He banded the actor a packet of papers, which he hastily examined, “Bureka!l™ exclaimed Bull, beaming all over with Rice “Just the papers. We're in luck.” At this moment Fagin saw Roddy, and he uttered a ory of} alarm. “De boy’s come to!” he exclaimed, “an’ dere he is in der| doorway!” “Down him!” woman out!” . Lhe tough super dashed toward the door, and Bull rushed up to Mrs. Random, and befere the poor woman could utter a rewonstrance he chlorotormed her, and unfastening her bind- ings, he.seized her in his arms and hurried out of the room! Soecing he was discovered, Roddy dashed down the stairs,| pursued by Hagin. When ae reached the lower floor he found the back door open, through whieh the two men bad entered, and he ran out| into the yard. He intended to call for the police as soon as he, reached the street. Glancing over to where he had seen his! oid friend Ravelli lying, he was astonished to notice that the old Ttalian was gone. On cane Fagin, bent on injuring him, and Reddy turned evied the- actor. “Quick! I'll carry thei ta Man acress the yard Just as Bull ran out of the house with the uaconscicus form of Mis. Random in his arms. The coach was awail iting the rascals down in Ninety-sixth street yet. teddy van like a deer, and then glanced back over his shoulder. Jt was most unfortunate that he did so, for the next instant there came a crash, and be ran violently against the casing “laround the old well, The retten boards were crushed in like so much paper, and sie uttered a loud cry and pitched headforemost down the wei A moment liter Bradford Bull. who saw what had hap- pened with feelings of the utmost joy, joined his companion in crime, and together they hurried down to the street with the senseless lady. Springing into the coach, they slammed the door, the horses dashed aw ay, and a moment later they disappeared around the corner into Third avenue with their vieting. CHAPTER XI. THE INJUNCTION. Pippo Rayelli lay across the path in the yard of Mrs. Ran. dom’s house in a senscless condition until a few minutes be- fore young Fagin chased Roddy out of the house. The biow which Bradford Bull dealt the old Italian had been a pretty hard one, but when he recovered consciousness he sat up and recollected all that transpired immediately." Rising to his feet he walked over to. a little summer-house against which he leuned for a moment, recovering his faculties and wondering what aad become of Roddy. It was then that he saw the boy tun out of the back door of the house. Pippo would have fol- sili the super, to aid his pupil, had he not seen Bradford thank you most humbly from the bottom of my) “~
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16 ct THE Bell emerge just then earrying the chloroformed Myrs. Ran- dom in his arms. Orouching back Gut of sight. he could, observe all that transpired, kee Roddy strike the rotten boards around the fall headforemost down the hole. The old Ttalian sprang from his cover, but the igatten into Ninety-sixth street With the senseless lady, ja the waiting coach, and were carried savound into ivelue before he moved a dozen paces. Pippo did not know that Roddy met his stepmother before ‘she was abducted, and exposed his identity to her, nor did be know that Bull and his companion had succeeded in securing Roger Random’s will and sundry ofher papers appertaining to (Norris Hardeustle. All that. now troubled him was Roddy's fate. Running over to the well, he stretched himself fat on the grovnd and peered over the edge down the dark abyss and listened, | tle saw no sign of the boy, heard no noise, and could only see the long bucket-rope attached to a vusty iron wheel over- head. “Roddy! Roddy!" cried the old man, in anguished tones. Only the hollow echoes of his own voice came up out of the dark well in reply, and Pippo’s heart sank within him with a dull woe as he thought that Roddy must be lying dead at the bottom of the gloomy pit. Clearly, if the boy was capable he would have answered that ery; and Pippo began to work himself up into a fever of excitement over it. He imagined that Roddy’s a position from: whith Pippo was horrified to old well and but in rascals had jumped Third fall had killed him. He was not satisfied, though, so he prepared to descend into |’ the well and. see. There was a bueket on each end of the rope+one rising ‘while the other descended—and standing in the bucket that was up at the time, he caught hold of that part of the rope to which the other bucket was attached, and slowly lowered him- ‘self down the hole. In this way he descended about twenty feet, When he came to ‘a cross beam set in the masonry to brace it up. Upen the plank lay the body of the boy, one of his legs so wedged in between the log and the bricks that he could fall no further, He was inseusible; indeed, Pippo imagined he was dead. The old Italian seized his ad a and extracted him from his dangerous position, Roddy over his shoulder, got in the bucket again, @nd haul- ing on the rope of the bucket that was down, he managed, with a good del of difficulty, to raise the bucket they were in to the surface, Then he got out, and laid the boy on the cold ground. There was a swollen lump on Roddy’ s head, showing where he stvuck when he fell down the well. Otherwise, he seemed to be uninjured. » Pippo ran over to Third avenue, and was lucky enough to secure a eab. He then conveyed the unconscious boy to his. Oherry street apartments. By the time they got home Roddy recovered his senses, and explanations passed between them. They were sure that Mrs. Random had been carried to “The Cobweb” in the Five Points. But as nothing could be done to help her that night, they re- tired to rest. The following day was the first of February, and they found a snowstorm covering the earth with a. mantle of white. : Roddy was a good deal shaken up by his rough experience, but he got out-of bed early in the morning, and went with Pippo to the nearest police station, where he told the captain in charge \ hat had occurred. That official promised to send a posse of officers to rescue Mrs, Random, and detailed a ward detective to go up to the Ninety-sixth street house to view the premises, attend to. the drugged seryant, and discover the extent, of the miscreant’s -raseality. There was a rehearsal at the Olympic in the after- noon, which Roddy attended, and in the night,"although suffer- ing from a severe headache, he went to the theater and re- peated his success in the role of “The Boy King” before a densely crowded house. Fagin did not appear as a super that night, nor at amy time during the rest of the week. On the second day Roddy heard from the police captain that a raid was made on “The Cob- web,” but no trace of Mrs..Random was found. This led him to believe that his enemies had secluded the lady in some other retreat. So the week rolled by, until the last day of the performance came. = But: it was evident the play could not go on much longer, |< By exertifg all his strength he lifted CALL BOY. So on the sieht of the. as Wildrake’s debts were too hoary. put on ‘thé plaly And | , last, performance an iujuaction “was the show was obliged to close. 3 Roddy had saved Jerry Wildrake several thousand dollars, ~ and his tast act on the stage that night settled his” future ca-— reer as an actor. But, having no engagement, Roddy was obliged the fellow- ing week to return to the stage as call-boy again, for the “Boy — King” was prohibited on the American boards. — see CHAPTER XIt, 4 YHE COBWER, 4 A variety troupe had the Clympic one night a short time © alter the call-boy lost, his position as an acter, and Roddy was — assisting in a farce that was to finish the show, The character — he had assumed was a “bit” or utility part—that of a tramp— ~ who was characterized by an abnormal appetite and a deadly” A fear of bulldogs. He was attired in a ragged suit of clothing, ‘i an old and tattered blue flafinei shirt, a pair of brogans, a wig : of matted hair, and his face was made up to appear as if it — Z q 4 was tanned by the sun, bloated by drink and never washed. He wore false eye-brows, his hands and neck were smeared with soot, and upon his head he wore a shapeless old felt hat. . In short, he looked like a veritable tramp from heels to crown. ; ; . Through the carelessness of an actress in her dressing-room the theater was set on fire. Fortunately all the audience man- aged to escape without a panic or any injury, and the actors got out on Crosby street through the stage door, — The engines soon arrived upon the scene and put the fire out before it could do much damage. None of the actors had time to abandon their stage make tise up when the fire broke out, and they all stood on the sidewalk locking like a band of ragamuffins, while the engines and fire- men were extinguishing the flames in the theater. It was a very dark night, the sky wearing a threatening aspect, a cold wind blowing. over the gray pavements, and fluttering the lights in the street lamps. A tremendous crowd began to gather about the theater to watch the conflagration, and t escape the mob Roddy strolied to the corner of Hast Houstot street with one of the actors. The moment they reached the corner, a cab came dashing by. “Save me! in the vehicle. The tones were smothered, and cnly audible a few feet away, but Roddy and the actor heard them, and filled with startled © amazement, they wheeled around, and stared at the flying cab? There was a lamp-post on the corner where. they stood, and as. the vehicle rushed past, the lamplight fell upon the ‘window and revealed two faces for a brief interval in the cab. They were the faces of Mrs. Random and Bradford Bull. — A ery of surprise escaped Roddy as he recognized them. The next instant, to the surprise of his companion, h dashed Beter the cab at the top of his sii and catching: “Help! Help! Help!” shrieked a woman’s voice “Merciful Providence!” muttered the boy, a jolted over the rough cobblestones, “what new rascality is | up to? But perhaps he is simply bringing Mrs. Random | her hiding-place to the ‘Cobweb,’ now that he has no more fe af police interference. I can soon ascertain the truth, though, © and then, with the aid of Heaven, I'll do my utmost to res the poor lady from. the power of the black-hearted | rasca ERAS It was as Roddy surmised—the cab proceeded to the Fiv : Points, and paused before a large frame building near the ~ converging point of Baxter street. aie The house was very old, and built somewhat after the style ~ of the old Brewery, upon the site of which the Five Py s Mission House now stands. The “Cobweb” was a’ wooden tenement, weather-beaten tottering on rotten foundations. There was not a vestige paint, a whole pane of glass, nor anything but filth about th structure, and it Conta dark and winding | alleys, and ine rascals who infested ‘this sink of vice could dispose of victims and store their ill-gotten booty. Seven-tenths of surrounding stores were liquor saloons, and nine- -tenths $i population were criminals. It made Roddy shudder for the safety of his mies m0 t for he had once lived in the “Cobweb,” knew from e what a terrible place it was, and what a yill: inous crew j fested it. Luckily, though, the boy had on a. stage : 1
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tilly RODDY THE that accorded well with the lawless characters who lived there, and being proficient at carrying out the character he delineated on the stage, he had no fear but what he could pass muster for one of the habitues of the place. By so doing he could penetrate that hive of evil and trace the abducted lady to the quarters Bradford Bull had designated for her. Before the @ab stopped, the boy alighted, and slunk behind. a coal-bin in front of a foul-odered grocery store, from where he could watch all that happened. He wished he had Pippo with him ph ee aes just then, but being alone, he did not lose much time in use- less regrets, The cab drew up before the groggery, on the ground floor of the “Cobweb,” the door opened and by the dim light emanating from the saloon's dirty windows Roddy saw the actor alight from the vehicle, carrying the inanimate form of Mrs. Random in his arms. We entered the building, and the vab then rolled away a moment later. Roddy stole acress the filthy street like a shadow, and glided into-w dark alleyway, wherein Bradford Bull had plunged with his burden. There was a dim light glowing in back from what looked like a window in a building in the rear of the brick-paved alley. At the side of the building was a stoop, upon which opened a side door in the house. Bull had gone through this door with his burden, and the boy followed him. Once inside, Roddy found himself in a dark hall. He heard a door open, felt a cold draught strike him laden with a nauseous and musty odor, and his cheeks paled as he muttered: “He is bringing her down to the dungeon.” . Roddy shuddered, and crept after the man. He felt that once the poor woman was confined in the cellar of the “Cobweb” it would require the most superhuman efforts: to savo her from her enemies. The footsteps of Bull clattering on the stairs died away. Then Roddy went down after the actor. aren he reached the foot of the stair-case he saw the actor light a lantern. The ‘cellar was filled with bales and bundles and barrels and casks Upon one of these casks laid a man fast asleep. He was a repulsive-looking wretch, and held a club in his hand; but it was evident at a glance upon his bloated face that he was stupid from excess of drink, This rascal was the guardian of the stolen goods storéd in the vile cellar. He sel- dom saw the light of day, and only amused himself by gorging himself with the food and liquor brought to him by a servant. The actor glanced at him, growled something about his care- lessness, and lifting up a trap- -door in a corner of the cellar, he descended another flight of stairs into a sub-cellar. Roddy felt intensely relieved to see the watchman asleep, for when sober and awake not one of the thousands of rats infesting the place could fiit across the floor without his cognizance. No one coming from the light of the upper world could see in the cellar without a lantern, lamp or candle; but the watch- man had the owl-like propensity of seeing in the dark. There- _ fore he could ordinarily detect the approach of any one with- out being seen himself, and attack an intruder in the dark- ness, and level him with the club he carried before the inter- loper could prosecute any design against the place. it was on account of this monster that Roddy despaired of being of any service to his stepmother once she was in the’ power of the abhorrent wretch. 4 ae ‘CMs eyo) <A EE Se SE TENT Up the stairs he went, through the err: “door and across the cellar. hen he hastily made his way up into’ the dark Nall again, where he paused beside the door and listened intently to Bull, who was shouting at the watchman to awaken him. When the aetor began to ascend the stairs, Roddy hastened through the hallway, and turning the knob of a door, he en- tered the “Cobweb” saloon, é Behind the small, dingy bar stood yottng Nagin, dealing out spirits to. a crew of evil-faced ruffians who thronged the small’ recom, Hagin owned the saloon, He did not notice Roddy, and the boy glided over to the steve in a corner of the apartment, behind which he en- -sconced himseli' on a wooden bench, and furtively watched the door for Bull to come in. ; ‘The floor of the saloon was strewn with sawdust, and thats were several grimy benches, tables and wooden chairs scat- tered about. The bar itself was as wretched an arrangement as the rest of the fixtures of the vile place, and the air was so thick with rank tobacco smoke, it was hard to see through it Several of the thieves glanced at Roddy, but upon- seeing \ that he wag as villainous looking as themselves, they paid no: further attention to him, but resumed their boisterous, shar. talix amid their frequent ‘potations. In a few minutes Bradford Bull came in, and after nodainy fraternally to the tough characters standing around, he ies | to Fagin with: i, “Y got her out of the old dive down by the river, tous ‘her here in a cab, and, sir, Tr have her locked in the dungeo " Mr. Fagin, my very dear sir.” y “Good enough,” replied the rascally super, nodding approve: ingly. “Tam going to remain here to-night,” continued the Ree tapping the point of his boot with his green umbrella and rub- — bing the bosom of his rusty. black frock coat with the other — hand, “and to-morrow I commence operations to secure: ae money by the aid of young Hardcastle, my dear sir.” This was said right out before the others, without an ate tempt at reserve. aha They only listened with idle curiosity, though, for they knew — Bull’s plans, and would not dream of interfering with the pepe ‘robate actor in any rascality. P “T wonder,” thought Roddy, “if I could not tackle him to- Y hight, get the key of that dungeon) from him, and try to set Mrs. Random out?” He pondered a moment, and as Bull made no further rerenil ence that interested him, he glanced toward a dark green é screen in the back, and muttered: ; “Yes! That’s the only way. Ill see the Old Goat, and hire | . a room from her.” The Old Goat was Fagin’s mother, her dutiful son wiley tae the opprobrious epithet to her as well as the rest of the out- laws who infested the place. Having resolved upon his course, of action, Roddy glided out trom behind the stove, hastily got his back turned to Bradford Bull, and walked with a shan fling gait behind the screen. It hid a doorway, through which — he passed, and he found himself in a room wherein were con- sregated a huge crowd of young street gamins, who were fol- — lowing in the footsteps of the older thieves out in the carne They were fighting, quarreling, smoking, eating, sw re drinking ‘and practising many artful dodges which the ex- Luckily, though, he had suecumbed to his insensate thirst | perienced instructors exemplified. They glanced ‘curiously at for gin that night. Roddy followed the actor down into the cellar, Roddy as he passed among them, passing comments,and Kno ing instantly that he was a stranger there. But he Sains It contained many pillars and posts, archways and bins, and! on without paying any heed’ to the youthful sinners toward ai one side was a row of stone cells with rusty, iron-barred doors, each of which was secured with a ponderous padlock on the outside. The place was filled with rats, cobwebs and huge spiders, a stifling atmosphere,.and the most intense gloom. There was a huge brick structure at the other side of the place with a plank door set in the masonry across the face of which were|ing in her withered-up face, and upon her hooked nose shi several broad bands, all rusted. _ A Singular gurgling and murmuring sound emanated from _ the huge convex of masonry, and the foulest stench oozed ‘out from between huge cracks in the side, with a slimy, black, muddy matter. It was a subway sewer main, and the fetid gases it®emitted were enough to kill a much more healthy person than Mrs. Random. Having locked the unfortunate woman in one of the damp and reeking eells, the actor dropped the key into his pocket and seized the lantern. Seeing him coming toward’ the stairs, Roddy beat a hasty mates i - the further end of the dirty room. © ith, The Old Goat, as they called Fagin’s mother, sat in front: of 7 a fire, gazing at the flames, and chewing on her toothless gum in a reflective mood. She was bent double with old age, had on a rusty colored and very much tattered dress, her he Was covered with an old white muslin cap, with a ruffle fram= wore a pair of steel-rimmed eyeglasses. Roddy spoke to he familiarly and told her he wanted a room for the night up stairs, She did not know him, but imagining he was as law. less as the rest of the brood of young vipers in the room, sh demanded a quarter, which the boy managed to fish up out o the pocket of his own pants underneath his. stage eostum and gave her. Then she gave him a ticket, and he went 1 flight of rickety stairs. A slovenly woman met him at head, took his ticket, gave him a piece of tallow candle, dragging a broom after her, she led him to one of a row doors opening on the dimly illuminated hall. : ; It led into a bedroom as squallid ag the rest of thie hots which Roddy entered. mapene was no sisi. evi on eae peak hats
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4 . Ww : +. ot . Teed RODDY THE CALL BOY. ax ganic tg and the board walls were destitute of plaster or paper. wretched looking cot stood at one side of the room, a three- legged stool beside it, and on the other side of the room was a wash-stand holding a tin basin and pitcher, over which hung a bit of cracked looking-gliass. There was no sign of soap, Sipe or.comb, nor any visible covering or pillow to the iron cot. “This makes me think of old times, when Bull and I lived here,” thought Roddy, with a wary look around, by the dull light of his candle. “And now to lay low until Bull comes up- stairs. I have to watch for him.” He drew the stool over to the door, which he opened on a crack, and extinguishing his candle he sat down and com- menced his vigil. Several hours dragged tediously by; every little while some- body came up the stairs, entered a room, and after a while their snores and heavy breathing attested that they were over- come by slumber. Roddy peered out at them one after the other, and as a neighboring church or clock bell rang out three times, he began to fear that after all the actor was not coming u Then the listening boy heard unsteady footsteps mounting the carpetless stairs, and a hoarse, thick voice say in grum- » bling tones: i “You can hang me, sir, if f am not deuced unsteady in the Edegs.” “Ah, here he comes at last!” rhnuttered Roddy, with a violent ~ start. There sounded a scuffle of footsteps in the hall, then a crash and a wild yell. It was followed by a good deal of swearing, and Roddy peeped out. He saw the actor trying to scramble _ to his feet. He couldn’t get up, though, desperately hard as he tried, and finally he laid back and said something about go- ing to sleep where he was. He changed his mind about it a . moment later, though, and finding that he could not get on his Tong, thin legs again, he swore that he would get into his room anyhow, so he crept there on his hands and knees. To Roddy’s joy. he entered the room next to his own. The boy beard him undressing, fling his things on the floor, nd. then the cot squeaked. Waiting until the actor’s breath- ‘ing betrayed the fact that he was wrapped in slumber, Roddy ‘Yapidly glided.into his room. , Bull’s coat and vest lay on the - floor with the umbrella, but he had his hat and shoes on. Feei- - ing in the pocket of the coat, Roddy drew out the much cov- eted key and a pa ickage of papers.. These he thrust into his ocket. Ee was “fuet ‘about .to set the coat down again, when | ull’s empty whisky bottle fell out of the tail pocitet. It struck he floor with a loud crash and was shattered to fragments. oddy uttered an involuntary cry of dismay and recoiled. The tor suddenly sat bolt upright in bed, glaring at him in be- ildered surprise, and at the same instant the door opened nd aman glided into the room behind Roddy! CHAPTER XIII. A STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY. As Bradford Bull sat up in his cot, Roddy recoiled Seutan wall, ‘ortunately the boy had secured the packet of papers and the key to the dungeon under the “Cobweb” in which Mrs, ‘Random was confined before the actor was awakened by the _ whisky flask falling from his pocket. There was a candle burning on the washstand, and as the stooped and blew out’ the light. _ Disguised as a trampas Roddy was, from having been taking | part in the farce on the Olympic stage before the theater was on fire, Bull did not recognize the boy. Indeed, the vast ount of liquor he drank, down in the barroom of the dive, dso muddled his brains he was half stupid as he sat up and uddenly saw the candle extinguished. peoddy turned around to see who had extinguished the can- _.No sooner had ‘he done so, when he saw the dim, shadowy nes of the man standing behind him. he familiar appearance of the stranger impressed the boy angely, 3ut before he could utter a word, he felt his arm seized, and man pulled him out into the hall and closed the door. mn the hall a greasy lamp shed a dim glow upon the man and idy now had a good look at his companion. Why! by all that is wonderful,” he cried, “it is Pippo!” 1!” said the hoarse old Italian, holding up a finger trange man glided into the room behind Roddy, he suddenly { | } ;to me.” sea, aa = A lnyeaaterttet and uttering a subdued “Sch, » as he drew the boy toward the stairs. “What brought you here?” queried Roddy, in amazed tones. “J metit an actor by de theater,” said Pippo, in. low tones. “He maka de tella me dat youa followit de carriage dat hava one mans an’ one womans. I guessa dat it is de signor an’ de signera, an’ dey coma here; so, per bacco! I follow, am’ justa coma in.’ “Tt is ag much as your life is worth to enter this den, Pippo.” “ An’ de signora, Roddy—de signora??” ‘She is confined in a cell under the house, but I have the key. 2 “Good, Che! Wea Sette de lady out!” But there is a watchman down there.” / Pipe drew two revolvers from his pocket, and handed»one to Roddy. “Just the thing!” exclaimed the boy joyfully. “Wea go downa de cellar now! Come on.” Roddy nodded, and they softly glided down the creaking stairs. Upon passing through a hall running alongside of the room in which Roddy had met the old hag known as Fagin’s mother they reached the cellar door, and paused to listen for a8 watchman, Not a sound came up from the darkness below. ; “We will have to proceed with extreme caution: now,” mut- tered Roddy. “Hera de dark-lantern I hava my house.” “Good. Give it to me. I will go down first and see where the man is. You can then follow if the coast is clear, Pippo.” The Italian ncdded, the boy took the lantern, and after ar- ranging a code of signals, and pulling off his shoes, Roddy descended the’ stairs. He went down so softly that not a sound was heard. “So far so good!” he muttered, when he reached the cellar, and paused to listen. He unmasked the dark-lantern, and flashed its rays around. 4 4 The ugly-looking watchman seemed to be yet slumbering upon the casks, probably sleeping off his debauch of that af- terncon. Flashing the silent light up the stairs, he saw Pippo come stealthily down. The boy displayed the figure of the sleeping watehman to” him, and they then linked arms and fitted acroz$ the cellar like twin shadows. - Opening the trap-door in the floor, Roddy stationed his old friend on the topmost step, and soitiy made his way down through the opening. The moment darkness again enshrouded the cellar, the ap- parently sleeping watchman opened his bloated eyes, and turned ‘a keen and cruel glance toward where the two res- cuers had disappeared. He took a powerful grip on the club he carried, and sinking down upon his hands and knees, he began to craw! toward Pippo with the quiet stealth of a velvei-pawed cat. In the meantime Roddy had descended into the sub-cellar, and by the light of the bull’s-eye he found Mrs. Random’s. cell. Producing the key which he had taken from Bradford Bull's ; ; pocket, he unlocked the door and entered the horrible dun- geon. Mrs. Random was as pale as death, and her eyes were red, as if from having been weeping. She recoiled when her glance fell on Roddy. “Ah!” cried the poor lady, in anguished tones, villainy is~ this?” “Madam,” replied Roddy, earnestly, “don you know who Ie am?” “what new “Some rascally accomplice of Bradford or Bull or. Morris Hardcastle——-” “No, no, no! cue you.” “What? Can it be possible? i am Roderick Random, and [ am here to res- ™ Oh, your voice sounds familiar She approached and stared earnestly at the boy a moment. “T just came from the theater in this disguise, madam,” said the boy, “and I am aided by my old Italian friend Pippo Ra- velli.” “Thank Heaven! my deliverance from this terrible lace is jat hand. ‘The odors here would kill me if 1 remained much longer!” She grasped the boy’s hand, ‘fervently pressed it, and to- gether they left the cell and approached the stairs, Roddy ve telling her what she would have to do, and how he came sage rm
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f A Bey oe cant As they reached the foot of the stairs they received a start- ling surprise. ; There came a sudden rush. the report of a revolver, and a strange, unnatural cry that pealed through the gloomy vault like the voice of seme wild animal. The next instant some- thing struck the stairs with a thud, and came roiling, tum- bling and bumping down, each blow forcing from it the singu- lar, inhuman tones. “It is the watchman!” cried Roddy, springing back in alarm. “Ave Maria!” came the voice of Pippo the next moment, as he hurried down the stairs after the speechless watchman. “T killa you! I killa°you!” The man bounded to his feot, seized his club ana rushed toward Roddy. His horrible face was contorted by a most repulsive look of rage, and his vicious eyes were flashing fire., He was tongue-tied. The boy raised the bull’s-eye lantern and turned the blinding light full in his face. The wretch gave utterance to his strange ery again, threw up his arms, and. staggered back, almost blinded by the inteuse glare. He had attacked Pippo, aiming a terrific blow at the old Ital- ian’s head, up in the cellar. Unluckily for his murderous in- tention, Pippo heard his stealthy footsteps and sprang aside just as the club came down. Ravelli then fired at him, but missed his mark, seeing which he dealt the tongueless wretch a blow with his clenched fist, before he could recover the use of the club and knocked the watchman headforemost down through the trap-door. “Pippo!” cried Reddy. “Tackle him! Quick!” “toida de lighta his eyes,” admonished the Italian hoarsely. Ther had the watehnian at a great disadvantage. Pippo stole up behind him and then sprang forward. Ho seized the club, ana still venting his strange cries, the watchman turned around ‘in the height of his fury and began to struggie to regain possession of his weapon. Mrs, Random stepped aside out of Roddy’s way, and the boy followed the fe- recious watchman up, and kept flashing the light in his face. Pippo was old but surprisingly strong. They struggled around the sub-cellar, Roddy following them up step by step, with one of Pippo’s revolvers in his hand. Ags they neared the cell in which Mrs. Random had been con- fined Roddy suddenly darted forward and hurled his body against that of Pippo’s antagonist. The man reeled back- ward, Pippo let go the civh, and the next instant the fellow pitched over upon the floor of the cell. Before he could arise Roddy swung the door shut and locked it. The imprisened watchman seized the bars, glared out at them, and still uttering his peculiar cries, he fiercely shook his cell door. The three then ran up the stairs into the cellar to hurry away. But no sooner had they emerged, when they heard two men coming down trom the floor above. Filled with dismay, they dashed down into the sub-cellar again, Pippo pulling the trap down. after them. “What shall we do now?” queried Roddy in despair. “ight!” was Pippo’s grim response. “No—no!” interposed Mrs. Random. door.” “Sh! an avenue of escape!” cried Roddy. He rushed over to the sewer main and flung open the wooden docr. lashing the light inside an instant, he turned to his friends, crying: “Come on. Fortune favors us. Here is a er In case of an attack by the police, the thieves use it to make their escape this way, no doubt.” The boy hurried through the trap, the others following. A rude boat fleated on the vile-odored stream, and they all got-in. Roddy closed the trap, and loosening the painter of the rude punt, he seized an oar, which was lying in the bottom. The sluggish tide carried them away, their only light coming from the lantern. But within an hour the terrible stench overcame them one by one. And when the boat finally drifted out on the river, the three unfortunates lay prostrated in the bottom, completely senseless, and in a half-dying condition! “Look at that trap- CHAPTER XIV. THEATRICAL ADVANTAGES. Picked up by the police of a river patrol boat hefore mern- ing dawned Roddy, Pippo and Mrs. Random were taken to a: I'm to get halves, i etclion-house, where a physician attenced to-them. if i * J When they recovered their senses, they gave the police an — account of what had oceurred to them, and another raid was made on the “Cobweb.” But before the police arrived, Brad-'— ford Bull had gone away, in ignorance of the fact that Roddy — and Pippo had rescued Mrs. Random. Young Fagin, the im- prisoned watchman, and half.a dozen thieves who were wanted by the police, were apprehended. ' Roddy’ and the old Italian accompanied Mrs, Random home, and they found the servant, — girl, who had been chloroformed by Fagin when Mrs. Random — was abducted, in charge of the Ninety-sixth street house. The lady told the call-boy that Bull and his accomplice had taken her to a riverside resort, where she had been kept se-'- cluded until the night when Bull passed near the burning theater with her in a cab, while bringing her to the ie : in the “Cobweb.” By the time ihe aaterinen came the three had entirely re~ ? ecvered from the prostrating effect of the sewer gas under the skilful treatment of a good physician. in the conversation that ensued Roddy had not the least fe trouble in proving his identity to his stepmother. They did not forget Bradford Bull's plot, and an examination, of the packst of papers Roddy Had stolen from his coat pocket,’ in the “Cobweb,” showed them that they belonged to Morris Hardcastle. ‘They were receipts of Bradford H. Bull for keeping Roddy, and proved the boy’s identity conclusively; several letters from. Hardcastle to his son, explained how he wanted the boy’ to impersonate Roddy, and these letters exposed Hardcastie’s rascality to the lady. Others were letters from Jerry Wildrake, — saying he had fostered Hardeastle’s son until the boy became — so vicious he had to put him out of the house; and others of — the papers were Jetters from Captain Hanks, agreeing to take Roddy out of the country for a certain amount of Seah a which Denny Fagin was to pay him. “Captain Hanks,” said Mrs. Random, “why isn’t he on the n Random Lass?” 3 “Yes,” replied Roddy, dane it was in that ship Hardcastle . and Fegin were carried away.” % “You don't say,” replied the lady in surprise. “Do | know, Roddy, that that whaling vessel jointly belongs to y and 1? The business with which ‘the ship is connected wa: ‘s your father’s, and is yet carried on. We send out whaling ves- sels, and the Random Lass was one of them.” a Roddy was surprised, of course, and said so. Se Before nightfall they received startling news from a marie Fd time exchange. 4 A report was brought to them that the Random Lass wale lost in a gale, and all hands on board had perished’ It was a a? terrible ending for Roddy’s enemies, but he did not feel Very sorry that Hardcastle, his perfidious guardian, had, in com- Pany with the ruthless Captain Hanks and the wicked igi ie Fagin, met with such a fate. The vessel was fully insured, so nothing was lost by the wreck. vA In the evening Roddy and Pippo went to the theater. ¢ The fire had not done much damage, and some carpenters: were then at work repairing the place. P ‘shee They walked over toward Ann street when they spied Bull } and young Hardcastle ahead of them. 'They followed then : and saw them enter a hallway and ascend a flight of stair a gambling resort, which was kept by a man whom | knew. Roddy and Pippo followed. Knocking at a door at the top, a panel was slid open, aut a man’s face appeared in the square aperture gazing out at them suspiciously. “Hello, Dan—is Bull here?”.asked, Roddy, coolly. “&h—is that you, Roddy? Yes—he’s here. Come in.” — passed through with the old Italian, telling the a ae Ravelii was a friend. Aeass They were in a long room in which was a complete gambling outfit, but Roddy knew that Bull was in one of the private boxes, and he walked over to a row of small compartments Ss with ground glass doors and entered one of them. It contained a table upon which was a stack of cards, and was neatly fu yo nished. Out in the main room were several men playing: far O, roulette, and other gambling devices. * ee “He is in the next room,” whispered the boy cantious] “An’ hea speakit too,” muttered Pippo. eee “Well, Mr. Hardeastle, sir,” came the voice of Bill the oer “you agree to play the role of Roderick Rando then?” . “Of course,” " replied another voice. Swe fixed that long “To be sure you are, Mr, Hardeaste, my dear Suny return ‘
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RODDY - "THE Bull 8 voice, “and now, my good young friend, while we Gan this excellent jiquor you lock over Roger Random’s will, I will disclosé my plot to you.’ Roddy and Pippo gazed at each other in delighted surprise. They did not expect to hear all that Bradford Bull designed, to-get hold of Roger Randoms fortune, but the last words of | ‘the actor to young Hardeastle told them that they could now | expect to hear a complete disclosure of Bull’s scheme. They began operations by drinking from a bottle of liquor, with whieh Bull had supplied himself and his companion. Then the actor said in tones of intense earnestness: “Since Jerry Wildrake kicked you out of his house, Hard- castle, you have had to live by your wits, sir. Having gam- bled away. every cent you had, I am now offering you a golden chance you won't get every day.” “T know I’m busted,” replied the other. “My father tried the same dodge, but he failed. Mrs. Random was too smart for him.” “True,” replied Bull, with a chuckle. dear sir, cannot trouble either of us now. vp in the ‘Cobweb’ cellar.” “That dive was raided. Fagin and others were hauled in—-” | “True again. I read of it in this morning’s paper. But no mention was made of the woman. Indeed, with the watchful bulldog I have placed over her cell, down in the sub-cellar, she must have escaped detection by the police, and there she must be ‘yet. When this thing blows over I’m going there to} give her a social cajl. “Besides that, the real heir, whom you, Mr. Hardcastle, sir, are to impersonate, is dead—irrey ocably dead, sir. *“Dead? What do you mean?” “Tie ran into a well, in the yard of the house. corner of | Third avenue and Ninety-sixth street-—fell down, and lies at the bottom, a corpse!” : “*'Then we will meet no opposition 2” * queried Hardcastle. “None whatever. That is the point, Mr. Hardeastle, sir! Your father “I wonder where he is?” “Dead!” said Bull, solemnly. "Dead! Impossible!” cried the other, in startled tones. “But he is! I told you how Roddy sent him away to sea in the Random Lass. Well, this evening’s paper reports the wreck of the whaler and the loss of life of every one of the unfortunates on board at the time.” “That's too bad!” commented Hardcasile. a scorcher: He croaked with a good deal to'‘answer for. ‘go on, Bull, g0 on.” “My plan is simply this: I've got Roger Random’s will. ; Hattie, his widow. and Roddy, his son, are out of the way. I will sue for you to recover Roddy’s share, claiming you are the heir, and will have myself appointed your guardian, as you are, like Roddy, not even eighteen years old yet.” ' “Well?” queried Hardcastle, as Bull paused. “As soon as we win our suit. 1 will divide the fortune with ‘you, and when we are ready to fly from New York I'll release Hattie Gray.” . ) , "How long will the case last, Bull?” asked Hardcastle. -“*No more than two weeks, my dear sir. Two weeks at the sums The case is very simple. It would have been much ore simplified but for one circumstance. 1 met with a mis- rtune. On the night before the ‘Cobweb’ was raided I en- untered some congenial spirits, and we had a ball—in other vords, we indulged too freely in—ah—spirits——” 7 eke mean to say you got drunk,” interposed Hardcastle, areely. *T will not deny the imputation, but you might modify your ee to a less harsh degree, sir. At any rate, during that riod of oblivion, I was unfortunate enough to lose a key, ‘eak a fine whisky flask, and lose a very valuable package of ters and receipts: An unknown tramp stole them.” ‘The things I took from him in the Five Points dive,” ed Roddy. “That was too bad!” said Hardeastle, consolingly. # Yes, very unfortunate, my dear sir-—very unfortunate, as : be sequel will show you., They key belonged to the lock of Irs. Randomi’s prison.” ’“What were the papers?” interrogated Hardcastle. “They. belonged to your father,” replied Bull, dolefully. “I took them from Mrs. Random’s house the night I, with young Fagin, abducted her. They consisted of receipts of mine for sping Roddy, letters from Captain Hanks, agreeing to carry Le boy away, and letters from Wildrake saying he kicked you it of his house for being too yicious—and, but by heavens, it aan “But she, my very I've got her locked | “My old man was | But whis- If they are found, ‘TH go tos Oh, give CALL denly arose to his feet uttering a gurgling cry, the boy as if he was a veritable apparition. shadowy figure following them. watehing their movements. passed on, cab came past them and turned into Crosby street, with Hard- castle in it. a ope loaded cane he carried, he stole up behind the old man unseen. planks slid toward him, then fell over like a a cannon. } re Ss But his last word was drowned in the eee of liquor in~ and | his glass. This ended the conversation that was interesting to Roddy, as the actor and his companion commenced a game-of ecards. 'So Roddy keeper not -to and Pippo slipped out after cautioning the door- mention about their being there. They boarded a Third avenue car and rode up to Mrs. Ran- | dom’s. The lady had not retired to rest, and Roddy briefly related to her what had transpired down in the Ann street gambling den. So several weeks rolled by. Mrs. Random and her servant went to a hotel to board with Roddy and Pippo, who had given ;up his apartments in Cherry street. house was undergoing some repairs. restored to its former appearance, Wildrake called in his new troupe. vertised extensively, and three weeks after the night of the — fire the curtain rolled up on a celebrated play, with Roddy, the Call Boy in the title role, and a crowded house to welcome ° him with a thunder of applause. The Ninety-sixth street “After the Olympic was The plays were rehearsed over and over again, ad- As Reddy came out on the stage, a man in the audience sud-~ and glared at His face was as pale as death, his body was quaking. and in every action he betrayed signs of the most poignant agitation. The man was Bradford H. Bull. bis. 7) Beside him sat, Dave Hardcastle. ! Roddy saw him, and a grim smile of atte laepias crossed the boy’s face. “The rascal has come back,” thought the young actor, “and is SUrprlReY to see me here alive aiter he iaeined Il was a corpse As soon as the villains recognized Roddy they hastily left the theater. “What biind fools. we have been!” groaned Bull. “While we have been keeping shady in Boston imagining he was ont of the way and our lawyer has been prosecuting his suit for us, the boy has been roaming at large. and probably creating . all sorts of mischief. more we would meet gained. necessary, Come down this street. with success. That We must have no molestation from the boy. I will—I will kill him.” As they turned into Crosby street they did netgobserve a. some distanee in the rear, In one week + week must be It it is It was Pippo Ravelli. The old Italian had been in a pr ivate box in the theater with Mrs. Random, He saw the actor when he arose upon beholding Roddy. Slipping out of the box, Pippo followed them. : When Bull and his companion reached the stage entrance | | they saw several huge joists leaning against the building near » | the door. “Just the thing,” he muttered, as his glance fell upon them. “What's that?” asked Hardeasitle. “T've got a plan.” Clutching bis companion by the arm, he waiked toward the planks. Pippo slunk back out of sight behind a top wagon abaieeae. in the gutter. Shortly young Hardcastle passed 4 Pippo and went around. into Houston street. Bull remained hidden behind the planks, as quiet as death, Pippo then turned his glance upon the stage door. A few minutes afterward it opened, and several actors came cut in a group, talking about the hit Roddy had made in his role. They walked away, then a couple of actresses appeared, and they had scarcely turned the corner when a The young reprobate saw. Pippo behind the wagon. i Recognizing the old Italian, whom Bull had pointed out to | him in the theater, he saw Ravelli ~as watching them. .) He stopped the cab, got out, and taking a firm clutch on a Just then Roddy came out of the stage door alone. He was upon the point of walking away, when one of the shot blown from Down went the plank toward Roddy’s head. At the same juncture Bradford Bull appeared. Witb one push he had the plank over upon his eine Pippo saw it falling, and uaeree a ba Saas cry to his. pupil. j
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RODDY THE ’ ‘ ‘ CALL BOY 8 Too late! and then hit the side- Roddy heard it and sprang aside: The descending plank struck him, Walk. Roddy uttered a groan, and was knocked flat on the ground. The old Italian bounded from his. cover, wildly alarmed, as ‘he imagined the boy had been killed by the blow. ‘ Before he had gone two steps, though, Hardeastle reached hin and dealt him a blow with the loaded cane that sent the old fellow over upon the ground like a log. Seeing that he had rendered’ Pippo helpless, the young rascal ‘Seized him by the arms and dragged him over to the wagon. Lifting his limp form up in his arms, Hardcastle flung him into the wagon, and then ran over beside Bull, who was stoop- ing over Roddy. “Tve fixed him,” chuckled the actor. “Lock out! Some one is coming from the stage.” Bull stooped over Roddy just as the doorkeeper came out. “Vot's Jer medder?” asked the old German, approaching. “One Go those planks fell down on this boy,” said Hard- Castle. *“Privg him insite. Dot is Roddy!” “Oh. he will get over it. Get a glass of water.” The Dutchman was frightened, and ran inside again. At the same moment Pippo’s face appeared, staring out of the wagon at them “Now, Bull! Up with the boy, and into the carriage with him. Quick—before the Dutchman returns!” breathed Hard- i ‘well paid, and shut his eyes to all that transpired. Then they | Were driven away. _ Hardly had the cab vanished, when the doorkeeper appeared with a glass of water; but seeing nothing of them, he ut- ‘tered an ejaculation of disgust, tossed away the water, and Went inside again. Pippo got out of the wagon and ran after the cab. It went down Grand street at a rapid pace. The river front was soon reached.'and it turned to the left, and traversed along until the dock at whieh the Random Lass had been moored was reached: then it paused, and the two seals got out with their still senseless burden. Hurrying it to the end of the dark pier, they raised the insensible boy ‘wnd flung him down into the treacherous river. to the cab, they got in and were whirled away, satisfied that Roddy would not now interfere with their plans. SHAPTER XY. ; CONCLUSION. tA week passed by before Bradford Bull reached the climax ‘of his plans, ~ About ight o'clock on a Saturday night the actor and his ‘aecomplice went up to the Ninety-sixth street house, and forcing open the back door they went in and made a hasty examination of the premises. Not a soul was to be seen, order, They had left New York immediately after throwing Roddy into the river. Their lawyer was to meet them that night; so Bull and Hardcastle assumed an air of proprietorship of the house, to eceive the nan, as they were careful to conceal from him ‘the true inwardness of the case. Haying established themselves comfortably. and partaken Mberally of the contents of the shire Bull broke the stillness by saying: and everything was in perfect castle lurriedly. “Good! Tve got him. And now—to the river!” panted Bull. _. They rushed across the street with the senseless form of]. “Roday, and got into the waiting cab. The driver had been And returning | “We wrote that he would ae me at eight o'clock,” “Then as it is later now, it is time he appeared.” The actor nodded. “And here he comes now!” said he, as a ring came at ‘the’ bell. Mardeustle got up cit admitted a fine- looking man. ; He walked into the Piatoe: and nodded curtly to the actor. “AI? said Bull, rising and beaming upon the other bes Higniy. “Glad to see you.” “LT fear you will not be.” replied the gentleman, tel vou the news.” one “8 h." said Bull with a startled Too ik. “You cannot get the fortime. sir! : “But, sin Dowanit an explanation!” Sociferated B ull, bavging | ° gray-haired ‘when L “What's the matior?? \it was liquor that killed him. table with: his’ fist. ou shall have it. Ixeep culm. A prior claim has been " f i the: oy, nx made by a man named Pippo Rayelli, in behalf of a boy known as. Roddy, the. callboy—:— “Thunder!” exclaimed Bull, springing. uD again. as if alec trified. “This claim has been admitted lately,” “backed up by the proof of the boy's stepmother. dom.” * proceeded the lawyer, Mrs. Ran- “Great henvens, she must have escaped from the ‘Cobw eb? ? groaned Bull. He pondered a moment, then he exclaimed: “But this is the heir—this boy——” * “Bosh!” impatiently interrupted the lawyer again. “He is an impostor.” .“Proye it!” cried the actor. furiously, “T will,” was the quiet reply of the lawyer. He turned toward the door and called: “Roddy!” The actor and his companion started as if they were shot. The next moment they recoiled with cries of consternation, as Roddy himself came into the room, followed by Pippo. “Bradford Bull!” exclaimed Roddy. “You are unmasked!” “Alive!” gasped the actor. “He yet lives!” “Ves,” cried Roddy, “I owe my rescue from the river to Pippo. He followed you and sprang into the current, saying . my life at the peril of his own.” ; “Then I didn’t knock him senseless!” muttered Hardeastle. “This boy is already proven to be the real heir!” exclaimed the lawyer. “I took up your fraudulent case in good faith.; ‘Discovering what you two wretches are, I wash my hands of. it now.” “oiled! baffied! thwarted!” hissed Bull, furiously. “Badly!” mockingly said Roddy. “Very badly, Bradford, Bull. Your many rascalities have found you out at last, and you can do me no further harm, I have suffered much at your hands. ‘The tables are now turned. I have gained fame and riches—you, a prison.” “A prison?” muttered the pallid actor, with 4 start. “Nothing else! The papers you stole from this house were, in my pessession, and I gave them to the authorities, ie their evidence you will soon go behind prison bars.” : The actor recoiled as if he was stung. “Then you it was who robbed me of them in the Coben" fy fe jhe cried. “Yes—L admit my guilt... Moreover, I yescued Mrs. Han-, dom, the same night, and apprising the police, that sink of, A yice was raided—its yile inmates captured—the place was! > broken up, and the son of Denny Fagin is now serving a term: ( in prison.” At this moment Hardcastle slyly -opened the hall door toi. steal out. But no sooner had he done se, when a hand came’ | down on his arm. Uttering a cry, he wrenched himself free, | and dashing across the room he went head first through the - front. window, landed in the yard*below, cut and bruised, and) ran away. Bull looked up, and saw a ‘policeman standing in the door. . way - rilled with fright. he bounded toward the broken window, to follow his confederate, but before he couid reach it, the’ policeman seized him by the collar and jerked him’ over on- the floor. And before the frightened and cowering rascal could get up, 4 pair of handcuffs were snapped upon his wrists. Siig hes : * ee: dragged him from the room, screaming to he ee released Pay a The lawyer departed; and Mrs. Random came BR shin) The boy told her what transpired, and she seemed to be re- § lieved to think that young Hardcastle had not gone to prison. _ ‘They never saw the youth again in New York, as he fle to the West that night. ae Bradford Bull was convicted and sentenced to a long term: in prison, but he did not long survive his sentence. They , found him dead in his cell one morning, and the coroner said” t mt Phe stolen will was recovered from him and a to. Mrs. Random. Jerry Wildrake kept his word with Roddy, and the Doy. re-. mained with him four years, traveling all over the country. as a star, and making wonderful successes of all he seis under the tuition of old Pippo. . When he jas twenty-one he came into his for tune, and Mrs Random dying. left a good deal more. But he did note abandon the stage, for he: was born to he au actor, Next’ week's issue will contain “Lost AT THE SOUTH, # hear OR, THE KINGDOM OF ICH.” By Cap’t. ‘Thos, Hi: son. . mee bb tee eg
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i ‘DDY 22 a PLUCK AND LUCK. CURRENT NEWS Thirsty strangers in Aberdeen, 8. D., have hit upon a new and most provoking way. in which to quench their thirst. Frequently of late housewives have been called to the door and asked to loan a stepladder to a stranger, who stated that he was putting on screens for the next door neighbor. The request was granted, and then the. stranger and the ladder disappeared.. Later the ladder would be found in a pawnshop or second-hand store. Probably the most remarkable lake in the world is one with a coating of salt that completely conceals the water. It may be seen at any time during the year, fully ex- posed, being seen at its best when the sun is shining upon it. This wonderful body of water is one of the saltest of the salt lakes, and is situated near Obdorsk, in Siberia. The lake is nine miles wide and seventeen miles long, the salt coating increasing six inches every year. The many islands with which the lake is studded are said to act as braces and to keep the arched salt crust in position. Edith Heymann, the fourteen-year-old daughter of Charles Heymann, of Stamford, Conn., a New York im- ‘porter, displayed rare pluck the other morning, when she awoke and found a burglar standing by her bed and peer- ling into her eyes. The burglar muttered that he would kill her if she made any outcry. She promised to be still, ~ but when the man displayed a knife the girl slipped out of ‘the bed on the side farthest from him, and ran out of the room. She aroused the household, but the burglar ‘es- caped. ‘ Another phenomenal gush of oil is reported f rom Kuro- kawa. Akita, Japan, neha the former and famous gush | took place. At well No. 16, on which work has been in progress for some time with a rotary borer, a great jet] y of gas suddenly rose and was soon followed by a spectacu- lar ‘gush of oil. The gush on that day amounted to more than 3,000. barrels and that figure is being daily in- creased. Later another well sent up a jet which, accord- ing to a telegram received by the head office of the Nip- pon Petroleum Company, is too powerful to be allowed to flow at the present: rate, so the power of the jet is cur- tailed. , The twenty-third general meeting of the Japan Red Cross Society was held recently in "ELibiya Park, ‘Tokio. The occasion was favored by fine weather, and was at- tended by oyer sixty thousand men and women, ‘most of whom came up to the town from the remote parts of the} 2 country. According to the business reports delivered by) President Hanabusa, the society has now over 1 700:000 | members, including 13,000 members who were affiliated in the preceding year, and its funds are estimated at $1,250,- 000, The work of prevention and cure of tuberculous dis: eases, which was started last year, is, so satisfactory that the patients treated or cured numbered 80,000 last year. The number of sufferers from calamities such as earth-— quakes or floods who were relieved by the society amounted to 75,000 during the preceding year. Its relief corps has, — at present, about 4,400 works, including officers and nurses. In the present war, the society has rendered excellent ser- — vices. The relief corps dispatched to England, France — and Russia, stated the president, are discharging their | duty to the satisfaction of these countries. Atter the re=~ ports, tweniv-eight persons on the Seasoe t committee ai three directors were elected. a A passenger car out of service is a liability, is an asset. Tt earns money only when it is working. Tyery. day a car spends in the shops means a loss. To cut down the time required for drving a car after painting the test depart ment of the Pennsylvania railroad began some experiments — several years ago. The prospect of success was not bright, for qui ick-drying paints are much less durable than those requiring two days or more to dry. But a way was discovered of cutting down the time ode drving by 95 per cent., and thus the time the car is out, of service is reduced ie 50 per cent. A mammoth Oren i: was built, into which the largest caré could be run. A newly-painted car is put im it, the doors are closed an¢ the temperature is raised to above the boiling point | on, ele Tn three hours the ear is quite sry and is ‘sent hack into active service. The first tests of this oven-drving were made about two- years ago, and the present condition of the paint so dried ~ indicates strongly that oven-dried paint is more aurab eo” than that. dried in the open air.. ths thére are 2.000 victims ‘of amrien which hee come from other States; more than 3,000 at El Paso, and 3,50 at San Antonio. The percentage of deaths from tuber- culosis eceurring within a short period of arrival at West- ern resorts is decreasing. his indicates that the warning to keep far advanced. cases at home has been heeded. — Nevertheless, as high as- 15 percent. of all deaths oc ae eurred within thirty days after arrival at the Western ~ destination. Of partienlar interest to physicians, as well ‘ as the public, especially in view of the newer theories re: garding the comraunicability of tuberculosis, are the facts” aM merseigl to pa the dagree ot danger to Teeneate is no sreater 4 in ‘the resort cities ‘than valeantiers “The Pub. lic Health bulletin refers to the ravages of tubereulos among the Mexicans of the Southwest. y little resistance, and once the infection Hexsleps. recover ig rare. 2 EET aC ed t
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PLUCK AND LUCK. lumping Jack, the Boy Acrobat ig LEAPING INTO LUCK By William Wade (A Serial Story) CHAPTER XV (continued ) _ “Well, I could swear that there is somebody back there On the trail, and there is, by thunder.” _ The old miner sprang up. Jack now, by hard listening, Could hear faint’ sounds like the tramp of feet. A little later distant voices could be heard. ; “Who is it?” | Zeb chiesied his shoulders. “Prospectors, like us,” he said. “I don’t know what to fo. Shall we stay here and put ’em off, or shall we slip up the creek on a ee tour an’ let ’em go by?” } But before the latter could be decided a loud hulloo came from the depths of the forest. } 'Cwo men quickly appeared. . They carried the kit of Miners. ; That they were prospectors there was no doubt. Zeh’s tace clouded, but he said: “I don’t like the looks of them, pard.” ' The two prospectors came into the camp eagerly. ‘hey vere of the usual type of gold hunter, but one “af them had fold, shifting eyes and a sneering mouth. Neither Jack nor “eb liked his looks. ; 1 “Hello, pilgrims !” e ye? Waal, so are White Park ?” > “About twenty miles?” Jones’s ?” Old cried this fellow. “Out for the stuff, we. Do ye know how far it is to replied Zeb. “Are ye from Bill 4 r 5 .. tyes » “Yas, an’ air yew the same?” Br Yaa. 13 “Waal, we’re short of rations. Kin yew help us out? My h a is Sim Mason, an’ this is my pard Bob Crowell.” “An’ my name is Zeb Pray, and this is my pard Jack rallace.” The two prospectors looked curiously at Jack, but made Qo comment. Leb gave them some food. They sat down comfortably by the fire, and did not seem disposed to at once continue their journey. ~ It was likely that Mason noticed that Zeb had his pau and Yorker rigged. for he looked Cu Ounyy, about, and asked: i: “Strike any pay dirt hereabouts 7 E “Not to..sp pork of, replied Leb au t to the Park to-night?’ “Yas.” “Waal, ye ain't got no time to lose.” - “Ain’t ye comin’ along, too?” asked Mason keenly. “No, not to onct,” answered Zeb. “lye got a twinge of eumatiz in my knee, an’ I’m restin’. We won't keep you, ough.” “T)’ye oan to +k saw Mason give his partner a comprehensive’ look. Both arose and picked up their kit. “Arter thet broad hint, we have no other course but ter| 23 2 8°, cS said Mason, with a grin, “but mebbe es see ye ag’in.’ “Viikely,” was Zeb’s curt rejoinder. Mason and Crowell went on up the trail. When they had , disappeared in the bushes Zeb drew out his revolver and examined it. He glanced at Jack. “Did ye ever see a keener pair of pups?” he asked. “They know we've struck something.” “Do you think so?” “Tm sure of it. . Keep your gun always within reach, lad. There’s no tellin’ but we may see “em ag’in, as that Mason hinted. Now let’s go an’ git the gold out of that pocket. I hope there’s a fortune in it.” Jack eagerly sprang up. CHAPTER XVI. THE DEADLY KNIFE. There was no doubt that Zeb had sized up the two pros- pectors Mason and Crowell correctly. Jack was sure of this. ; They no doubt had guessed the truth that Zeb and Jack had struck pay dirt. They were of the lawless type and they would not hesitate to acquire wealth by lawless means. So Zeb was right when he placed Jack on his guard. Quickly they mete their kit over to the Wank of. the little woodland stream. Zeb washed out some of the sand. " “Not very paying,” he s said, “but we will find the pocket if we follow the stream up.’ This they proceeded to do. i Zeb. caretully waded the stream, and at intervals he w ash- ed out some of the sand. After awhile he came to a puzzled stop. interested. “What is the trouble?” he asked, : “It is mighty queer,” declared Zeb, “but there is not a trace of the gold here. We must have come’ by the pocket.” “Perhaps there is none.” \ “Oh, ves there is,” said Zeb, positively. “The gold in these sands here was washed down from some higher point.” The miner went back slowly down the stream. Suddenly he turned and began to follow a small tributary. Almost instantly, he cried: “Now we shall find it.” The sands of the small tributary showed signs ot gold. Up this Zeb led the way for fully one hunded. yards. ‘This le them to a small spring in the side of the mountain. ‘ ‘Zeb took a pick from his kit. He drove it deep into the mossy covering of the spring hole. ’ As he removed this, the water was quite clouded. But he allowed it to settle, and then with a sharp ery, he beckoned to Jack, ais “Did ye ever see a gold pocket, lad?” “No! > Jack bent down over the spring hole. What he s saw gave hira a start. The bottom was lined with particles of gold. Tt was a thrilling sight. “Gold” he easped. “Why it is a fortune, Zeb !””. “Well, hardly, ” said the practical miner. ‘“But it will yield a éouple of thousand all right. It is worth Rca up, lad.” Jack was (To be continued) va Oo) ae ae ain
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IU) PLUCK AND LUCK. PRISON TERM PROFITABLE. 'Kdward J. Miller, who gave his address as “nowhere in particular,” was discharged from the county jail at Greens- burg, Pa.. after 220 days, a richer man in cash than he ever was before. He was held as a material witness in the murder trial of Harry 1. Filler. A material witness is allowed $1.50 for every day that he is held. Miller received $330 when he was discharged. | - PIGEON POST TO PITTSBURGH. A. f. Meyer of Chicago turned loose three homing pigeons recently from the back porch of his residence. He expects they will fly straight home to their owner, Joseph Larkin of ‘Pittsburgh, Pa. “This. is the first time the pigeons have been so far from Pittsburgh,” he said. “I brought them with me on my return from a visit to Larkin recently. If the experiment is successful Larkin intends to fly the birds from Denver to Pittsburgh.” . BOY.CORN GROWER. If corn is king, William James, an Allen County | fiving near Colony, is king of the Kansas corn sae te When a boy-farmer raises 116 bushels and 47 pounds of corn to the acre hevis entitled to carry off the honors that many other older farmers would be glad to. receive. " Besides having the honor of being champion corn grower 7 the State, young James made $123 from his acre of corn. It is sometimes profitable to be a champion farmer. ‘After all his expenses were paid his net profit’ was $102. An itemized account of his corn makes interesting read- ing: Here it is: 104 bushels and 47 poands sold at 70 cents a bushel, $73.22; Ae bushels of seed corn sold at $2.50 a bushel, $30; premiums in contests, $20; rent and other’ expenses, $21, 15. ml uD THE WAR MAI THINGS BOOM. Probably no-other counties in Northwestern Pennsylva- | nia have been benefited to such an extent as have McKean, Warren and Elk by the Huropean war. Of these three, McKean County has received the greatest boom, owing to its large number of glass and hottle manufacturing con- cerns. “While the glass business is far from normal, the larger part of the business at present is in the export trade, as practicaily all glass manufacturers have closed their rane in. Huropean countries. Peo ne Curtis Leather Company, at Ludlow, is still work- ing on its large order forsaddles, received from the Freuch Government, Sad, at present is operating day and night - turning out about 1,800 sides of leather a day. It is un- derstood that it will require many more weeks of steady nie by the Ludlow industry to fill its large order. LP NE 4 ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST ns | _ The latest industry in —— Connty to. benefit hy thea plucked.” ” cf E ictaee phish is ‘aeaiver an aes for 200,000 poun of wax from the Italian Government. The wax is a . > . 4 in the Henares of war supplies. is used in the nantes of susan setaten a whic ant | co ne in er erection Sof an acetone os by Quist # iy and spa: ie Tn Warren County the Warren Chemical Products Com pany, at Warren, is operating to its full capacity as the r sult of an immense war order for gun cotton. : re te be lala in Bie County to Andie ae extent in the rene of an are) ae at St. ‘Sites the Melville Corbett Company, which, like. the acet plant at Hast Smethvort, is operating day and night. demand for acetcne has been socsneas that the St. M: Company is at present building an addition to its which will greatly increase the output. Bee see ve ‘NO USE. FOR OSTRICHES:: According to Consul E. A. Wakefield, who is at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, it is difficult to believe that a months could possibly see such great changes in values have eccurred in connection with ostriches and ostrie thers’ It has been a tremendous blow te that Consular d trict fer the time being, he says, but if it leads toa gre cultivation of the lend, it maybe the best thing that nave happened for the fitwre of South Africa. Interest ; ae ostrich as a revenue pte is now ree oe Eas food aia Rin To, shaw how the value af ruhoees ae bas fallen Wakefield quotes from local newspapers as. follows: Pee iches are Now se such Beale, ac see oat els mission to réfiise a Se in the Heat: ab I is sate that a full-grown eck ostrich which put up ie public mueeatin on th e market, sold for: = nificent sum 1 of 3 eS or By cents. - ing fae noes: af eee vil perch from ; arva tion: : ; about, aus birds which appear to be ie a very g roam about the soe and’, veld, NiMd paradise he
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PLUCK. AND LUCK. % ) Mrs, A. McKay, 102 years old, hearing that her daugh- P ter, Mrs. J. W. Parfitt, cf Redding, Cal., and four smal! “children were on the way from Hayfork to Hyampom by pack train, saddled a horse and rode out five miles on the ‘trail to greet them. -She celebrated her hundredth birth- day hy saddling a horse and riding oyer to Big Bear, eighteen miles away, going one day and returming the Benext. To fall from a spring wagon from which he was spray- “ing « tree and be butted fiftecn feet over rough ground by his pet bull, was the experience of John P. Nelsony of Hawkins, Ind. The bull seemed to take the tumble from >the bees as a joke,and charged Nelson, apparently in P goo humor, Nelson’ was painfully but not seriously “bruised. “He is of the opinion that if the bull. had ‘been ‘really angry le would not. have escaped serious injury. Four diamonds were the cause of the intestinal indiges- jon from which Thomas Fallon; of Grieve and York rects, Jersey City, a money lender, was relieved recently by an cia at Christ Hospital. Fallon says he unin- tentiorally swallowed the diamonds years ago. Six X-ray 2 photographs recently taken of Fallon’s abdomen revealed ¢ obstruction. Remnants of two: pawntickets were also emoved. The original map made by George Washington in 1775 of the lands on the Great Kanawha River, West Virginia, granted to, him by the British Government in 1763. for ¢ services in the Braddock expedition, is now in the pos- session of the Library of Congress. by five fect, and is entirely in the handwriting of Wash- jneton. Phe margin is filled with notes, also in Washing- ’e handwriting, describing the boundary marks set by shington and different features of the tract. Mrs. Maud Metes of Kamiah and A. J. Stuart of Stites rited in marriage the other day on the Lewiston-Clark- ; ston brailee, sant on thé Idaho side of the midchannel of The parties had come to Lewiston ex- @ ate 25 he seat by their pastor, the Rev. J. B. York, the “Ba aptist | Chureh of Stites, w ho. was in attendance at} ‘ association meeting at Clarkston, On learning of their ion they were invited to be married in the association meeting, hut this was impossible because the. license was iptained in a 4 and so the mecting adjourned to the rom Pa cipiieta iene to the marine aepastadat of the Me hamber of Commerce of San Francisco. With only this aboard. the British ship Dalgonar has drifted for two rs a derelict of the seas. slip’ s bell-and the black cat had been rescued hy The map is about two! a small trading Ponngtst and d safely landed at FROM ALL POINTS The wireless message states | * Papeete. The Dalgonar, helpless in a storm, was aban- doned in midocean in June, 1913. Early in 1914 the French ship Lorrie reported finding the shipwrecked ma- riners drifting in a small boat. Three had died from ex- posure, and ‘the fourteen others were in a pitiable, condi- ton. ~ Nearly $150,000. in. bequests, of which abate $90,000 are of a public character, are contained in the will of Miss Laurastine Cotheal Smith, who died June 1 at her home, 23 Fulton street, Newark, N. J., at the age of sev- enty-seven, years. Miss Smith had long been known for her activity in charities and in matters relating to the uplift of her’sex. Among the personal bequests are three of $6,000 each to the three servants, Mrs. Isabella Cuypers, Miss Sarah L. Sipp and Miss Marie Krafft. They are also to receive all of the wearing apparel, jewelry, house- hold effects and all other personal property owned by their late mistress, and are to enjoy a life residence in her F Tule ton street home. The home thereafter is to 6° to 9 Trinity i piscopal Chureh, Newark. -The king alligator of Georgia has — killed at ‘mrad inson’s pond at ‘Adel by M. L. Crowley, after the beast had eluded hunters for twenty-two years. The alligator meas- ured 10 feet + inches and had thirty-seven notches on its tail, which shows that it was thirty-seven years old. Many have been the attempts to kill the sly old creature, but al- ways until now it has escaped the bullets aimed at it and’ has scuttled safely back to its cave. It was the ’gator’s. appetite for hogs that proved its undoing. Mr. Crowley, who, for twenty-two years has been hunting this beast, tied the leg of a porker to a tree near Hutchinson’s pond, and hid himself, The wary old ’gator slid out of the water, through a clump of. bushes, and was just reaching for the bait when Mr. Crowley fired. The bullet took the beast ina. vital spot and killed it instantly. The stewards of the Jockey Club have engaged detec- tives to watch trainers and riders who may fall under sus- picion. In cases where the suspicion is borne out by facts that the best interests of the turf are not being served, the guilty persons will lose their licenses. This will be tanta- mount to ruling the offending persons off the turf. Up to- the present, racing this season has been particularly clean. The chief fault has been that some jockeys have adopted waiting tactics that resulted in races being lost which should have been won. Whether these’ tactics were the re- sult of error or have been premeditated is what the stew ards are anxious to know. So. far they have given the ‘| riders the benefit of the doubt, but in order to set their minds at ease they have engaged detectives to follow up — the riders and find out with whom they associate, 'T ‘hose’ who minglé with touts and “sure-thing players” will be- punished. The stewards of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association are working in complete accord - with the stewards of the: J vekoy ( y
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26 PLUCK AND LUCK. “HURRICANE HAL == OR THE BOY WHO WAS BORN AT SEA ‘By J. P. Richards : ( A Serial Story) CHAPTER XII (continued) He tried to estimate the depth of the pit into which he had fallen, but could not, and then he let himself sink to see if he could reach bottom. He did this in a moment, and decided that the water could not be much more than twelve feet in depth at the most. “LT wonder how far it goes?” he thought, and then he began swimming, finding the strange place_extending as che swam on, and having room enough for his strokes. The place grew larger, but the passage continued, and so he swam on,-wondering where the subterranean pas- age would lead him, and whether it would not end in some channel entirely filled with water and too small for him. to, swim through. © He tasted the water, found it salty,and muttered: “Wither this place communicates with the sea or the water was thrown in. here. when the as Wave swept over the island.” “Yes, me did it sweep =i over the salen or only at certain places? ‘This water does not taste stagnant, and ‘it-is some time since the tidal wave, No, this ‘passage cer- tainly leads to the sea, but whether I can make my way clear through it or not is the question.” ‘He swam slowly and cautiously for some distance far- ther, and then found his feet touching bottom, and, reach- ing up, found that he could touch the top of the strange passage. . “Hm! the place may be full at high tide,” be mused. “T wonder which way the tide is setting now? It would ‘be awkward to be caught in here with it full of water. * He waded for a considerable distance, feeling the wall above his head from time to time, but not finding if any lower. Then hs perceived that the water was growing, deeper, and finaliy it reached to his neck, then to his ehin, then to his lips, and finally to his eyes. He raised himself upon his toes, drew a deep breath, and shot forward under water, taking a long, rapid stroke which sent him ahead,like a fish. ‘Exerting all his strength, he-gwam as rapidly as possi- ble, not knowing: how great a distance he would have to go before he would emerge from the water. He remembered how wide the island was, but that did not tell him how great’ a distance he had already covered in the subterranean passage, nor how far he must swim before reaching the end. Where this might be he could not tell, whether it were in the sea or at the bottom of some pit from which there was no escape. All he knew was that he must exert all his energies or te crowned, and he swam as Be never swum before. At last, when it seemed as if his eyes were starting from his head, as if the blood were ae from nose, mow and ears, and as if he could not hold his breath the sligh est fraction of an instant longer, he suddenly saw a light on his eyes, felt a breath of air on his cheek, and found himself floating on the surface not far from the bluffs. He struck out for the beach, not stopping to see if | could locate the hole in the bluft whence he must have is sued, but making his way to shore as speedily as possibl fer sun was setting, and it would soon be dark, and there were dangers to be avoided, as he well knew. Turning his head once he saw a sharp fin cut the wae and realized what it meant. f SS Then he saw another and another, and then the bay seemed alive with them. They were sharks, and had scented him. Fortunately he was between them and the shore, an his course lay straight before him. Nearer came the “terrible creatures, but nearer was” ib shore as well. The very. danger seemed to give him strength. He had lost his shoes scuiea tions so that he was not impeded by them, and his clothing was light enough not to be a hindrance. a Nearer came the sharks, and now it seemed as if foremost one must seize him, but as the savage crea shot forward and turned, he grounded in the shallow ter and floundered helplessly on his back, while his fel darted wpon him. and Hal ran from the riggs and © half fainting upon the beach. i The sun was down, and it grew dari petore the arose and drew himself beyond: the reach of the risi tide, there being but a short twilight in that latitude. He fell on the sands to rest and was asléep before was aware, being utterly worn out with all his exertions — and the reaction: that followed his escape from so mt perils. « When he awoke the sun was shining in his abe and | knew that he must have slept all night.’ “They will wonder what has hadonie. of me,” he mused “Yes, and there is'Mary. She mast not be left in t scoundrel’s power, _I must give the ge at pa start to her aid.” He was hurrying on when suddenly he saw Anita co ing toward him from a little grove. ‘He knew her at once by the torn skirt, the | over her head, and her velvet jacket. “Perhaps she can tell me something, pethaps sh even now coming to offer some plan: of escape, fe he 1 tered. Then he hurried forward to meet the girl when 4 latter, as she approached, threw hack her mantilla, ( uttering a glad cry, threw herself into the. hoy’ 8 arms, Tt was not Anita at all. Tt was Mary Clinton, safely escaped out of the hand of the pirates. “Why, Mary, how is this? Wh rat has happened ?- do you come to be im this disguise?” cried Hal, } the lovely girl in his arms and gazing fondly inte eves. “I thought you were Anita.” ; ace man : (To be cnatenuen : arn ae
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& PLUCK AND: LUCK: 27 INTERESTING TOPICS . H. I. Richie, a rancher living near Okaton, $. Dak., is the owner of a rooster which evidently aspires to become cnown as the man killing rooster. As a result of a spurring from the rooster, Richie was in a critical condi- tion recently from blood poisoning, and yet feels the effects of the wound inflicted by the bird. Richie was ‘opening the door of his hen house when the rooster jumped upon his knee and spurred him twice. f A report issued by Admiral Thaon di Revel, chief of the talian naval staff. shows that Austrian wireless messages are intercepted regularly by the Italians, says a special spatch from Rome. The Italians have been enabled to Obtain this information, which is of immense military. Value, bv the use of a new device invented by Guglic!mo Marconi.. The device is said to make it impossible for the Austrians to. intercept Italian messages. »There jis somewhere among the wilds of Donegal, dreland, a March hare carrying about with him the sum of $25.tied in a white handkerchief: A farmer’s daughter, ing home after shopping with the money tiel in her ndkerehief, came upon a hare in a trap, and not wishing lose such a prize took out her handkerchief and tied it around the hare’s neck. When she released’ the hare from e trap the lively animal escaped with the handkerchief. - Nine camps have been opened in Canada for the training of men for oversea service. Hach is placed in an area of from three hundred acres to ten miles square, and the Nine are spaced across the 3,000 miles of the Dominion’s breadth at almost regular intervals. During the summer 100,060 men will train in these camps. The training is to be of the most practical nature and the work made to onform as nearly as. possible to actual fighting conditions | in Burope. To this end Canadian officers and non-com- Missioned officers who have been invalided home will be sent to the several camps to assist. Gen, Alexander Bertram, chairman of the Shell Com- Mittee appointed by the Dominion Government to ‘super- Intend the manufacture of munitions of war, addressing he delegates to the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association recently, said that orders had been placed in Canada by the British Government for 9,000,000 shrapnel shells. Al- thought at the outbreak of the war there was only one shell- king plant in Canada, with a capacity of seventy-five shells per day, there are now 130 establishments engaged in the manufacture of shrapnel, and within a short time the output would be between 40,000 and 50,000 sheils a day, Gen. Bertram said. ee Convicts in French Guiana seem to be in luck. They e reported to be working a gold mine on their own ac- unt. Their warders have apparently so far failed to dis- er where they have successfully pegged their claim. he convicts in turn escape from the settlement by twos or threes and remain hidden for a day or two. They then return with their pockets full of nuggets and have a great time. Others get away in their turn, but come. back event- ually, also with gold. The mine is thus kept regularly working by shifts of convicts. The latter when they -re- turn. to the settlement are regularly sentenced to -a few days’ imprisonment for absence without leave, but this is a low price to pay for a share in a.gold mine. Where the latter is the authorities have never yet been able to dis- cover. ; $ T'wo masked robbers, with revolvers drawn, boarded a Southern Pacific train en route from San Francisco to Los Angeles at Chatsworth, Cal., at midnight the other day, robbed passengers of $565 and escaped. Men and women in the last four coaches of the train were compelled io give up their money and jewelry. After collecting their booty the bandits pulled the signal cord, stopping the © train at Hewitt and fled. Officials said they believed an acconiplice was Waiting near the station with an automo- bile. Several shots were fired at the robbers as they swung from the train, and they returned the fire, but no one was hit. : “There are two. ways to invite war,” said President Arthur Twining Hadley, of Yale University, én June 6. “One is to make too much preparation and the other to make too Jittle,. I believe we are going very far in the direction of the latter. Personally, Iam heartily in favor of preparedness.” Dr. F. 8. Luther, president of Trinity College, of Hariford, Conn., said that he was thoroughly in favor of the most complete preparation. “I think we should have a powerful army and an equally powerful navy,” he said. “Our young men should be taught at least to shoot straight, to take care of themselves in the field, to speak the truth and to fear no man.” On a property where the rabbit shooting was strictly preserved, upon the southern coast of England, a boy was caught with two dead rabbits in his possession, and noth- ing that would account for their decease. A search of his pocket revealed nothing but two live crabs of small dimen- signs, the end of a candle and a box of matches. Under promise of release the urchin was persuaded to disclose his method of procedure. First he selected a likely burrow, and then stripped off his clothes, putting his coat over one hole. his trousers over another, and his shirt over the third. He lit the candle end, dropped a little grease wpon the crab’s back, and stuck the lighted candle thereon, and then put ‘the crab at an unoccupied opening. Straight- away the frightened torchbearer fled, sideways into the darkness and explored the innermost depths; while the boy, expectant as a terrier, awaited events outside. Pres- ently a rabbit bolted into the coat; as it did so that boy was after it like a shot, and boy, rabbit and coat all rolled — over together, the boy rising from the fray with the rabbit in his clutches, _ : Sie oe aba
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12a Wh BB GAL : A FEW GOOD ITEMS MAKING PANAMA HATS Toquilla straw, from which Panama hats are made, is obtained from five or six species of the palm. The most important of these is known as Carludovica palmata, and grows in the warm, moist regions of the Pacifié Coast in Colombia and Keuador, and also in the forests of Peru along the headwaters of the Amazon. This palm attains Ha height of 6 to 10 feet. The leaves are fan-shaped. To- ‘quilla straw is exported to the United States and other “countries, where the hats are made by machinery. Panama hats are made in Colombia in the following manner, writes Ross Hazeltine, United States consul at Cartagena. When the palm is about 5 feet high the most tender leaves are cut and the veins taken out, submerged in boiling water several times, and placed in the sun to dry and whiten. Further to whiten the straw lime juice is added to the boiling water. Then the straw is mois- tened to make it flexible and split with the finger nail into strips of the required width, A bunch of { the straw is tied in the middle and placed in the center of a wooden |’ mold. ‘The fibers are plaéed in equidistant pairs and weav- ing is begun in the upper part of the eup and continues in Sper form until the hat is finished. The addition of fibers while weaving the crown is carefully avoided, and the number of fibers/is increased to make the’ brim’ and: edge. The beauty and durability of the hat. depends largely upon the degree of exactness with which the fibers are interwoven, Once completed, the hat is washed ,in clean, cold water, a coat of gum is, applied, and the hat is finally polished with dry sulphur. To weave a fine lat requires three to six months with four to five hours’ work daily. “Two inferior hats. of or- ‘dinary straw can be woyen in one day. First quality hats of toquilla are sold in the foreign retail markets at. | prices varying from $25 to $100 each. * , ; Se LOW SHE SAVED MONKEY. The girl who was born under the star of extravagance, whatever that is, was praised for her unnatural economy. “Just think,” her people said, “of having all that Ons, over there in, ‘Paria and not spending 1.7? ‘Don’t blame me,” the girl protested with unblushing candor. “It was not my fault. I wanted to spend it, but T could not; I couldn’t get at it. In spite of myself, I was forced into the paths of economy by the French Govern- ‘ment. “At the beginning of the war I solved all the business problems by making my trunk my banker. What money I had was drawn out of the bank and deposited in my trunk. That seemed a pretty safe place, so most of my money was left there when I went to London on a visit. “TE had made my home in Paris with an old school friend. While I was in London her husband died. “When I came back it was as much as I could do to get into the house. The Government had been in and hora est clapped red seals, fastened to the ends of a piece of tape,/s ros everything about the eh Ha aan Sete Sap h Gadi eo pt zi | fund. LUCK, “My own trunk had not escaped. Right sotbee awe Jock was a band of tape with these seals of ‘hiberty, Equali ; Fraternity, above and below. They did: inob represen’ much liberty for me; they came nearer to, representin: captivity, for I had run up debts, and-the only money had to pay them with was in that trunk. “Then came such a bargain sale. It consisted of fie and feathers and jewelry that had belonged to a very fin lady and were going dirt cheap. They were sold at private sale and IT was ‘biter ed first pick of anything I wanted. “For three months, while all the terrifying entangle- ments of French law were being unraveled, my money Was: imprisoned. When my friend’s affairs were finally settl L and the seals removed, the bargains I coveted had been sol elsewhere, so Thad saved my money.” fest ANS es he bartncnen eu is now daca ‘at the pests!) a fund of pe $8,000 to be used in making loans to students of tha partment. to help them over any financial difficult Many deserving students have been be in this i to graduate from the school. ; Dean, Frederick*A. Goetze of the Ghaduate dig ineeee School of Columbia University gave out figures shoy the number of students who Hace been assisted by this One of the Jargest donations to the fund was: ma by the class of ’87.* i ; ; a Up to the beginning of this year a : total amount i ly $10, 000 had been loaned. to-about sixty-eight students Of this amount the students have already. paid back $ 681.49. Dean Goetze stated the other day that the st dents invariably paid back their loans promptly ‘at turity, except in very few cases, where they are burde with expense. and in these instances extensions a granted. ‘ $126. , Scme nae as high as smallest loan made was $35, S he bidnts ral ee the loans were made nineteen, or nearly 50 per cen scholarship men who enjoy wholly or partially fre About 80 per cent. of the students were from the thir rd or fourth year men whom. the faculty knew. H eve loans have been made to the freshmen in exception The demands on the fund since the war broke out | heen unusually heavy and indicate the tr ying fi fi nancial dens ihe hy, the students and shore Pateatis.t Ney the heen caphdeae few requests for Geeorieien 9 The students upon lea usually find litt d culty in paying off the Joans. The usual ie = asked is bas shee i oe student Paes te t
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PLUCK AND. RUCK. 29 | PLUCK AND LUCK NEW YO ai nae > RK, JULY Fy; 1905: TERMS TO SUBSCRIBERS -05 Cents Single Copies One Copy Three Months..., sae -65 Cents One Copy Six Months......... eache 1.25 One Copy One Yeeros) 7... ccc oo enc cee acetanecs desguone 2.50 Postage Free HOW TO SEND MONEY--At our risk send P.O. Money Order, Check or Registered Letter; remittances im any other way are at your risk, We accept Postaxe Stumps the same as cash. When sending silver wrap the Coin in a sepurate ploce’ of paper to avoid cutting the envelope. Write your name and address plainly. Address letters to 1 Frank Tousey, Publisher i 168 West 23d St., N. Y. Hamny E. Wourr, President Rox L. McCarvect, Vice-President N. Uastines Wotsy, Troasurer Onaries E. Nytanpxr, Secretary . = GOOD CURRENT NEWS ARTICLES By an ingenious device wild animals can now take their _ own pictures. A piece of cord is suspended between two trees, and when the animal comes into contact with the - cord it fires a fuse eartridge and opens the shutter of a camera, which thus automatically “snaps” the animal. Miss S. D. Wallace, of Marion County, Ind., got her an- nual fishing and: hunting license at the office of Hugene' . Shireman, State Commissioner of Fisheries and Game. Miss Wallace is sixty-two years old, according to her li- cense, and is five feet six inches in height. She is the old- est woman in the State to receive a similar license prior to a fishing trip in Northern Indiana. x A young buck deer, in order to escape pursuing dogs, committed suicide near Brewster, N. Y., by leaping in front of the Federal Express of the Central New England Rail- way. The deer was one of a pair which have been roaming - over Stuyvesant Fish’s country place. The train engineer ent word to the despatcher and’ John Ingalls, the section oreman, found the deer’s hody 100 feet away from where | the engine hit it. Game Protector Barry has the venison. ; eC es heh ‘ ~ At the mid-biennial council of the General Federation of" Yomen’s Clubs, Portland, Ore., Mrs. Thomas G. Winter. ff Minneapolis, chairman of the literature department of te general federation, created a stir when she proposed | at a move be started to have 2,000,000 members of the neral ‘federation deny themselves one pair of silk stock- sa year and contribute that money to an endowment ‘fund for work of the federation’s department in aesthetic Henry Pfeiffer, of Philadelphia, son of a Cedar Falls}: ioneer, now head of the Pfeiffer Chemical Company, con- ided a two-week'd' visit with his brothers and sisters of fedar Falls, Towa, hyp presenting each of them with a heck for $10,000 and an antomobile. His benefactions his way totaled nearly $100,000.. The heneficiaries are Pfeiffer, 1. Pfeiffer, Mrs. D.C. Merner, Mrs. Wy F. Je, brothers and. sisters, and ex-Mayor W. H. ' Merner and $ es + | girl of her*age. - Mrs, Cooder—Very well: bean criticize instead of mine.” Merner,| "em? Colorado Jack—Why, you see, young feller, they. jheard you was coming and they laid down and ( i One of the biggest mountain lions seen in Oklahoma for. vears, measuring over seven feet from tip to tip and weigh- ing 175 pounds, was killed in a cave in the Gyp Hills by George Steubenville, of Okeene. He came upon the lion: unexpectedly while exploring the cave with a party of . friends. and was armed only with a 22-caliher revolver. ft had been known for some weeks that a marauder of some sort, presumably a mountain lion, was.playine havoe with poultry and calves. It had been seen disappearing in the darkness several times, but no one had géne near enough to get a shot at it. Steubenville was the only one of the party who was armed at all when they came upon, the beast, which was evidently prepared to put wpa stiff fight. The caye was dimly lighted by a lantern car- ried by the exploring cult, but Steubenville was fortunate enough to hit the panther in the eye, killing it instantly” oy GHINS AND CHUCKLES of Famished Student—Something is preying on my mind, Professor W.—It must he very hungry. = Lady (at the glove counter)—What is the latest thing in kids? Clerk (who has two of his own)—Colic, mum. “T am looking for {rouble,” said the ealler. “Tam sorry,” replied the other, “but I have made it a rule never to lend my auto.” “Even in de summer time,” says Brother Williams, “it’s: a good idee ter have a steam heater in de meetin’ house, kaze ib puts de sinners in mind er what’s ahead of *um !? + peel ae Me Mr. Gooder—Here’s a hook T’d very much like to have our daughter read. It contains some good advice for a Ul forbid her — to toueh it. ee “L think.” “declared the little daughter of the widow to ’ ito a +; x a - the milhonaire who was calling, “that you are a charming anfl delightful man.” “How nice! “What makes you say so?" “Mamma told me to.” 4 : 7 te “So you favor the suit of that foreigner?” “Yes,” an- swered Mr. Cumrox. “I think I should rather like to have aman in the family whose English mother and the girls # “Jones and his. wjfe are quarreling again.” “Oh; yes!” “I thought they buried the hatchet.” “Well, sa they did, — but the very next time Mrs. Jones had to chop the kindling . she dug it wp.” Lady—I wish to select a pet dog. Dealer—Do vou live in town, mum? “Yes: [ live ina flat.’ “Then [ would advise an Italian greyhound, mum. No matter how much you feeds greyhounds, they allus stays narrer.” Syl Indian Killer from New York—Where’s yer Indians?) — Colorado Jack—All dead. Indian Killer—Who killed wy. 2
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30 PLUCK AND LUCK. STATISTICS OF THE CIVIL WAR. Tere are some statistics of our Civil War found in an article by Frances Trevelyan Miller, published in the New York Sun two years ago. The total enrolments of Federal and Confederate were 3,500,000 men. From this total could have been martialed nearly two armies of the strength of Russia and Japan combined in the Russo-}a Japanese war, more than two armies of the combined strength of France and Germany in the Franco-Prussian war, six armies of the combined strength of the British and the Boers in the Anglo-Boer War, more than seven armies of the combined strength of the Russians and the Allies in the Crimean war, and more than twenty armies of the combined strength of the troops actually engaged by Spain and the United States in the Spanish-American War, four armies equal to that Napoleon led against Moscow, three greater than the armies under command of yon Moltke in the Franco Prussian war, thirty armies like that Hannibal led across the Alps against the Romans. . Julius Caesar. in Jeicing his armies against the forces of Pompey, in Spain, (.c uot have the fighting strength that Stonewall Jackson brought down the Shenandoah Valley; and the legions of | Vompey were less than those of McClellan. Cromwell led against the Scots an army of less numerical strength than ices who were left dead and wounded by Hooker at Chan- cellorsyille or by Rosecrans at Stone’s River. ‘There were two soldiers left killed or dying in the American Civil War to every man who fought in the American Revolution. More soldiers were left dead and se in the Seven Days’ retreat than fought in the combinéd armies of the English ~ and the Americans at Bunker Hill. Move soldiers fell at THE NEWS IN SHORT ARTICLES jnet and diaphragm of the present telephone are 7 Replicas Antietam than were in the entire British army which was surrendered by eres at Saratoga. A NEW DEVICE. An entirely new device, invented by a Duteh sc iclantist, is likely to do away with the cumbersome: receiver: and- transmitter we now have to use Ww hen telephoning. It is possible that the telephone connection of the future will'be ‘merely a tiny hole in the wall, not larger than the uses of a pencil in size. ‘The receiver and transmitter will be carried in one’s pocket, for in the new invention they are ‘no larger than a watch. The’ thermaphone, as its inventor has named it, is much more sensitive than the usual telephone receiver, so that messages can be heard very much more clearly. A cross- continent phone ‘message, with perfect relays, can be heard as easily with a thermaphone as though the speaker were in the next room. There is none of the “buzzing”? sound that occasionally makes telephoning annoying. Moreover, it is much more silent. No one can hear they} message except the person receiving it. The transmitter is so sensinive,. also, that there is no need to speak loudly. The lower the voice the more clearly . can it be beard. This would enable several telephones to be in use at the same time in. a business office. Kae rinciple of the thermaphone-is simple. The Be oni by a loop of exceedingly fine platinum wire within a smal aluminum cover pierced with minute holes. Currents passing through the wire cause changes in temperature; — alternating from heat to cold with great rapidity. The — pemceaiet, expansions and contractions of the surrounding: 4 ir become evident as sound. ‘here i is little to get out of order, and the cost of manu- facture is less than. half a dollar. 2 The thermaphone is also good for the receiving af wire- less messages, and with one of these in his pocket, ae rather, in his ear, a man might walk along the street an hear constantly some of the more powerful wireless “me sages from aida se in their SHE ema : length to Which ie thanliaplont has been ‘tuned. tabulated: of this sae which causes a ne of many fhistsatias lars each year to one of the State’s most important cro The rural education depar tment of the State Colles Agriculture at Cornel] is responsible for the: cobrectnes the figures, on the basis that each ege ‘mass averages. A school of thirteen pupils in Clinton count lected 55,525 egg vlusters; one of thirty pupils in Sullivar county collected 20,000 clusters and another of only te pupils in Tompkins county collected 13,000 egg rings. Bs Phe en cae eerste hive heen. abundant. a i eggs, the: coming season, and an ounce of ‘prevention is, woth a pound of cure, 3 The eggs of the apple tree tent caterpillars were laid: July by the parent moths in rings around the smaller of eas pene cy cherry and even phon ne oe oe with the Grito If the eggs are ar de fa Lg a gi will build their wie Ww vebbed tents i the tent Paladin may - pees cy aati me three’ weeks of April by contests between different in the same school it both teachers and pupils. an Loieceale Tn ae to the ee of sii. lecting coite of this sort would be: ratte ioe for Boy Scouts ener between patrol rs wite\
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THE HELLO PUZZLE Can you get the ring off? This puzzle is the latest cre- ation of Yankee ingenuity. Apparently it is the easiest thing in the world to remove the ring ore ene piece but akes hours of stu to @iscover the trick, unless you know how it is Gone. Price by mail, postpaid, 10c.; 3 for 25ce, WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. SMALL COLLAPSIBLE PENCILS a 3 The name is a joke. It looks small enough ‘ while it is hanging on your watch-charm, and it is very handsome in design, prettily nickeled, and very compact. But just hand the end of it.to your friend, and it begins to untelescope until he imagines there is no end to it. Besides its ability to make fun, it is a good useful pencil, too. Price, T5¢e. each, by mail, postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 20th St., IN. Y. THE MAGIC NAIL. A common nail is given for examination, and then in- startly shown pierced through the. finger; and yet, when taken out, the finger is found to be perfectly uninjured, and the nail is again given Nicely finished. Price, 10e. by mail, postpaid. Cc. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City. LINK THE LINK PUZZLE. The sensation of the day. Pronounced by all, the meat baffling and scientific novelty out. Thousands have worked at it for hours without mas- tering it, still it can be done in two seconds by giving the links the proper twist, but un- _less you know how, the harder you twist them the tighter they grow. Price, 6c.; 3 for 15e.: one dozen, f0c., by mail, peeeP esa: WOLF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. to be examined. WIZARD'S PACK OF TRICK CARDS. A full pack of 63 cards, but by the aid of the instructions given, anyone cau perform the most wonderful tricks. Many of the feats exhibited are truly marvelous, and astonish and amuse a whole audience. Posi- : tively no sleight-of-hand, The yhole trick is in the cards. Price, 35e, by mail, postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. ; SLIDE THE PENCIL, The pencil guessing. Made of wood and lead just like an ordinary pen- cil, but when your victim starts to write with. it—presto! the lead disappears. It is so con- structed that the slightest pres- sure on the paper makes the lead slide into the wood. Very , funny and a practical joke. “Price, 10c. each by mail, postpaid; 3 for 25a FIFFS Se, Also known 4s Japanese butterfly. A pleasing novelty en- closed in an envelope. When the envelope is opened Fiffi will fly out through the air for several yards, Made of coloréd paper = to represent a butter- Ay six inches wide. Price, 190, WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. 2 HE SURPRISE FOUNTAIN FEN A novelty of the greatest merit! It looks just like a gen- . uine fountain pen. But it isn’t. That's where Bs the joke comes in. If Ou take off the cover, a nice, ripe, juicy lémon appears. ‘Then you sive the, friend You lend it to the merry ‘‘ha-ha. You Might call it an everlasting joke because you fan use it over and over again. Price, by il, postpaid, 10c. . *, LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’kIyn, N.Y. ORs * .PPEARING BILLIARD BALL.—A solid ijard ball, beautifully made, can be made ae ba in the bare hands with the sleeves do. ‘back to elbows. Very fine and easy do. A Price, $5e. VOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. X. £ £ "s . ge that keeps them ~— H. KF. LANG, 2815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. | GLASS SCOPES. \ This popular novelty is made of 44\ blown glass, and is to be filled with water. It then becomes a posmerent magnifier suitable for en- arging any smail object to an ex- traordinary size. Can be carried in the vest pocket. Price, 5c. each by mail postpaid. ¥. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’kiyn, N.Y. SEE-SAW PUZZLE. The most absorb- \\ ing puzzle seen for years. The kind you sit up half the night to do. The puzzle is to get both balls, one in each pocket. . Price, 10c.;.3 far 25c. by mail, postpaid. JAPANESE 'YWIELER. A wonderful imported paper novelty. By a simple manipu- Jation of the wooden handles a number of beautiful figures can be produced. It takes on several colors. Price, 10c., postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY 00. 29 W. 26th St, N. ¥.” JAPANESE TRICK KNIFE. “You can show the knife and into the flesh. The red blood appears on the blade of the knife, giving a startling effect to the spectators. The knife } is removed and the finger is | found in good condition. Quite an elfective | illusion. Price 10c. each by mail. FRANK SMITH, 383 Lenox Ave., N. Y. EE PICK-ME-OUT PUZZLN,. The head is finished in A black japan, and in the #mouth is a highly polished steel ball. The puzzle is to pick out the ball. Price, i0c.; 3 for 25e. by mail, postpaid. WOLFF NOVELTY Co. 29 W. 26th St., N. «ae Ee hc nase ee ne ee Rese SENS 2rd Pie ie ab \ POCKET FLASH LIGHT SQUIRT. } , z Made of decorated en- ; 5 ameled metal, represent- ing an exact flash pocket lighter; by pressing a but- ton instead of the bull’s eye, an electrically lght- ed up stream of water is ejected into the face of " new and amusing novelty. Price, 35e., postpaid. IMITATION CIGAR BUTT. It is made of a composition exactly resembling a lighted | cigar. The white ashes at the end and the imitation of to- bacco-leaf being perfect. You can carelessly place it on top of } pensive piece of furniture, and f await the result. After they see the joke everybody will have 2 good laugh. Price, ie. each by * mail, postpaid; 3 for 25c. C. BEUWR, 150 W. 62d St., New York Cit) ~PRICK CIGARETTE Box. This one is a corker! Get a have a barrel of joy. Here's the ger, under which you place «a paper cap. Offer your friend 2 smoke and he raises the lid of the box. That explodes the cap, and if you are wise you will get out of sight with the box before he gets over thinking he was i shot, Price, l&c., postpaid. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B'klyn, N. ¥ DUPLEX BYCYOLE WHISTLE. This is a double whistle, pro- ducing loud but very rich, har- monious sounds, entirely differ- ent from ordinary whisties. It ig just the thing for bicyclists or sportsmen, its peculiar double and resonant tones at once 2- tracting attention. It is an im- ported whistle, handsomely nickei plated, and will be found a very ‘useful and handy pocket Price, 10¢.; 3 for WOLFF NOVELTY CoO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. § box right away, if you want to. secret: It looks like an ordi- nary red box of Turkish ciga- | rettes. But it contains a trig- | | } | iy combinations of magnificent . instantly draw it across your! finger, apparently cutting deep ; OBACGO HABIT icine S dare, . it improve your health, prolong your life. No more stomach trouble, no foul breath, no heart weakness. Regain manly vigor, enlm nerves, clear eyes and superior mental strength, Whether you chew; or smoke pipe, Ree east cigars, in- teresting Tobacco Book. Worth its weight in gold. Matied free. E. 4. WOODS. 228 Station E, New York, N. Y. GREENBACKS Pack of $1,000) Stage Bilis, 10¢; 3 packs, 25c, Send for @ pack and show the boys what a WAD you carry. Cc. A. NICHOLS, JR., Box *. Wanted, $1 to 380) pald for Old Coins Miitreds’ of coins dated befor 1895. Send 1@e¢ forour illustrated coin yulue book 4x7; get posted, Clarke & Co., Boxys, Le Loy, N.¥ COMICAL ©UNNY FACES. This genuine laugh producer is made of nicely colored cardboard. A sharp, bent hook is at the back to attach it to the Japel of your coat. Hide one hand under the lape! and twitch the small, black thread. It will cause a red tongue to dart in and out of the mouth in the most comical mannér imaginable at the word of command. It is very mystifying, and never fails to produce a hearty laugh. Price, 6c. each by mail, C. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York Cit>. THE INK BLOT JOKER. Fool Your Friends, —The greatest novel- ty of the age! Have a joke which makes everybody laugh, More fun than any other novelty thut has been shown in years. Place it on a desk, tablecloth, 0: any piece of furniture, as shown in the above cut, near some valuable papers, or on fine weartig apparel. Watch the ree gult! Oh, Gee! Price, 15¢. each, postpaid. , Chili, N. ¥. ‘GC. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City. the spectator; an entirely | the tablecloth or any other ex- | 1 | POPSET EES Ba WBE SSE TRICK PUZZLB. ~ * PURSE.— The first at- tempt usually made to. open it, is to press down the Nttle knob in the centre of purse, when @ small needle runs out and stabs them in the finger, but does not open it. You can open it ‘be- fore their eyes ahd still they will be unable to open it. Price by mail, postpaid, 25c, each. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥.. THE MYSTIC RING. A Brand-New Trick, Just Out.—Puzziing, Mystifying and Per- Mi plexing. A metal ring is handed around for AEA RS ° 2 eG | examination, and is found to be solid, unbroken WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. | japanned iron. A cane, a pencil or a string is held tightly at each end by a spectator. The performer lightly taps the cane with the ring, and the ring suddenly is seen to be on- circling. the cane. Iiow did the ring pass the apectator's two hands and get on the cane? The most mystifying trick-ever invented. Others charge 75 cents for this trick; b=t our price, including instruction, is 12¢., postpali. WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. RISING PENCIL. -——The performer ¢ex- hibits an ordinary pencil and shows !t top and bottom. ‘The pencil is laid on thr palm, the perfortner calling attention to his hypnotic power over innate objects The pencil is seon slowly to rise, fo)- lowing the move- ments of the other The witnesses are asked to pass their it to assure themselves no Price, %5e. hand. hand (around thread or hair is used. C. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New Yori City, LIGHTNING TRICK BOX. ; tartling and plessing iltve As aton -: '- “The ways of the world ara ¥ says Maithew Arnold. b e ways of the Lightaing Trick Box witen properly handl<< are admitted to be puzzling aux uncertain. You take off the iid and show your friends that it ‘# full of nice candy. Replase the 5 lid, when you can solemnly aeaur your friends that you can instantly empty tho Dox in’thefr presence without opening it; on taking off the lid again, sure enough the candy hes disappeared. Or yeu can changa ths
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“THE FiwGER THROUGH THE HAT. Having borrowed 2 hat from your friend, push your Jinger through the crown of it, and it is seen to move about. ‘Though very amusing to cthers, the owner of the hat does, not see the joke, but thinks it meanness ‘to destroy his hat, yet when it is returned it 6 perfectly uninjured. Price, i0c. each by mail. WOLF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St. N. ¥. CRAWLING BUGS These giant beetles are beauti- fully enameled in natural, brilliant colors. There is a roller. under- neath, actuated by hidden springs. When the roller is wound up the bug crawls about in the most life- like manner. Try one on the maid if you want to enjoy yourself. Price, 12e. each, by mail, postpaid. C. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., New York City. ‘THE MAGNETIC TOP. A handsome metal, highly magnetized toy, A horseshoe and a spiral fi wire furnished with } @ach top, When spun next to the wires, they make the most surpris- ing movements. You can make wires of dif- ferent shapes and get the most peculiar ef- fects, Price, 5c., post- paid. 'WOLE rE NOVELTY CG 29 Ww: 26th St., N. ¥. 4 THE JOKER'S CIGAR. The biggest sell of the sea- son, A. real cigar made of tobacco, but secreted in the * center of cigar about one-half inch from end is a fountain of sparklets. The moment the fire reaches this fountain hundreds of sparks’ of fire burst forth in every direction, to the astonishment of the smoker. The fire _is, stage fire, and will not burn the skin or clething. After the fireworks the victim can ‘continue smoking the cigar to the end. Price, ‘10¢.; 8 for 25c; 1 dozen, 90c., mailed, post- paic, : H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. Y. ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY 1 plays. GET A COP you the latest number issued. “Moving Pi A Weekly Magazine devoted to Photoplays and Players - BEAUTIFUL COLORED COVER DESIGNS suc New portraits of actors and actresses every week ~ f ) - THE BURNING CIGARETTE. SOTERA os The greatest trick joke out. A perfect imitation of a smoul- dering cigarette with bright red fire. the wisest. It fools WOLFF NOVELTY CoO., Send 10c. and we will mail oy 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥. DELUSION TRICK, A. magic littie box in three parts that Js very mystify- . ing to those not in the trick. ' A coin placed on a piece of paper disappears by dropping a nickel ring around it from the magic box. Made of hard wood two inches in diameter, Price, 12¢. H. F. LANG, 1815 Centre St), B’klyn, N. Y. Gumazmbo) ETRE AE I ae GLASS PEN.—Patent glass pen, with nice @ip, writes like any ordinary. pen; each put up in wooden box. l Price, 10c., postpaid. WOLEF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. ¥, MAGIC COXINER. A mystifying and See trick. Tin ~ blanks are placed unden wr the little tin cup and apparently coined into dimes. A real money- maker. Price, 20c. WOLEF NOVELTY Co., 29 W. 26th St., N. ©. GIANT SAW PUZZLE. This puzzle contains twenty-one pieces of wood nicely finished; take them apart and put them together same as illustrated. Everybody would like to try it, as it is very fascinating. Price, by mail, postpaid, 2%a each. 62d St., New York City. Cc, BEHR, 150 W. FOUR WEEKS (A LOUD BOOK). Has the absolute and exact shape of a book in cloth. Up- on the opening of the book, after having it set up accord- ing to directions furnished, a loud report similar to that’ of a plstol-shot will- be heard, much to the amazement and surprise of the victim. Caps not mailable; at any toy store. Price, 65¢. by mail, postpaid, WOLFF NOVELTY CO., 29 W. ee SES Ay Min estas eS Ar ens FE > JAPANISE DIVER The strangest toy on the market. They are made in Japan and look like a little red mandaria, manikin tridge to which a pair attached, By making two pin-hoies in the cartridge, attaching it to the figure, and immersing it Jn a glass _» of water the little figure will dart ~up and down for an hour like a oS, ~UMs real diver. each, postpaid. 3 Fr. LANG, 1815 Centre St., B’klyn, N. jie KNITTER Every boy who wants a whip-lash, pair of reins, or similar, kind should have a Knitter. Anybody can it. The most beautiful de- signs can be made by using colored worsteds with this handy little ongect: It is handsomely lacquered, str ongly made, and the wires are very durable. Price, 10c. each, by mail, Cc. BEHR, 150 W. 62d St., NEW SURPRISE NOVELTY. Foxy Grandpa, Mr. Peewee and other comical faces ar- tistically colored, ig attached a long’ rubber tube, connected with a rub- ber ball, which can be fille with water, the rubber ball being carried in the pocket, a slight pressure on the bulb causes 2, sult can postpaid, easily be seen, Price, 15¢., Postpaid. ‘ WOLFE NOVELTY CO., 29 W. 26th St., N. Y. WE WANT YOU TO READ EVERY NUMBER CONTAINS Six Gripping Stories, based on the latest and best films, each profusely illustrated with fine half-tones of scenes in thee Photographs and Biographies of the most celebrated Photoplay actors and actresses. Loree Articles relating to Moving Pictures, written by the greatest authorities in the film business. _ News Notes from the studios about the doings of everybody of prominence connected with the” pcre laas: - Scenario Hints and the names of all the companies who may buy the plays you write. x Poems, Jingles, Jests and every bright feature calculated to interest both young and old. ~MOW from your newsdealer, or send us 5 FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher 68 West 23d ‘Street. i icture Stories” Absolutely the finest little publication on the news- tans B® PRICE 5 CENTS A COPY em | THIRTY-TWO PAGES Bae | FINE HALF-TONE FRONTISPIECES Get a copy of this weekly magazine and see whatitis | 5 centy in money or postage stamps, and we will mail - can be boug it 26th St. Ne -Y. Each. is furnished with a car- of legs are Price, by mail, 25 cents — New York City. long stream, the re-— at Sb! any other knitted article of ork
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—LATEST ISSUES 861 Young Jack Dashaway; or, Something Doing on the Road. By Allan Arnold. 862 “Rex” and “Jex’; or, The Two Schools at Schooner Head. By Allyn Draper. * 863 A Modern Paul Revere; or, How a Wrong Was Avenged. By Jas. C. Merritt. 864 sat Merry’s Money; or, Fooling Away a Fortune. By Cornelius ea. ri 865 Ned Blaze; or, The Charmed Life of a Boy Fireman. By Ex- Fire Chief Worden. 5 866 Jack Wall of Wall Street; or, The Boy Who Broke the Big Dea _ _, By H. K. Shackleford. patghe i 867 The Frozen Frigate; or, To the North Pole After a Million. By Capt. Thos. H. Wilson. 4 868 Freshman Fred; or, A Lively First Year at College. By Berton Bertrew. 869 Barnum’s Bowery Boy; or, the Actor Who Saved New York. By Allan Arnold. 870 Only a Kid; or, A Country Lad’s Adventure in the Great City By. Cornelius Shea. Old Sixty-Four; or, Bound to Be on Time. By Jas. C. Merritt. 872 Two Little Waifs; or, The Perils of New York. By Richard R Montgomery. 873 N ‘and Ned, the Boy Firemen of Athol; or, Always on Duty yEx-Fire Chief Worden. 874 Little Dap | aoe or, A City Boy in the Wild West. By An Old Secor 875 Joe Wiley, | Koung Tamipetiieiee Lecturer. By Jno. iowd. . 876 Young Griz dams, the Wild Beast Tamer, a Tr tory of Cireus Li ¥ Hal Standish. 877 Lost in the Airy or, Over Rand and Sea. By Allyn Draper. For sale by all newsdealers, ox will be sent to any address on receipt of price, 5 cents per copy, 10 money or postage siainps, Dy — FRANK TOUSEY, Publier, - - - - - | 894 Robinson Crusoe, Jamia? James C. Merritt. t Pe wD iwU CEs } ‘et iets Little Demon; or, Plotting. Against the aie: et Howard ‘ ustin. . 879 Doublequick, the King Hep osne or, The Wonder of the Whalers. By Capt. Thomas H. Wilson. : 880 The School-Boy Explorers; or, Among the tle of Yucatan. By Howard Austin. 881 The Island King; or, The Realms of the Sea. By Berton Bertrew. 882 The Ghosts of Black Cliff Hall. By Hal Standish. (i 883 Rory of the Hills; or, The Outlaws of Tipperary. By Corpora Morgan Rattler. a 884 Across the Continent in the Air. By Allyn Draper. 885 The Wolf Hunters of Minnesota. By James C. Me ritt. 886 ey Lee, the Young Light-house Keeper. By Capt. Thomas Vilson. 887 ie hone Mountain, a Story of Exciting Adventure. By Howar ustin 888 The Lost Treasure Ship; or, In Search of a “Million in Gold. By Capt. Thomas Hi. Wilson. ss9 On Board the School-ship ‘St. Mary's; or, The Pineky Fight of { eth Orphan. By James.C. Merritt. 890 Dashing Dick, the Young Cadet; or, Four Years at West Poin By Gen. James A. Gordon. 891 Stanley’s Boy Magician; or, Lost in Africa By Jas. C. Merrit 892 Roddy the Call Boy; or, Born to Be An Actor. By Gus William: 893 Lost at the South Pole; or, The Kingdom of Ice. By Cap Thos. H. Wilson. ‘ + + + 168 West 23d St. New York IF POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN THE ea. AS MONEY. FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, ~- - - e U WANT ANY BACK NUMBERS of our weeklies and cannot procure them from newsdealers, they can be obtained from this office direct. Write out al fill {n your Order and send it to us with the price of the weeklies you want and we will send them to you by return ma Ae ie No. 46. HOW TO MAKE AND USE ELEC- RAPHER.—Containing useful information re- with figures and the magies of numbers. TRICITY.—A description of the wonderful | garding the Camera and how to work it; also A. Anderson. . Fully fllustrated. uses of electricity and electro magnetism; to- how to make Photographic Magic Lantern i. HOW We TO WRIT LETTE pitts with full instructions for making Blec- Slides and other Transparencies. Handsomely _CORRECTLY.—Con ning full "instruct To B, patience etc. By George Trebel, illustrated. for writing letters almost any subje MD Containing over fifty illustra- No. 62. HOW TO BECOME A WEST | also rules for punctuation and compo ona POINT MILITARY CADET.—Explains how with specimen letters. % No. 4%. HOW TO BREAK, RIDE AND to gain admittance, course of Study, Examina- DRIVE A HORSE.—A complete treatise on tions, Duties, Staff of Officers, Post Guard, Po- |‘ —Contalning the horse. Describing the most useful horses lice Regulations, Fire Department, and all a Cups and Ball for business, the best horses for the road; boy should know to be a cadet. By Lu Senar- six tllustrations * also valuable recipes for Ct peculiar to ens. No. %6. HO the Hare No. 638. HOW TO BECOME A NAVAL "1 No. “HOW TO BUILD "AND SAIL CADET.—Complete {Instructions of how to gain CANOES.— handy book for boys, contain- | admission to the Annapolis Naval Academy. : ing full e@tions for constructing canoes and Also containing the course of instruction, de- telling future eve the mo ular manner of sailing them. seription of grounds and buildings, historical ne ete. Tilus e Fully il rated. sketch, and éverything a boy should know to |- ries ow TO DO FORTY TRIC! No, 49. HO 'O DEBATE.—Giving rules become an officer in. the United States Navy. witht CAR S.—Containing deceptive GC: for conducting ates, outlines for debates, Pe Lu Senarens. Tricks as Ber ipmand by leading conjurers @ uestions for discussion, and the best sources No. 64. HOW TO MAKE ELECTRICAL | magicians. ranged for le amuseme gor OF praia information on the question | wACGHINES.—Containing full directions for | Fully imeenet n. i making electrical machines, ‘nduction coils, No. 78. HOW TO DO TH BLACK NG. 50. HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND AN- dynamos, and many novel toys to be worked | —Containing a complete description of t IMALS.—A valuable book, giving Instructions | by electricity. By R. A. R. Bennet. Fully | mysterles of Magic and Slelght-of-Han SA collecHnss arene wren, and pre- | {nustrated. gether with many wonderful experiments. zerving birds, : No. 65. MULDOON’S JOKES..—The most | 4. Anderson. MTilustrated. No. 51. HOW TO DO TRICKS. WITH | oripinal JoKe ab. aver piblictedieandmte ne No. 79. HOW TO BECOME AN ACTO CARDS,——Containing explanations € 660- | primful of wit and humor. Jt contains a | Containing complete instructions how eral principles of sleight-ef-hand applicable | jarge collection of songs, jokes, conundrums, | make up for various characters on the s fo cara tricks, ef card tricks with ordinary etc., of Terrence Muldoon, ‘the great wit, hu- | together with the duties of the Stage Ma cards, and not requiring sleight-of-hand; ef | jorist, and practical joker of the day. Prompter, Scenic Artist Es Reopen ies fnratene, Siri abett, tage | Ne eh, HOW. TO DO, Usa Ee con | odtiatty GUY Rime vate, Soka of Pia at y prepared car ustri kee : 5 ontaining e latest jokes, ins C flow Ww TO PLA® CARDS. —Giving taining over three hundred interesting puzzles funny stories of this world-renowned _ete. Fully explained by - Buchre, Cribbage, Casine, Forty-Five, Rounce, Pedro Sancho, Draw Peker, Auction Pitch, All Fours, and many other popular games of for and conundrums, with key to same. A com- vane. satel and full directions for playing plete hook. Fully illustrated. i No. 6%. HOW TO DO ELECTRICAL the author. © TRICKS.—Containing a large collection of in- structive and highly amusing electrical tricks, ing the most approved methods ‘of mesn comedian. Sixty-four pages; handsome ec ored cover, containing a half-tone photo) No. °81, HOW TO MESMERIZE Conti cards. No. 58, HOW TO WRITE LETTERS. ner together with illustrations. - By A. Anderson. | ism; animal magnetism, or, magnetic he wonderful little beok, telling you how to write No. 68. HOW TO-DO CHEMI@AL TRICKS. | jn rot. Leo Hugo Koch, A.C.S. autho to your sweetheart, y father, mother, sis- | —Containing over one hundred highly amus- | of o Hypnotize," ete. ter, brother, employerjvand, in fact, every- ing and instructive tricks with chemicals. By No HOW TO DO PALMISTRY body and anybody you wish to write to. A. Anderson. Handsomely Illustrated, x tainin e most approved methoaa tae) No. 54. HOW TO KEE D MANAGE No. 69. HOW TO DO SLEIGHT-OF-HAND ing the lines on the hand, together with a f PETS.—Giving complete inf tien as to the —Containing over fifty ofthe latest and ' | explanation of their meaning. Also expla manner and method of raising, keeping, tam- tricks used by magicians. Also containin ing phrenology, and the key for telling ch ing breeding, and managing all kinds of pets; secret of second sight. Fully fllustrated. acter by the ops on the head. B: also giving full instructions for making cages, No. 70. HOW TO MAKE MAGIC TO Hugo Koch, Fully illustrated. — _ STAMPS trated. ‘arranging TRICKS,—Containi y-elght illus- Containing full directions for making M. fic No. ; O HYPNOTIZE,—Cont Toys and devices of many kinds. Fu y illus- e r tion of hypnotism. informa- No. 71. HOW £0 DO CHANICAL Y approved metho tion regarding the collectin complete instructions leading hypn: of stamps and coins. illustrated. for performing over sixty Mechanical he: | the world. By © Hugo Koch, a No. 56. HOW TO CO _ AN EN- Fully illustrated. No. 84. HOW TO BECOME AN A GINEER.—Containing fait Tamastions how to No. 72. HOW TO DO SIXTY TRICKS —Containing information regarding chi become a lecomotive engineer; also directions WITH GaRbe mnibracine’ all of the latest subjects, the ‘of words and the for building a’ mode! locomotive; together and most deceptive card tricks, with {llus- preparing ane ubmitting manuscrip with a full baa ee of everything an en- trations. containing valuable information as gineer should kno No.- 73. HOW TO DO TRICKS WITH neatness, legibility and general — co: No. 60. HOW ‘To BECOME A PHOTOG- NUMBERS.—Showing For sale by all newsdealers, or will be sent to any address 0) receipt of price, 10 ae copy, or 8 for 25 cts., FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher, . - : 3 ioe a Ss ‘ many curious tricks of manuscript. .