8opyright 1813.3 !%~ . •>Y Beadl e & A<lams. Ent.. ·red at Po~t Ot'flce. New York , N. Y., as second class m a tter . l\ta r.15, 1899. THE ARTHUR WESTBROOK CO. No. 58 Cleveland, Ohio Vol. V DUCK DR.AOGKU THE BOUND ANO G.t.GG&ll 11.411' &>n'O SMALL. DARK. APARTKltNT, AND LOCK KD THE DOOR. hn" rlght 1883-1889, by Beadle&: Adams. Entered at Post Oll1ce, New York, N. Y., as second ClllS!!. matter. Mar. lb,~ THE• ARTHUR WESTBROOK CO. No.58 Cleveland, O hio Vol. V • Here, numerous rows •A hou90S have for yean bean converted into offices, which are occuvted Buck Hawk, Detective: hy perhaps as many di1ferent tradM and pro­ OR, fessions as there are rooms. Into the second story front room of one of tb0110 buildings, the gentleman ushered Turk., The Messenger Boy's Fortune. and bade him be seated, until he returned; afte:­ whicb be went down-stairs. BY EDWARD L WHEELER, The apartment was meagerly furnished, tbe AUTHOR OF "DEADWOOD DICK" NOVELS, ETC. floor being covered with oilcloth, and a desk, several office chairs, a few pictures on the wall CHAPTER I. forming the rem11inder of the furnitu;·e. AN ARTFUL DODGER. Having nothing else to do, Turk amused him· "CAN you furnish mB with a trusty messen­ self with looking at the pictures, which were of ger boy for a couple of hours-one, mind you, men whose faces were anything but ro their who is reliable in every se>nse of the word, and credit. quick-strung, in the bargain1'' "Sporters, or I'm a shad!" the boy muttered. This question was addressed to the clerk at the "That feller wi' the eyes cut bias, looks like (l'lceiving window of a branch office of the Skin the Slugger, who got ninety m Moya, for Western Union Telegraph Co. in Philadelphia, liftin' pocketbooks. Wonder what sort of 11 one morning previous to the opening of the rooster keeps this rancbi Must be 'quaint wi' Bi-Centennial celebration in the Quaker City. the rascals o' Pbila." The inquirer was a portly man of perhaps Jerome. St. Clair, as be bad introduced hiID­ fifty years, well-dressed, and the possessor of a self to the boy, soon returned. short-cropped gray beard, st.tiely-gray eyes, of "Well, I'm ready for r.ou," be said, banding hawkish intensity, and hair to match his beard. a sealed letter to Turk. • You are to take tba~ He had the appearance of being a man who Jetter to my residence, and deliver it to my was well-to-do, and who bad no cause to com­ daughter. If she is not in, you can giv~ it to plain at the way the world used him. some one of tbe servants, who will give you fl "All our messengers are out, hut if you will package, which you are to hasten back with, wait a moment, probably some of tbem will be and deliver to me at the Broad street dep<>t. in, and I can supply your wante," the clerk said, You will find me tbere in the waiting-room. B9 gazing at the inquirer through a pail· of breen spry, nqw, and I will make you a present on goggles. - your return." , In the course of ten minutes a messenger-boy "But give us yer directions," demanded entered. Turk. "Got a number, hain't yei" He was a strong, sturdy lad of fifteen, with an "Certainlv. HAre is my card, which will open, honest face, a shrewd peering pair of eyes, enable you to find my residence without trouble. aud wore an expression of goorl humor. Here is some money for street-car fare. Now, He was attired in the neat regulation uniform then, be oft'." of a W. U. mes..enger boy, and was rather And Turk needed no second warning. dashing looking, with his cap cocked a little to Already gigantean air-castles were building one side of hi3 curly bead. before bis mind's eye in anticipation of the "Hillo, Billy!" be cried, tos.~ing his book to promised reward for alacrity, the clerk. " What's the next racket? Made a The card read: quarter out o' last trip. Jest con1J_ect me wi' JlilROME ST CLAIR, another secb a job, ef ye please." ~ _ The clerk looked over at the man who was DIAMOND MEROBAN'l, waiting. " Here's a boy that will be likt0ly to suit you, No. - N'T•I 17Tn STREET, sir," be said; whereupon _the gentleman came (Private House.) Pailad'a, Pa. forward, and gave the boy a cnt1Cising glance. "What's your name1'' be asked, sharply. And it Is needless to say that the messenget "Turk, sir," was the prompt answer. boy was not long in landing in front of the im­ "Turk1' the gentleman exclaimed, in sur- posing mansion which bore the diamond-dealer'a prise. "Turk whRt1'' name upon the door-plate. " Dunno. Reckon nothin' but Turk, from Accustomed to ringing door-bells, he gave the Black-cat Alley. Never was called anything knob a tremendous pull, which speedily brought ehe." a frowsy-beaded Iriab-woman, with a red, "Strange name. Well, my boy, I am about freckled face, to the door. to engage your services for a little while pro­ "Ph11t the loikea of yez m'ane by pullia' IO Tiding you know where Jerome St, Clair \ives, bard av of the dure-belU" she cried augr(ly. on North Seventeenth street." " Oh, go refrigerate yourselfl" Turt iretortecl. "Dunno. Give's the number, and I can root "I want to see the bosi!'s darter." out the rest." • "Yez can'• see her, ye omadhaun. It's DOt ht "Very well. What will be the charges, she is, at all." cle;k1'' "Bahl ye can't stuff me. rve got am~ The clerk named the amount, whloh was for her." promptly paid, after which Tnrk and his em­ "Let me have it thin." p&oyer let• the office, and proceeded t.o Walnut · "Like blazes! The boss sent me, and -.Id I street, near Eighth. • waa to wait until his gal came in," •* • "' Thin come along wid ye an' wait on the "Why, of course. Uncle has sent for the cheer in the hall till the young miss returns; an' hundred-thousand-dollar set of diamonds, which arlnc1 lad, I'll bave an eye kept onto yez." be bas tried so long to dispose of. I gueS11 it "K.erect, Biddy. But ain't you goin' to ax will be all the 118.1De if I give them to you. _ 111e in.to tbe parlorr• Wait!" " Not a oit of it. Sit yez right forninst the Sbe left the parlor, and Turk h011rd her trip­ cheer in the ball1 and if yez stir an incb 1'11 send ping up the stairs for the jewels. the nagur up to oounce yez." "It's a shame " he muttered "bow sum folk~ Presuming that Miss St. Clair was in the can waste their ~ash on gew-g~ws, while tberest house, Tnrlt took possession of the prGft'ered o' us have to dig like f11n to get PnufI ter eat! chair in the richly-furnisbed ball, and witb a Wish I were rich as Jay Gould! I'd pop the parting nod of warning .Biddy i:etired to the question to Miss Etta, sure I" iiomestic quarten. Wishing bad never made Turk rich yet, and Turk bad not waited long when a young so he knew there was no use for him t-0 consider woman, or, more appropriately, a girl, of such a thing. about tbe boy's own age, came down the wind­ Miss Evelyn soon returned and handed Turk ing stairs. a jewel-case, wrappffi up in paper. She was 11eatly, yet rather plainly attired, "There! You are to take tbat dire('t to Mr. but this fact did not detract from l.er exquisite St. Clair," she enjoined, "and be very careful beauty. A perfect mold of face and petite fig­ that you don·t lose it, or mak ~ a mistake whom ure, with soft, dreamy, hlue eyes, a tempting you gh-e it to, for if you •hould, mercy only mouth, and rare bealtb·tinted complexion knows wbat they would do with us." made her at once an object for attmct10n and "Oh, never you fear! He'll get this box all admiration. hunky, if I don't get struck wi' lightning," was She uttered a little cry at sight of Turk, who his confident assertion. " I suppose ye'll recker­ wllS staring at ber in wonderinj!; admiration, nise a feller, ef I should happen to meet ye, at "Great guns! ain't sbe a stunner? Ef my the Bi-Centen1" ,;bank acconnt were a little larger I'd go fer her, "Of course l shall," responded the young lady, regular Cupid style," were his unuttered as sbe ushered him out. "Be careful of the dia­ thoughts as be pa used at the foot of the stairs monds." in evident astonishment. "But I will!" Turk r eplied. as he strode 9way "Whnt are you doing beref' she asked. down the street, whistling merrily, and wishing "Sittin' down," Turk replied , with a grin. he was a millionaire. "Tbe Irish stew sed as how I •hould wait here; At tbe Broad Street Station of the P ennsyl­ didn'$ ax pie into the parlor," vania ltailroad, Turk .found the man who had ".Obi you are a telegraph boy'I'' employed him for the errand pacing to and fro "Not mu<:! h.