Dan, the Newsboy, Jr. Horatio Alger [fantasy novels to read txt] 📗

id="Page_250">[Pg 250] afraid your business will suffer while you are wandering about."

John Hartley had already written to London, and he was prepared to wait three weeks or more for an answer to his proposition. Meanwhile he had one source of uneasiness. His funds were getting low, and unless Harriet Vernon responded favorably to his proposal, he was liable to be seriously embarrassed. He had on previous similar occasions had recourse to the gaming-table, but Fortune did not always decide in his favor. He did not dare to hazard the small sum he had on hand, lest want of success should imperil the bold scheme for obtaining an income at his child's expense.

At this critical point in his fortunes he fell in with a Western adventurer, who, by a sort of freemasonry, recognizing Hartley's want of character, cautiously sounded him as to becoming a partner in a hazardous but probably profitable enterprise. It was to procure some genuine certificates of stock in a Western railway for a small number of shares, say five or ten, and raise them ingeniously to fifty and a hundred, and then pledge them as collateral in Wall street for a corresponding sum of money.

John Hartley, if an honest man, would have indignantly declined the overtures; but he was not endowed with Roman virtue. He made a cautious[Pg 251] investigation to ascertain how great was the danger of detection, and how well the enterprise would pay. The answer to the second question was so satisfactory that he made up his mind to run the necessary risk. Blake and he came to a definite understanding, and matters were put in train. Certificates were readily obtained, and by the help of a skillful accomplice, who did the work for a specified sum, were ingeniously raised tenfold.

Then Blake, assuming the dress and manners of a thriving business man from Syracuse, negotiated a loan, pledging the raised certificate as collateral. The private banker put it away among his securities without a doubt or suspicion, and Blake and Hartley divided a thousand dollars between them.

John Hartley was very much elated by his success. The pecuniary assistance came just in the nick of time, when his purse was very low.

"It's a good thing to have more than one string to your bow," he thought. "Not but that my little game in getting hold of the child is likely to pay well. Harriet Vernon will find that I have the whip-hand of her. She must come to my terms, sooner or later."

At that very moment Harriet Vernon was embarking at Liverpool on a Cunard steamer. She had received the letter of her brother-in-law, and decided to answer it in person.

[Pg 252]

CHAPTER XXXV. DAN DISGUISES HIMSELF.

For several days Dan strolled about Harlem, using his eyes to good advantage. As a pretext he carried with him a few morning papers for sale. Armed with these he entered shops and saloons without exciting surprise or suspicion. But he discovered not a trace of the lost girl.

One day, as he was riding home in the Third avenue cars, there flashed upon his mind a conviction that he was on a wrong scent.

"Is it probable that the man who carried away Althea would give the right direction so that it could be overheard by a third party? No; it was probably meant as a blind, and I have been just fool enough to fall into the trap."

So Dan's eyes were partially opened.

Before the day was over they were wholly opened. He met John Hartley on Broadway toward the close of the afternoon.

"Well, have you heard anything of your sister?" he asked, with an appearance of interest.

[Pg 253]

"Not yet," answered Dan.

"That's a pity. Do you go up to Harlem every day?"

"Yes."

"Keep on, you will find her in time."

After they parted, Dan, happening to look back, detected a mocking glance in the face of his questioner, and a new discovery flashed upon him. Hartley was making a fool of him. He had sent him to Harlem, purposely misleading him.

"What can be his object?" thought Dan. "Can he have had anything to do with the abduction of Althea?"

This was a question which he could not satisfactorily answer, but he resolved to watch Hartley, and follow him wherever he went, in the hope of obtaining some clew. Of course he must assume some disguise, as Hartley must not recognize him.

Finally Dan decided upon this plan.

He hired a room on East Fourth street for a week, and then sought an Italian boy to whom he had occasionally given a few pennies, and with some difficulty (for Giovanni knew but little English, and he no Italian) proposed that the Italian should teach him to sing and play "Viva Garibaldi." Dan could play a little on the violin, and soon qualified himself for his new business.

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At a second-hand shop on Chatham street he picked up a suit of tattered velvet, obtained a liquid with which to stain his skin to a dark brown, and then started out as an Italian street musician. His masquerade suit he kept in his room at East Fourth street, changing therefrom his street dress morning and evening. When in full masquerade he for the first time sang and played, Giovanni clapped his hands with delight.

"Will I do, Giovanni?" asked Dan.

"Yes, you do very well. You look like my brother."

"All right."

Giovanni was puzzled to understand why Dan took so much pains to enter upon a hard and unprofitable profession, but Dan did not enlighten him as to his motive.

He thought it most prudent to keep his secret, even from his mother. One day he met her on the sidewalk, and began to sing "Viva Garibaldi."

Mrs. Mordaunt listened without a suspicion that it was her own son, and gave him two pennies, which he acknowledged by a low bow, and "Grazia, signora."

"Poor boy! Do you earn much money?" she asked.

"I no understand English," said Dan.

"I hope his padrone does not beat him," said Mrs.[Pg 255] Mordaunt to herself. "I hear these poor boys are much abused. I wonder if I can make him understand? Have you a padrone?" she asked.

"Si, signora, padrone," answered Dan.

"Does he beat you?"

"I no understand."

"It is no use; he doesn't understand English. Here is some more money for you," and she handed him a five-cent coin.

"Its a wise mother that knows her own child," thought Dan. "Hallo! there's Hartley. I'll follow him."

Hartley boarded a University Place car, and Dan jumped on also.

"I wonder where he's going?" thought our hero.

Italian boys so seldom ride that the conductor eyed Dan with some suspicion.

"Five cents," he demanded.

Dan produced the money.

"I thought you might be expecting to ride for nothing," said the conductor. "Seems to me you're flush for an Italian fiddler."

"No understand English," said Dan.

"And I don't understand your lingo."

A charitable lady inside the car chanced to see Dan, and it occurred to her that she would do him a service.

[Pg 256]

"Can you sing, my boy?" she asked.

"I sing a little," answered Dan.

"If the conductor doesn't object, you may sing while we are on our way. Here's ten cents for you."

Dan bowed and took the money.

"You can sing and play," said the conductor, good-naturedly.

Dan was not at all desirous of doing this, for Hartley sat only three feet from him, and he feared he might recognize him, but it would not be in character to refuse, so he began, and sang his one air, playing an accompaniment. Several of the passengers handed him small coins, among them Hartley.

"How well he sings!" said the charitable lady.

"I can't agree with you, ma'am," said Hartley. "I would rather give him money to stop."

"His voice strikes me as very rich, and the Italian is such a beautiful language."

Hartley shrugged his shoulders.

"I have heard a good deal better performers even among the street boys," said Hartley.

"So have I," said Dan to himself. "He doesn't suspect me; I am glad of that."

Hartley remained in the car till it reached the Astor House, and so, of course, did Dan. In fact, Hartley was on his way to Brooklyn to pay another installment[Pg 257] to the guardians of the little girl whom he had carried off. Dan, therefore, was in luck.

Hartley kept on his way to Fulton Ferry, Dan following at a prudent distance.

Had Hartley looked back, he would have suspected nothing, for he had not penetrated Dan's disguise, and would therefore have been quite at a loss to understand any connection between the street musician and himself.

They both boarded the same ferry-boat, and landed in Brooklyn together.

At this moment Hartley turned round, and his glance fell upon Dan.

"Hallo! you here?" he said, with surprise.

"Si, signor," answered Dan, bowing deferentially.

"What brings you to Brooklyn?"

"I sing, I play," said our hero.

"And you do both abominably."

"I no understand English," said Dan.

"It is lucky you don't, or you might not like my compliment."

"Shall I sing 'Viva Garibaldi?'" asked our hero, innocently.

"No—good heavens, no! I've had enough of your squeaking. Here, take this money, and don't sing."

"Si, signor," answered Dan, assuming a look of bewilderment.

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Hartley prepared to board a car, which was not yet ready to start. Dan rapidly decided that it would not do for him to follow Hartley any farther. It would certainly arouse his suspicions. But must he abandon the pursuit? That would not do either. Looking about him, his eye fell on a bright-looking newsboy of about twelve.

"Do you want to make some money, Johnny?" he asked.

The boy surveyed him with astonishment.

"Did you speak to me, Garibaldi?" he asked, jocosely.

"Yes, but I am no Italian," said Dan, rapidly. "I am on the track of that man, but he suspects me. I will give you a dollar if you will jump on the car and find out where he goes."

"Where's the dollar?" asked the boy, cautiously.

"Here. Pay your expenses out of it, and I will pay you back when you report to me."

"Where will I find you?"

"Here. I will stay till you come back."

"It's a bargain."

"Hurry; the car is starting."

The newsboy ran, jumped on the car, and it moved on.

"It is the best thing I could do," thought Dan. "I hope the boy is sharp, and won't lose sight of him. I[Pg 259] feel sure that he had something to do with carrying off poor little Althea."

For two hours Dan lingered near the ferry, playing occasionally by way of filling up the time. It seemed to be a good location, for he received from fifty to sixty cents from passers-by.

"When hard times come," thought Dan, "I shall know what to do. I will become an Italian street singer."

After two hours the newsboy jumped off an incoming car, and approached Dan.

"Did you find out where he went?" asked Dan, eagerly.

"Yes," answered the boy.

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CHAPTER XXXVI. DAN MAKES A DISCOVERY.

Dan's eyes sparkled with joy at the success of his plan.

"Now tell me," he said, drawing the newsboy aside to a place where they would not be overheard.

"First give me my car fare."

"All right. Here's a quarter. Never mind the change."

"You've made a fortun' by fiddling, you have," said the newsboy, in surprise.

"I am not a fiddler. I am a detective."

The newsboy whistled.

"You're a young one."

"Never mind that. Go ahead with your story."

The newsboy described his following Hartley to Donovan's.

Hartley went in, and he directly afterward.

"What sort of a place is it?" asked Dan.

"It's a saloon."

"Perhaps he only went in for a drink," suggested Dan, uneasily.

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"No, he didn't call for nothing to drink. I saw him take out some money and give to the man and the woman."

"What man and what woman?"

"They was the Donovans."

"How long did you stay?"

"Ten minutes. I axed old Donovan to buy a paper, and he wouldn't. Then I sat down for a minute, makin' believe I was tired. They looked at me, but I didn't appear to be noticin' 'em, and they let me stay."

"Did you see anything of a little girl?" asked Dan, eagerly.

"Yes, there was a little gal came in. The woman called her Katy."

Dan's spirits sank. It was Mrs. Donovan's daughter, he feared, not the child he was seeking.

"How did she look? How old was she?"

"About five or six years old."

He added a description of the little girl which quite revived Dan's hopes, for it answered in every respect to Althea.

"Did you hear the little girl say anything?"

"Yes, she told her mother she wanted to see Dan."

Dan's eyes glistened. It was Althea, after all.

"It's all right," he said. "You needn't tell me any more.