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Ican‘t tell till Igit it out of the linin‘; darls a hole in do bottom of the
pocket, an‘ whatever it is I feels has slipped down in it," answered
Dan.
He was trying to get the object which he had felt in the coat out,
and he soon succeeded in doing so.
“ Dar it isl"c1ied Dan, exultantly, at last, and he held up a folded
paper. “Wonder if it's de ole I)oc‘s will leavin' me his fortune."
-- Let me see it,” said Jack, and Dan give it liitn.
Jack opened the paper and read it.
Then he uttered a delighted exclamation, and he said:
“ We are in luck at last, Dan. Boys, you must all be dumb as oys-
ters about this for the present, and I'll read it to you. The boys all
promised, and then Jack read the contents of the paper aloud.
It ran thus:
“ Memorandnni of agreement.
“ For the sum of two thousand dollars Covetti agrees to abiluet the
child and convey Iier to Italy, where she is to be reared among the
brigands and never be permitted to leave them. Half the inoney to
be paid in advance and half when the child is in the power of the 1
Italian.”
Besides this there was a rough plati of the interior of the house from
which little Pearl Lauwence was stolen and a description of the child.
Although no name was giveti for the child this was sutlicient to tell
that Pearl was the child alluded to iii the memorandum.
“Golly1" exclaimed Darky Dan, in (delight, when Little Jack had
finished reading the paper. “ Reckons we has got de hooks on ole
Doc Ilaniilton now!"
“ so I think.
Dan.
Ilow lucky it was you got an accidental shower hath,
Otherwise there's no knowing how long this paper iiiiglit intro
reinained undiscovered in the lining of the doctor's coat," asst-iitetl i
Jack.
Next morning Jack at an early Iiour went to see Mrs. I’eripont.
The lady was overjoyed at the news the boy lireniau ybrought Jlier,
and she read the paper which had been so fortunately discovered by
accidoiit.
‘i Now I think our course is clear," said site.
“ Yes. We must let Doc Iliiinilton know that we liave the proof
that he hired the Italian to steal Pearl, and tell him that we will Illiikt‘ .
him sutler the coiiseqneiices unless he has Pearl returned all sal’r>,"
said Jack.
“ But Iiainilton is supposed to be in Europe, and the ditliculty is to
coininunicate with him."
“The old rascal is hidden hero in the city soniewhero, I’m quite
sure.
blind that otily the one for whotii it was ititeiided would understand
us?"
" A good idea. We will try it, and I'll write the advertisement
now and you can take it to the ollice of the newspaper and have it in-
serted," said Mrs. Peripont.
“ The villainous schetno of Dr. Ilamilton and his Italian confederate
Covetti shall be foiled, now that we have the paper to prove their
guilt," she added.
As she spoke the lady turned to a writing-tnlih-, and through
an open door Jack saw a bright-eyed, tlai'lt'-sltiiiiieil girl pas.-2 along
the hall with a brush in her hand. .I:l('i( cauglit a flash from the
girl’s great black eyes as she gave him it keen glatict‘.
“ Now, how shall we word the ailvortiseiiioiit'.’" continued Mrs. Por-
ipont, seating herself at the writing-t;ibh- and placing
her and taking up a pen.
" I.et's see. We might say, "I‘he doctor and his Italian friend's
plan. as set forth in niemoranduni, uiidorstond, and their interest
mands thoy should see the subsrribor at once.‘ " said .Iat:k.
“ That will do. The only fvari.-1 II:iinilton iiril his coiifederato may
take tho alarm and really embark for llnropo. That is a C()nsI(Iu[:;[i()[1
worth thinkiiig of."
“'I‘rut> enough; but I don't think the doctor will riiti away, for in
that case he will never dare attempt to claim 1's-arI'a fortune or re-
turn."
i- Well, we will try the adverlisoiiiont, then.” zisseritotl Mrs, Puri-
pmit, and then slio quickly wrote it out much as Jack had wordo-ii it.
With the pnpor (-ontaiiiiiig the “ ad." in his pocket, and lvavin-,5 tho
inenioranduin whirh was proof of Ilamilton'a giiilt with the lady. .i.n-k
de-
“LITTLE JACK."
Ilow would it do to ;Iverti.<e in the :D(‘l‘>‘0ll‘.li.< of the News so 1
paper before .
11
...;.s..sa;.
I
I left the house and hastened toward the ollice of the
which the advertisenient was intendt-ti.
lint the boy tirenian had only gone (1 couple of blocks when he turn-
ed a coriier. and saw a young woman cross the street but a short dis-
tance in d.<.IV‘t1llL‘l.‘ of him.
newspaper for
Jack obtained a good side View of i1L‘I' face, and he recognized her
as the dark-c.-nnploxioiwd girl, with the great, flashintr eyes. whom he
had seen at tho iIl>lIS‘.: of Mrs. I’eripont.
The girl sooiiiorl to he in great haste,
Jstock still as an idea of a surpri.<ing and
him.
He saw now more clearly than when at Mrs. I’oripoiit's that the girl
looked like an Italian. and the idea whirh !l:i.<hod through his mind
was. that possibly this girl had ovorlioiirtl the (“Jl‘l'x'h,-l‘::IlIOI‘t between
‘ hiinself and the lady, about Ilamiltoii and (‘oVetti. and tl.:lt she might
- now he lixisttiiiiiig on her wily to warn the latter.
" Wllowl if I‘m right, ilk’I‘t‘ is 501111‘ more good liick perhaps. If this
. gill gms to son Vovotti. I have only to follow her to lind the Italian.
IIe will In sure to il2tSI<’Ii to Hamilton, when the girl tells him what
she inay have found out. and so (‘ovett1,if I can follow him unseen,
‘ inziy take me to Ilumilton, or I may get a chance to rescue illtil‘ Pearl,
if Silt’ is ut1‘owiIi's liirlitig-place." thought clear-lieaded Little Jack.
The girl had not noticed him, and being sure of that he proceeded
I0 iHiI(l“' I101‘.
and all at once Jae 'tooil
startling nature occurred to
In a short time Jack had fiirrlier evidence that he was right in his
(‘0IlL'IlI>'IUIIS. l'or the object of hi.-' pnr.-‘nit >il1ip<‘lI her Course ill the di-
roclion of (lid Town, and IIIVIW‘. as we know. the Italian settlv-iiieiit was
I locati-.il.
The boy iiroman was afrriid of living reco:ili7od. but he continued
to follow the girl lII'IIi sho turnod into the wry .sti't-wt whore sinoldered
the ruins of the tenoinont from which he hail 1lIlt‘lIl]iIt'll to I‘t‘:t'1It‘ little
I’o:irl.
.‘I<siii':iil<'o now beczinio doubly siire. and .I:tt‘l; still followu--i the girl,
tliougli the danger of romltziiitioii by .<ulliv' of tho v:ig:i’n>iizl4. of lilo
<[u:irt--r whom ho had oiiroiiiitorod at the tire thoro W1HviIt‘liU‘.'.<L‘ much
IIlt'l'l‘(I>'1‘4I.
lint at this early hour niost of the iiiliabitziiits, who were ra;;-pi(‘k-
ers or street VI‘lllIPI‘<. we-ro absent nirikitig thwir rounds zn other por-
tioos of the city. and thvro was hardly any one on the street. which
at night swarinod with the human scuiii of II.’lIIttI1<'lIlv‘>'.
The girl :idV:iiirod iiiiiit-sitxitiigly and with an :is.<iii‘;iiiCr- which told
that she was fzuniliar with the way. and that she had it dz-tiiijte do.<ti-
nation in mind.
I’:ist the ruins of the burned li‘llI‘Ill<‘liI, and onward unit’; tlao end
of the street was ‘.lIIllO>l 1'I‘lL‘iiMi rhi-girl procm-doll. and tinully she
‘ entered a gloomy old fraino structure. through a tiarrow and tilthy
doorway.
The building was zt If‘IlL'Ili(’Il[ of tho lowest vi:
enters.-d the publir stairway.
:il‘nI the girl had
She ran up the i’ii;:hi to the top of the
building. and .lacl< followed hor from landingto l:tn-lin-,: guided by
her footfalls. Ilv heard her knock at a door, and ii grnil vrnco, which
Jack recognized with a feeling of exultatioii as that of Covetti, called
out:
“Who is tiiore‘f"
“Aiinetta." was the answer. and then .Iin:l< heard the door open
and shut. and in it trico ho was at the closed door li.<ienii,;'.
His suspicions were at oiice coniirnwd, ior he heard I
Fovettl of his pI‘<,‘.<-‘Ii(‘t‘ at Mrs. I’oripont‘.<
ver.<:ttion with that lady. adtiing:
“ The lady she ]H1ln'l'IIl(‘]l.'I]N‘l‘ in her writing-desk.
“Then I iniis: ll-il:LV(‘ it!" cried Vovetti, Jlllki at the
Jack heard :1 stop on the stairs.
he girl tell
and she ropoatetl his con-
sanie iiistzint
(‘iI.XI"I'l-Ill‘ VIII.
mi l?llTr>x .iiAxt;r: or l'I‘.IS<i.VI7.lt>(>()I’li K Wttttkr I'lItI-‘Ir my--..':q..x;
.l,o Ix could not go up any IllL'll(‘I'. and Sonia ono was on tho mug
tliglit of sl:tli's below the landing where he stood listening ti) um C0,.”
wrsatioii of Vovetti and tho girl at the door of the foriiwr's :iparlinoni.
Tlloro was no avoi
mo of I‘v‘3I‘v‘:lI. and llotoriiiiiiiiig to put a bold f;..-,.
on tho 3-‘ll,llllIl<‘IL .I:i<‘k startml to rloscoiid H
The iioxf inslalit ho came taro to flirt‘ with Artoiiio,
I--:Ir'i':il-'.
ll‘5I!III"(‘1II"(‘iI‘3hiI.
l‘i>Vr"'.1. (‘HH-