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yenge. Tom won't be able to work to-mor-
row, and I shall be short-handed on the | ag:
day before publication day.
tt happened just as Phil had expected,
for Tom Quoins did not put in an appear- | whisper. “Still,
ance the next morning.
Phi) was about to send out for a substi-
tute when a man whom he knew slightly
entered and said:
“e Youll have to get out of here.”
“ a
“Because I've sold the building with
immediate possession to other parties.”
“But the rent is paid, isn’t it?”
“Only till the first of the month, and
that’s to-morrow. I had a good chance to
sell, and I sold.”
“To whom?”
“Well, if you want to know very bad,”
said the man, with a disagreeable laugh,
“Tve sold it to Potter.”
“Very well, I'll move,” said Phil, as
cheerfully as though the man’s informa-
tion had been of the pleasantest, instead
of causing him the utmost anxiety.
“See that you do,” said the other, curtly,
“So-so, Potter is béginning to carry out
his threats,” mused Phil. ‘It never rains,
but it pours.”
(To BE CONTINUED.]
eee
ANOTHER NEW STORY IN No. 205.
TITLE WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT
WEEK. .
| (This story commenced in No, 197.)
TALKING TOM;
oR,
THE LUCK OF A POOR BOY.
By R. T. EMMET,
Author of *** Remember the Maine,’” “Tal
Howe, the Boy Reporter,” * The Schoot
at Burr Knob,” * The Klondike
- Boys,” etc., ele,
. —
CHAPTER XIX.
THE MACHINIST AND THE MILIIONAIRE,
THE myster, e sudden disappear-
ance of Millionaire Palmer and the anar-
chist Jooked very plain to Talking Tom
when he found the trap-door in the mid-
dle of the alley. .
“There's where they went,” pointing, to
the big iron ring which lay half concealed
by the dust.
“It can’t be,” said Billy Bunce. “No
one would be allowed to put a trap-door
ere,”
“T don’t know,” said Carrie Crockett.
“Ithink Tom is right. This is private
property. Didn't you see the sign at the
end of the alley saying that it was not a
public way? Besides, this is just where
they disappeared.”
Meanwhile, Tom with his usual shrewd-
ness, had been looking around and taking
everything in.
“T think I've grasped the situation,” he
said, “Don’t you see that this old iron
door on the left here is away below
grade? Of course the alley as well as the
street has been raised up since the place
was built. That accounts for the trap-
door. It is to give them a place to ship
goods. See that derrick. ‘They hoist the
stuff up trough the trap with it. Of course
it is all as clear as day where they went.
y and the wherefor.
this business alone, for it’s full of danger,
and not for all the world would I have
anything happen to you——” «
“Stop, Tom!” interposed Carrie. “If
hae were to go on talking forever, it would
ave no effect onme. This is my busi-
ness and not yours, although I want you
to understand that I am most grateful to
you for your assistance. Where you go I
go. We don’t separate this night.
Tom's eyes sparkled, He looked admir-
ingly at the brave girl.
“T expected nothing less of you, Carrie,”
he said, ‘* You're the right sort; Billy, of
course, you go.”
“Well, Lrather think I see myself hang-
ing back,” said Billy, .contemptuously.
“Go, of course I go, so here goes |”
Billy stooped down and pulled up the
trap-door, which was not fastened at all.
“Tush! Listen!” breathed Tom, as
they peered down,
A curious noise was heard below. It
was like the clank of heavy machinery.
As they listened the sounds ceased, and
all grew as still as death, but after a mo-
ment the noise began again. They could
hear a big wheel moving rapidly; then
there was acrashand a heavy body fell.
Othersounds followed—exactly the same
sounds they had heard before ending at
1 | get him out of it. I hate Colonel
—~wTHAPPY
last in the same way, and silence came
‘ain,
“Come, that don’t sound much like an
anarchists’ meeting-place,” said Tom, in a
we had better go down
and see what it is all about.”
There was nothing to hinder, for there
were steps leading down from the trap,
When they reached the bottom they found
themselves at the beginning of a long,
boarded passage, with a faint light shin-
ing at the other end. Tom went back and
shut the trap, and then, after a moment’s
consultation, they started for the light,
ed them toward the old fac-
tory, and they knew they must be under
it when at last they came to the end of the
passage and paused before a glass door,
which opened into the basement of the
factory. Tom saw that all this had orig-
inally been on a level with the street.
e room beyond the glass door was
dimly lighted. It was a large room, more
than a hundred feet in length, and set up
there was one of those great traveling ma-
chines usedin the slaughter-house to kill
ogs.
Peering through the door they saw Mill-
ionaire Palmer and the anarchist stand-
ing near the machine, Palmer was exam-
ining a portion of the mechanism, and they
seemed to be talking. ‘Tom and his com-
panion were able to hear every word ut-
tered, when he softly opened the door,
ey overheard gave Tom an
insight into the crooked business methods
employed by some large and influential
firms suchas he had never had before,
Commercially, Millionaire Palmer stood
at the top of the heap, but Talking Tom,
who, after all, was only a simple country
boy, came to the conclusion that morally
he ought to be at the bottom of the heap,
and have the whole heap piled on top of
him, before he got through listening at
that door, .
* Yes, Carl,” the big packer was saying,
“IT must own that machine, I always
recognized your genius when you worked
for me, and——”
“And you did not,” broke in the anar-
chist, shaking his’shaggy head. ‘‘ Youare
like all the rest-of the capitalists. You
recognize nothing but yourself and your
own interests, If I had shown you the
lans of this machine, then you would
ave stolen the idea and kicked. me out.
You kicked me out as it was, and you'd
have stolen my idea long ago if I had been
ake out a patent on it,
ss, soft soap don't go
What's the usetalking? When
you hear that Colonel Crockett is_negoti-
ating with me, what do you do? Hire me
to keep him out of the way till you can cut
in ahead and get the machine, Good
enough! Ido it for money, I'd do any-
thing for that, and when you say to me, i
it comes handy, just dispose of those two
young upstarts, Terry and Bunce, I agree
to that, too, and l'll do it yet in spite of
the setback I’ve received to night, Perdi-
tion seize that fellow! I wish I had my
hands on his throat now! I wish'I had
choked him to death while I had the
chance.”
A the victim fairly groaned with
rage, shaking his head ,and working hi:
long, sinewy fingers as he spoke, "|
‘arrie elutched Tom’s arm fearfully.
“Hush!” whispered Tom, “Kee
still as death, We are going to hear some-
thing to interest us now.” .
“Carl Marx,” replied Palmer, with that
cool self-assurance peculiar to his class,
“you talk wildly and, of course, foolishly.
Listen to me, and try to_hold in that long
tongue of yours while I unfold my plan,
We have known each other for a great
many years, and you know that when a
man isin my way] spare no expense to
rockett,
ile is my most bitter enemy. Still, I am
no cut-throat, no murderer or hirer of
murderers. All I want to do is to keep
m out of my way until you and Ican
come to terms, and when you talk of my
hiring you to dispose of ‘Tom Terry and
&
I
his partner you talk rubbish, and you
know it very well.”
“T don’t,” said the anarchist, stubborn-
ly. “It suits your purpose to lie about
the matter now, but never mind, Go on.”
“The whole amount of it is l have seen
your wonderful machine, and I'm willing
to buy,” continued -Palmer, “ First, i
will reduce the cost of hog slaughtering;
next, it will enable me to complete m
work with Crockett. Now I'll tell you
some private matters, Crockett is not the
millionaire the world believes him to be.
He is badly pinched, and 1’m going to fin-
ish the job and break him, I have ar-
ranged with one Moses Grinder, of Jericho,
Missouri, to help me in the work. From
rinder Crockett borrowed half a million
a year ago, giving mortgages on the best
property in town as security. It is my
purpose to buy in that property when
Grinder brings on foreclosure proceedings,
which, by my instructions, he will do next
week, I shall tear down the buildings
and build a big stock yards at Jericho,
Crockett’s house will go with the rest, and
what little property he has unmortgaged
DAYS ‘tT
will be greatl
course, when Jericho is turned into a hog
slaughtering yard no one will want to live
there. In short, it is my intention to ruin
the town, for there’s money in it for me,
to say nothing of revenge.”
es,” replied Carl Marx, ‘that’s the
way you fellows goon, As long as you are
served yourselves you care nothing for
anybody else, and you'd do the same by
me,”
** Perhaps, if it paid me.”
“That's right; tell the truth for once,
Now, then, boss, you want this machine?”
*T'do.”
u want to bu
you will come with me to the midnight
meeting of the brotherhood to-night, and
make your bid in the open lodge in the
presence of fifty witnesses. Then there is
o chance for any double dealing. The
machine becomes yours, and you take out
the patents—do. yu agree?”
“Is it safe? What guarantee do I have
that my life won’t be in danger? A man
jike me in an anarchist lodge! Carl, it
makes me shudder.”
* Ah, hal
ists shudder some of these days!” hissed
the victim. ‘‘Isit yes or no? I promise
you safety—that’s enough, We'll use you
square,
“Yes, then.”
“e Settled !” said the victim, ‘“ We'll go
now,
He raised his hand and turned out the
gas, and then picking up a lantern, he
started for the door,
“Get back! Get back along the pas-
sage, quick !" breathed ‘Tom. ‘‘ We shall
be caught if we stay here.”
** Who's there!” cried Carl Marx, sud-
denly raising his lantern and flashing it
ahead,
“Run! Run!” breathed Tom, and they
dashed on along the passage, closely pur-
sued by the anarchist and the millionaire.
CHAPTER XX,
TOM MEETS AN OLD FRIEND,
No doubt whatever that Talking Tom
would have been captured, and_ Billy
Bunce and Carrie Crockett would have
shared the same fate if they had actually
been seen.
And while this might not have meant
anything worse than a fight, Tom was im-
mensely relieved to escape it, aud that they
did escape was all owing tothe iron door,
It opened off the right of the passage,
and was standing ajar when they came in,
Tom remembered it and thought it
would be a good scheme to get behind it
and take chances outside of the passage,
which fortunately they were all able to do
before either the anarchist or the million-
aire saw them,
Softly closing the door Tom felt for the
fastening, foun bolt and shot it into
lace, ‘Then they stood listening for
almer and the victim to come up, which
they did a few seconds later, pausing in
front of the door,
“What was it?” they heard Palmer ask,
**T don’t see any one here.”
“There was someone—I heard them,”
replied Carl Marx, “but I_guess it was
only some of our boys. Probably they
didn’t want to have you see them, and so
lit out.”
He tried the iron door, and finding it
fast, seemed to have no suspicion that it | st
had been used,
“Come on! It makes nothing,” they
heard him say. “Of course, it couldn't
have been any outsider, so it must have
i
been some of the boys,
‘Then the anarchist and the millionaire
moved on through the passage, and Tom.
still listening intently, presently hear
the trap-door fall.
“They are gone,” he said. ‘“* We can do
as we please now,”
“ Best thing we can do is togo, too,” said
Billy. ‘‘This is a case for the police, What
a scoundrel that Palmer is! I wouldn't
have believed it of a man who stands so
ig)
“Don't speak of the police,” breathed
Carrie. ‘Oh, Tom, this is a terrible thin
Father ruined! . A prisoner! I can hardly
believe it all, and
thing has been troubling him for a long
time. Just think of it! Our fortune all
swept away, and our old home in Jericho
to be turned into a slaughter pen! I—
Tom, what was that?”
“Footsteps! Someone coming!’ whis-
ered ‘Tom, ““We ought to have a light {
re
“Hushl” breathed Billy, ‘There’s a
light coming now, This thing is getting
interesting. Iadn’t we better get back
through the door?”
ore any one could say a word the
light suddenly shot up at the other end of
the room and they saw a man advancing
lessened in value, for, of
We'll make all you capital-|m
yet I know that some-'
toward them carrying a lantern in his
and,
“Father! Father!"
Carrie Crockett gave one glad cry and
rushed forward to meet him, for it was
e colonel sure enough,
Surprised? Well, the word hardly ex-
presses the colonel’s feelings then,
He started back and almost dropped the
lantern, Next moment he had folded his
aughter in his arms, .
“Great Heavens, this takes my breath
all away!” he exclaimed. ‘‘You he
Tom Terry, and Carrie with you! Billy
Bunce, too! Well, well, if I hadn’t been
through so much in the last twenty-four
”
I| hours I would say that this was the great-
est surprise of my life.’
It was a time for explanations, and they
were made on both sides, .
Colonel Crockett led the way back
through the empty room, and showed
them the little box of a place from which
he had just escaped by cutting through
the door with his pen-knife and shooting
the bolt on the outside,
So you did get the letter, Carrie,” he
said. * Well, I didn’t think you would,
I bribed a boy who brought me food to
take it and drop it in the lamp-post box.
He interrupted me while I was writing it,
solsent it along unfinished—something
that I didn’t remember until afterward,
head was so excited. Tom Terry,
know you think me a fool forallowing my-
self to get caught in a snap like this.”
“T won't say that,” replied Tom, “for T
on’t know how you came to get into it.”
“Well, you have explained it, Your
story of what you overheard opens m
eyes, I was after that machine and
listened_to the talk of that
He brought me here blindfolded—
ou wouldn’t think I’d be fool enough to
submit to a thing like tiat, would you,
but you must understand, I had seen the
machine once before and knew its valu
had hope that I could capture it and buil
up my shattered fortune. Palmer is the
iggest scoundrel in Chicago, but he near.
Wy told the’truth when hesaid I was ruined.
nless I can get that machine I am ruined.
Yes, Tom, I’m in old Grinder’s clutches
worse than ever you were, and it will take
me out,’
“Don’t talk of money, father!” cried
Carrie, ‘“Aslong as you are safe what
difference can it make? Let us get out of
this dreadful place at once.”
“Just what I was going to propose,” said
Tom. ‘Colonel, if you want to see the
machine I can show it to you.”
o,no! I’ve had enough of it,” was
the reply. ‘Let's gonow! [can do noth-
ing about this and don’t propose to try.”
**¥ do, then,” sai om. “If you want
half a million dollars, Colonel Crockett,
why just call on Terry & Bunce.”
“Tom, you ain’t serious?”
“Tam, Ishall never forget your kind-
nessto me. Didn’t you lay the foundation
of my fortune? I say 7
“Then it was true that youfound goldon
board the wreck of the Sultan?” asked the
colonel, turning on Tom suddenly.
“Yes, it was. We got there, and I don’t
forget who helped us to get there. Com-
mand me, colonel, Anything you say
wR
‘oes.
“Tshan’t forget this night in a hurry,”
replied the colonel. ‘Come, let’s get out
if you know the way.” .
)£ course ‘Tom knew the way, and he led
off with the lantern until they found them-
selves under the trap oor,
hey had scarcely ascended into the
alley when as many as a dozen wild-look-
ing foreigners suddenly turned in from the
reet,
“Heavens! We are trapped again fb
breathed the colonel, thrusting his arm
about Carrie. .
“Tiush |’ said Tom, his quick wits grasp-
ng the situation, ‘It’s the anarchist
brotherhood. They are going to their
meeting. Let us go, too.”
CHAPTER XXI.
TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS.
Peruaps the anarchists of Chicago are
not as black as they are. painted, but they
are certainly a very peculiar lot of fellows
for all that.
They are divided into many societies and
go through many grades from the red-hot
anarchist who would run riot through the
street waving the red flag, burning and
destroying, to the mild kind who takes it
out in raving at capitalists in the back
rooms of beer saloons, .
Talking.Tom knew nothing of any of
them, and never bothered his head about
d rom
Hie had struck this band now,
bem in the alley before Tom
had timetothink, . wy .
“Go the way they are going, he whis-
pered; “keep right ahead, and they'll
think we are part of their crowd.”
So they turned and pushed on down the
more money than I can hope to raise to get .
Tile tae tae neh mmnnnnine aaa tne mdear eine iene anette
oa ; a ak it nanesin cae RP
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