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. passing ove of Nassau streets’ oldest build-
in,
a2
“ST HAPPY
DAYS
took to his heels he felt as though all
Chinatown was after him, but no one fol-
lowed and George reached Chatham Square
without interference,
“What's the matter? asked a police-
man stepping in front of h
* Nothing,” replied ‘igin more scared
now than he had been in the Chinaman’s
den; but the policeman aid not press the
matter further, and George hurried down
Park Row, never daring to look behind
him until he had reached the bridge,
where he raninto Mr. Pixley just coming
down the steps of the ele elevated road.
CHAPTER Il.
THE DOUBLE ROBBERY IN THE LANE,
knew it was coming,
et it by that wretched
and he thought to
Tal-
trick, ous you balked him, George.
ways said you were a smart oF.
“e What isitall about, sir?” asked George,
ark as ever,
that box which came from
China,” replied Mr, Pixley, abruptly, and
for some moments he walked along: in
grim silence, George not daring to speak
ay
aoe crossed Fulton street and were just
gs, when Mr, Pixley suddenly pointing
up to it said: “*Snooks !”
It was only one word and seemingly
a, meaningless one, but it made George
turn very pale. It was easy to see that he
was much move
“ Whawhat did you say, sir?” he
arses said Snooks,” repeated Mr. Pixley.
“Did you ¢ ever got ther eR”
“Yes, .
“Hyver see him?’
“No, sir.. Perhap: .
“No, I don't,” snapped. wn, Pixley. “I
thought so. We won't talk any more
avout it now. Don’t yr dare to bring up
I give you permis-
sion, but this much I'li say to you right
now, George Porter, if that is really your
name, If you continue to conduct yourself
as you have done for the past few weeks,
and to show the interest in my business
that you have shown, it won't be a ver.
long time before you are my partner, an
the business will be yours. when I'm
”
that George was thunderstruck
‘To sa
He was sim-
but half expresses the case.
ply overwhelmed—crushe:
Xoe another word did Mr, Pixley say,
and when George tried to talk he shut
him up inshort order. They turned into
Maiden Lane and were close to th
when suddenly George gave a shout and
broke away on the ri
“Great Heavens!" "gasped Mr, Pixley,
clapping ] his hand to his heart and stop-
in;
P Tie wa was oxcited, as he had good reason
to be Sey was George, but there was no
stop
: One “of the boldest robberies ever perpe-
trated in broad | Gaslight in the Lane—
that’s what it w
George saw Mr Harold Howland and a
second man come running out of the store
and make for a business wagon. which
stood drawn up at thec
Th his hands Howland “held an oblong
box about four feet in length. He sprang
intothe wagon, the other following him
and seizing the reins.
Not yet had George come near enough
to take a hand in the game, although he
was running for all be was worth, but
there was another almost as smart as he
was who did not propose to see this thiev-
ing pair get away with their plunder so
easily.
‘Out of the store Minnie Malloy came
running, and without an | instant’s hesita-
tion pclaed the horse’s
r him, Ge orgs “Go for him ”
med Minnie, seeing our hero coming.
te 's half killed Mr, Blaisdell, and stolen
the box
Crack ! Crack! came the whip cruelly
about Minnie’s head and shoulders, but
the brave girl held her own while George,
seizing Harry Howland by the leg, tried
to drag him out of the wagon, box a
all,
It was a situation which had to come to
anend in a moment, but the gad was not
at all what any one expected thei
George’s grip was iron, and ‘he pulled
young iow and out of the wagon in spite
of all his resistance.
Down came the young scamp on top of
our hero, and allin an instant both were
sprawling on the sidewalk, while the box
tumbled into the gutter.
Then instantly a hand without a thumb
It was Minnie alone of all interested
whe saw the shabby man. straighten up
with the box in his arms; saw him toss it
nto a wagon in which sat two Chinamen
in American dress,
man sprang in after it, and the
Chinaman who held the reins whipped
up his horse, and away went the wagon
rattling up the Lane, closely followed by
the other wagon, for owland had
dealt poor George a knock out blow and
was now making good his escape.
In an instant a crowd had collected, and
through the crowd Mr, Pixley elbowed his
"George was just getting on his feet with
Minnie’s assistance, when Mr. Pixley
elurched him by the arm with convulsive
gri
“ ‘Some inside,”
“Come inside.
nothin of this,
raj ged “George into the store, and
artnnie locked the door against the crowd,
or Mr, Blaisdell sat in the corner with
his vhead all bleedin
“It's robbery, MW T Pixley!" he sput-
‘obbery |
he whispered hoarsely.
The police must know
tered, “It’s r It’s murder! It’s
that precious ne hew of yours! Oh, the
oung seamp! I'll have the law on him!
“© Shut up!” snarled the old importer.
*T'll pay you for your broken head, Go
back to your desk ir you are able, or go
home if you ain’t. George, you come here.”
He led the way into the ‘chivate oltice and
slammed the glass door. He seemed ter-
ribly excited in spite of his outward calm-
ness. His breath came in short gasps, his
hand trembled violently, as he seated him-
self at the desk, seized a pen, and wrote
as follows
“ Moy Jin Kee, 83 Mott street.”
‘‘That’s the correct address, George,” he
said. ‘Get there at once and tell Moy what
has ha appened. Say t tohim that Iam not
ible, Will not be. Don’t mention
'sname, He has not yot the es I
saw it all. Two Chinamen. The Gee Fo
Company was on the wagon, Tell Moy
phat ob Again | Heip. boy! I’m dying!
el
nate! It was too late to help Jed Pixley
For pears the old man had been afflicted
with art disease, and when he fell over
in his chair it was never to rise again,
His jaws parted, his eyes closed,
Poor George, who sprang to his aid, saw
tohis horror that his employer was al-
ready dead.
Dead? Yes, That is what athe doctor
said, who was hastily summo:
Déad? Yes, That is = what ‘the police-
man said before the doctor ca
And in spite of his excitement, in spite
of the fenuine sorrow he felt at the sud-
den taking off of aman who, however ec-
centric, had certainly been good to him,
George Porter could not fail to remember
those startling words spoken on Nasaan
street bat a few short moments befo:
and | ‘he business will be yours when I
am
CHAPTER III. -
“WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?”
“T'p go now if I were you, George, Re-
mber, it was his last orders, They
should be obeyed.”
Poor Minnie’s eyes were red with weep-
ing, and there were great red welts across
her pretty face, too, but they came from
that cruel whip, and of this she had never
complained,
‘early an hour had elapsed since Mr,
Piles’ 's sudden dea
‘he police were ae “charge of the store,
the undertaker had already been there,
and the coroner was due in half an hour,
according to the message he had sent over
the ’phone, but then it is a well-known
fact that coroners are not over reliable ;
they come and goas they plea:
“Do you think they'll let me " go?” said
George, looking dubiously at the big
policeman who stood a he oor.
“You might try it,’ ae plied Minnie.}
“Even if poor Mr Pixley ts dead I don’t
Know, as that we are to be kept prisoners
‘George was thinking fast. He had be-
come involved in a deep mystery; in fact,
adouble mystery. The story told to the
police about the robbery of the store was
certainly mystery enough for one day, but
what would the police say when George
came to tell them that the extensive busi-
ness of Pixley & Co,—there was no ‘Co,
the firm was rated at half a million—
on belonged to him
“It’s nonsense,” ught George, over-
whelmed by the Tagnitu ie of the thought.
T man must ve been crazy, It
never an e,””
e@ same, George could not put
the recollection of Mr, Pixley’s words out
is mind, and n (0 wonder ry t beside
the mere fact of the old importer, having
was projected under the wagon and seized
io Stop! Stop!” screamed Minnie, who |p
had let go the horse’s head, ‘Stop thief I”
é oken them, there were other reasons for
e deep impression tney had made on his
mind—reasons which still remain to be
“Is there an
the store fora
the policeman,
The policeman thought not, and George
urried out.
“Tt’s the last thing he asked me to do,
and it’s only right that it should be done,”
he thought, brushing away a tear as he
walked up the Lane, for he could not t help
feeling moved at the old man’s sudden
death, ‘Besides, it may be the means of
getting that box into the hands of the
rightful owner, and I know that would
please him more than anything else.”
George was somewhat cooled down when
he reached the corner of Mott street and
Chatham Square. He felt for the paper on
whick Mr, Pixley’s last words had been
written, and to his disgust found it miss.
ing, He remembered then that he had lett
it on the .
“Let's see what was the number?” he
thought, cud igeling his brains to bring
back the recollection. ‘ It won’t do to make
another mistake here, That won't do at
all, but the number? Was it 82 or 83?”
He stood there by the saloon for a mo-
ment trying to think, and a dangerous
spot it was, too, if his face was remember-
ed by those who had seen him before in
Mott street that morning, or had witnessed
pis st struggle with Harry Howland in the
objection to my leaving
jittle while?” George aske
Chinatown is a tough place, and the
toughness is not confined to Chinamen b:
any means. Mott, Pell and Doyer streets
are the dwelling places of many a white
man who in point of absolute wickedness
can double diseount any Chinaman who
ever live
Even then sharp eyes were watching the
boy over the top of the screen in the saloon
window and they were not almond eyes
oon the belonged to no Chinaman but
were, on the contrary, the special property
of atall, slim white man, very shabbily
dressed. Could Minnie have seen his right
hand she would have instantly recognized
it. There was no thum
‘Was it the hand which had dragged the
pox ot ofthe gutter down in Maiden
“ eSay, young feller, was you looking for
n
"em I'll give you the steer for a dollar and
you can throw in the drinks,”
The stranger had stolen out of the
saloon and came up behind George with
his right hand in his pocket.
George turned and looked at him, No
one knew the danger of picking up such
an acquaintance as tbis better than he,
or remember our hero had been both
bootblack and newsboy. There was ver
ittle about the ins and outs of New York
ife that he did not know, and among other
hings he knew how to size up a fellow
ike this,
nd he would have known no more if
the man had shown his hand, for, strangely
en ough, Minnie never mentioned that
thum| less hand.
“T was looking for a Chink named
Moy Jin Kee who lives somewhere around
hére,” said George, carelessly. ‘*It don’
make much difference to me whether I
find him or not though, IfI was to give
youa dollar the boss wouldn’t make it
good to me.”
“He srouldn’ t, eh?” said the tough ;
“ well, mebbe you hain’t got a dollar.”
**T don't believe I have,” replied George,
innocently,
‘How about standing the drinks? ~I
now just where Moy Jin Kee lives,”
“Tain’t standing anything. Ican find
the place myself,” said George, and he hur-
ried on up Mott street, for he did not
relish the way in which the man looked at
him, and felt sorry that he had been drawn
into talking to him atall.
He kept on to 83 and stopped, looking
around then for the first time. Tovhis dis-
gust there was the man close beside him
eS Tt ain’t there, young feller ; it’s across
the street, aid, contd leptially,
“Say, you might stand t the dri
George slipped a quarter inte the fel-
low’s hand and hurried across the street,
anxious to be rid of him on any terms, He
thought it was 82 himself, He had made
up his mind to that before the man spoke.
As he ascended the steps and passed in
by the open door, the shabby man gave a
fiendish ghuck ‘le.
“Tha ood job,” he muttered.
“That's ‘all right. I'll make the Chinks
stand anotherten on that. I—good Heay-
ens, Minnie! Youh ”
A girl had suddenly come up beside him,
It was Minnie Malloy, She had
around the corner of Pell street, her thin,
well-dressed figure and pretty face looking
sadly or out of place here,
” she whispered, “Oh, Ed! How
could you do it? Do you know you've
killed the boss?”
“Lemm me go, sis,” growled the shabby
man, ** What {are you Going her her
“Hush! Don’t you I m oing to
told,
Moy ah Kee’s to tell them the truth.”
with pot the Chinks, TE: you re after one of ol
't | the room
“What?”
“Oh, yes, I’m here!” hissed the gir rl,
“‘and youcan’t stop me, Our head clerk
has just gone in there, and I’m going, too.
Follow me, if you dare, Ed! I warn youl
T'll—well, no matter! You kno
These words were spoken in OW, mean-
ing tones, and having said them, Minnie .
shot across the street and ran up the steps
°
=
Ed stood staring after her, and then
broke out into a coarse laug)
“She don’t know that> Moy Jin has
moved,” he chuckled, ‘‘ Well, no harm
can come to her over there, and even if it
should, what dol care? She gave me the
cold shake long ago, Let her go to blazes,
and I'll go and get a drink !”
And with this cheerful reflection Ed
slouched off down Mott street and went’
back into his s: .
Meanwhile George, little dreaming that
Minnie Malloy had followed_him up so
closely, walked boldly into 82 Mott street.
o Chinamen lounging about the .
hall, but ¢ one looked out of the inner door™
almost as soon as George entered at the
front.
“Who
steadily ; it looked asth ough he must have
seen him coming up the teps.
“e «Moy Jin Kee live here ? asked George.
George stepped into the room, which
was quite elaborately furnished after the
Chinese style, and was evidently the abode
of some Mongolian with plenty of money
to spend.
“Want Moy Jin Kee? Sit down,” said
the | Chinaman, motioning George to a
cl
“That your name?” asked the boy, still
standing.
“Yeh. What want?”
“You know Pixley & Co., down in
Maiden Lane?"
What want ?”
Ste Pixley told me to come to you and
tell you about the box that came from ~
China last night,” began George, and he~
went on to tell his story, using the sim-
plest language possible. Whether the
Chinaman understood or not it was impos-
sible fo. tell, for he never opened his lips, °;
of his face did not
- Belly good » man, Me
ter.”
cores, "Portertelar"
said the Chinaman, with a grin.
George started.
hat do you know about tht?” he
ssape, Chinaman chuckled.
‘*Good-by, George Porterfield,” he said,
““Come and see us again,” and pushing
aside a curtain which concealed the door-
way, of the adjoining room, he disappeared,
What George thought we cannot stop to _
explain now, for all in the same instant he
was suddenly seized from behind by four
strong hands, and pushed on through the
curtain, Two Chinamen had him hard and
fast, and there were at least ten more in
yond, which was entirely bare
of furniture, In fact, there was nothing in
t at all, except the Chinaman and the ~
identical oblong case which had been ~
dragged out of the gutter down in Maiden
Lane,
There it lay on_the floor unopened, and
looking just as Geor e had seen it in the ~
store-room of Pixley & Co,
“Dis is de boy,” said Geor, e's Chinaman,
“Dis is George Porterfield,” but George
was dumb, He was too badly frightened
to spea . ‘
An old Chinaman wearing great hern
spectacles now stepped forward and a
dressed him in perfect English.
“ Are you George Portertield 7” he asked, --
“Thai’s my name,” replied George, feel-
ing about as uncomfortable as it was pos-
I don’t
know who my father was,”
The old man scowled blackly.
“Don't lie, boy,” he sai “We may
kill you yet. It you want i. dive you must |
tell the t: tra tb.
s to try to tell you who my
father was I should have to lie. I'm
body’s son, I never knew my father. %
don’t even know that I have any right to
the name you have given me, though it is
certainl true.”
ore moment the old Chinaman eyed
him i in ‘silence,
ou nothing to remember your
father r byt he asked, slowly. ‘* Notoken,
no paper, nothing at all?”
George turned pale. There was more in
this mystery than he had supposed. Ife
had to try hard to steady his voiceas he
answered ** no,”
* You lie,” said the old man, quietly.
“No matter, Later we shall s
Then he said something in Chinese, and
one of the men stepping into the other
room came back presently with a hammer
and cold chisel, and immediately began
opening the box which was very securely
want?” he asked, eying the boy _ ~
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