Diamond Dick, Jr.'s Call Down; or, The King of the Silver Box — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

4 ~~——_ ae - eee Ea disgrace, and I have promised to do something for you, but why is it necessary to bring me in here to tell me what I am to do?”’ ‘‘You're green, Evans, awfully green,’’ was the sneering answer. ‘IT suppose Iam; but that doesn’t signify that I was paste duplicates.”’ ee born yesterday.”’ No, confoundedly unlucky. But to come down to business. Can you get a week’s lay-off?”’ ‘ ‘Yes. 99 “Then get it. Let it begin to-morrow.”’ ‘*What am I to do?”’ ‘‘Do you know of a young lady named Miss Bicknell?’’ ‘*She’s the niece of the president of the bank!”’ ‘*Exactly! And she’s coming West to juggle with the DIAMOND DICK LIBRARY. No 1175. ° “The first thing in the morning I want you to go to the bank where voung Evans works and-see the president, Bicknell. Tell him that he must wire his niece not to leave Denver for Cripple Creek until the next day, and that she mustn’t bring her diamonds with her, but bring ‘Ah, ha!’’ chuckled the Californian; ‘‘young Evans'll you must have been born on Friday, you're so; go to the train to meet the gal, an’ she won't be thar.”’ “Yes, she will.”’ “She kain’t be in two places to oncet, kin she?’’ ‘‘No,’? and Bertie leaned forward and whispered'a few words in his companion’s ear. | ‘Bully!’ said Handsome Harry, with a broad grin. ‘‘We’ll fix the King of the Silver Box in great shape. Shall I tell the bank officials anything about Evans?’’ “Nota word. That young fellow has got a wrong start, gold stocks as so many other crazy folks are doing. But, but we’ll pull him out of the gambler’s clutches and set that isn’t all. Bicknell.”’ ‘‘How do you know that?”’ ‘‘That makes no difference to you. The young lady in question is rather peculiar. She’s bringing a good bit of money with her, but it’s all in the form of diamonds.”’ **Well?”’ ‘She is to get here to-morrow, and you must meet her at the train.”’ ‘‘T had intended to do that anyway.”’ You’re engaged to be married to this Miss him right. Now, then, let’s go to bed, for we’ve got warm work ahead of us for to-morrow.”’ CHAPTER III. HOT TIMES IN THE GOLD CAMP. On the afternoon of the day following that in which Bertie and Handsome Harry had had their talk in the ‘You must not take her to her uncle’s, but to the ad-| hotel the Denver train came thundering up to the Cripple dress on this card which I now give you.”’ ‘What do you intend doing?’’ ‘‘That’s nothing to you. You bring the girl there.”’ ‘Do you take me for a cold-blooded scoundrel? I’ll do nothing of the kind.”’ ‘Yes, you will.”’ ‘‘Do you think that I will deliver Miss Bicknell into your hands?”’ ‘‘T know it; for either you will do that, or I shall go to the president of the bank and tell him that he has a de- faulter fora cashier. The ruin and disgrace you speak about will be brought upon you, and your engagement to marry Miss Bicknell will be declared off.’’ ‘‘My God! It is not possible that you would do anything of that kind?’’ ‘‘This is no time to indulge in sentiment. I would do it, for that’s precisely the kind of amanlam. The girl shall not be injured—I pledge you my word. Will you meet her at the train to-morrow and do as I have told you.”’’ There was a brief silence. ‘‘Yes,’’ was the final reply; ‘‘you have me in your clutches, and I can do nothing else.’’ ‘‘Now you're acting in a sensible way. Keep a still tongue in your head, and you'll never regret giving me your assistance. ’”’ Here the conversation ceased. The door of the telephone-box was opened and closed again, and Bertie, understanding that the two men had left, hung up the receiver and turned away. ‘‘Wall,’’ said a voice at his elbow, ‘‘what do ye think of it?”’ It was Handsome Harry. ‘“Where did you come from?’’ ‘‘From the Colonel’s Own.”’ ‘‘How did you manage to put me onto that conversa- tion?”’ ‘‘[ saw the gambler foolin’ with young Evans, the cashier, an’ I knew he was doin’ it fer a purpose. I wanted ter find out what that purpose was, so when I called ye up those two fellers was headed fer the tele- phone-box, an’ I jest left the receiver hangin’ so’s ye could | hear the hull conversation. there?”’ ‘‘T should say so.”’ Creek depot. Miners, mine owners, confidence men, teamsters; and merchants got out of the coaches, and among them was @ solitary woman, closely vailed, but of aristocratic dress and figure. Joe Evans, pallid of face and nervous of manner, was waiting on the platform. He gave one look at the woman, and an expression of relief came over his face, and he turned away. The woman, however, made straight for him and caught him by the arm. ‘““You’re Mr. Evans?’’ she queried. é ‘Yes. 99 ‘‘You’re waiting to meet Miss Bicknell?”’ ““That’s what I eame for.”’ ‘Well, I’m the lady.”’ Z Miss Bicknell had’ a decidedly masculine voice for a woman. ‘“You’re not the Miss Bicknell I came to meet.”’ ‘‘Look here, Evans,’’ said the: woman, ‘‘I know all about this deal. Miss Bicknell was wired this morning to remain in Denver and not come on until to-morrow. I want you to steer me into the hands of this gambler who calls him- self the King of the Silver Box.”’ ‘‘Good heavens!’’ gasped Evans. ‘‘Is it possible that you know all?” ‘“‘Yes, and I’m going to save you from the devilish de- signs of this gambler. Keep a stiff upper lip and doasTI tell you. Geta carriage and take me to the place whér the gambler was to have you take Miss Bicknell.”’ ‘But you—you are a woman ‘‘Don’t you be too sure of that. Get the carriage.”’ Greatly mystified, Evans went away and shortly came back with a cab, into which he assisted ‘‘Miss Bicknell,”’ instructed the driver where to go, and then got in himself. Along the back streets of the town they were whirled and finally came to a halt before a small, dingy-looking brick building bearing the sign, ‘‘Crump & Hyde, Assay- ers.’’ ‘This is the place,’’ said Evans. ‘All right,’’ replied the woman with the masculine Crooked work on hand, an’t voice; ‘‘you drive off, and I will walk up to the door and see the matinee through.”’ . The woman descended and advanced to the door, knock- Bertie thereupon told his old partner the substance of: ing emphatically on the oaken panels. what he had overheard. Handsome Harry gave a long whistle. ‘‘What’s the gambler’s object, d’ye s’pose?’’ ‘‘Ha’s after Miss Bicknell’s diamonds, and here’s where I begin to call him down.”’ ‘*How are you goin’ ter do it?”’ ‘*You’ll have to help me.”’ ‘‘What am I ter do?”’ She was admitted at once into a large bare ‘room. ‘| Itwas Felipe Ortego himself who had answered the summons. ‘‘Miss Bicknell?”’ he queried. | The woman’s voice had more of a feminine twist to it as she answered: “Well, sir, what if Iam Miss Bicknell?’’ “My name is Crump, of the firm of Crump & Hyde. I SCO COMICOOO