Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

DIAMOND DICK, JR. OUT OF SIGHT. 21 turn out their lights at this hour.: Hil do so now.”’ He rose and stepped toward an electric governor at one side of the room, but before he could reach it he was startled by a thrilling voice from another direc- tion. “Vou needn't bother about that now, Mr. Humphryes,’’ spoke Diamond Dick, Jr., as he confronted the company with his brace of pops in hand. ‘‘If you don’t want your own lights put out, though, up with your hands, every man of you!” Their faces were like death, and their eyes almost started out of their sockets with surprise. “Up with them!’ Bertie repeated, ‘‘ 1°11] bore vou!” Two of the men reached for weapons, trying to dodge his aim, but he opened fire upon them and dropped them before they could begin to get out their guus. And the rest of them, then, put up their hands gladly enough, and Bertie bunched them in the middle of the room so as to give them no chance to touch any of the numerous electric devices around. The firing brought Handsome Harry, the Mascot, Blackberry and the young lady tu the scene, and in a few minutes the rascals were all prisoners. Bertie then got hold of one of the servants and frightened him into dis- closing everything he knew. Through him all the rest of the men around the place were captured. The two whom Bertie had been forced to shoot were Humphryes and another and Bertie believed that both were dead. But in this he was mistaken, for later on Humphryes, with his last remaining stretigth—for he was dying, dragged him- self to an electric device and gave ita turi. Bertie entered the room just as he did It; , There was a great roar and rumble, a bright flash in at the windows as of fierce lightning, and the glass house under the lake was no more. Every vestige of it had been teimoved, even to the ap- proaches. This mine had been kept in readiness for them to obliterate all evidences of their forgeries, in case of discovery, for all their work had been carried on under the water of the lake. And so passed out of existence one of the greatest of modern marvels. Immediately after the explosion Mr. Humphryes fell dead. Diamond Dick, Jr., remained there with his prisoners till morning, when it was his intention to take them to the nearest jail. He had locked them all in a room, which he had previously exaniuned, and he himself stood guard; but when he opened that door at daylight every man of them was missing. He felt greatly chagrined, of course, but there was no use crying about it. The other dead man, besides Mr. Humphryes was Matthew Forest, the uncle of Eunice Joyce, and thus she was freed from him forever. It was a great case, and it made a great sensation for a time, when the particulars were nade known to the authorities. But it did not reach the press, the officials hushing it up as much as possible in the hope that by doing so they night sooner or later get hold of some of the fellows who had escaped. And so, 1n a brief time, it was alimost forgotten. The property was sold, later, and there to-day stands a noted health resort, known by a name widelv different from the old, and not a person there, perhaps, knows of its true past history. Perhaps this narrative will throw light upon it for the first time for a great many persons. Peculiar, glass-like fragments are often found along the shores of that lake, and this may serve to identify the present popular resort with what was once called Humphryes’ Hermitage. Diamond Dick, Jr., of course, washed his hands of the business as speedily as possibly, and after a fond adiet to the pretty young lady he had saved, he was off and away with his partners to seek adventures anew. We shall next hear of him in a series of haps and mishaps to which we will give the title: ‘‘Diamond Dick, Jr., Against a Posse; Or, The Round Up At the Water Tank.”’ [THE -END. | comiclbooks.c©