Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

4 . DIAMOND DICK, JR, OUT OF SIGHT. inent from the glare which had come so suddenly. Directly in front of where Bertie stood was a stone in the wall which had in its center something like a bull’s eye. Behind this stood a man with a photo- graphic instritment, and as soon as the lights had been focussed upon the person without he pressed a bulb he held in his hand and secured a picture. But in the first picture he did not get Bertie’s face. He changed the plate in the camera in- stantly, and in a few seconds had secured another. | This time Bertie had partly removed his hand from before his eyes and was taking a look at the wall before him and the points from which the lights emanated. The photographer covered the*opening through which he had taken the pictures aul with a signal to another man in the little room within the stone wall, hastened off with the plates. It had all taken place within a few mio- ments after the tinkle of the bell as men- tioned. This second man now stepped down to a portal, which, on tlie outside, was dis- guised to look like the rest of the solid wall, and there he opened a sinall aper- ture. . “Ho! Without!’? he hailed. “The same to you!’’ responded Bertie, cheerily. ‘‘Anybody at hotme?”? “Who and what are you? Whom do you waut to see? Whatis your business here at Humphryes* Hermitage?” ‘“Teading questions, I'll be bound. Well, my name 1s Wade, and I’m a sport of means. I want to see the proprietor of the Hermitage. Just a visit of pure curlosity, that’s all.” “Very well. Shall have to ask vou to wait while you are being announced. ’’ All right, take your time; I’m in no hurry.’ The aperture was closed, tle lights dis- appeared, and Bertie was left there in thie shadow of the wall and high cliffs. CHAPTER II. IN. THE MANSION OF THE MAD MILLIONAIRE. _ Within the mansion. Everything light and splendor. A number of guests assembled there as usual. In the smoking-room several men are found smoking and chatting. Albert Humphryes is there, seated in a reclining chair close by a low marble table. The door opens softly and a footman in livery enters, as 1f the place were in the heart of some great city instead of in the wilderness. He bears a salver on which is a photo- gtaph and a half sheet of paper folded once, and crossing the floor to where the mad millionaire is sitting he presents them to him. ‘What have we here??? Huimphryes inquires. ‘*Photograph and answers of a youth who is at the outer gate, sir,’’ the foot- man answers, The millionaire takes up the photo- graph while the footman is speaking and instantly he gives a sheht start and his eyes flash ominously. The others are looking at him, and noting this, they exchange glances with one another, while the inillionaire quickly takes up the folded piece of paper and opells it. “Name is Wade,’’ he reads alond. ‘Wants tg see the proprietor of the Hermitage. Visit said to be one of curi- osity, nothing more.”? “What name do you say?’ one of the others inquires, ; ‘““Wade. You have heard it before?”? ‘fYes, I have.’ “What is the proper name of that young fellow they call Diamond Dick Im 2” ‘His name is Richard Wade, Jr., but he is better known as ‘‘Bertie’’ among his intimate friends, and better still by his sobriqnet.”? ‘You never fail us, Hagerty, when in- COmiIclooks.cO nn