Dan The Newsboy 39
"No--good heavens, no! I've had enough of your squeaking. Here, take
this money, and don't sing."
"Si, signor," answered Dan, assuming a look of bewilderment.
Hartley prepared to board a car, which was not yet ready to start. Dan
rapidly decided that it would not do for him to follow Hartley any
farther. It would certainly arouse his suspicions. But must he abandon
the pursuit? That would not do either. Looking about him, his eye fell
on a bright-looking newsboy of about twelve.
"Do you want to make some money, Johnny?" he asked.
The boy surveyed him with astonishment.
"Did you speak to me, Garibaldi?" he asked, jocosely.
"Yes, but I am no Italian," said Dan, rapidly. "I am on the track of
that man, but he suspects me. I will give you a dollar if you will jump
on the car and find out where he goes."
"Where's the dollar?" asked the boy, cautiously.
"Here. Pay your expenses out of it, and I will pay you back when you
report to me."
"Where will I find you?"
"Here. I will stay till you come back."
"It's a bargain."
"Hurry; the car is starting."
The newsboy ran, jumped on the car, and it moved on.
"It is the best thing I could do," thought Dan. "I hope the boy is
sharp, and won't lose sight of him. I feel sure that he had something
to do with carrying off poor little Althea."
For two hours Dan lingered near the ferry, playing occasionally by way
of filling up the time. It seemed to be a good location, for he received
from fifty to sixty cents from passers-by.
"When hard times come," thought Dan, "I shall know what to do. I will
become an Italian street singer."
After two hours the newsboy jumped off an incoming car, and approached
Dan.
"Did you find out where he went?" asked Dan, eagerly.
"Yes," answered the boy.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
DAN MAKES A DISCOVERY.
Dan's eyes sparkled with joy at the success of his plan.
"Now tell me," he said, drawing the newsboy aside to a place where they
would not be overheard.
"First give me my car fare."
"All right. Here's a quarter. Never mind the change."
"You've made a fortun' by fiddling, you have," said the newsboy, in
surprise.
"I am not a fiddler. I am a detective."
The newsboy whistled.
"You're a young one."
"Never mind that. Go ahead with your story."
The newsboy described his following Hartley to Donovan's.
Hartley went in, and he directly afterward.
"What sort of a place is it?" asked Dan.
"It's a saloon."
"Perhaps he only went in for a drink," suggested Dan, uneasily.
"No, he didn't call for nothing to drink. I saw him take out some money
and give to the man and the woman."
"What man and what woman?"
"They was the Donovans."
"How long did you stay?"
"Ten minutes. I axed old Donovan to buy a paper, and he wouldn't. Then I
sat down for a minute, makin' believe I was tired. They looked at me,
but I didn't appear to be noticin' 'em, and they let me stay."
"Did you see anything of a little girl?" asked Dan, eagerly.
"Yes, there was a little gal came in. The woman called her Katy."
Dan's spirits sank. It was Mrs. Donovan's daughter, he feared, not the
child he was seeking.
"How did she look? How old was she?"
"About five or six years old."
He added a description of the little girl which quite revived Dan's
hopes, for it answered in every respect to Althea.
"Did you hear the little girl say anything?"
"Yes, she told her mother she wanted to see Dan."
Dan's eyes glistened. It was Althea, after all.
"It's all right," he said. "You needn't tell me any more. You're a
trump."
"Have you found out what you want to know?"
"Yes. Have you anything to do for the next two hours?"
"No."
"Then I'll pay you another dollar to go to the place with me. I think I
could find it myself, but I can't take any chances. And don't say a word
about what you have seen."
"I won't. Is this little gal your sister?"
"She is my adopted sister, and she has been stolen from us."
"Then I'd be willing to help you for nothing. I've got a little sister
about her size. If anybody stole her, I'd mash him!"
"Come along, then."
The two boys boarded a car, and in forty minutes got out.
"That's the place," said the newsboy, pointing out Donovan's, only a few
rods away.
"All right. You'd better leave me now, or you may be remembered, and
that would lead them to suspect me. Here's your money, and thank you."
"I hope you'll find your sister."
"Thank you. If I do, it'll be through your help."
Dan did not at once enter Donovan's. He stopped in the street, and began
to sing "Viva Garibaldi."
Two or three boys gathered about him, and finally a couple of men. One
of them handed him a three-cent piece.
"Grazio, signor," said Dan, pulling off his hat.
"What part of Italy do you come from?" asked one of the men.
"Si, signor, I come from Italy," answered Dan, not considering it
prudent to understand too well.
"Oh, he don't understand you. Come along."
"His hair doesn't look like that of most Italians."
"Pooh! I'd know him for an Italian boy anywhere."
At this moment the door of the saloon opened, and Dan, putting his
violin under his arm, entered.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
DAN IS DISCOVERED.
Donovan had two customers. One was an Irishman, the other a German. Both
had evidently drank more than was good for them. Dan looked in vain for
Althea. Mrs. Donovan had taken her up stairs.
"Well, boy, what do you want?" asked Donovan, rather roughly.
"Will you have yer musique?" asked Dan, uncertain whether he was talking
as an Italian boy might be expected to.
"No; I don't want to hear any fiddle-scraping."
"Shure, let him play a little, Mister Donovan," said the Irishman.
"Just as you like," said Donovan, carelessly, "only I have no money for
him."
"Faith, thin, I have. Here boy, play something."
Dan struck up his one tune--Viva Garibaldi--but the Irishman did not
seem to care for that.
"Oh, bother ould Garibaldi!" he said. "Can't you play something else?"
"I wish I could," thought Dan. "Suppose I compose something."
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