Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-07-30
Beauclanpe' S Double
The PRIMA DONNA.
A Story Of Mystery. Love and
Devotion.
sY DAVID LOWRY.
CHAPTER I-IContinusd.J

=
sharper and keener than fifty or sixty
average Americans ought 10 muster. In
one or two instances the Ioudness of
dress was noteworthy, otherwise the
average taste was unexceptiOnal; GER
tainly there was nothing TO challenge
attention
Livingston stood looking at the player
nearest him. Apparently no one deemed
him worthy Of a glance. One or two
looked at Simmons indiiferently as he
passed through the room and addressed
neatly dressed man who stood within 4
bOx-like enclosure.
Simmons leaned towards the proprie-
tor Of the establishment, and talked with
him in low tones.
The conversation was very brief.
Three minutes possibly were con-
sumed, then Livingston preceded his
companion through the dark passage,
and once more they were on the broad
pavement. Simmons was the first to
speak.
sour man was there. II we had been
a little quicker-or if l had met you five
minutes earlier, we would have had
him.
This is Beauchampe now-yOu are
positive Simmons?S
%You can make up your own mind. If
the man that got into the row, and hit
the usher in the theater while you were
looking on was your friend Beauchampe,
then the same man changed his hat and
coat in Black Stoves place, and the
same man that changed his hat and
coat in Steve's place came right here.
The proprietor knows him as well as he
knows me-better. He is wearing the
hat he got at Steve's-and the coat.
I've made sure of that. But there's
other proofs.
simmons deliberate tones produced
an unexpected effect upon Livingston,
who halted suddenly and caught his com
paniOn's arm, saying. simmons, I'd
rather lose n thousand dOllars-and
never had five hundred To call my own
at one time-yes. If l had ten thousand
this minute, I'd rather lose it than have
this proved.
Simmons stood looking down on him,
He thought quickly. There was some
thing Livingstone had not revealed;
some powerful motive back of the reason
he had given Simmons for probing the
matter.
"All right" said Simmons. "Just as
you say. Wen drop it right here. I'm
sorry on your account, Mr.. Livingston,
and I'm sorry for his relatives, il he has
any"
He was looking straight into Living
stOn's eyes.
Thank heaveni he has no relatives
no near relatives. At least l never
heard him refer to them. But it is
irely possible he may have some rela-
tiVeS, too / was not thinking of them.
Simmons brow cleared on the in
slant
~Glad to hear you say it. was be-
ginning to think he had sister or n
cousin"
~Pooh!" exclaimed Livingston There
is no love-no sentiment in this bust
ness. I've told you everything"
~Then we will go right ahead What
ever is proved will make no difference
now, except that il will satisfy us And
to begin, your friend showed Dicky-
that's the proprietor of the pOOl-rOOm-
his right thumb, and the lmuckles Of his
hand He told him the whole story,
same as he told Stone. You see, he
don't care how many of them knows it.
He takes pride in il. His knuckles
were skinned on the jamb of the door
the second time he struck at the usher.
Then, in wrenching his left hand out of
the handcuffs-he said he hadn't time
to do il neat-when he struck the Do
licemnn he bruised the side of his
thumb. He showed il to Dicky and
and laughed. He told Dicky, too, how he
fooled them when he ran across the
street between the wagons. One was a
heavy express wagon. He lodged I'M
noticed how the wagons turn in their own
length-curled his legs up, and held on
until there was a square or more be-
tween him and the theater- Then he let
90. That explains what he didn't tell
Steve-hOw his coat got so dirty
LivingstOn's face was study as he
stood looking al Siml.Ons-
Simmons closed his mouth firmly and
looked at Livingston with a quiet COM
pOsure that eXasperated Livingston,
whose disgust was too great for words
as he pictured Beauchampe curling his
legs up, clutching with strained clasp
the irOnwOrk under the wagon
1t was such an experiment as only a
hardened rogue would resort to. The
action in itself was incredible. That
Beauchampe would relate it and gloat
over it gleefully was past belief.
ais that all?s
"No," said simmons. ats about as
bad as thought it at first. Your friend
has done time.
what" exclaimed Livingston, sharp
ly. "Beauchampe n convict"
~There can't be any mistake about
that said simmons, with rare delibera-
ton. ~None whatever. suspected ii
all along. Mos. of the tricks that sur
prises people and throws them off the
scent is learned in prison.
~Such as slipping ones hands out OF
handouts, Ell? They give each prisoner
pair, SimmOns?7
AThey might as well. man who is
thrown onto himself, if he has any life
in him, is bound TO work it out some
way. They practice all sorts of things
to get even with the world when they
get out"
@And where did he serve time-did
Dicl1y tell you that?"
THAT was my chief GRAND, may
say. Dicl1y's record can't be questioned.
Its public record. He tust pastes the
sentences in little bOok-he's got thir-
teen years without break. just a fad
of Dieky's-"
~But you have not told me where
Beauchampe served-what State-and
when"
Fright here in New York-nearly
three years, when he tells You and other
people he was abroad studying. No
trouble proving that Dicky saws hun
dreds will prove 1t any time I want it
done. Dicl0Y isn't at all disobliging about
a matter Of public record
Livingston lifted both hands, then
dropped them 10 his side with a gesture
that was more eloquent than words.
Then he drew q long breath When he
spoke again IL was in a low voice.
THAT is the worst thing / ever heard
tho last thing 1 would have believed
] can't realize IL now"
He stared hard at Simmons. then at
the pavement
Il suppose ws'll go TO his lodgings now
II think that will be best Or Sim
mons paused and seemed to be turning
something over in his mind, ~if you pre-
fer it you can go alone. He might take
II into his head TO go there The only
thing that would prevent him would
be-
4 comprehend, said Livingston @You