Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 536

1887 · 16 pages

This is the opening installment of "Old Rodman's Millions" by J. C. Cowdrick, a detective mystery serial. Broadway Billy, a bootblack who operates a newspaper and novelty stand with his partner Skinny, observes suspicious activity involving a Jersey farm boy named Josiah Green, Tony Duke (a known sharper), and an well-dressed older gentleman. Billy resolves to investigate, suspecting criminal dealings. The narrative then introduces the backstory: Josiah is the son of Kate Rodman (deceased) and farmer Elisha Green, visiting wealthy relatives in New York—his uncle Jarius Rodman and cousin Owen—after years of family estrangement caused by Kate's marriage to a poor farmer. Jarius has recently softened toward his estranged relatives. The implication is that Josiah's presence and these suspicious street encounters may somehow connect to the mystery of "Old Rodman's Millions."

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