Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

DARKE DARRELL. 143 CHAPTER XXX. A LETTER FROM LEOTINE. Darke hastened home, thinking that Leotine might have called upon his mother; but such was not the case. Two. days afterward Mrs. Darrell handed him a letter which he hurriedly opened and eagerly read. It bore the J ersey City postmark. ‘¢ DEAR DawKkE :—Do not be surprised at my writing to you. Have I not the right? Is it not a great pleasure to me? Are we not to be friends all the way through ? ‘‘T have been very anxious to see you, or to write to you; not only because I am under deep obligations to you, not only because you are almost constantly in my thoughts, but because I want to set myself right in your estimation. ‘* All this time I have been in distress, because I am afraid that you doubted me, that you misconstued my intentions, that you believe me to have been a party to the treachcrous trick that was played upon you. ‘*Oh ! believe me, when I say that I was entirelyinnocent. I thought they were acting in good faith ; 1 knew nothing about the trap-door or the dungeon under it; when I saw you disappear, I was as much astonished as yourself, and far more angry and indignant, I am sure. ‘‘Tim Jordan seized me, tied me, andlocked meupinaroom. But I managed to effect my escape, solely actuated by a desire to aid you in your extremity. I hurried to the library. The trap was open ; Tim Jordan was leaning over it ; I knew that he had gone thither with the intention of murdering you; I knew, from what he muttered to him- self, that you had escaped from the vault. ‘Angry at his treachery toward you, and my arms still smarting from the cord that had bound them, I sprang upon him and tumbled him into the opening. ‘‘A minute after I heard. some one approaching ; I hid behind the door; Aunt Carlina entered; she walked to the trap ; she called to Tim ; before he could answer her, I pushed her into the vault to keep Gomichbooksyco