Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

22 DARKE DARRELL. «< Please send that at once.” The operator read the dispatch, touched the instrument, then the ticking sounds followed. Darke, sheltered by a pillar, hurriedly took a copy of the dispatch, reading it by sound. He followed the man again, until he saw him enter one of the hotels. «‘T wasn’t told to follow him all day,” reasoned Darke. ‘He'll no doubt remain there an hour or two. I'll go back and report.” He did so. «‘If you had only thought of listening to what was dis- patched,” Mr. Marks said; ‘‘it would have been of vital importance.” “‘T have got a copy of it, sir,” answered Darke. ‘‘ Here it is.” Mr. Marks was pleasantly surprised. «‘T like a boy who always has his wits about him,” he said. | The dispatch read as follows: % ‘Mr. Pepro Cassanpra, No. — —— st., N. Y. | ‘‘Send her over very early, as Traske offers no compromise either. ‘« JORDAN.” Mr. Marks read the dispatch over and over, a disappointed look on his face. ‘‘ You followed the wrong man,” he declared. ““T followed the man you described,” insisted Darke. ‘« May be,” half incredulously. ‘‘The fellow is a notori- ous counterfeiter. ‘T’his dispatch is a very ordinary one, and gives no cue.” He handed the dispatch back to Darke. ‘‘A notorious counterfeiter!” Darke repeated, his eyes on the paper, his brows heavily knit. ‘<I have a clew,” sud- GComichbooks. co m