Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

DARKE DARRELL. 41 York on the morning express. You know about the acci- dent? Has Darke ‘¢ Your son is safe,” cut in Mr. Marks. ‘‘ Here is a dis- patch he sent me,” handing her aslip of paper. She read it, her face not clearing up. ‘‘ He doesn’t say that he isn’t hurt,” she remarked. To her mind he might have been badly bruised, yet with strength enough to ‘ kick.” ‘« He meant to say so,” Mr. Marks said, appeasingly. ** He was thrown from one track across another,” com- mented she. ‘* That must have been a bad fall.” “‘ Nothing of the kind, Mrs. Darrell,” repressing a smile, out of respect to her. ‘‘ Master Darke isas sound as a dol- lar. You are too literal. To me there is nothing am- biguous about the dispatch. He means to say that by the delay he accidentally came upon the track of the very object for which he was looking, or another equally as important. Your son is quite acredit to you, ma’am.” Her face brightened. ‘‘T am glad to hear you speak well of him,” she replied. ‘‘He didn’t mistake his vocation, but what put it into his head Icannotimagine. I was quite amused when he first made application. How long have you been a widow, Mrs. Darrell?” : Her face reddened. «<My husband is living,” she said. ‘‘T beg your pardon,” with a wave of his hand. “I knew Darke was maintaining you to a great extent, and from something he said, I supposed him fatherless. Perhaps you have married since?” Her face flushed still more. ‘“No. Mr. Darrell is in California,” falteringly. ‘‘ Darke might as well be fatherless.” ‘‘T didn’t know. I hope I haven’t caused you pain?” ‘‘ Not at all, sir,” declared Mrs, Darrell. Eomicboo “S (E€(0) m