Detective Bob Bridger — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. 187 “Tf you can do that, we may defy all the influence in the world.”’ * * ** “6 * 6 *K An hour later the district attorney, the sheriff, coroner, and three detectives entered the town jail. It was now eight by the clock. The sheriff conducted the party to the office of his deputy, at the right of the entrance. Ina large room to the left, at the farther end of the stone hall-way, Videre and the invalid were confined. Light streamed through the grated door-way into the dark corridor without. -Videre sat reading a paper near a table in the center of the room, on which a lamp burned brightly. To all appearance he seemed calm and untroubled ; much so that his air was that of a gentleman reading ‘the news of the day at his own fireside. The railway attorney had assured him that as there was no direct testimony against him, in a few days, at most, he would be free. In the stove near by a cheerful fire glowed, dispelling the damp air of the prison. At the rear of the room were a number of beds. Upon one of these the invalid had thrown himself with- out disrobing, and was evidently sleeping soundly. A bottle stood onthe floor near the bed, and he had doubtess drank deeply of its contents. When everything had been arranged to set on foot the Scotch detective’s experiment, the sheriff’s deputy emerged from the office into the corridor. On his left arm rested a tray upon which had been placed a plate of cold turkey, bread, butter, a bottle of beer, and a glass. Envelopes, paper, an ink-stand, pens, and the Scotch detective’s necromantic glass were also among the articles thereon. Advancing to the room’s grated door, the deputy inserted the key and turned the heavy, lock. “Oh, it’s you, constable” remarked Videre, as the officer entered. “Yes,” returned the deputy. “I have orders to make your stay here as comfortable as possible, under the cir- cumstances. ”’ ‘Oh, thank you.” “And fearing that you might wish a lunch during the r EGomicboo cS (E()