Detective Bob Bridger — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

\ DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. 237 \ “Silly” Billy visited the barber and a candy store, and returned to the hotel looking bright and clean, and munch- ing the sweetmeats with which he had eorged his pockets. ‘Soon after he and Meg departed from the hotel. Upon every babe in the street, and every little girl and boy he encountered in the stores, Billy bestowed a handful of candy. This quaint expression of liberality, combined with his silly, gentle manners and remarks, made much fun for mothers and nurses, and the bright eyes of many a grand dame and pretty maid beamed kindly upon him. Under Meg’s influence the crazy giant had become as gentle as a child, while in strength he far excelled any of the busy, scheming throng of men that swarmed about. Contrasted with his mental, money-getting superiors, he possessed qualities which the eyes of beauty were as quick to discern and approve as flies are to gather on a grain of sugar amid a ton of salt. But this did not altogether suit Meg. So, to give Billy other occupation than trading “sweets for sweets,’ ’she ignored the privilege of having her pur- chases delivered at the hotel, and piled Billy’s arms full of bundles. At two in the afternoon, as they were walking in a cross street, Billy suddenly stopped to get a better grip on the armful of packages, and at the same time intimated to Meg that he desired to eat. ‘“Yez does be always wantin’ to ate, ye overgrown vaga- bond,” quoth Meg. ‘‘But, however, I’ve made all the pur- chases I can call to my moind at the prisint, and we’ll be off to the hotel.” As she spoke she happened to glance at the building op- posite, and perceiving that it was a church, and that people were passing out and in at its doors, she grasped Billy’s coat-tail, restraining the mad gait at which he had set out ee the proposed lunch, and bringing him to a right about alt. “There’s one thing,” said Meg, ‘‘which, among all the foinery of the stores, I did be almost forgettin’, Billy.” ‘Hand what do hit be, Misses Meg ?” “I’ve made up me moind to marry you, Billy.” “Well, hanythink has’ll suit you, Misses Meg,’ll suit me,” simpered Billy, as, by a cleverly executed maneuver he managed to hold on to the bundles, and pass a handful of candy into the broad, grinning cavity which answered as a OUths GomirchookKs:.co