Detective Bob Bridger — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

56 DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. “T stood in the depot so that the ight which the tibles: £ ; agent had lit in his window shone full upon the diamond — in my shirt bosom, and on the ring I wear. “T did everything, in fact, that a man might. do under : the circumstances to create an impression. ‘‘ And I succeeded. “At length the train, all too soon, thundered into the | station. “*Here now is the train, Miss Annette, and we must part,’ I said. | “Oh, Tam so sorry,’ she replied, with charming inno- cence. “<But I know we will meet again at Mrs. Bibby’s. It is this day week you take your lessons, is it not? “Yes, every Friday is my day,’ she said. “And you must tell your papa, Miss Annette, that if he wishes your organ tuned up, and you say several of the keys are broken, or if he desires to purchase the piano you say he has promised you, l will surely serve you cheaper than any one else.’ **T will tell him.’ ““Here is my card, Miss Annette. And now good- = “As I spoke I handed her safely up the car- “steps, and she tripped into the car. “The train departed and left me alone. “In fact I never felt more lonely in my life than I did for the next hour. “For the first I felt the force of the fierce wind and rain- storm that swirled about, and. it -seemed asif I had been suddenly hurled forth from fairy-land into a bleak and howling wilderness. “I hastened to the hotel, ate a hasty meal, and sat in the office for an hour, smoking one of the widow’ S ‘weeds,’ si- — lently and ina dream. . “From this I was awakened by jolly Tom Bowling, the : clerk, who, slapping me familiarly on the shoulder, said : “OWhy, sam, old boy, what’s the matter with you? Where now be the gibes with which you made the table x roar? Answer me, man, is it the stormy night, or have you been to a funeral ? “*Tom,’ I returned, ‘I have just been looking chiens myself to see if I was not head over heels in love with an angel on the earth.’ “ At this slight provocation. this jovial fellow roared | in laughter. At that moment, greatly to my surprise, the rien comicboo (S.C mM — - , es { = ~~ é nee } e