The Dugdale Millions — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

1Q4 LHE DUGDALE MILLIONS. of the hotel. At acertain period of the day before noon, the sun, when well advanced toward meridian, shone directly through the rear window of the read- ing-room of the hotel, filling it with light. At sucha time it was possible for one standing at the window of the office of the warehouse to see into the reading- room and distinctly recognize those who occupied it. Dick, who had been engaged for some time in the office on this Monday morning examining the books, finally rose from the desk at which he had been at work, and went to the single window of the room. As he looked out engrossed in thought, he was startled by recognizing tn the reading-room of the hotel Harold Pierson, as he knew him, otherwise Bob, and Ransom, the man who had given him the information which led to the discovery of the sup- posed Dugdale heir. A second glance showed him that these two, with two others, were gathered about a table, and of the other two, one seemed to be a man employed by Mr. Hetlow at “The Larches’’; the other he did not know. He peered through the window earnestly. There could be no doubt they were the men he supposed them to'’be. What startled him was, not that they were in that place, but that Ransom and Harold Pierson should be together. Ransom had pretended to have no acquaintance with either Orton or Harold Pierson. And in his conversation with him, Orton Pierson had denied knowledge of Ransom. While he was thus looking upon them earnestly, he saw the fourth man, whom he did not know, look up and discover him. Theattention of the others was directed to him. He stepped back quickly—so quickly that the other three, who sprang to their feet immediately, were not able tosee him. ‘The incident took complete possession of him. The more he thought of it, the more perplexed he became. Morever it unfitted him Comicboolkks C@ 3