The Dugdale Millions — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

THE FIRST STEP. 29 thoroughly aroused the old man’s interest by the time he had finished. ‘"I know something about this,’’ he said. ‘*That clerk of Samuel Dugdale’s you speak of, came to see me. But he was a thick-witted fellow and undertook to lecture me upon what he called my presumption in daring to discharge Samuel Dugdale’s son—as if I cared for, or knew of, Samuel Dugdale. I drove him from the office. But he said nothing about a child of Edmund.” He thought a long time. ‘‘Dugdale was living in MacDougall Street in a sin- gle room under the roof, with a family from whom he hired the room, when I went to see him,’’ he con- tinued. ‘‘He only lodged there. Several days after I learned the truth about the papers I thought he had sold, and while I was thinking what I could do to repair the wrong I had done him, the man in whose house he was living came to me, to say Dugdale was very ill, and in great distress. I went immediately, but he was dying when I reached him-—very weak, and did, in fact, die while I was there—from starvation, [ thought then and do yet. I buried him. But I can- not for the life of me remember the man’s name in whose house he had the room. Possibly I have it among my papers of the year 1856 or 1857. I will see to-morrow. But at all events Ican go direct to the house.”’ “After so many years?’’ asked Dick incredulously. ‘‘After so many years,’’ replied Mr. Stanton posi- tively. ‘‘My memory for localities never fails me; for names and figures it does. However, I passed through MacDougall Street about a year ago, and the whole Dugdale incident was recalled to me by recog- nizing the house.”’ ‘“Then we may be able to learn something if we can trace back the tenants,’’ said Dick hopefully. Comicloee S C@ 3