The Illegal Marriage — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE 107 Stannard followed the boy into the garden and along the walk. Passing through the gate, they turned to the right, and stopped by a clump of altheas. The negro pointed down into the bushes. Stan- nard saw that some one had been pushing through the shrubs to reach the garden-fence; and on the ground found a letter, nearly concealed by the branches that had been trodden down. . It gave him a great shock as he raised this letter, and saw his own handwriting; and hastily ex- amined the contents to find that it was the letter in which, a few days before, he had inclosed the check to Alfred Guerry. Stannard started back and pressed his hands upon his temples as if the very effort of trying to solve this mystery, was painful. He saw the blood on the other side; he saw the tracks of both man and horse, and a break in the hedge where a man, or where men had crowded through. Why Morgan’s fierce dogs had not attacked the intruders he could not imagine. Turning to the negro he slipped a coin into his hand, “What is your name?” “Dick, marster.” “Well, Dick, here isa gold piece for you. Don’t you say one word about this—not even to the negroes—do you understand?” “Mars’ William, I won’t say anything about it.” “Put on your hat, Dick. Say nothing toa living soul about this, and in a few days come to my house fora mate toit. Dll give you a fine pig in the bargain.” The negro promised faithfully, and went to the quarters, Stannard returned to conclude his story ; Eomicbooks (Ele)