Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

132 THE FLIGHT OF THE EAST-BOUND EXPRESS. ‘Then I see what must be done—I have a friend at Richmond, one Joe Hooker. I can depend on him. When we reach St. Louis I shall wire him and receive the answer at Cincinnati.’’ ‘To what effect—I see you grasp the situation ?”’ ‘(He will proceed to the office where this registry of birth is kept, with a notary public, and make a copy of the entry by Doctor Hammond, which the notary will witness and swear to being correct.’’ Senator John slaps his hand down upon his knee with a sudden emphasis. ‘“Bob, I see your brain is as bright as when you are in the swim at the Exchange. Your suggestion is a good one—I don’t see how it could be improved. Even if these rascals manage to destroy or change the record we will have it in black and white. Yes, get the dispatch ready—spare nothing—have it explicit and we are bound to win.”’ ‘‘T will write out a draft of it, John, and perhaps two heads will prove better than one.” » ‘All right—when we reach St. Louis it will be | ready to send.”’ ‘‘Plenty of time—this is a long trip,’’ says Bob. It does not occur to one of them that there is any need of haste—the plan is so bright, and success seems so sure, that they cannot imagine such a thing as fail, forgetting that they have opposed to them an unscrupulous French lawyer, than whom a _ harder being does not exist. _ So they allow themselves to rest in the lull of the storm—during the night none of them feel any Gomichooksscom