Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

142 JOE HOOKER 1N THE ARENA. It’s astonishing how much these experts do know. Give me the letter and the blue priut. Immediately we have dined I’1l look up Josh Geddings, and get his opinion. If necessary, I?ll take him to the reg- ister’s office and let him examine the original. At haphazard, I believe I can promise you an encourag- ing report.’’ ‘‘Yohn Archer, you are a friend in need. God bless you, my dear fellow. We will be down 3 ‘Tn ten minutes,’’ finishes his wife, and that set- tles it, for Mr. Bob smiles and nods and Senator John makes a break for his own room to wash up. Promptly when the ten minutes are up, they meet below and enter the dining-room. The trip has at least not taken away the good appetites they brought from the Colorado plateau, and it seems to be a erry party that surrounds a little table at one end of the long dining-room. For the time being they seem to forget the business that demands such close atten- tion, and appear to bea merry party of travelers. They notice that others have come to Ford’s to make their headquarters. Monsieur Merle and his employer, Colonel Cornelius Gordon, eat at a table near by, and watch our friends carefully. Bob im- agines that he can see the same old sneer on Corneel’s face that a man may assume when he feels conscious of power, of success, when the wheel of fortune which he worships suddenly throws the tide in his favor. Senator John has passed the word around that they had better not notice the others, and so they continue to chat, and appear so unconcerned that CORNICE OOKS. COM a)