Old Specie, the Treasury Detective; or, The Harbor Lights of New York — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

90) OLD. SPECIE. ries, the gloom was dissipated by the glow of the hghts surrounding their entrances. In many places gloom held full sway. Men pushed along the narrow pavement, for South street has only one side, the river bounding it on the other. Women, too, were to be seen, and their brazen laughter sounded with the boisterous voices of the men, while music from dance-halls caught the ear hither and yon. renee eee eee eee CHAPTER III. HARBOR LIGHTS OF GOTHAM. Of course the detective had changed his condition since last appearing on South street. He no longer represented the countryman, but rolled along likea genuine Jack Tar. As seen under the lights in his course, he appeared a genuine old sea dog, grizzled and sere. More than once he was accosted by men on the street, but he gave back as good as they sent, al- though managing to avoid a row. Presently he brought up at the sailors’ lodging- house adjoining the building under suspicion. _. This place he entered. The basement was a dance hall, where men were coming and going all the time. Music came from the place, together with the scraping of feet and an occasional wild shout from some fellow more than half seas over. It was no uncommon scene in the lower part of New York. In dozens of places along the river fronts the same thing takes place each night. comicbooks Cc (0) 3