Old Specie, the Treasury Detective; or, The Harbor Lights of New York — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

*® OLD SPECIE. 53 ‘Seems to me this gal alive would be worth some | money to you.”’’ The two men looked at each other. In the eyes of Ben Bolt there was a startled ex- pression, which Old Specie rightly interpreted to mean that his words had hit the other’s secret thoughts exactly. Ben was not réady to make a confidant of his new friend, however. ‘You heard what the captain said?”’ “What?. About treachery ?”’ “Yes, and he’ll do what he says.’’ ‘Two can play at that game, Ben. I don’t fear any man, and if I saw a way clear to make a for- tune out of this girl, if I was you I’d do it every time.”’ ‘No, I don’t dare to do it. Put the screws in.”’ There was nothing more to say. Old Specie did as he was requested, and the coffin was soon closed again. Then the black mantle was wrapped about the other form—that Florence was dead there could be no question. | What did it mean? A man did not exchange a liv- ing for a dead form without some accursed villainy in view that stamped him a devil in human shape. ‘‘Let’s be moving.’’ ‘What ine is it?”’ “Two ten.’ “Do we go back the same way 1 we came?”’ “Ves. 23 ‘And to that house?’ Ves.” “Well, of course it ain’t none of my business, but if I was you, Ben, I’d remember that it ain’t every Gomichboo cS com