The Prairie Detective — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

20 THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. boss detective. Blessed if he doesn’t look it, too! Thunder! what eyes he’s got! But I wonder what he is doing in Washington?’’ ‘ie The clerk was not destined to find out. But you and I, being privileged characters upon this occa- sion, may take a peep inside the little room, and without being observed, may listen to the conversa- tion. The apartment contained a sofa, two or three easy- _ chairs, an elegant desk, a table, and a polished side- board. The walls were hung with pictures, and. the car- pet was thick and soft to the touch. A genial fire glowed upon the hearth. Behind the desk sat an elderly man in spectacles. As Burdett entered, this person rose and,came for- ward to meet him. ‘‘Halloa, Dan!’’ he exclaimed, heartily, grasping his visitor’s hand with a cordial grip. ‘‘Glad to see you.”’ . “Received your telegram last night,’’? responded Burdette, in his customary unruffled way. ‘‘Packed my valise at once, caught the midnight train, and here I am.”’ ‘‘Prompt as ever, I see. Well, sit down and make yourself at home. Take off that coat.’ The garment was soon hanging across the back of a chair, and its owner, planted in another luxurious piece of upholstery, had his feet upon the table.’ ““Now, Ryerson,’’? he said, when he had settled himself calmly, and was contemplating a speck of dust upon one of his boots, ‘‘what’s in the wind? JI reckon you are on the track of a good thing, else you wouldn’t have sent in such a confounded hurry for me. Let’s hear it, whatever it may be.”’ comicbooks ? mn iets’ Agh: s e .