The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

184 ~ THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. it seems, and perform their labors successfully. And if aman prevaricates once how are we ever to be sure he is not doing the same whatever he says?”’ “Yes, but you see my case is different.’’ And Dan proceeded to relate, in the fullest way, the causes which had led him westward, his former relations with Bill Creighton, and his adventures since he started on his perilous journey. He talked with animation until- he had finished his tale, and then his voice dropped. He hesitated an instant, and then falteringly concluded: ‘“‘T thought Miss Esther, that as there was just a bare possibility of our again meeting in the future, it would be only just right for me to tell you about myself before I go away.”’ ‘“‘Before you go! Are you—I mean, that is, do you intend to start so soon?’’ The girl spoke eagerly at first, not realizing the construction that might be put upon her words. Then, when the sentence was half uttered, she tried to remedy her error, and made an extremely con- fusing affair of it. She was very pretty as the blood rushed to her face, dyeing her cheek to a deep car- nation hue. 7 comicbooks.«