Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

116 DARKE DARRELL. ‘¢ Why discuss that now?” Darke asked, a little embar- rassed. ‘It will do after I have found her. I promise to do all I can, arid as soon as I can.” Again the impatient look. «You must have a sufficient motive,” Mr. Cassandra de- clared. ‘* Nothing more lucrative must be allowed to lure you from your mission. You must be paid whether you succeed or not. If you restore my child to me within the year, I will pay you ten thousand dollars.” That almost took away Darke’s breath. ‘Tt is a bargain,” he promptly said, not actuated by avarice, but believing that it was the only way to satisfy Mr. Cassandra. “Thank you,” he said, his face brightening. “‘You ~ may require money to prosecute the search. Apply to me as frequently as you may find it necessary. Darke remained all night. Mr. Cassandra was polite and affable, but was distant, none the less; at least Darke felt under restraint. With Mrs. Cassandra he felt perfectly at ease. He realized that she was his friend, and that Bh took a deep interest in his welfare. After breakfast he bade his new friends adieu, and took the train for Baltimore, going at once to the office on his arrival there. | He was received with hearty congratulations by his asso- clates, who crowded around him in a boisterous manner, The Baltimore papers had given him quite extended no- tices. “No bones broken?” askeda chum. ‘You wouldn’t catch me leaping out of a fifth-story window.” ‘““A window on asecond story,” corrected Darke. “ With a shed-roof beneath,” he modestly added. “How many of the gang did you knock down?” asked — another, with a grasp at the muscles of Darke’sarm. “Five or six, eh?” €Comicbooks.com —