Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

136 DARKE DARRELL. «Thanks! thanks!” gladly, chokingly. ‘‘Try me! Vd- die before I’d ever make you sorry!” her black eyes aglow. ‘¢T believe you, dear,” and Mrs. Kendrick kissed her with true affection. That affection increased as the days went by, and no wonder, for Leotine, apart from her pleasing face and sprightly manner, spared no efforts not only to make herself companionable, but useful. Two months went by, and a great change was wrought in her, not only in disposition and deportment, but in her face and figure, for she was that much nearer to full woman- hood. Nothing of interest happened until Mr. Kendrick one morning announced his intention of going to Baltimore. ' Leotine heard him; she thought of Darke; her heart beat faster. ‘Mr. Kendrick, will you not take me with you to Bal- timore?” she asked, unable to hide her intense desire. He looked at her steadfastly. “What put that into your head?” heasked. ‘‘ Have you friends in Baltimore?” ‘* No—yes!” almost in the same breath, stammering, her face red from confusion. | ‘“‘T thought you wanted to forget your friends,” he said, disappointedly. “You and Mrs. Kendrick?” she asked. ‘Of course not. Your old friends,” he particularized. ‘‘ My friend in Baltimore is not an old friend,” Leotine | replied. ‘‘I donot mean by that, that he is not a true friend. It is Darke Darrell. But I do not want to go in order to see him. I want to go with you to enjoy the journey.” She had not told the truth entirely, for she did want to see Darke very much. Eomicbooks.co