Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

Fs / ~ ~~ 5 Fae 4 > 144 DARKE DARRELL. him company. Whether they told how they came to be there, I do not ) know. “T make this statement to vindicate myself in your eyes. I know that you will accept it as an evidence of my devotion to you. Had I been in the conspiracy, had I been more true to them than to you, would I have pushed them into the vault, atrisk of limb and life to them, and making them an easy prey to their captors? I would not have cared had they been roasted alive! ~ “T have run ‘away from my old haunts. I wish I could run away from my old memories. I have found a pleasant home, with pleasant friends, and I am getting so attached to them, that I will scarcely ever want to leave them. They could not be more kind to me than they are. ‘*T visited Baltimore the other day. You had moved; I got your present address at police headquarters; none of them had the least idea who had called. I hear that Tim Jordan has escaped from prison. Isn't it too bad? I shall be afraid to venture out. eS. ‘‘Darke, my dear friend, I wish you would write to me. Would you care to send me your photograph? You have the advantage of me in that respect, you know. I would prizeit very highly. Perhaps, though, you never think of looking at mine. ‘Our acquaintance has been a strange one. What is to come out of itin theend? Isometimes think that in the future—— But I’ll not finish it. You will only laugh at me for being so silly. I will close, wishing you happiness and success in life, only asking that you will sometimes have a kind thought for LEOTINE CASSANDRA.” Darke slowly folded up the letter, then handed it to his mother, a pleased look on his thoughtful face. “You read it, Darke,” she said. He did so, his mother listening. ‘The writing is very neat,” she said, looking over his shoulder. ‘It is a very sensible letter. Now that you | know where she is, you will have no trouble in restoring her to her parents.” ‘But I do not know where she is,” declared Darke. His mother stared at him. re ‘““She gives neither number, street, nor date,” he con- tinued. ‘The postmark on the letter is the only indica- Eomicbooks.com