Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

12 DARKE DARRELL. CHAPTER ILI. A DETECTIVE’S REQUISITES. Darke rose early the next morning. He was surprised to find his mother already up, an unusual thing for her. She was preparing breakfast, and went about it quietly and steadily, looking little like an invalid, so far as her move- ments were concerned. ‘‘Tt promises to be a bright day, Darke,” she said, a wan smile stirring her lips. ‘‘ Plenty of sidewalks need shovel- ing,” suggestively. ‘‘Sure enough, mother,” his face brightening. ‘I can earn a dollar before dinner, and that will more than buy the medicine. But, mother, 1 thought you would have fretted yourself quite sick,” anxiously regarding her. ‘«¢That would not have been sensible, Darke. ‘To sit still and pine would be wrong.” Faith in Heaven’s providences was sustaining her; but it was not that entirely. Now that the worst had come, she was nerving herself to meet it. Her latent energy was aroused. } _ Darke ate his breakfast, borrowed a shovel, and cleaned _ off sidewalks until noon, by which time the sun, and the competition of other boys, had left no more work to solicit. He had, however, earned one dollar and twenty-five cents, and he was justly pleased at his success. He pro- cured the medicine and paid for it, handed the rest of the money to his mother, and then cast about him for other employment. In the street below, he met Jeff Potter, the boy to whom he had referred, when mentioning the theft of lead pipe. comicbooks:com