Darke Darrell, the Boy Detective — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

26 DARKE DARRELL. into Darke’s hand. ‘‘ We are fortunate in having a lad like you on board.” Darke had used a trunk for a table. He knelt down and sent the dispatches, a group of idlers collecting around him. Questions were flashed back, to which he sent answers at the dictation of the conductor. _ ** He reads by sound,” Darke heard several persons say. In a reasonable course of time, a wrecking train, with physicians, nurses, stretchers, etc., arrived at the scene of the catastrophe. Somewhat at leisure now, Darke walked around to view the extent of the disaster. The first object which attracted his attention was a little girl sitting on the bank, with the head of a prostrate man in her lap. Going nearer, he became conscious of two things; first, that the man was dead, and secondly, that the girl was very lovely, despite her distress. Like himself, she was older than a first glance at her diminutive form would have indicated. She was a brunette, with red cheeks and lips, BAA sparkling eyes, hair dark as night and charmingly abundant. _ She was dressed in bright colors, and wore a valuable neck- lace. There was a hushed look on her face, but not one of deep grief. Perhaps her grief had spent itself; perhaps she had strong control over her emotions; perhaps she did not fully realize her loss. Darke watched her, strangely drawn toward her. “‘ Your father?” he asked, softly, sympathizingly. She quickly lifted her black eyes to his face. She had been watching him, while he had knelt to send the dis- patches. ‘““ Yes,” she simply said. But not at once; she was either chary in giving her con- fidence, or else had not exactly spoken the truth. comicbooks:com