Detective Bob Bridger — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. 127 “T could not now know scarcely vat I vas abowed in my own place. “* Ah, thank you !—hic-chew !’ said dot bad gonsumpted man. ‘You seem troubled mit de fewmony?’ said de English shentlemans. “*Yes, ah !—hic-chew—hic-chew—yes,’ he said. _ ***So I should believe,’ I vispered. ‘‘Ven I said so dot bad gonsumpted man stands up mit de twenty dollar bill in his hand, shust as crate as if he was a bolice shudge, and I vas a miserable drunk vaitin’ to get ten days. . ‘**Sir—hic-chew !’? he said. ‘Vat you have insulted me by galling me a thief, may be true, but it is shust bossible, you might yet vind owed Iwas a shentleman. I vould vonce more in gonsequence by dot, ask you to back your obinions, and send right avay for a boliceman of yo still think I vas a thief like vat yo have said.’ “Tt vas all right,’ I vispered, shust as if I vas sinking all de vile through de floor. ‘I know all de vile you vas a shentlemans, and vould pay me—if not do night, some odder night.’ “TI might—hic-chew—yes, I might,’ he said, blacing de twenty dollar bill in his bocket. ‘But, remember—hic- chew—I don’t say I vill. So, since you have teclined do send by dot bolicemans, vy—hic-chew—ve bart on derms more vorthy of shentlemens. Good-night, sur. Good-night, sir.’ ‘‘And, bowing to de English shentlemans, he puts his hat sideways by his head, and valks dovard de door. “He stops by de vindow, smells de flowers, and says: “*Hic-chew! Vat fragrant flowahs !” ‘“He then vent owed. “It vas more I could quite stand, and if de vaiter had not himself fell over against me, ve both fell sure down. “De English shentleman laughed owed a loud, squeaking laugh, vich vent vorse by my ears as twenty dom gats singing on a hot night, soon by, ven I vas dead mit de headache. ‘‘De English shentleman pays his bill, and vent avay quick after dot bad gonsumpted man. ‘It vas yet two hours to dree o’glock, ven I should shut my blace, but I turn de glock right avay by dree o’clock, and vent home. “I put a mustard blastor on my pack, made my vife wrap a vet dowel by my neck, and go do ped. Comichoo <“S Go