Detective Bob Bridger — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

DETECTIVE BOB BRIDGER. 85 think over your shameful trifling with me, your murder of Bolard, your abduction of—’ “*Tut, tut! Stop there, Mrs. Bibby,’ said I, in my natu- ral voice. ‘You are exciting yourself needlessly, as you will see when I inform you that officers of my class are forced to assume many roles when looking up evidence against those who defraud the government by smuggling, and so forth. However, I desire to be courteous in my duty, and I will hear what you have to say if you will per- mit me, while listening, to smoke one of these genuine “weeds” which you are so good as to import from Havana for the hotel.’ ~ “As Ireached for the cigar I brushed aside my coat, dis- playing my badge. “On beholding the badge, and realizing that I was a de- tective, the fair smuggler loosened her grasp from my coat, started back, and gave me one withering glance. ‘Then, as if a mad bull had suddenly dawned upon her gaze, she gathered her skirts about her, and, without a word, sailed off toward the hotel, as if her life depended on getting away. “ Knowing that her feelings would be somewhat soothed on receiving the letter at the hotel, 1 pursued my way to the depot in a happier frame of mind. “The east-bound A. and G. W. train soon after arrived, and without event I boarded the palace sleeping-car at its rear. ‘ As the train moved off I stepped upon the rear platform to finish the widow’s fragrant ‘weed,’ which I had fired, and think how readily the fair smuggler’s sharp eyes had penetrated my disguise. “IT felt, as 1 smoked, that my recent work had not been the strict performance of a detective officer, and blamed myself somewhat that in my haste to the rescue of An- nette I was leaving behind me, unexplained to the proper authorities, the death of Bolard. CHAPTER XX. THE DRUGGED GIRL. “At ten that night I reached Williamsport,” continued the Scotch detective. “T set out at once to learnif the parties ‘wanted’ had passed eastward in the train on which they had set Lor Gomicboo “S (Eco)