The Dugdale Millions — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

PLAYING THE KNAVE. 103 at his desk in his office, when a messenger announced to him that a man named Ransom desired to see him. ‘“‘Admit him,’’ said Dick, arousing himself from his gloomy reverie. When his visitor entered he was distinctly conscious of a feeling of distrust and aversion. But as unfavor- able as was the first impression, no sooner did Ransom reveal his business than all such sensations were lost in the eager desire to know what Ransom had to tell. ‘For some days,’’ Ransom began, as he seated him- Rely 1m ine chair indicated by Dick, “J hawe Deen noticing advertisements in the papers, asking anyone having knowledge of Edmund Dugdale to call upon you. I suppose I am speaking to Mr. Richard Mason ?”’ , Dick eagerly assured him that he was. “Well, the man is dead,’’ briefly continued Ran- som. ‘‘We know that,’’ murmured Dick, ‘‘and that he died in 1858, but we want to know all we can about his life and associations when he was alive.”’ “Tt is very little I can tell you,’’ said Ransom. ‘*That’s what kept me from coming before—I had so lage te Say, But that fad’ kent turnime up before me and so I thought I’d come.”’ “Anything, however trivial it may appear to you, might be important to us,’’ urged Dick. ‘*Well, lL was a boy,’’ Ransom went on, as he crossed his legs and supported his elbows on the arms of the office chair, bringing the tips of his fingers together, thus attracting Dick’s attention to his beautiful white hand, “‘I was a boy, I say, in the office of the Courzer and Ingutirer, when Dugdale was employed there, and sometimes ran errands for him. That’s the way I got to going tohisrooms. He lived in Macdougall Street. He was a shy, reserved fellow, as I recollect him, and very poor.”’ ‘“All you say comports with the information we Comicboclk C@ 3