The Dugdale Millions — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

DICK’S PROGRESS. 156 take it that a baby, twenty-six or seven years old, is able to bring himself.” “Twenty-six or seven years old,” repeated Mrs. Stanton in deep disgust. ‘‘ At least you might do me the poor justice of treating me as a rational being. A baby twenty-six or seven ,ears old !”’ ‘“ However rational you may be, you are certainly not talking rationally,” retorted Mr. Stanton. ‘* What I say is true. On Friday night Harold Pierson, who is supposed to be young Dugdale, the heir to the Dugdale estates, and who was found by Mason this morning, will visit Mr. Hetlow, to learn from Mr. Hetlow’s lips the prospect before him.” This was said with such angry emphasis that Mrs. Stanton realized she had gone as far with her hus- band as she dared, and so she quietly remarked with an air of resignation: ‘“‘T suppose it is my duty as a wife to believe this.” The explosion of laughter from Wallis and Dick, following this wifely submission, ended the meal. Later in the evening Wallis and Dick wandered over to * The Larches,” and found the family on the lawn overlooking the river. Mr. Hetlow welcomed them warmly, for it was evident he wanted to talk with Dick upon Harold Pierson and his surroundings, ‘‘T am conscious of great disappointment,” said Mr. Hetlow, after Dick had exhausted his stock of knows ledge, thought, and suggestion upon the subject. “I did not know, until after your discovery, what strong hopes I had entertained that nothing would come of the search I myself instituted. I suppose there is a point of morals in this. I presume it was wrong of me to entertain such hopes, and wrong of me to feel disappointment. I must have hoped for two things— one that young Dugdale was dead, or, that, if alive, he could not be found. It really amounts to covet- ing for Bessie, my neighbor’s goods,” ‘* Did you covet the estate for Miss Hetlow, before Comicboclk C@© 3