The Dugdale Millions — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

DICE S PROGRESS. 161 riches from coming to you. But say that you forgive me. Sayit now when you know that it was not because of indifference to you.” Merrimount and Wallis were some distance in front of them. Their outlines could be faintly seen against the shrubbery, which darkened the way and threw them into the shadow. Bessie made no reply, but Dick thought, from the tremulous pressure of her hand upon his arm, that she was not displeased. He took her hand in his own. She did not repulse him. At this moment Wallis uttered a shriek of alarm. Dick saw the forms of two men struggling in the dark. He ran forward, Bessie following closely. As he came up, the man struggling with the young Englishman, fell backward a step or two, uttering an oath, and dashed into the shrubbery. A moment later the form of another man was seen issuing from the shrubbery © Omine other side. He cleared the open space ata bound and followed the other. As he did so Merrimount gave expression to an ex- clamation of surprise. “What is it?”’ asked Dick. “IT don’t understand,” said Merrimount. ‘I stum- bled over a fellow lying upon the ground, and he jumped up and made at me. But the other one—if it were not impossible, I could have sworn he was a fellow I once knew intimately, but who went wrong.” “And I could almost swear that the one who at- tacked you was the one who put me on the track of young Dugdale,” said Dick. ‘““ Well,’’ said Wallis, “it has been an adventure, but rather an alarming one.” ‘Too much so,” added Bessie. ‘ Let us go back.” They returned tothe house. The reconciliation be- tween Dick and Bessie was complete. But for the in- terruption it would have gone on to something more. Perhaps both were disappointed, but Dick was happy and so was Bessie. Comicboclk C@ 3