The Illegal Marriage — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE. 113 would have imagined yesterday that we should have such a sensational affair to-day, in this quiet settlement. | “There is my friend Parker,” he continued, in this strain of thought, “who writes popular stories. Some critic calls them ‘blood and- thunderous.’ "Pon my word, Parker never did anything that equals this story in real life.” The sky had grown brighter, but leaden-colored clouds floated across the horizon, and the air was cool. The sandy road was still wet and heayv. As Stannard rode across the Echaconnee bridge, he stopped on the opposite side, and looked down upon the spot where Doctor Trippe had been found lying. Wondering how the accident could have hap- pened—wondering whether it really was an acci- dent or an attempted murder, he cast his eyes down the stream, and was instantly arrested by an object that he saw in the water. It was some distance down, just where the creek turned, and was lost in the thick swamp. Raising his eye-glass, he examined the object, and soon made out the hoof and leg of a horse. Tracing it along he saw the saddle, partly submerged, and overhung by the bushes which drooped over the bank. For the first time, Stannard remembered that Trippe’s horse had not been seen after the accident, and he had no doubt that this was the doctor’s fine, spirited thoroughbred. Dismounting, Stannard was about to walk down the stream for a better view, when he heard voices near him, and the tread of horses’ feet upon the dry bridge beyond, ae Eomicboo “S (ele)