The Illegal Marriage — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE. 59 hide the shot, but was not yet ready to explain the circumstances. Without explaining fully why old Hawks had a feud against him, Trippe could not tell the story; and hitherto he had kept that secret because it implicated a young man who was as yet unsuspected of any crimes, and saved the happiness of a woman. He knew that old Hawks would kill him if he could do so without detection; but for all that he dreaded to ruin the prospects of a young man just starting in life, who might never again become a criminal. At this time, he felt that he could not keep the secret much longer, but with his usual generous spirit determined to keep it as a last resort. Stannard repeated his question. “Excuse me; I was thinking about it. You see I had a narrow chance there.” “Who in the world could have shot you, Trippe?” “An accident, my dear fellow, an accident. You don’t suppose any one would shoot me purposely, do you?” “Indeed, I’m glad to hear it.” “Glad! Why it came very near putting my pipe out!” said Trippe, with a laugh. “Oh! I didn’t mean that you know; I’m glad to think that no one tried to shoot you.” “Some fellow squirrel-hunting, I imagine, who came near bagging a doctor instead of his game. Come, Stannard, do the hospitable—I feel uncom- monly like taking a glass of brandy and water.” For the first time, Trippe began to suffer from the shot. and felt a passing faintness. The stimulant revived him. “I wanted to see you about the Mor- gans,” the doctor began. “I have just come from the castle, and left old Dan in a terrible state. He cS comicboo (Ele)