Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

ADVICE—ONE DOLLAR A MINUTE. | 147 one is of a different shade. Senator, have no worry about this matter. You can confound the rascals as easy as—you smoke my chibouque.”’’ Thereupon the said Senator John rises from his seat, waves his Turkish pipe above his head, and gives a genuine hurrah that a schoolboy might envy. ‘‘Beg pardon, Geddings, but you have lifted the clouds. It isn’t simply the million at stake we care about, but the principle of the thing, you know.”’ ‘“Yes, the million is a mere bagatelle compared with it—always was with me—that is, some other person’s million, for I never could get more than the first thousand started of mine. Make your mind easy about this thing. Itisso easily detected that they have no show whatever. See here, I'll tell you what I can do—with a move of the hand wash off this new layer of ink and leave the original just as it was.’’ ‘“‘T suggested that to Bob, and he was incredulous. You see, he didn’t know you—hadn’t read all the accounts of your skill as shown in many trials—see yonder scrapbook for particulars. He will have a better opinion of your abilities when you have dem- onstrated what a magician of the nineteenth century may do.’’ Then they fall to talking of future plans—Josh Geddings promises to visit the register’s office in the morning, have the page in question carefully cut out and taken in charge by the official until wanted— this in order to prevent the lawyer or his confed- erates from destroying it. | Other talk follows. GCOMmIiIcdooks (C@ im