The Prairie Detective — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. 15 in his, glanced quickly into my eyes, and exclaimed: ‘**T love you, Esther Harper. Will you be my - wite?’ ”’ Old ‘‘Doc’”’? Harper and his daughter, Marian, were intensely interested in the narrative by this time. On the father’s face the last traces of the bantering - smile had faded out, and now his eyes snapped with indignation. ‘The scoundrel!’? he exclaimed, involuntarily, clenching his fist. *““‘How dare he? Why, child, what did you say?”’ ‘“Hor a moment I was speechless with amazement. The surprise was as complete as it was disagreeable, and I never realized until that instant how thor- oughly I detested that man. I had presence of mind enough to snatch away my hands, and then almost unconsciously, I began to talk. The words came unbidden, and I was entirely without knowledge of what I was saying. I abused him, called him a mur- derer, assassin, robber, and everything that was vile. Through all this he sat looking me in the eye, and smiling—yes, actually smiling. My fiery words pleased his fancy. At last, as a farewell shot, and not knowing why I did it—for | was moved by some unknown influence—I charged him with being no other than the chief of the Bloodsuckers, Persimmon Bill !”’ ‘Well! well!’’? exclaimed Harper, eagerly, as his daughter paused for breath, “‘what ensued?”’ ‘“T cannot aptly describe it. I will not pollute my tongue with the full details. Suffice it to say that he sprang to his feet, turned pale as death at the mention of that name, and cursed, and raved, and blasphemed, because I had found him out. He begged me not to expose him, and threatened my comircbooks.co