Roxy Hastings — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. 101 The men looked curiously after the preacher and the — negro, and indulged in some scoffs and jests as they walked slowly away. But the street sentinel stopped sud- denly on his walk, and turning, looked after them witha puzzled air. He had seen the minister pass out but a little more than an hour before, and had not seen him return. How was it that he was now going in the same direction again ? “There are two of them, perhaps,” he said; “these black coats always swarm about such places, or he has passed me unobserved.” But his doubts did not remain quieted; they occurred again after an interval, not exactly as suspicious, but his curiosity was piqued. How had the minister passed twice in so short a time, in the same direction, without being yeen toreturn? For Mr. Gallard thought he was pretty ‘Dbserving, and that he saw almost everything that was going on in the scope of his vision. He walked his beat a few times, and then he stopped and spoke to the sentinel at the door about it. been thinking of the same thing. “There’s two of ’em, I guess,” he said, ‘‘and one must a-went in afore I come on.” “But I’ve been on since two o’clock.” “Well, it’s easy enough asking Hess. there’s anything out of the way, though.” Gallard walked through the hall, and unconsciously kept time with his step to the sound of the hammer upon the growing gallows in the yard of the prison. He, too, had I don’t think Prompted by curiosity, he passed Hess hastily, and went to look at it. It was nearly dark. and the carpenters were about quitting their wrok, which was far from being completed, and he listened a moment to some directions about the width of the structure and the length of the cross beam. never seen a gallows before, and he wondered whether he! would be permitted to witness the execution. He had Then, con- scious of being derelict in duty, he hastened back and said to Hess: ‘‘Wrore there two ministers in there this afternoom ?” ‘‘No, only one.” “Was he there twice ?” “Ves,” replied the man, remembering what Luke had told him about the clergyman going out after.a book; “ves, twice.” “Oh! All right, then! “What's strange ?” But it’s very strange |” (E(0) mM (E eee) S (e(o)