Roxy Hastings — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

- ROXY HASTINGS, BES ony OF one, so earnest and inquiring, and although his gaze had reverted instantly to his stick, there was such a conscious expression on his speaking face, that Charles, frank and unsuspicious as was his nature, could not avoid noticing it. “They are anxious to get it,” he thought, “and who knows but I may get another hundred ?” “'Won’t you give five hundred ?” he asked. Now, Messrs. Sharp and Sligh knew very well what they were about, although the oil mania was as yet confined to a very few individuals, and they would gladly have paid Mr. Lee on the spot five times the price which he so timidly asked, but they feared to say “yes” too readily to the young man’s question. “Will you take it?” Sharp asked. ‘‘Make me an offer, gentlemen, if you want the land.” The two men consulted apart, and whispered and shook their heads, and seemed to debate very earnestly, and finally Sharp came forward, and Sligh, calling him back said, very loudly: , “TI don’t care, Sharp. ITU risk it if you think best, though, mind, I tell you I think it’s too much. And if it don’t pay, you mustn’t blame me.” “Very well, then; we’ll give the five hundred, Mr. Lee. What do you say—yes or no. I don’t care three fips about it.” What a fortune was here! But still the faces of the speculators belied their words, and Charley hesitated. “They certainly want it,” he thought, “and may stand another turn of the screw.” But he feared that he was an unreasonable, extortionate fellow, and that he should lose a good thing by being too avaricious. ' “T)] think of it,” he said, “and let you know this even- ing. I’m going to stop at Captain Smith’s, if I can find the place. Do you know where it is? He’s a farmer somewhere in this neighborhood, who keeps a kind of inn.” The men exchanged glances, and exhibited some alarm. There were a dozen speculators stopping at Smith’s, who had been prospecting for oil in the neighborhood, and they knew all about the ownership of it. It would never do to let the young man go there.” “We can’t wait till evening,” said Sharp. “We'll goon South, to the other place that I spoxe of. It’s only about fifteen miles from here; unless you choose to strike a bar- gain at five hundred.” : ; Charley hesitated, and they saw it, com (@) books (eo) m