Roxy Hastings — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

10 , ROXY HASTINGS. crackers for Lewy; a few fresh figs; a glass of wine! Heavens! what treasures had Golconda compared to thee, in such an hour! He fairly tore open the package; he knocked off the neck of the bottle, for want of a corkscrew, and he bore the rich contents off to the patient, who was stretched helpless on his pallet now, as eagerly ‘as ever mother administered to the wants of a suffering child. So gratefully, too, did the poor and almost speechless boy look up to his benefactor, as he slowly swallowed these welcome gifts, that if Alfred could have lived a thousand years, those eloquent speaking looks would never have faded from his memory. “'To-night, or to-morrow at furthest,” said Alfred, *“‘we’ll have larger supplies, and for the general benefit. Just now, I want a private interview with my friend here, and you must give us a corner to ourselves.” This was cheerfully accorded, and when Luke and the lieutenant were alone, the former without speaking began rapidly to unload. He disgorged from all parts of his ap- parel—from his trousers pockets, his vest-pockets, his coat, his boots. He fairly rained gold. Alfred looked on in amazement unutterable. ‘Dar! Wot you say to dat?” asked the negro, tri- umphantly, when the last yellow coin had been laid down. “ Ain’t dar two tousand, and a hundred tousand more top o’ dat? Hey?” Lee, who had rapidly counted the pieces, said : “There are two thousand dollars, certainly, but it’s the most wonderful thing I ever heard of. Was there no message of any kind ?” _. “Oh, golly, yes. Dere was a letter. I most forgot dat.” And Luke pulled out the paper missive, which had been sadly crumpled in his pocket under the superincumbent weight of coin. Alfred hastily tore it open, and read the following lines: ‘In camp of the New York Volunteers, ‘‘Before Richmond. *“My pear Broruer,—We received your letter of the 10th inst., and are much distressed to hear that you are a prisoner. I obtained a pass, and came ‘to the front’ immediately after receiving it, and I have brought with me two thousand dollars in gold, which I shall send to the enemy’s lines by the first flag, if I can be assured of any probability of its reaching you. Use it freely for whatever purpose required. I can send you as much more, and will if you can indicate any safe way of transmit- ting it, and can make any use of it toward obtaining your freedom. “You willinfer that I have become prosperous, and in such a surmise comicbooks (elo)