Roxy Hastings — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

8S ROXY HASTINGS. The supper was served at the appointed time, the cooked part of it being brought in from a neighboring restaurant. © There was a large supply for three men, and one of them an invalid; and, as Alf and his very willing jailer were about to sit down to it, the former said : “That poor fellow out in the yard might as well come in and help us. We’ve a great plenty here.” “Who do you mean? Hart?” ‘““Yes:; the sentinel there.” “He dursn’t leave his post; but he’d be glad enough to git a dram, [ll be bound.” “Well, call himin. It won’t take him three minutes to swallow a dish of oysters and take a drink, too.” Hart came in, with a look half surly and half sheepish ; but, after catching the odor of the savory viands, and swal- lowing’ a glass of such whisky as had never before passed his lips, his countenance relaxed wonderfully, and he did not seem as much pressed for time as had been expected. Having paced his rounds in that dull old ward half of every night for several months, without an alarm of any kind, he did not think that a quarter of an hour’s absence was likely to do any harm, especially as he could peep out of the window every other minute, if he chose. He ate voraciously, and Hess was not much behind him. in that respect, and the bottle circulated freely between all three, Alf drinking some, and seeming to drink a great deal more than he did. The table was in the center of the small room, and when they were seated about it there was not much unoccupied space in the cell, if such it may be called. The jailer sat nearest the door, which he had locked on the inside, and Alfred was opposite to him, and almost within reach of the bed on which Louis lay, taking no part in the conversation, except by replying occasionally, in a faint voice, to some remark addressed to him. 3 5 The bed was near and almost against the one grated win- Ow. ‘Now, Lewy, don’t you think you had better sit up, and try a little good cheer with us,” said Alfred. Lewy thought he had better not. “Dll bring you a little of this delicious soup. Perhaps you can swallow that?” RL LOL se, “Is he goin’ to the hospital, or back to the officers’ room, after—” asked Hart, nodding toward Lee. ‘Tut, tut, man! Don’t speak about that at sich a time comicbooks.co A