Ruby's Reward — page 336: what you’re looking at

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

“To whom,” sneered the young man, with a ma licious smile, “I do not doubt you would be glad to constitute yourself Miss Gordon’s champion in the future, as you have tried to do in the past; but there is a possibllity, you know, that you may not have the opportunity.” Walter quivered in every nerve at this cruel thrust, but he felt that it would be unwise to retort, and turning abruptly away, he said, in a low, despairing tone, to Mr. Conant: “Whatshall we do? This suspense is maddening, ate fully believe that this rascal is at the bottom of it all.’ Mr. Conant linked his arm within the young man’s, and led him away to a seat. He knew it would not do to have any coufusion in the court-room, for a case was being tried that had been put over from the day before, and already the group that had gathered around Mrs. Gordon had attracted attention. “T am pretty sure of that myself,” said Mr. Conant, “put it will not do to make a scene here. We will, however, see what can be done as soon as this affair is settled.” Mr. Conant’s face was very grave as he concluded. He did not appear very hopeful regarding his young friend’s case. Ifit wasa plot to ruin him, as both Walter and his counsel seemed to think, he feared that proof sufficient to convict him might be brought against him; he did not believe that a man like Hd- mund Carpenter would go to work blindly, and he thought he must have felt pretty sure of his position in order to have caused his arrest. As the hours went by, and they still had to wait for the other case, Mrs. Gordon’s anxiety increased, and more than once she begged Mr. Ruggles to go out and do something to find her, but he could not he PR RACES. to leave the ee ip ne troubled as hig own heart was on account of the youn a 101 j he knew how Walter’s trial was to be comet peres pa