Ruby's Reward — page 343: what you’re looking at

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

a hata it if I'd heard it at t'other side of the world.” _ Little Miss Partridge regarded him with aston- ishment, then a smile broke over her face. “Why,” she said, ‘this is Mr. Ruggles, isn't it? Don’t you remember dancing with me at Mr. Gor- don’s grand reception last winter?” “Yes, yes; but I can't stop to think of that just yet—it’s a matter of life and death that I’m bent on now, and I guess I've got on the right track at last,” Mr. Ruggles returned, excitedly. ‘I was taking a short cut through this street, and feeling Just about as down-hearted as my worst enemy would care to have me feel, when [I heard some “one way up yonder call out ‘Annie,’ and I felt every herve in my old body begin to beat a regular devil’s tattoo, for it put a trump in my hand that’s going to win. Then, when I saw that thing come flying at you, I said to myself, ‘Owen Ruggles, | youre better than a whole battalion of detectives after all, and reckon we'll outwit the biggest raseal | in Philadelphia yet.’ ” Miss Annie looked bewildered and half-inclined to be frightened at this wild harangue, and Mr. Ruggles, observing it, calmed himself and moderated his ardor somewhat. “Won't you just undo that little package and see what is in it?’ he asked, eying the tiny parcel with a jealous look. Um inclined to think it’s something very important. We'll walk on so as not to attract anybody’s notice; but first let me spot the number of that house, so that Tl know it again when I want to find it.” He tvok a good look at it, observed the holein the window far above him, and then turned and walked down the street beside his young com- panion. Miss Partridge eprouna the epee from her ay | pareel, and then, unfolding the paper, instantly recognized Ruby Gordon’s Mandl writin comieboolecon !