Ruby's Reward — page 344: what you’re looking at

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

“How strange!” she exclaimed, as she began to realize that the voice she had heard must have belonged to her friend, and that she must be in that room, so far above her, where she had noticed the broken light of glass. As her glance skimmed over the paper her eyes be- gan to dilate and her cheek to blanch at what she learned : “Go to Mr. Conant, the architect, at No. 42 street.” she read, ‘and tell him that Ruby Gordon is contined against her will in the house from which this is thrown. Tell him to come to my release im- mediately, for [have important statements to make which will clear Walter Richardson from the crime with which heis charged, besides startling informa- tion regarding other matters. Do not lose a moment in doing as I request, for delay may result in a cruel wrong and in the triumph of an evil man’s designs. ‘RUBY GORDON.” Owen Ruggles could hardly restrain his impatience while Annie Partridge was reading the above, for he saw by her blank and wondering face that something was seriously wrong with the writer of the note. “Read it aloud, miss, read it aloud,” he said, ina voice that was thick with excitement. The startled girl complied with his request, and then said: “That must have been Ruby herself who was call- ing to me. What can it all mean? I thought she was spending the summer at a place just a little out of the city.” “Of couse it was Miss Ruby. Didn't I tell youl should have known that voice if I’d heard it t'other side of the world?" said Mr. Ruggles, with pale lips, and stopping short in the street to wipe the perspira- tion from his face, while he glanced back toward the housein which Ruby was imprisoned, as if he had some notion of going back to storm it immediately | and release the fair prisoner. Fe eC OMEDO ORS CS.