The Prairie Detective: Secret Service Series No. 24 — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRAIRIE DETECTIVE. 185 CHAPTER XXI. THE LAST OF THE BLOODSUCKERS. Dan regained his courage, and rising, approached close to her, so close that she could feel his warm breath upon her forehead. He took her little tremb- ling white hands in his, and gazed fixedly upon her. ‘‘And should you be sorry to have me go, Esther?”’ There was a world of tenderness in his voice, which told her more than the words themselves. The flush deepened on her temples. She looked up shyly for an instant, and then her eyes fell again to the ground. ‘““I — should — be — sorry — to—part—with—any— friend,’’ she replied, softly. ‘But if you loved. your friend, if your friend were all in all to you——”’ “Oh, then I should not—couwld not part with him.”’ The words were impetuous, and came from the heart. Dan’s arm passed quickly. around the yielding waist. ‘“ And then, may I hope, Esther, darling Esther, that?you will not—cannot part with me?”’ She was not a girl skilled in the art of deception. What came into her mind found utterance through her lips. There was the clear light of truth in her eyes, as she looked into his face, an- expression of infinite trustfulness. “You may not only AOD but if you will it so, you may be sure!” Eomicboo (ele) cS