Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

ry soe 1 oO se ee aa ee Rn Sener ie Oe eer ent ek UES ae RD A te Cee eer esa as oe CC ae ao mene ge ek : _. we ~ >. Paver. - : : , ae fe ¥, i 4. , ; P +. a G 7 « ’ . “ i omy cis 7 i . sae e ee THRICE WEDDED, to my making off with your money, you'll have to take mé on trust, I guess, as ’ve nobody to back me.” ‘‘Where did you come from?” asked the squire, wishing he could strike the man, for his cool insolence exasperated him beyond measure. ‘Well, I came from the city out here; but I hail from California.” — “California!” repeated the squire, with a gasp. **What part of the State?” ‘The diggins! Mighty poor diggins they were, too, for me, sol thought I’d better dig for somewhere else. But what do you say, squire—is it a trade that I go for the pictures?” | «I don’t know,” muttered the perplexed man, less and less inclined to trust the stranger. “Better,” replied Ronald Edgerton, laconically. ‘Why?’ demanded Squire Moulton, sharply. <«“Well”’—continuing to use what seemed to be a favorite word with him—‘“‘well, I’ve gained some pretty valuable in- formation to-day, you know, and if I can’t make a trade with you, why, I shall be under the necessity of doing so with some one else!” ‘Oh! you threaten.me, do you?” ‘Not at all, squire—not at all; only a feller must get a living some way or other.” ‘What do you do generally for a living ?” : ‘Well, most anything that turns up; sometimes this and sometimes that.” 2 . Squire Moulton was in despair. He could get nothing whatever out of the man. He was too much for even his sharp villainy to fathom, and no cross-questioning could catch him. He did not like his appearance at all. Some- times he spoke like a gentleman, and sometimes like a rough, ignorant fellow. He was a puzzle, which it was beyond his power and wit to solve. It would have pleased him better had there been more of the decided rascal about him. But the man had evidently listened to the whole of the conver- sation he had had with his sister, and he was in his power. _ All his dearest secrets were now in the possession of this cool, insolent man who called himself Ronald Edgerton; and he cursed himself again and again for having allowed himself to breathe them in the open air, But it was of no co n < 2001 S.cOm ~ bas ~ 7 ke PU an ee * . > < _" -z st aw