The Twin Detectives; or, The Robbers of the Tomb — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

Panes ‘ THE TWIN DETECTIVES. | 183 CHAPTER XXXVI. A VISIT TO THE PAWNBROKE Charlie Hudson’s friend, the reporter, was warmly inter- ested in his friend’s first letter, telling Mrs. Mordred’s story. When this was followed up by the second one, giving the — list of jewels stolen, he became quite excited. He put the paper carefully away in his pocket-book for future reference. Elliot Gordon was a real Bohemian, and had experienced many ups and downs during his short life. He was an orphan, and depended solely on his pen for bread. He was not industrious. So he was often at a lost for a dollar. He had formed the acquaintance of many pawnbrokers, fe and he now determined to take advantage of the fact. He would ascertain if all, or any of the articles named in the list, had been pawned in the city. The first shop he came to was kept by a very civil Gern man. | ‘Hallo, Swarts,” said Gordon, sitting down comfortably | on a stool before the counter. ‘‘Good-day, sir. What can I do for you?” «Well, Swarts, I'll tell you. . I have cut the ink-alingthe apt for awhile, and gone into the detective biz.” ““Indeed! Do you prefer that?” «‘ Bread and butter, Swarts. My genius is not appreciated can in the present century. I’m like Shakespeare, and all those fellows who die in poverty and have nothing to leave in their wills but old bedsteads. I have’no wife and no old bedstead —that’s the only difference between me and Shakespeare.” The pawnbroker was not busy, so he let Gordon go on; Ecomicbooks.co -> “