Under His Thumb — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

96 UNDER HIS THUMB. ‘Me and my girl, *bout your age.”’ - “How do I know you are telling me the truth?” ‘‘No object for me to he to ye. I don’t want ye to fall into the hands of the cops, that’s all.’’ “Why do you care?’’. “Can I trust ye if I welt. “You can trust me.’ ‘Well, then, I’m mixed up in the racket myself.” “The printing-house tragedy ?”’ ‘Ves. 23 Leary lowered his voice, and continued: ‘‘I knows a heap more *hout the business than I wish I did. I didn’t do it, mind that; but I knows ‘bout it. Your father and me know me other, and we're good friends, though he is a ‘white’ chap com- pared with me. But he did me a favor once, and I like him. That’s why I ve to keep you out of trouble. ”’’ Stella knew that the ean s statement was not improbable. Carl Brandon had many a lawless as- sociate, and that he had won this man’s regard was likely enough. * Still, there was something so repulsive in the face and tones of Bill Leary that Stella could not bring herself to trust him. ‘You cannot blame me for not wishing to trust _. myself to a stranger,’’ she said, in a tone intended to conciliate the ruffian. ‘*Ain’t I a friend of your father?” ‘‘l presume you are.’ ‘Then what are ye afraid of?”’ ‘You. are a stranger to me.”’ ‘‘T helped ye to get away from the cops just now, didn tb?’ “Yes, and I thank you for it.’ comicbooks co