Under His Thumb — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

UNDER HIS THUMB. Seas ‘The oval object was motionless for a full minute. Then it began to move. CHAPTER X. THE BOY DETECTIVE. It was nearly midnight when the figure of a boy stole cautiously to a rear door of the great printing- house of Blain & Waldron, and there paused in an alert, listening attitude. ’ The boy was Steve Lawton, the apprentice, and he was acting upon instructions from Croly, the detec- tive. “By Jinkins, how still itis!’’ he exclaimed, in a cautious whisper, glancing out into the deserted street, and then up at the big, dark windows of the building. He carefully avoided looking toward the counting-room, which was the scene of the recent tragedy. Not that he expected to see the ghost of the murdered man—of course not. But it would be rather natural for any of us to look the other way under the Bae TSAR COs, especially at the hour of midnight. | Steve was plucky, and he had something to do. “T’m a detective now—a reg’ lar fly-cop, chock full of mystery and ideas!’’ he soliloquized, to further brace his nerves for the ordeal. . -“*T guess there’s nothin’ to be afraid of, anyway,’’ he continued, producing a bunch of keys, and pro- ceeding to try them one by one in the door. ‘‘And if there was anything, detectives don’t back down. Common street-cops get frightened some- times, and skedaddle, but fly-cops jest look careless, and keep their eyes peeled, and never think of EOmMmichboo cS Eo m