Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

She stopped an instant to listen, then resumed: ~ “Tf you betray me, Chester Osborn, I swear ie The remainder of the sentence was uttered in a Whisper, but it served to blanch the face of her listener, aud 1uake him shiver as in mortal dread. The next moment the servant announced ‘Mr, Sargent,” aud Helena turned to find herself face to face with the detective whom her mother had em- ployed to search for the missing necklace. Mr. Osborn took his leave almost immediately, too heart-sick and despairing to wish to meet a stranger, but his dejected manner and white face, as he left the room, did not escape the keen eyes of the detec- tive, who drew his own inference from his appear- ance, He believed him a rejected suitor. “Tregret to be obliged to tell you, Mr. Sargent, that mamma is out this evening,” Helena remarked to the new-comer, supposing, of course, that the officer's call was intended for Mrs. Stewart. | “Tam very glad to hear it, Miss Stewart,” he re- plied, blandly, aud with the utmost self-possession. “Itis all the better for my purpose, since my visit was intended exclusively for yourself.” “Indeed! To what am J indebted for such an honor?” Helena inquired, a slight smile of amuse- lnent curling her beautiful lips, her sentence pointed With a suspicion of scorn. — The detective was quick to note it, and his nostrils dilated a trifle, though by no other sign did he betray that he felt the sting of her sarcasm. “You flatter me,” he returned, as blandly as before and with a polite bow, “but l had no intention of conferring any ‘honor.’ I[ simply wanted to have a little private talk with you about that missing neck- lace. I really teel interested to have it found, for Mrs. Stewart's sake a8 well as to establish, still ore firmly, my own reputation as a skille leno roi and I fully intend to devote myself exclusively to its