A Wonderful Secret, or Marion Marlowe's Discovery — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

ee do you refuse to give Bert up with- ‘money? 7?” she asked, more quietly. Matt shifted his gaze out of the window, the old judge coughed uneasily. arion Marlowe,” he began, a little nerv- ously. “Now, ef Bert Jackson wuz some bo: “3 we'd say let him go fer nothin’, but ‘bein’ as how he’s as strong as an ox an’ a as er cart whip, his sarvices are wuth r Ie ot tew ther county, an’ it’s them air sar- e ces thet count in this air, dicker—’ther . county hez got tew be paid fer what it’s _ “Well, lee us see how much that will be,” gan Marion, calmly. “You figure it, ia. Father will get you a pencil.” x Once more Matt Jenkins shifted his gaze om the window to the room, letting it travel around the wall paper until he could steal a tive glance at Marion. It did not seem possible to him that this calm, handsome young lady could be little Marion Marlowe, e girl who used to drive the cows to her fat ler’s pasture. _* ‘The old judge was thinking the very same 1 hing, as he wiggled uneasily on his chair, “mopping his fat, red face with the old ban- dana handkerchief. “All right! Fire ahead!” said Miss Allyn, _ pleasantly, as she flourished a piece of Dae al anda pentil with a tragic air. : g Well, in the first place, Bert is exactly | nineteen and a half years old, which means a that his term of service is just one year and a half longer. Now, father, how much sal- ary does a hired man get? One from the "poor farm, of course?’ asked Marion, Ea : F harply. Matt Jenkins gasped and sat straight up on his chair, while Judge Walters grew so aA of apoplexy. There was a comical grin on the old _ deacon’s face as ne answered, and his eyes B scsrkied with admiration as he looked at Marion. | * “T reck’n now ther best on ’em gits erbout i ten ’er month an’ ther keep,” he said, _ promptly, ° ‘an’ thet ter ther best of my cal- _ kerlatin’ is er hundred an’ twenty er year, sie thar’s ther lost time ter be reck’ned when MY QUEEN. 3 _ purple in the face that he seemed in danger 18 nobody wants help, which is mighty onsite erable in Hickorytown, I can tell ye.” “Oh, we will not count lost time at all!” said Marion, loftily. “We'll be both just and generous with the county, father—we ‘il call it one hundred and twenty a year, and the half a year added will make the total ex- actly one hundred and eighty dollars !” She said the words loudly, so as to be sure that the lawyer could hear her, and, at the same time, Miss Allyn wrote the amount upon her paper in very large figures. A moment of profound silence followed this rapid reckoning, while the judge and Matt Jenkins gazed uneasily at each other. “Well, what is the matter, gentlemen?” asked Marion, finally. “I have figured up what Bert is worth to the county, and | am ready to pay it. Am I to understand that you accept my offer?” Matt Jenkins’ jaw dropped ominously, but the judge braced up with a heroic effort. “?Taint no use tew try tew dicker with er gal, Marion Marlowe. I said thet afore wé come here!” he said, weakly. “I wuz tellin’ Matt jest as we come in ther gate, sez I, ‘ther best way tew dew it is ter jest dew nothin’. Yew’ve got ther boy, an’ thet’s all thar ez erbout it. term same ez ther others. “And Mr. Jenkins preferred to ‘dicker,’ if suppose,’ said Marion, scornfully. “‘He is so solicitous of the county that he would like it to be paid for Bert’s services for fear, I suppose, that he won’t be able to keep him a prisoner !” “ll keep him all right! No danger ’bout thet,” snarled Jenkins, gloomily. “Ther con- stable’s got him under lock an’ key long afore this! Thar ain’t no danger of his es- capin’ agin, Marion Marlowe!” “Well, do you accept my terms?” asked Marion, sternly. “Are you willing to re- lease Bert for a payment of one hundred and eighty dollars?” Matt did not reply, although Marion was staring straight at him, and, just at that mo- ment, the entry door opened. “Yes, gentlemen, do you accept Miss Mar- lowe’s offer?” asked Lawyer Hobart, step- 9 39) Let him work out his ping in. “We will pay you one hundred and eighty dollars for the release of Bert Jack- CONNUE <SriG@ 0)(0)6)