A Wonderful Secret, or Marion Marlowe's Discovery — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

4 then looked back at Marion, who was be- - ginning to imagine about what was coming. MY QUEEN. ‘come and with one hand swathed in his red bandana. ~ _ “Think agin an’ see ef thar warnt some one here thet hated Matt an’ hed ample op- purtoonity fer doin’ jest this thing! It'll pay e tew think again, an’ be quick erbout it, Dan’! Robbins!” As he spoke with his usually pompous air, every eye was turned upon him and, as Marion glanced at the red face, she saw the beady eyes fixed upon her features. Dan Robbins shook his head. He was too much excited to do much thinking. His home and all he possessed in the world had . just been reduced to ashes. “IT wuz jest comin’ over tew ther farm when I seen ther smoke, an’ I reck’n I’ve rung thet air bell ‘til my hands is blistered,” went on the judge, with his glance still on Marion. “Now, it’s ez plain ez ther nose on yewr faces thet this air aint no accident! It’s murder, thet’s what it ez! Can’t yew think who done it, boys? Aunt it within’ ther scope of yewr numbskulls ter guess ther cul- prit? Perhaps, now, it mought be thet one on yewr number wuz in ther poor farm, _ left behind fer er day’s work fer some reason er other, an’ jest a layin’ fer Matt ter wreak his vengeance.” He glanced inquiringly at the boys and “Thar wartit no one left behind,” stuttered ~ one of the largest boys. “Ef Matt wuz mur- dered, ther devil must hev done it.”’ - “Ther devil wuz his friend!’ corrected Deacon Marlowe, sternly. “Now, why in thunder dew yew say ther devil done it?” “Cause ther warnt no one else,” answered the strangé boy, grinning. “Ther warnt no one on ther poor farm when ther fire started except ther Old Nick an’ his friend, Matt Jenkins.” “Waal, now, thar’s supustishun fer yew,’ muttered Farmer Stebbins, with a glance at Judge Walters. “Them boys hez got thet idee thet Matt Jenkins wuz infalluble, an’ thet’s er high reckermendation fer any over- seer, [ tell yew! He wuz er corker, Matt wuz, an’ now he’s dead! Waal, thet brings Ae ter ther question, who could er done it : There was another flourish of the bandana and a loud cough from the judge and, once more, he fixed his cruel glance upon the white face of Marion. : “Ther poor farm is erbout gone, men an’ boys of Hickorytown,” he began, tragically. _ “Ther fire is er dyin’ an’ ther sun is er settin’, _ but, afore ’em both, I hold up my right hand an’ hereby take my solemn oath on this per- ticilar ‘business, thet I reckon I know who he hed it in fer Matt Jenkins. should murder Matt but ther one thet hed 1p done up Matt Jenkins an’ done him ter his death, if yew'll excuse plain language.” ~ An ominous silence fell upon the crowd as they all craned their necks to catch what was coming, Marion drew her breath hard and set her teeth, then her glance met that of the speak- er’s as unfalteringly as an eagle's. Evidently, the judge thought—Bert was in the poor farm: when the fire was discovered. “Perhaps, now, yew don’t know who wuz er sojournin’ under thet thar roof this after- noon when ther fire broke out, boys,” he went on, still dramatically: “Yew wuz in ther fields, so how should yew know! Well, thar wuz same one thar, which fact is very evident, an’ thet some one wuz no stranger tew ther poor farm, boys. He hed tasted all of its joys an’ comforts fer many years afore this experience, an’, tew put it mildly, Now, who ther chance when ther poor farm wuz erlone an’ ther wuz none tew succor? Matt wuz knifed an’ then ther buildin’ wuz set on fire! Them two crimes in ther annals of civiliza- tion hez allus gone tergether. Matt wuz knifed, I sez, and ther poor farm wuz razed, an’ ther fellow thet done it, in my joodicial . opinyun, is er boy of nineteen years an’ er half by ther name of Bert Jackson!” CHAPTER XI. NEWS. “The last words of the accusation were al- most bellowed, and then Judge Walters drew himself up to enjoy the consternation that followed. ee : There was just an instant of silence in which every one looked at each other, and then Marion took a step forward and con- fronted Bert’s accuser. “Shame on you, Judge Walters!” she said, in a scathing voice, “How dare you accuse Bert of sucha crime? There is not one grain of truth in what you-have said, and, if I were a man, | would force you to retract that vile statement.” “Or prove it,” spoke up Lawyer Hobart, stepping to Marion’s side. ‘Which will it be, you old blackguard, will you take it back or prove it?” Fis face was dark with anger and his voice shook witk determination, and, as the old judge looked at him, he began to cough uneasily, , “The idea ofthe old brute a¢cusing Bert of murder when, perhaps, the poor boy is burned to a cinder,” cried Miss Allyn, fun- ously, : CORNICLOOOKS» EO =