A Wonderful Secret, or Marion Marlowe's Discovery — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

MY QUEEN. 5 “Let him try it!” bawled the man, as he made a rush for Bert. There was a horrible cutting sound as the heavy cane was swung over his head, the next moment Bert’s fist took him squarely under the ear and the overseer of the poor farm measured his length upon the platform. “FHe’ll never fergive ye fer thet,” said old Deacon Marlowe, as he looked admiringly at Bert. ‘“Matt’s got a nasty dispersition; he'll never fergive ye!” ~ “Well, I shall not ask him to,” said Bert, coolly, as he offered his. arm to Marion. “The nerve of him coming down* here and spoiling all the fun of the occasion!” Matt Jenkins crawled to his feet with the aid of the station master, but the villagers were some distance up the muddy road be- fore he was able to follow them. CHAPTER III. A HORRIBLE PREDICAMENT. “May I speak a word to you, Miss Mar- lowe?” othe The question was asked softly, just as the crowd was leaving the station with Marion leaning on her father’s arm and Bert and Miss Allyn talking gayly to a group of the young man’s old acquaintances. Marion turned and saw a gentleman just behind her whom she recognized instantly aS a passenger who had ridden from New York in the seat just across the aislé from her. - She had looked at him very sharply in the train, for there was something about his features that puzzled her—he reminded her of some one, but she could not quite place him. Both Marion and her father stopped as the gentleman asked the question, and the young girl answered without the slightest hesitation: “Certainly, sir, if you wish.” : “I just wished to ask if all that I have heard is true? Is that young man really a ward of the county, and how much does that fellow that he knocked down know about him?” | . Marion turned to her father, and Deacon Marlowe promptly answered for her. “Tt’s true, all right, that Bert was fetched up in ther poor-house, but where he come from nobody knows, onless, by gum! I never thought of that afore! Unless Matt Jenkins knows sumthin’ or other!” He looked at Marion questioningly, but the young girl had turned away to shake the hands of two buxom young women. “IT am here to see about some property that belongs to one of your neighbors,” went on the stranger, glibly, “but, as I am leaving to-morrow, I'll give you my card—you’'ll do me a favor to let me know what you can about Mr. Jackson.” “Who be you?” asked the old farmer, without thinking to look at the card. "You haye my name and address there, sir, and, really, I hardly know why I have asked you this favor, but, somehow, [ seem to have taken an interest in the youth. [I hope it won’t be any trouble, Deacon Mar- lowe. If you ever find out anything about him, let me know, will you?” was the an- swer. “*Twont be no trouble, but I reck’n [’ll never know no more’n I do now,” said the old farmer, slowly; then, as Marion glanced back and smiled, the gentleman left them. “Now, who ther mischief is he?” asked Deacon Marlowe, gazing after him. ‘“’Taint often strangers come to Hickorytown, but ‘taint surprisin’ thet anythin’ should happen ter day, Marion, when you’re come home with er genooine fortin’.”’ “That’s just what she’s got!” called out Bert, who had heard the remark, “and I’ve got one, too, only mine is prospective, as they say, and—gee, but we won’t do a thing to Hickorytown, you bet! Why, Marion is going to rebuild the school-house and put a new weather-vane on the church, and I-- well, I’m going to remodel the poor farm and write the menu cards in future—that is. if we can manage to get rid of Jenkins!’’ “You're rid of him for the present,” laughed Bill Bennett, as he came up. “He's come to his senses and is cursing like all possessed. He swears he’ll have you back on the poor farm before you are two weeks older.”’ “An’ he kin do it, tew, Bert,” chimed in another voice. “You, ws baynd xen ath