The Land Claim — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

88 THE LAND-CLAIM. couldn’t marry her if she’d have him, for his jealous Indian wives would tomahawk him, straight; besides, ’tain’t likely he’d want to marry a murderer’s daughter.” “She’s in good hands now. Wyman’s wife will see that she is taken care of; and Wyman, too, if he wasn't poor, would be glad enough to keep the girl, for he’s mightily interested in her. ‘He’s got a soft heart for a constable, Wyman has.” “ He isn’t so poor, either, but he has bread enough for one more mouth,” said the constable himself, appearing in their midst. “Nobody knows, gentlemen, what may happen in the futur’, or whether the girl will lose her father or not; but if she does, an’ she will take such fare as we can give her, she’s just as welcome as a child of my own; an’ that’s what my woman says; and so, if you please, you needn’t be a prophe- syin’ evil about her, nor her pretty face neither.” “Hurrah for Wyman!” said two or three, at once. But the constable had not come to be hurrahed, nor to make a figure of himself; he had just dropped in to see what was going on, and was about making his way out again as quietly as he had entered, when the middle-aged stranger before mentioned touched his arm. “ Allow me to pass into the street with you; I wish to ask you some questions concerning a man called Thomas New- come. Do you know him ?”’ “ Yes, sir, I know a man of that name.” “Can you tell mé where he is from ?” “He is called an Englishman here, though I believe he’s late from somewhere in Connecticut State.” “From Hartford ?” “ Yes, sir, that’s it, I think. » “ And he has a daughter—what is her name?” “ Alicia.” “Where is this man—Thomas Newcome ?” “At present, sir, he is a prisoner in the sheriffs house, ‘cause we haven’t got a jail built yet. Only two days ago a man was shot—supposed to be by him—can’t say yet as it was him—hope it wasn’t.” “And it is his daughter, then, who is at your house, very ill, as I have heard. Can I see her, do you think ?” comicloooks. com