Beadle's Dime Novels No. 47: Tim Bumble's Charge — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

70 TIM BUMBLE’S CHARGE. CHAPTER XI. TAKING BOARDERS. Tue broker diminished his light, and standing in the door- way (it was a summer night) looked over the way. Six months had passed, and as yet there had been no sound or sight of merriment. The curtains and inner blinds were closely drawn. Sometimes the tones of the piano could be heard—they were no longer full, merry or harmonious. But the pseudo-broker stands by his shop door, let him speak for “ Well, the play progresses—and I know pretty well what people think of me now. My wife’s precious old uncle, it seems, never thought my brain sound. It may be; I’ve been open to debate upon that subject myself, more than once. By some I’m looked upon as a swindler, and but few, very few, in summing up my character, say, ‘He was an honest man.’ All this time they think me dead and food for fishes;” he broke into a nervous laugh. “ No matter, ’'m careless upon that point —let the world wag and spout—am I not Benjamin the Jew and the broker ? “So that contgmptible Sylvester, my partner—he whose envious tongue was half my ruin, probably thinks that my wife looks very charming in black. He’s a great favorite with my wife’s dear old uncle—ah ! there he goes deliberately up the steps of my wife’s house. Mistaken for once, my dear fellow. Your exquisite portrait will hardly gain admission into that house to-night. He comes down the steps with a hang-dog look. I know what the fellow means. My eldest precious hope is in a bad way. Sent my own watch to be pawned. Something must be done to save him, or else his mother will die of a broken heart. Charley, the rogue, is a thorough boy, with a great heart and gggerous impulses He will become a good man if the example of his brother does not spoil him. My little Ella is still fresh and beautiful. ‘She will be haying lovers soon, but, thank God! in her po- sition, no mercenary ones. I can watch over her better, comlicloooks.conn