The Wrong Man — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

26 THE WRONG MAN. “ What’s happened—any thing serous?” asked the pestmas “ Remember, I hain’t said nothing,” said the shoemaker, ticulating very earnestly, apparently as excited as if acet of : ae capital misdemeanor. “I hain’t said nothing—nothing at all.’ “T’m morally certain no one bas accused you of it,” said Mr. Perkins, with a bland smile. “Remember, I hain’t said nothing,” he burst out again, as though the last remark had been a direct accusation. “ By thunder! [ sh’d think you'd said enough,” growled the — toper with his chair tipped against the wall, blinking harder than ever at the listener. “Come, now, Jaky,” said the postmaster, “you might as well tell us what you mean. Ill never go no further, Pm “I hain’t said—” here the shoemaker suddenly relapsed into a sullen silence, which required the united efforts of all to k. “T don’t see no use in bein’ so mighty clus about it,” said the tailor, who immediately got up and sat down again, to relieve himself of the embarrassment of being gazed at by the others. oe Come, now, what is it?” persisted Dodge, growing impa- nt. “T see no cause to the adequate effect of your persevering in our silence,” solemnly added the schoolmaster. . Thus urged, the shoemaker said, in a half-whisper, glancing furtively about him: ; “ You’ve got a boarder at your house, haven't you ?” nee question was addressed to the postmaster, whc promptly repied ; t I've had several, sir.” “ But = know you've got one now.” “ Mr. Perkins, as he ‘ boards around,’ is counted as one of mine, and I sometimes has others.” “TI mean, I mean (glancing at the door) Charles Dudley,” said the shoemaker, heaving a deep sigh. The expression that lit up the other faces showed that ai 2 ha perhaps, the exception of the man with ua 7 ~ 7 ¢ ainst the wall, had been thinking of same individ- . 1. Nathan Dodge, perhaps, was the only one who was &- __yorably impressed toward the person so mysteriously alluded Th ce. Ms e way now being opened, the exchange of views cor- -—- Menced at once, eee A paken ita ye int never to saggy ae a wey none of — af my ess,” e postmaster. “Charles ley pays me ie ear ey in good solid gold, and I axes no ques- -S _ He gets too, as reg’lar as the mail comes, which, © a COMME OC <SxcOlnn