The Wrong Man — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

7, s 4 JF tee INE WRONG MAN. crafl in that pace; for you see, ’twixt you and me (but Itea | kes pecre) that’s where she’s to wait for sulky Ned to come aboard.” “ Do you mean Edward Overton ?” demanded the old man, in a tone of awakened interest. “Sariain—sure I mean Ned Oyerton—who the devil else could I mean ?” “ But you surely are mistaken. Hugh goes with the boat; his brother has set off for Canada.” “ Canada be d——d!” exclaimed the drunken boatman. “I tell you that’s all a flam: he’s going to Orleans with us; and - all | wonder is, what’s kept the h—l-cat sneaking round here these two days, like a ’possum in a hen-roost, when the boat was all loaded, and the river falling every minute. Some wild spree or other, I'll be bound.” Enoch Sedley stayed to ask no further question. He had not yet ascended more than half-way up the hill, and the remain- ing portion was of greater steepness than that which was passed. But a sudden apprehension of evil seemed to have seized his mind, and striking his heels into his horse’s side, and jerking him smartly by the bridle, he urged him once more into a faster it. In a few moments he reached a place where a small path iverged from the road toward the brow of the bluff, slot which it ran in the direction of his own cabin. On turning ir to this, an opening among the trees let in the twilight, and something which lay in the path before him attracting his at- tention, he sprung from his horse, and raised it from the Sa gee It was the bonnet of his niece ; and a little further on, r white kerchief, pure as the bosom it had lately covered, lay like a thin snow-curl on the grass. The old man, with the ex- ay eg eye of one whose long habitation in the woods had ed him to be a heedful and shrewd observer of the slightest - traces, Cast a quick, knowing glance around, as if with the pur- pose of discovering some further evidence of the nature of the . violence he feared had been committed. Beneath a degwood bush that stood near the path, the number of fresh, scarlet leaves that strewed the ground seemed ter than could wel! have been scattered by the gentle southern breeze; and one of its smaller branches, newly broken, and stripped of its leaves and twigs, betrayed the grasp of a struggling hand. Sedley scarcely _ paused to make these observations ; his practiced eye, sharpened seep pre benton. detected them as he hurried toward his cabin, te reaching it, he strode into the deserted apartment, and in a 2 fond and earnest voice called upon his niece. No answer was returned, and his heart sunk within him as heonce more, but = in a fainter tone, repeated her name: For a single moment os Bedley stood with his head drooped upon his breast, and bis ___ bands pressed to his forehead, as if stunned by the blow which | threatened to deprive him—and by means worse than death— af 6” - ee ona “I is aoe +- - + 7 § ° 7 2 ; >t ww o i! ues et én — ge | . = a" —_—