FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32  
33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>   >|  
pen-mouthed behind him and beyond Curtis. Startled himself, Curtis turned, and saw, with a feeling akin to dismay, the tall figure of his uncle standing on the threshold of the left portal, clad in a morning gown, with his eyes fixed inquiringly upon Bolton and himself. Chapter III. An Unholy Compact. "Who is that man, Curtis?" asked John Linden, pointing his thin finger at Tim Bolton, who looked strangely out of place, as, with clay pipe, he sat in the luxurious library on a sumptuous chair. "That man?" stammered Curtis, quite at a loss what to say. "Yes." "He is a poor man out of luck, who has applied to me for assistance," answered Curtis, recovering his wits. "That's it, governor," said Bolton, thinking it necessary to confirm the statement. "I've got five small children at home almost starvin', your honor." "That is sad. What is your business, my man?" It was Bolton's turn to be embarrassed. "My business?" he repeated. "That is what I said." "I'm a blacksmith, but I'm willing to do any honest work." "That is commendable; but don't you know that it is very ill-bred to smoke a pipe in a gentleman's house?" "Excuse me, governor!" And Bolton extinguished his pipe, and put it away in a pocket of his corduroy coat. "I was just telling him the same thing," said Curtis. "Don't trouble yourself any further, uncle. I will inquire into the man's circumstances, and help him if I can." "Very well, Curtis. I came down because I thought I heard voices." John Linden slowly returned to his chamber, and left the two alone. "The governor's getting old," said Bolton. "When I was butler here, fifteen years ago, he looked like a young man. He didn't suspect that he had ever seen me before." "Nor that you had carried away his son, Bolton." "Who hired me to do it? Who put me up to the job, as far as that goes?" "Hush! Walls have ears. Let us return to business." "That suits me." "Look here, Tim Bolton," said Curtis, drawing up a chair, and lowering his voice to a confidential pitch, "you say you want money?" "Of course I do." "Well, I don't give money for nothing." "I know that. What's wanted now?" "You say the boy is alive?" "He's very much alive." "Is there any necessity for his living?" asked Curtis, in a sharp, hissing tone, fixing his eyes searchingly on Bolton, to see how his hint would be taken. "You mean that you want me to murder him?" said Bolton,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32  
33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Bolton

 
Curtis
 

business

 
governor
 

looked

 

Linden

 
butler
 

turned

 

fifteen

 

suspect


Startled

 
carried
 

murder

 

circumstances

 

thought

 

chamber

 

returned

 
voices
 

slowly

 

necessity


wanted

 

mouthed

 

living

 

fixing

 

searchingly

 
hissing
 
return
 

inquire

 
drawing
 

lowering


confidential
 

inquiringly

 

thinking

 

confirm

 
Chapter
 

recovering

 

statement

 

starvin

 
children
 

answered


assistance

 
luxurious
 

library

 

sumptuous

 

pointing

 
finger
 

stammered

 
applied
 

Unholy

 

Compact