The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

170 THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. quired for her. At thesound of his name she flew to meet him, not doubting but that now she would have all her most anxious expectations fulfilled, and that he was the bearer of some mes- sage or letter from Morton Hall. As good fortune would have it, too, Mrs. Jenkins was out, so that Mabel and the officer had the dingy parlor all to themselves, which it would have been a hard case to get had the lady been at home, considering her curiosity. ‘You have news for me?” exclaimed Mabel. ‘‘ Nothing of the sort. The magistrate spoke to me about an hour ago about it. He asked me tocome to you and say that he had written to Morton Hall, and that he had particularly re- quested an answer by return of post; but none had come. And now, Miss Morton, mind you, you must not accuse me of doubt- ing you, or of saying anything unkind to you, but the magis- trate has serious misgivings, [ can see, in his own mind, with regard to the truth of your story.” ‘‘ Heaven help me!” ‘* And he has desired me to ask if you still adhere to it in the face of this fact of no answer being returned to the application he has made respecting you to Captain Morton, of Morton Hall ?” A crimson flush came over the sweet countenance of Mabel, and she was silent. ‘‘ Nay,” added the officer, ‘‘ you consider yourself insulted, I can see, by the doubt merely which has been cust upon you, but place yourself in the magistrate’s situation, and then ask yourself what you could do more than he has done?” A moment’s reflection went far toward convincing Mabel that, although with her own knowledge of her own truthfulness, and of how much she had suffered, it was hard to be doubted, yet ouuee persons could not have such a knowledge, and she re- plied,— ‘‘T am wrong to feel offended at any deubts that may be ex- pressed concerning my statement su long as those doubts are not expressed offensively, and, after all, are only doubts. I can no more account than you can, or the magistrate, why a letter has not come from Captain Morton!” “Well, miss, my idea was that your friends would come to town, some of them personally, and that such was the true rea- son why no letter had been written.” ‘It is! it is!” exclaimed Mabel, as she clasped her hands with deiight. ‘‘It is the reason; oh, why was I so dull as not to think of that? Oh, yes, they will come to see me, to confirm all that I have said, and to take me back again with them to my happy, happy home!” Overcome by an excess of emotion, she sank back upon a couch that was in the room, and burst into tears. ‘‘ This is truth.” said the officer. | He said nothing. to her for some moments. He preferred a.lowing the tide of passion to have its way; but when he saw that she was sufficiently composed to speak more calmly, as well as to listen, he said,— comicbooks. com