The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 91 of overcoming the difficulties which presented themselves, so now he set to work enumerating them. ; ‘‘Let’s see,” he said; ‘ first and foremost, if I don’t do any- thing in this affair, she'll be going to the captain, and then he will have the vexation of having to tell her all about it, which will be the death of him; and then she won't be satisfied till she sees the fellow who wrote the note to her. If she don't go and meet him, he’ll be bothering her again,and who knows but he’s the same thief of the world who has given us all some trouble before now? Rafferty, my boy, you must take him prisoner— and, by the holy, so I will—so I will.” ; . When once this idea got fair possession of Rafferty’s mind, it grew, each moment, into stronger plausibility, and at length he said: ‘‘ She shall go, just to decoy the fellow to the place, and Ill take good care to be there, and be down upon him mighty con- venient—that’ll do. She may as well hear what he’s got to say, and so may J; she’ll be satisfied, I can tell the captain, and we can send the thief of the world to prison. Murder! Here she comes,” The impatience of Mabel had induced her to makea very short. half-hour of it, and now, with anxiety depicted on every feature of her countenance, she again sought Rafferty to learn what de- termination he had come to on a subject which, to her, was of such importance. ‘‘ Well, Rafferty,” she said, ‘‘ what have you to tell me?” ‘*' Why, Miss Mabel, say nothing to nobody, but keep the ap- intment named in the letter, and depend upon it, Miss Mabel, won’t be far off.” ‘You will accompany me?” ‘* Not exactly that, darling; but I'll be near enough, and woe be to him who gives g cross look to you, or endeavors to hurt a hair of your head. Ffrust mie for that, Miss Mabel.” ‘*T know well that I may, Rafferty; I am glad that such is your determination, and I will act in accordance with it.” The time had come, and Mabel, with timid steps, sought the spot where she was to meet the individual who had written her the mysterious letter. Her agitation did not arise from personal fear, for she relied upon the promises of protection that Brolick- bones had made her—that he would be at hand to secure her against any violence. She had an internal fear of the conse- quences of the interview. that she would hear something that would disturb her peace of mind. ‘And yet she felt herself urged on to meet the mysterious unknown, and learn what, perhaps, she would not otherwise know. She came within sight of the places there was the clump of trees all plain and palpable—the lake beyond them, against which they stood in strong relief. And there, too, stood, or rather leaned over the waters, the old fir-tree, whose domain had been encroached upon by the waters; its roots were loosened, and it hung bending over the destroying element, as if even resiting with all its force the irresistible power that was drawing it downward, and which would ere long swallow it comicbooks. com