At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

94 AT A GIRLS MERCY. doubtless see that her father did not too well learn the facts of the case. That he was working for the good of the country under the government, she hoped Howard Blake did not know, but she feared that of even that he was in possession. He would hold it, too, over her father’s head to use when the time should come. She hoped no one knew her fa- ther was endangering his life in this way for the government, for it would be almost as effective as a death blow to let the rabble in the city know he was a spy upon their movements to prepare the city for its struggle when the outbreak should come. She knew that her brothers and friends were-laying their lives down, it might be; for their country, but to have her father lay his down at the hand of some one of the brutal roughs of the rabble, should they guess his intention toward them—she could not bear to think. Her father, so tall and grand looking, who would long ere that have made his way to the rank of general had he been permitted to join the army—how could she think of such a thing? But Howard Blake was capable of using any means in his power to gain his end, and should all other: plans fall through, or fail in their fulfilling, she had not a doubt he would use this power over her father’s life to win her consent. She had not an atom. of faith in him, and she was therefore perhaps better prepared to fight him than her father was. She was on her guard. He would have to work with the skill of a general, indeed, if he WOU blind her watchfulness. But Howard Blake knew this as well as Nan. He was perfectly aware of her distrust of him; of _ her positive dislike—he called it by no other name —to him. Butshe would lose this feeling after a comicbooks.co