At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRLS MERCY 193 minutes passed, and still there seemed no ending to the dread that filled the mind of the daughter whose heart was with her father as she trod the grass be- side the hospital walls, with the sturdy friend who would have given the best years of his life to have brought her the comfort she sought. But presently through the shadows came the form of one of the or- derlies from >the camp not far distant, and seeing the two grave figures, he addressed them, lifting his cap with easy grace, and evinge with frank ad. miration the little lady at the surgeon’s side. ~The general sent me over here to bring the mes- Sage of one of the spies we captured to-day. Heis a strange fellow, and held for more than this simple fault.’? He smiled, seeing the startled look in the wide blue eyes upon his face. ‘He is held for some pretty bad charges, and, against our usual orders, is to be shot at daybreak to-morrow”? Nan started, and grew even paler than she had been, while the hand under that of the surgeon trembled violently. . Her friend stopped the voluble young officer’s rapid words with a gesture, as he de- manded sternly the nature of his errand and the mes- sage he was to deliver. “This man was so persistent in his demand to be granted one last wish that the general gave in, and he sent me here to discover if there 1s such a nurse under your care as Miss Courtland.” Nan clasped her two hands around the arm of her friend as she leaned forward, Saying’, in a voice she did not recognize as her own, it was so strained and almost harsh in its very sweetness: “Iam Miss Courtland. What have you to say to sme??? “You——”’ the young man stopped confused. ‘But, I fear-I am mistaken. The prisoner who sent the — message is such a villain you can have nothing to do with him. He could have nothing to say to you.” Deliver your message at once,”’ said the surgeon, sternly, and the man obeyed. “This man—he will not even now give us his true name, though we have a name well fitted to him— Wished this box given to Miss Courtland at once, Comicboo ‘S