At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

74 AT A GIRL’S MERCY. heart, soon to be his wife, and ought she not to do as he wished, ought she not to try to please him and not willfully expose him to danger? She was show- ing herself very thoughtless and careless of his com- fort or danger, and yet until then he had always thought her so tender hearted. A misty gust of wind swirled round the corner of the house, whirled round and round him a moment, and then died down, and as he glanced up, after brushing his hat back from his face, he was startled to see four shadowy figures, evidently men, beside him, as though blown there with the *wind and the mist. For a moment he dared not move; perhaps they did not notice him, and he might by silence evade them; but a low, soft voice calling his name re- assured him, and grasping the girl’s round arm hid- den beneath aman’s rough coat, he whispered like a breath of the wind: ‘Lola! Who yo’ brought wid yo’? Ef yo’ giv’ us Pway, T’l——”’ The girl laughed noiselessly, though 1 in the dark- ness he could not see the pallor in her face at the wound to her love. “We’s reddy, Jim,’’ she said. ‘‘Hadn’t wes bes’ git ter safety ‘fore goin’ inter details? Et’s allright; ain’ that ’nough?”’ She lifted up her face to him in the devicribas- and she could feel his breath against her cheek as he stooped to her, whispering in sudden passion: _ “Forgiv’ me, my darlin’—my brave darlin’!” ‘“Cum,”’ she said, abruptly. ‘Doan’ be foolin’, Jim. Et’s time we wur goin’ ef we’s ter git off safe. These is my frien’s, an’ they’s goin’ ’long.”’ “T’se glad yo’’’s sens’ble an’ w’ar clothes I’se tole Gomicbooks.co