Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

422 A SEVERE THREAT. care, it seems, though we have been parted so long! I trust you, Howard, implicitly. Let it be as you will.” The last words were very faint; but they reached the lover's ears. He caught her in his arms, and kissed the sweet, red lips. ‘‘ God bless you !” he murmured, fervently. Suddenly, upon the silence there came the rumble of carriage wheels, and a bustle in the hall without ; then the sound of a loud, imperious voice, in a tone of command. Geraldine sprang from her lover’s embrace, and clasping her hands, gazed into his face with her dark eyes full of despair. ‘‘God help me!” she moaned. ‘‘ My father has come. What shall I do? Oh! what shall I do?” There was the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. Ger- aldine seized Howard’s hand and led him away to the farthest end of the immense room, lighted only by the firelight. — ‘«Stay here,” she whispered ; ‘‘and no matter what you hear, don’t betray yourself. He may not see you, and it is your only chance, if you would help me to escape.” There was a tall, old-fashioned cabinet in the gloomy corner. Howard stepped into its shadow, and prepared for what was to come; and Geraldine Vernon, pale and resolute, paused before the door of the room, to face her angry father. CHAPTER II. HIS WIFE. ‘* Geraldine !” The cameo-like face flushed for an instant, and then grew pale as death again, as a tall, haughty old ‘man strode into the room, and confronted her. His face, very like her own, was deadly pale, his eyes stern. ‘Well, sir!” she returned. ‘What is this ?” he demanded, fiercely. ‘‘ Old Judith tells “-comicbooks.co