Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

a td ri , , ? Pi ye @ ; ee (* oe . iin 3. — a BONNY JEAN, 69 persuasively, ‘‘ and see if it don’t strengthen you. Thar ain’t nothin’ like black coffee for puttin’ life into a weak frame.” _ And Lady, not wishing to appear ungrateful or indifferent to the woman's kindness, drank the coffee, never dreaming of the strong narcotic which had been infused into it. In a few mo- ments her head fell back, her eyes closed, and she was in a profound, dreamless, unnatural slumber. As soon as-her heavy breathing-assured the woman that the drug had taken’ effect, she hurried to the outer door of the cabin and beckoned Bob to enter. He obeyed the summons at once, and, wrapping a heavy shawl around Lady's unconscious form, he bore her out of the house, and, getting upon his horse, which stood ready | saddled, he rode off with Lady in his arms. Down the river he went, for three or four miles, perhaps, coming toa halt, after a time, on the river-bank. Here he dismounted, and bore the still unconscious girl to the water’s edge, where a small canoe was fastened by a chain to an overhanging cypress. ‘The rufhan proceeded to place the poor girl in the boat, and, leaning far over the water, he gave the tiny craft a smart push, which sent it away out into the middle of the stream. He stood fora few mo- ments, exulting in the success of his diabolical undertaking. ‘*One hundred dollars cl’ar gain!” he muttered, eagerly. _'Twould a took a heap o’ wharf timber to brung me that, and here I’ve gone and arned it in two hours’ work! Blacks a right smart fellow. JIddo anything for Azm /” | He mounted his horse and rode away through the dim, green forest, and that same evening he started for the Lee Place. In the meantime ‘‘ Mariar” had worked long and earnestly, preparing the grave which was intended to deceive Lady’s parents and friends, and, by forcing them to believe that she was dead, would throw them off the track, and her fate would never be known. Gabriel Black had not possessed sufficient courage to kill the poor girl outright ; yet, if she lived and was allowed to return GComicboo (e(@) .<S 3