The Girl from Hong-Kong: A Story of Adventure Under Five Suns — page 281: what you’re looking at

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

THE GIRL FROM HONG-KONG. 2% “I have discovered the one I seek,” comes the reply, “over yonder near the door.” | “Is he alone?” “No, just as Sandy declared, a woman hangs on his arm—it is the widow who wooed him in Hong-Kong, and from whom he prayed to be delivered: And now he has sought her out—how strange, how incomprehensible !” “Not at all, under the circumstances, since his life is now governed by contraries. Who knows but what she may save him from a trip to Mexico?” remarks Donahue, whose own condition forces him to be peculiarly sympa- thetic toward any one in love. Besides, it is not Ais father, which makes a consider- able difference. Doris does not reply—-she is endeavoring to follow with her eyes that couple in all the gay throng in which she has an interest. = : . strange that she should be the only one present, among such a multitude, with a pain-racked heart. Around them nothing can be heard but laughter and sallies of sparkling wit, such as may emanate only from the brains ef vivacious Frenchwomen—jeweled fingers offer tempt- ing wares, and pouting lips beg those'who stroll by to purchase in the name of sweet charity, that blessed mantle which at the judgment day shall cover a multitude of sins. And, seeing all this, who could dream that a wizard wand may in a second of time transform such a glorious spectacle into a hideous nightmare—that the laughter and the chatter of merry tongues may give place to the fear- ful shrieks of panic? Alas! that it should be so written that for years to come Paris must weep on each recurring 4th of May for the beauty and chivalry which baptized the charity fair with their blood! Alas! that pure pleasure should be turned to horror ! It comes without warning—comes like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and with such suggestive horrors leap- ing in its train that the very heart stands still under the ‘realization of the impending calamity. Terry has just assisted Doris down from the box upon which she has been standing, and they have hardly taken comicbooks.com