A Daughter of Maryland — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. 167 coming from the westerly course, found their advance as abruptly arrested as the other by the solitary guardsman standing stubbornly in the center of the united ways. With a tall, straight figure, looking more majestic perhaps for the shadows falling about him, his form clad in a loose-fitting, ragged suit of gray material, his hair long and beard unkempt, clutching with his slender, bony fingers a heavy, single-barreled firearm, he looked wild if not weird, forbidding if not dangerous. ‘*Who comes here?’’? he repeated, with feverish impa- tience, though his eyes were not lifted, as the dual carriages came to a stop. She with the gray-bearded man of martial bearing in the carriage coming from Sharpsburg was the first to speak, as she recognized the lone speaker. ‘‘Ksten Berners! can that be you? Why don’t you know us, Esten? It is father and I coming home from the war.’’ ‘‘It is she—at last!’’ he murmured, speaking to himself. ‘‘T should know that voice among ten thousand.’’ Then, louder, he said: ‘‘Oh, Aurian! is it possible that you have come back at last? I have waited so long. I thought when I heard your carriage wheels it was the enemy coming to take Sylvania. I have defended the old place faithfully ; I have defended it long—so long. ’’ To the surprise of all he did not advance, but stood trembling in his steps. In a moment his plaintive words explained it all. ‘‘T am blind, Aurian, and I cannot see you!’’ She waited to hear no more, but springing lightly down from the carriage, rushed to him. ‘‘What has happened, Mr. Berners?’’ she cried, as she caught him by the arm. ‘‘You do not look like yourself. You are ill. Come; get into the carriage with father and we will go on to Sylvania, where you shall be cared for.’’ He had dropped his firearm and folded her to his breast ; _ but gently freeing herself from his hold, she led him to the Si cComicboo cS (ele) nm