The Island School — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

SAR eVects ME bi aes a Pw iS Rear in * tity we A aA TART ~ extraordinary age powers. The eas came from _ the direction of the wood. The young people looked at each other, and Jim Secast his hand into the pocket where he had ae the revolver. | And now another semua was heard, a roaring of one who is overcome with grief, a magnified form of blubbering, and Romeo came tumbling down from the direction of the wood, with his eyes out of his head, ~ and exhibiting a sensible stiffening of his wool. | Bae Loramassy on-all ob us!” he cried. ‘“ Missus done for. She’bout as dead as a stone !” an bedig ve | A cry of alarm burst from the lips of Byline: ; but Jim motioned for her to restrain her emotion for the moment. He had a better idea of the true nature of such a communication from Romeo. | “Show me where she is,” he said. ‘Eveline, I think you had better come too. Now,” he added, sternly, to Romeo, as they moved upwards towards the wood, “tell me exactly what pas happened.” “Nuffin happen dat I-see, sar,” replied Romeo, “but missus go inter de wood and me foller at a “~ a “ws ; ’speckful distance, so dat I lose sightob her. Den * me see a big fly a-brushing him wings on de trunk ob a tree, and me go for to squash him, when jes’ as I was on dep’int ob gibbing him a bang, me hear a scream, and I knowed de voice ob missus.” Romeo stopped to wipe the perspiration from off | _hisbrow. Jim impatiently bade him move quicker, and finish his story. ‘“‘ Hearin’ de voice,” resumed Bantlon: “me stopped to deflect on what was de matter, and de seclusion _ me come to was dat suffin’ had scared her. Den me went. on to de spot, and dere she lay dead as a stone, and deader.” _ “ And what did you do then ?” “ Nuffin’, but run to you and Miss Eveline with in- _ flamation ob de capastafer.” “Show me exactly where she is,” said Jim, angrily. “Mrs. Farrell is of a nervous, sensitive disposition, and it may be nothing but a simple fright, followed by fainting.” “You think not, J im,’ murmured Eveline, trem- bling. She was more concerned for her mother than she would have been on her own behalf. “Don’t worry, Evey,” said Jim, softly. “Here de spot!” cried Romeo; “and loramassy, if missus ain’t acomin’ roun’!” Mrs. Farrell had indeed sidantea into a sitting position, not being after all quite sodead as Romeo announced her tobe. She wasstaring wildly about her. On seeing Jim Gordon she uttered a cry of delight. ‘ 4 Biss 4 « | a al i mas is that abominable Romeo ?” Mi 0 me, who had ‘taken, eet behind” a tree, hs by) hy an é fs hae Hut vent aie ny bi Oh) . rie . : \* i‘ “i br “tia uy wf +) PF ik 7 A ENON fh, Wiis ae ‘9: ries Vee ay vette A Re rn ~~ yb od saat ioe. wa: is ‘5 ul beta sided aay ’ ve ‘3 : \ P S Wag f \ i ig ‘ ay ak wait A “Oh, Iam so glad you have come,” she said, tear- - - fully; and iivéline) too. Ihave had such a scare. ai | ny this case he thought it advisable to conceal the truth. | hurrying on. | DISAPPEARAN CE or ‘ONE OF THE UNDER-MASTERS. hideous face, that glared at me with the malevolence le i eh / Wes ant its evidently conscious that he had been remiss in his f duties, humbly announced his presence. : * . You wretched creature!” cried Mrs. Farrell. “What do you mean by deserting me as you did 2” “Me had a attack ob fainting, too, missus,” said Romeo, in whom the truth did not dwell, “andde moment me come roun’!I foller up and—and sabe | your life.” 3 ; Mrs. Farrell Baba a blow at him with her sun- — Ns shade, which he easily dodged. Jim, anxious to get at the cause of the commotion, asked “Mrs. Farrell — what had originally alarmed her. | “1 was walking quietly along,” she said, “ eae for ferns, when I came to some bushes—there is the — clump—and as I got near it a face popped out. ” “A face 2” exclaimed Eveline. . Li fe) “A face, my dear, not exactly ugly, but ‘still a of a tiger. Then I screamed, and fainted away.” ie “And you know nothing more, mamma ?” said Eveline. | Re in * Nothing more, my child,” was the answer, “and oN at I think it is quite enough.” a Jim walked over to the bushes, a very: thiels | i) group of some flowering shrub. The ground arounc ai was dry, but under the bushes, in the thick of the s sroup, the soil was moist and covered with rotting leaves. ae as au ‘On his inspecting it, signs of recent footsteps were visible, and close to where Mrs. Farrell had seen the ~ face were two indentations, bowl-shaped, which — might reasonably be assumed to have been made et a kneeling man. 5 He had a strong aversion to telling a lie, bie in . Returning to the group, Jim calmly gave his opinion ~ oh that Mrs. Farrell must have been victimised by se u vision—“ created by her vivid imagination.” iis war <2 ‘t Ly ae ae “2 n | ay ia “ Were you thinking of anything perioa at sug Ry time ?” he inquired. i oh _ “Well, yes, I was,” said Mrs. Farrell. “ My mind Te was dwelling on a story poi recently been reading, ae about Spanish brigands , XS. “Ah!” said Jim, gaily, “that accounts for it. But We _ you had better give up Pet etern a for to-day, ab least, and come’ back with us.” “T shall sketch no more to-day,” said Eveline, — looking steadily at Jim. “I have the outline done, — and can finish the rest at home.” There was no anxiety on the part of any there to remain, and they left the wood. Jim Gordon kept — his hand carelessly in his- pocket, where it rested on — y the handle of the revolver with which Mr. Nap Farrell had entrusted him. Mrs. Farrell showed she- — was in a hurry to get out of the wood by necvons yo J i* vad 7, Whe nar eum 8 tions com iy = ine x X, yr vw , 4 tae Ry Mt, S ¥ ae \ (i Fy ‘i : m3 aN ; i's ay it i Vie #5 fi hs cy Wi i. ls JP