Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

* 90 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE —_" The one under-servant belonging to the establishment was a new woman, only a short time out from serving a sentence for theft, who had only been there a month. Ah! if old Martha were back again it would have easily been managed. But Martha had gone home to England to die and be buried among her kindred.: Sore as was her need of the faithful old creature’s co-operation, Jane could not find heart to re- gret the fact, and her eye, moistened, remembering whose thoughtful care had sent the poor creature home. The present woman, without doubt, would be easily modeled to the new master’s will. Yes, it was very certain she must rely entirely upon herself. Jane West did not weep, and moan, and bewail her hard fate. She did not sink down, weak and helpless, nor faint away, nor use any of the other useless and pitiable methods by which a certain style of distressed damsels meet such an exigency. She set her lips together a little more resolutely; the hazel eyes dried off the tears of grieved affection and shone firm and steady. ‘Tt must be done,” she said, ‘‘ and 7 must do it.” Then, under cover of the curtain, she put out her head and looked carefully over the whole wall of the house. In a moment the light she asked for broke upon her. She smiled triumphantly. ‘I can lower myself to the ground, then I can climb up the great tin water-spout and get upon the roof. ‘The trap- door there is never locked, and I can get through it into the house. Just after midnight will be the time. I wish I had taken dinner. I need to be strong and steady. 1 wonder if they intend to starve me.” She went to the door and began knocking loudly and per- sistently, and, as she anticipated, the disturbance brought one of the jailers in hot haste. | “What are you after? What are you making this con- founded noise far?” demanded the new master, indignantly, . a oS Ws a aan ee isa: vie