A Silver Brand — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

140 A SILVER BRAND. have shouted the message instead, but the eronaut seemed to understand that there was need of caution and silence. “Tam a prisoner—an innocent, sorely persecuted woman. As you hope for mercy in your own sorrows, help me. — Take me away in your balloon. Can you come low enough for me to reach you? I'must escape without drawing at- tention from below,” she wrote. ; He read it, nodded, and wrote again, tossing it down lightly so that she caught it 1n her hands. “T-will do my best. Catch the line I lower and draw upon it gently. Would you dare to secure it about your waist if I cannot descend quite to the roof? I could draw you up safely, I am certain.” “T will dare anything,” she dashed off, and sent back to him looking around her, and thanking fate that the house stood alone in the forest so that no observant eyes could note these strange proceedings. | And then’she was on the watch for the lowered rope. There was no difficultv in grasping it, but when she en- deavored to draw upon it she found the buoyancy of the balloon taking her from her feet. The eronaut was doing his best to accomplish a nearer descent, but was evidently baffled. She saw him looking down anxiously, and fancied she heard the sound of approaching steps from below. A moment’s doubt and uncertainty sent its shadow over the eager face, only a moment, however. The next she darted forward and shot the bolt of the trap-door into its socket, then she hurried back, and fastening the white scarf to the rope he had lowered, tied it securely under her arms, . and grasped with her hands the upper rope. “I am ready for the trial,” she called. The seronaut gave an admiring and encouraging smile, and pulled on the rope with a will. The next instant the slender figure was swinging in the air. The violent exer- tion the zronaut was compelled to make, and the weight attached to it made the whole affair vibrate most uncom- fortably to and fro, but the lady never once lost her pres- ence of mind, and it was her own swift hands and -ready feet that accomplished the matter, and insured her being at last seated beside the stranger in the little car, panting and breathless, but with a face radiant with unutterable joy. The zronaut gave her a searching but respectful glance. ‘You will not be dizzy, nor frightened, if we ascend again to another current of air? I judge itis best for us to be beyond recognition as speedily as possible.” (@) ‘ x Eomicbooks com