Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

THE BALLET-GIRL’S REVENGE. _ © Aye you sure?” ! “Certain. I know I lamed him: there’s his blood all over the road.” ee. But he was not quite disabled.” “No, I suppose not, for he fired at. me after 1, had left my room.” . “Or rather afme.” “At you? The miscreant!” ejaculated the young landlord. ‘* I wish that I had him once more within rangé.””, __At this moment it appeared that his wish was about to be gratified. ee ir At the bend in the road they now perceived a ficure emerge from the hedge and make for the house. In an instant Mr. Davis had popped the gun to his shoulder. _ “Now,” he exclaimed, with great. satisfaction. “When he’s in range.” _- : Stop!” cried Rose. ‘It’s a woman.” Another minute confirmed this. Rose was not surprised at this, for she well knew what a prominent part a woman had played in the late outrage, and she naturally imagined that this was the same female fiend who had already committed such diabolical'crimes,) . | ‘“*She means no good at this hour,” said Davis, “I shall fire.” a re “No, no!” cried Rose. “Halt!” cried Davis to the woman,as she drew nearer. ‘* Advance another step and I fire!” “* Michael !”’ said the woman. é Rose and the young landlord started: and turned father sick. Lt was Mrs. Davis’s voice. * Who are you?” cried Davis, “‘1t is me, Michael.’? ‘What, Mogery 2?” 66 Yes.’ - “Hold hard now.’’. mats “Re ae This appeared a singular ereeting for a loving hus- band of a newly married wife. aTi The fact of it was that, although not ‘addicted. to beliefs that had a supernatural. tendency, Mr. Davis could not help being startled by her sudden; re-ap- pearance. 1 : The situation, too, was more than usually startling, from the recent adventure with the masked, ruffian, whom the young landlord had so dexterously contrived to pepper. ; ** Michael, Michael!” cried poor Mrs. . Davis. “Don’t you know me?” | , Rose, hearing by the sound of her voice that was in distress, ran out to meet her. | _‘*Miss Mortimer!’’ cried the landlady. ‘‘Is it really you, dear?” ~~ | . And as Rose gained her side she fell into her arms in a flood of tears... ** What is it ?”” demanded Rose. “Qh! dear, dear!’ cried Mrs. Davis. ‘Oh! I’m so glad to see you again. I thought that I’d lost you for ever.”’ _. “ Where have’ you been?” “T don’t know. NoI don’t. much,’? *‘ Mogey,” called Mr. Davis from the door. ) “ Michael,’”? gin ; “Come, Mr. Davis,’ said Rose. ‘*Come and assist your wife to the house.” } As he now saw that it was really his prodigal wife returned in the flesh (thougli not so thuch of it’ as when she had been carried off), he ran to lend ‘ assist- ance. : ; she But I’ve suffered so . An affectionate embrace and another flood of tears | —teéars of joy—and the husband joyfully led his wife back to the house. When they were fairly inside, and the door was securely fastened, poor Davis overwhelmed her with questions, so that, she was unable to reply to them in detail. By degrees, however, she recovered herself, and sen She gave them the history of what. had befallen er. : ‘* All that has occurred to me,” she said, “‘ appears like a mystery—a kind of dream. I know not what, but, I know that my life has been in danger.’ “Oh! Moggy.” _.“ Ah! Michael,” she said, with a sad smile, “1 never thought to see you again.” *‘ But where is it you have been to?” he again asked, impatiently. ‘*T know not, I say.”’ 73 But—’? “Wait,” said Mrs. Davis, “and I will give you the whole tale, and you shall. judge for yourself.” d /CHAPTER. LI. MRS. DAVIS’S \NARRATIVE—POWERFUL FOES—A SECRET .FRIEND—THE TALKING PICTURE— THE MEAL—THE UNSEEN WRITER—‘' BEWARE!” A KINDLY WARNING—THE TRAP—THE COUCH —HOPES AND FEARS—THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR —A STRANGE PARADE—THE PASSAGES — THE DOOR—THE OLD MAN’S GOODNESS —SAFELY RESTORED. “Aut I know of this frightful affair,’ said Mrs. Davis, ‘‘is this.. One night—I cannot say how long ago, for I have even lost reckoning since I have been away—I was awakened by hearing a noise in the bedroom. I opened my-eyes, and there I saw a man in a mask standing by the bedside—” - ** Curse him !”’ muttered. Davis. *“T couldn’t speak, for I was so dreadfully frightened, until he seized me in his arms, bedclothes and all— ‘“‘ Curse him !”’ muttered Davis, ‘Then I shrieked out.”’ “JT heard you,’ said Rose...“ But I: had just awakened myself, and 1 did not know, what. to think of it.” ) 7 “Then he stifled my cries; with something which he threw. over my head, and. carried me off. There was a ladder at the window. , ** T suppose then that I must have fainted, for I can remember nothing more until the next, morning, when-I found myselfin a little room, and the same mask peering over me as I lay upon.a couch.” Another spasmodic oath, trom Davis here inter- rupted the narrative. “*T was very much frightened, of course,,.and I begged for mercy, and asked an explanation, ; pro- mised. to. reform in.future, and all ina breath. 1 could make nothing of it at all. ‘* For a long time the masked man remained silent —so quiet that I was frightened even at this. Thon after.some length, of time. he put some questions to me, which puzzled me greatly.” “¢ Ah!” said Rose. “ Yes, dear,” resumed Mrs, Davis, turning: to Rose,,.““and what’s.more singular—-my trouble ap- peared. to puzzle. him.as much as is questions did me. PA ae 3 «Well, that day passed over. They were good enough to bring me.food, but I didn’t like to touch it. .“ Why not?” " ‘¢ You shall.hear.... After the first day they allowed me the’ range of two roonis—fine. spacious places— which convinced me that I had been borne of to some ited comical: