The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

: THE DISCOVERY OF THE VICTIM.—See Number 18. Her health had been very precarious for several weeks, and the anxious young husband was troubled exceedingly for her safety. For the doctors in attendance in consultation looked very serious and gloomy, and held out but little hope of her recovery. Dame Worthington and Mistress Haylark were almost in constant attendance both day and night. But the latter was so much given to long naps in her arm-chair, and so fretful during her occasional attendance, that Dame Worthington thought it advisable to stay up at night herself, now that she had somewhat recovered from the poison Sir Andrew had given her, Instead of frightening the poor girl with stories and hob-goblin notions regarding her particularly critical position, the good, kind, old, lady cheered her with all the funny anecdotes she could;remember, and often made her laugh heartily and forget all about her sickness. | Oftentimes when Clara was asleep, this ever- watchful old lady would lean across the bed and kiss her, and then turn away with tears in her eyes. Night after night she watched beside the poor suffering girl, and her delicate patient could not disturb a single curl upon her pillow without she arose, readjusted the bed-clothes and dampened_her fevered brow. No. 16. The parting of Charley with his. wife every morning ere he went to business, was of the most tender description. He thought, and with sufficient reason, that perhaps he might never see her alive again; and, it must be confessed, as he leaned over her to say good morning, his eyes were moist as she passionately kissed him. “Don’t weep, Charley dear,’’ poor Clara would say, as she passed her thin, white, delicate arms around his neck in unaffected simplicity and affection. “ There, don’t, don’t weep, my good, good, boy, or you will make me worse, darling ; there, smile. Oh, how different. you look, pet; what a shame it is that you look so solemn. There, go away smiling, and it will make me happy all the day,” she would laughingly add as he bestowed a parting embrace and departed. While Charley was full of business, one morning at the office—but, it must be confessed, in a very disturbed state of mind—a messenger arrived, saying, ““ He was wanted at home immediately, his wife was dying !” If a shot had struck him he could not have felt more pain and alarm. He seized his hat, and ran down to the ferry-boat ike a maniac.