At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRL’S MERCY. 133 a There was a searching look in her father’s eyes as he stooped to kiss her that evening on the piazza, where she met him as usual, dressed ina dainty white gown, with blue ribbons at throat and waist, but there was no tell-tale pallor in the sweet lifted _ face, and the blue eyes were as bravely steady as OEM i cs. “It is sad about Ned,’’ Nan said, of her own free will; when they were again in their old room. There was not even a break in her voice, only a graver — tone. “He was always so good-natured and brave, we will miss him terribly, won’t we, papa? And I cannot help wondering how Helen bears it. If it were one of my brothers——”’ “But if it were for your country, Nan?’”’ There was a touch of reproach in her father’s voice. ‘‘I would give both my sons, if it is the will of the Lord to take them, though they are such brave fellows, and I hope there will be no need of either not returning to us. But, oh, my dear little girl, you cannot know the terrible suffering the war lays upon our land. If anything will end it, I would too gladly give it. Captain Travers died as bravely as he had lived, carrying at the last an almost reckless charge against the enemy, and though he fell—poor, brave fellow—we can but be glad that he did his work well. I have tried to find out all I could about him, but in the paper office they said the note was. sent in with others, and they knew no more. At Wash- ington, where | telegraphed, they stated that this name had been sent in with the list of killed, and they had learned of the exceptional bravery of the young officer, and would undoubtedly have given him higher rank, had he lived, for his daring and GEomicboo cS (e(@) \