At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

“erp. 152 | AT A GIRL’S MERCY. thought. And how we will feel to be thoroughly rid of that man. I could never bear to think he had the slightest claim upon you—not that I think he has now,’’ she added, with her old spirit of defense returning, fighting her father’s rights, ‘“‘but as long as he claims that he has it is so much nicer to get rid of it. Ishall feel as though I could breathe freer now. Healways stifled me. I felt so sure of his capability to do whatever should enter his mind to do, especially where money is concerned. What do we care for a few paltry thousands when we have our dear brave boys and dear little mother to fight _for us, and we to fight for? We ought to think of our blessings, too, papa, and then we will be better able to bear the losses.’?’ She laughed her low, sweet laugh, that rippled over the red lips like the natural utterance of such a heart. Her eyes were deep in their color and brave, looking up into the grave face above, with its marks of care and its marks of age creeping daily deeper. ““There are so many fall- ing, papa, while our boys are safe, and now here has mother been given back to us, her dear, sweet self, paler and frailer, to be sure, but still the dear little mother just the same. And when the war is over our boys will come back, and we will be so proud and happy.’’ She would not even allow the thoughts of that other, who would never come back when the war should be over, to come between her and. her fa- ther’s comforting. She would not let self gain the upper hand of her now. When she should be alone in her own room, with no one to see, she could fight her own battles and her own heart ache. Now she had her father to comfort, and what were her own sorrows, after all, to his? Wasshe not young, and comicbooks.com — ‘eh i