At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

208 AT A GIRUS MERCY. oe My father is safe, and a friend of mine is waiting to see me at the hospital. I thank you for all you have done, sir—for all you would have done, but | can- not help being so glad there is no need of any plan- ning to save my father. How could they harm him, if they would, the dear. big, brave father, who would scorn any harm they attempted against him.” The man before her smiled, and the grave face was gentle and kindly with this touch of tenderness upon it. How like a child she was in spite of her womanliness. Did she think even such a grand old spirit as her father’s could hinder for an instant the execution of any plans laid by the enemy? Did she think they would not have more gladly taken his life, and so ended the help he was giving them to win the victory? She was a child in spite of her grace and her pride. The yellow curls were afiutter, and the flushed face that of the veriest child in the world. But the eyes—ah, they were, after all, the eyes of a woman with the dauntless soul and the daring that would win, struggling against wrong and oppression. He held out his hand to her, the hand that held so much power, and he arose in the see st of his manhood to bid her farewell and God speed. ) FeThere is little I can say to help such a brave woman,’’ he said, gravely, and the smile was still stirring the iron-gray mustache. ‘It is such women as you that do more toward the bringing of peace than all the fighting we men can enter. You strengthen our hearts, and you keep warm the thought of the homes for which we are to win, and we win. Good-by, child. You are worthy such a father. The man you could have saved shail know your power and the womanhood that knew the utter uselessness of granting more time to a soul that would but use it for harm to others. If I come through the battles that are before us I shall hope to meet you some day—you and the father of whom you are justly so proud.”’ | He crossed the space to the door, and lifted the flapping curtain for her to pass through, with the — courtly grace that he would not have shown evena “comicbooks.cc ; : ‘ Py < >