At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 220: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRL’S MERCY. 209 geen and bowed graciously as she lifted her ten- er face to him in her farewell, the smile haunting him in many quiet moments afterward. “With men such as yourself at the head there can be no doubt of victory,’ she said, softly, the smile in her eyes as well as on the red lips as she passed out of his presence. . “You ought to be proud of your general,’ she said, sweetly, to the orderly, who walked respect- fully beside her to the old church that was now their hospital. ‘‘If there were more grand men like him there would be less war in the world. Good- night. You have been kind to me, and I wish for you the happy ending to any trouble you may have, that you have brought to mine.”’ She held out her hand as trankly as she would have done to one of her brothers, and there was a smile on the lifted, tender face under the faint light from the church door where she was bidding him farewell. And many a time during the long weary months of the war the girl’s face returned to him as it looked that night, and took on the expres- sion of an angel smiling her kindly wishes for his life. While Nan, entering the open door. found the surgeon waiting for her with another form beside him which at tirst she did not see. The darkness outside was still in her eyes, and the lights within were dazzling as she stood at the entrance, her brave face lifted to her friend as she uttered, swiftly, her gladness at his message. ‘The general would have done what he could,” she said, ‘‘and the cowardly traitor himself offered me ‘my father’s life without reward, but I could not ac- cept it at such hands as his. And now,” she added, and the surgeon’s eyes grew misty at the girl’s hap- _ piness so clearly reflected in the face, “‘bring me to my friend, please, Surgeon McAllister, and tell me more about mv father. It is so good to know.’’ ‘Nan,’ the voice in her ears sent the color from her face and set a dazed look in the wide eyes raised to the face bent above her. ‘ Was it the darkness that had blinded her and maybe touched her hearing? Was she dreaming, iG¢cbooks.co =) (E(0) ¢ Ss