At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

40 AT A GIRL’S MERCY. for a fair chance of the money’s being recovered, and if it is not, he will make some other agreement that he told me himself he thought would be en- tirely satisfactory.”’ ‘Oh, he did?”’ and there was more sarcasm than surprise in his voice. ‘‘Well, look here, Nan, all I’ve got to say on the subject is that you had best look out for him, and be prepared for almost any- thing from him. It isn’t in Blake to loose his hold of a cent without good returns. But there, | have nothing against him except that he had better be- have himself in regard to you,’”’ and he laughed easily that the girl should not understand his mean- ing, for down in his heart he guessed pretty near the truth that the man would hold this power over Nan if possible, to win her. ‘Tm not afraid of him,’’ Nan said, ‘‘only he’d better not try to get the best of father. Do you know, Ned, if father wasn’t so sadly lame that the government wouldn’t accept him, I believe he’d enter the army to-morrow. Look how he sent the boys away—proud that they wished to go.”’ “That is the spirit that wins, Nan,’’ Captain Travers said, gravely. ‘‘What do you guess Helen intends doing’?’’ | ‘I know,” in alow voice, nervously folding and unfolding the paper on her knee. ‘‘We have talked it over a good many times, Ned, and now, I sup- pose, since you came home so badly wounded, need- . ing the care only a woman can give, she will put our talks into practice, and go to the hospitals, where every nurse is needed and will constantly be needed more and more. Oh,’’ she stood up before him, and stretched out her hands imploringly, “if only I could go, Ned—if only I could go, too. Who knows m Ecomicbooks.co