At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

AT A GIRL'S MERCY. Aq site. ‘*‘But there!’’ she shook her head, sunny with its curls, as though to cast off all trouble, and her face was again the bright face of Nan Courtland. “This is a fine way to send you off to battle, Helen Travers. I’ve always protested that I was selfish and not at all to be relied upon for courage, and this is convincing proof.’’ ‘Indeed, no!’’ and Helen laughed, glad that her friend could laugh again, though knowing well - what lay under the bright surface. ‘But, let’s talk of something else. Have you heard anything, or gained any more knowledge of the thieves, Nan? It seems to me that the detectives we have nowadays ought not to let such daring burglars escape them. - Wouldn’t you know them if you should see them again ?’’ “T only saw one,”’ Nan replied, entering into her friend’s kindly spirit, ‘‘and I really didn’t see him, Nell; he had a mask on, but I would know his voice and figure, I am quite sure. I only wish I could have a chance to test my memory.” “You ought to havea chance pretty soon, ” Helen said. ‘They can’t escape, I’m sure; can they, Mr. Courtland ?’’ She pushed the curtains aside, and leaned for- ward, the gas-light touching her sweet face to added beauty as she turned toward the squire, waiting his reply, noting, with a sorry pain at her heart, the deepened lines of care on the face that had always a, smile of greeting for her, and that now involun- tarily smiled back at her piquant face between the falls of lace at the window. ‘Others have escaped,”’ he said, ‘ond with clever detectives on their tracks, too. It’s getting pretty hard just now to ferret out such thieves, for with so m Gomicbooks.co