Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

126 A SEVERE THREAT, ments like ages wore away, and at last the door was pushed open stealthily, and Howard's cautious voice whispered ; “‘Come!” With a prayer for help and guidanee in her heart, Geraldine Vernon followed him into the gloomy hall-way through the open outer duor, and stood trembling and agitated upon the wind- swept porch. The tempest howled and shrieked around them, and a great tree standing down the avenue was torn up by the roots, whirled in the wind a little, and fell with a loud crash to the ground. Shuddering violently, Geraldine threw her arms about her lover's neck. ‘<A bad omen,” she whispered, ‘‘a bad omen, but I would rather die than go back !” Half an hour later, Lionel Vernon’s own carriage went tear- ing down the long country road through the storm and dark- ness—the horses instinctively taking the right direction—on to the railroad station ; its occupants, Howard and Geraldine. Their destination reached and the train boarded-—fortunately they had not long to wait—away they flew through the night and the darkness, and the curtain was rung up upon the first act in the strange tragedy before them. | kK *K *K *K *K *K *K The sun was going down—a lurid ball of fire—in the gloomy west, and there was an unpleasant chill in the air. The few passengers in the waiting-room at a certain way-side station in a remote corner of Scotland, drew their wraps closer about their shoulders, while their faces looked pinched and blue in the cold atmosphere. In an obscure corner a tall man sat, his hat slouched over his eyes, and a long cloak covering him from head to foot, watch- ing the door of the waiting-room furtively, but with eager, earnest gaze. It opened, suddenly, and two people entered—~ _ Geraldine and her husband, for the marriage ceremony had Eomichbooks (eo)