Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

210 A SEVERE THREAT. lessly upon the grass below its branches, smoking like a small volcano, was, great heavens! Howard Ashleigh. He sprang to his feet in surprise, tossing his half-smoked cigar away. “Miss Kittie!” he ejaculated, helplessly ; then he dropped a mocking glance to the ground at her feet. Kittie caught the glance, and choked back the nervous incli- nation to cry which possessed her. She turned a laughing face toward him, and because it was laughing, he failed to note its extreme pallor. ‘“No, Mr. Ashleigh,” she cried, ‘‘I do mo? spring from the _ earth, like the enchanted people of fairy tales. I came here in my own boat ;” then after a slight pause, ‘‘ Hal told me that you were down at the light-house.” ‘<So I was,” returned Howard, serenely; ‘‘but becoming tired of the stale Scenery in that vicinity, hired a boy to row me up here; I have never visited the island before, for ‘distance lends enchantment.’ I told the young man to return for me at sundown ; I believe the tide rises about that time.” Kittie shuddered. ‘‘T think you had better be away from here before sunset,” she returned, ‘‘ unless you wish to share the fate of the ‘‘ ‘Three Fishers.’ ” 2 * 2 x o * “ ‘‘T must go,” Kittie said, hurriedly. ‘‘See! the sun is setting, and—look, Mr. Ashleigh! ~Oh, my, look !” For there at their very feet, crawling slowly up the shining sand, was a pool of black water. Above their heads the branches of the tree swayed in the rising breeze, and a faint, -Moaning sound went sadly through the bows—that unutterably mournful music of the wind among the pines. Howard’s face had grown very white, but hé turned to the startled girl. ‘“It is nothing, Miss Kittie,” he said, quietly, trying to in- fuse courage into her heart. ‘‘Come, you will show me Eomichooks: co