Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

32 , BONNY JEAN. saddled, he rode away as though life and death depended on his speed. *K *K *K *K 7 * ys In the meantime, Jean and her mother had reached Mrs, Lee’s hospitable house—large, roomy, and comfortable, where the old man lived with his wife and his only child, Adelaide. Lady and Jean Conway had long been dear friends, and all the gayety faded from the girl’s dark face as she listened to Jean’s sad story. When it was finished, she wound her arms about Jean’s neck, and their tears fell together. ‘‘Dear Jean,” whispered Lady, softly, ‘‘you shall get out of this villain’s power. If once you can reach New Orleans in safety, you can start for the North, and then you will be safe, and can decide what step to take to free you perma- nently from his clutches. That Gabriel Black—lI’ve always hated the wretch !—must have influenced your father in some dreadful way. I’m sure there has been a frightful mistake, and now—but, poor Jean! it is too late!” ‘Too late!” repeated Jean, sadly. ‘‘ But, Lady, you will keep us here to-night, and in the morning we will go on—out to the station. Fortunately, I have enough to carry us to New Orleans; and once there, I have friends to whom to appeal for advice and assistance, ” That very night it began torain; the same fearful storm, in which poor Philip had come to grief, devastated the country. The rain fell in blinding sheets, swelling the river fearfully, while the creeks and small streams, in which that region abounds, grew to huge affairs, and some of them were impassa- ble. It rained until the afternoon of the next day; then it broke off, and the clouds began to disperse. The river was away over its banks ; but Jean and her mother, knowing that they must lose no time, determined to at least make the attempt, and to start on their journey at once. SO, aS soon as dinner was over, they bade the Lees a tearful Eomichooks co