Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

50 BONNY JEAN. man came slowly toward them, a lantern swinging in one hand. He held it up, and its yellow rays shone upon the pale faces of the two refugees. Their unknown guide had disappeared. ‘‘Great heavens !” ejaculated Gabriel Black, as he gazed into the pallid faces, ‘‘ you ave smart, sure enough, to escape from the Red Tavern! You'll lose your way out here, though. Come.” : He caught Jean rudely by the arm as he spoke. But he had gone a little too far. She turned suddenly, and, clenching her fist, struck him a stinging blow full in the face. ‘‘Dare to touch me!” she panted, ‘‘and I will strangle you, you monster! Your very touch is pollution!” ‘‘Curse you!” groaned Black, madly ; ‘‘ Ill make you pay dearly for that blow, madam! Turn about, now, both of you, and get into the house again. You shall know what it is to suffer now, I promise you.” In silence—for resistance was useless—Jean and her mother moved onward, their faces turned in the direction of the hated den, where they seemed likely to pass the remainder of their lives. It would be useless to oppose the will of the inhuman wretch who had them in his power; for they were two feeble women in the hands of a fiend, who had others as vile as him- self at his beck and call, and ‘‘ might makes right,” sometimes, They were confined ina small, uncomfortable room. The one window was not barred, or particularly fastened, but old -Corney’s wife was set to watch them—a coarse, vulgar woman, fit mate for her brutal husband. As soon as the prisoners be- held their keeper, they realized that there was no help from that quarter. Time passed, and nothing occurred to break the monotonous calm about them, and gradually the two poor creatures settled down into a dull apathy. There seemed no hope in the wide world for them. All was darkness—dreary, and unlighted bya Single star—and their hearts were well-nigh despairing. Mrs. (Eo) comichooks.