Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

BONNY JEAN. 91 Corney reported their weak and feeble state, and wine and nourishing food were furnished the two prisoners ; for Black had no intention of killing them—not just yet, at all events. One day, sitting silent and sad, they heard a faint tapping at the window-pane. Jean glanced ather motherinalarm. Mrs. Corney arose, and approached the window carelessly. A little bird—a tiny, snow-white creature—was outside, beating the pane violently with its wings. Mrs. Corney’s dull eyes were upon her prisoners’ movements, and Mrs. Conway forced an air of indifference as she said : ‘‘ Mrs, Corney, couldn’t you get me that bird? See! itisa pigeon, and I am very fond of them.” Now, Mrs. Corney had but one idea in existence—easing. She could understand and appreciate her prisoner’s desire to possess the dainty morsel; so, with a less ungracious manner than usual, she arose and opened the window. As I have al- ready said, there was no unusual fastening to this window, Mrs. Corney’s constant presence in the room, both night and day, being considered sufficient precaution ; and there was an armed sentinel posted below the window, which fact the two women had already ascertained. As Mrs. Corney raised the sash, the pigeon, a lovely white thing, flew in, and fluttering across to Jean, nestled upon her shoulder. Jean could scarcely repress a cry of delight ; for she recognized the bird as a carrier pigeon, which had be- longed to her dear friend, Lady Lee. How could she communicate that fact to her mother, who had never seen the bird before, and of course had no idea to whom it belonged? Their jailer’s eyes were upon them, and Jean felt instinctively that Mrs. Corney must not know the truth. Jean was a tolerable French scholar, and could have expressed herself in that language (which was .Greek to Mrs. Corney), but unfortunately her mother’s knowledge of French was quite limited, so that would be impracticable. All at once» a sudden inspiration darted into the girl’s bright mind. Eomilcbooks.co =)