Caught in the Snare — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

SYNOPSIS OF “EDITH PERCIVAL.” When the War of Independence broke out in America, Frederic Stanley left England at the command of his father to join the army of the Royalists, in which the elder man held an important position. His son, however, had different views and had decided to cast his lot with the “rebels.” The ship on which he sailed from England was wrecked, and all on board were lost with the exception of the captain, young Stanley, and his friend, Gus Elliott. They clung to a raft until they were picked up by an American privateer. Some “days later a vessel was sighted on fire, and a volunteer crew, headed by Stanley, went to the rescue of those on board, among whom they found a young girl, Edith Percival, Gus Elliott’s cousin. All were taken off safely, and when they arrived at Boston, Edith begged Stanley to go with her to her home and receive the thanks of her parents for having saved her life. He was cordially greeted by the whole family, including Edith’s younger sister, Nell. While here, he. learned, much to his sorrow, that Edith was engaged to Ralph de Lisle, also a Royalist, for by this time Stanley was very deeply in love with her. When he told his father that he would not fight against his countrymen, Sir William became violently angry, and ordered him from his home, telling him that if he were caught with the rebels, he himself would have him shot. Later Frederic was taken prisoner and his father carried out his threat and or- dered him to be shot as a spy, but released him at the request — of a mysteriéus person known as the Hermit of the Cliffs. Edith told her fiancé that she did not love him, and begged him to re- lease her from her engagement, but he refused, knowing that she was in love with Stanley. Major Percival, being a Royalist, also refused to allow his daughter to change her niind, having heard that Stanley was on the side of the rebels, but postponed her marriage with De Lisle, who, infuriated at the delay, .abducted her and kept her prisoner in a lonely house in the care of an old woman and Elva Snowe, a young girl from the neighboring vil- lage. He was about to have the marriage performed here when Stanley, with some companions, interrupted the ceremony, and a skirmish followed in which several of the combatants were killed, Stanley and Gus Elliott being overcome and taken prisoner by , De Lisle’s nen, “comicbooks.com