Caught in the Snare — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

Joe Smith. fair daughter, I am under the painful necessity of making her my wite without troubling you to give her away. For your.own sake, I feel con- vinced you will not make a public affair of this, as I judged you have too much pride to allow your daughter’s good name to become a byword for the town. Rest assured she shall be treated | with all the respect due the daughter of so dis- | tinguished a gentleman as Major Percival; and | when once my wife, shall be restored to her home on one condition. It is, that you will give me her fortune as a sort of ransom, which, as you | are wealthy, no doubt you will willingly do. If @& you refuse, why then it will be all the worse for 4 your pretty, but rather stubborn daughter. The retreat to which I have taken her is secure, and you cannot discover it; therefore, you had better make up your mind to comply with my terms at once. If you do, your daughter shall be immedi- ately restored to you; if not “I have the honor, my dear sir, to remain, “Yourse sincerely, RALPH DE Liste.” “The scoundrel! The treacherous, deceitful villain!’ thundered the major, springing to his feet, white with passion. “What is it?’ demanded Gus and Nell, while Mrs. Percival’s eyes asked the same question, though her lips were silent. , “Read that!” exclaimed the major, as he flung the missive he had crumpled in his hand, fercely from him. “Read that! | F or I cannot tell you! 1 comicbooks.com