The Colonel's Wife — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

174 | A GENTLE NURSE. | Mollie had nursed him faithfully, and he could no longer let that ridiculous bond stand between them. Besides, her action in coming to him had done away with its provisions. He would know his fate on the morrow. So Colonel John decided one night after she had made _. him comfortable and left him. That was a terribly long night to him.. At length daylight arrived, and the hour when Mollie usually put in an appearance; but she came not. | Anxiously he counted the minutes. The day wore on without her coming. Was she sick, or had she divined his intention, and in this way ‘expressed her desire to avoid an explanation. He wrestled between pride and fear. Other days passed, but she came not. ~~ He even wrote her a line beseeching her to visit him once more; but no answer came. There was a change—the inmates of the hospitals | who were fit to leave were transferred to prison, where their prospects grew darket. The winter wore away and spring came. John learned that his comrades had reached Savan- nah and were heading in a northerly direction, while Grant’s chances of capturing the Confederate capital and ending the war were considered good. Dreary days passed. John’s greatest distress was of the mind, for he could not learn what had become of Mollie, and his fancy sometimes pictured her in sickness. He met with daring spirits and an escape was planned. In the light of subsequent events it would doubtless have been wiser for them to have remained where they were, since the day of liberation was not far away, but hot heads carried the day, and the escape was made. The pursuit was not very hot, for just at this time comic 900 (s.com :