Commodore Junk — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

MARY BEGINS TO PLAN. 47 it was her mother’s ; and it would be like going to ask a favour of her. She could not do it; and there was no need. Captain Armstrong would come down to the shore any evening if she sent him the old signal, a scrap of dry sea- weed wrapped in paper Scores of times she had done this when Abel had gone to sea in his boat, with Bart for com- panion ; and Mary’s cheeks flushed at the recollection of those meetings. Yes; she would send him the old signal by one of the fishermen’s children. No ; only if all other means failed. He was better now, and would be about. She would watch for him, and, as she called it, meet him by accident, and then plead her cause. And so a week glided away, and there was only about one more before the judge would arrive, and Abel and his com- panion be brought up in the assize court. Mary had haunted every road and lane leading toward the big house, and had met the captain riding and walking, but always with Mistress Arm- strong, and she could not speak before her. There was nothing for it but to take the bold step, and after long hesitation that step was taken ; the piece of sea-weed was wrapped up in paper, entrusted to a little messenger, and that evening Mary Dell left the cottage and walked round the western point towards Torcross, her cheeks flushed, her eyes unusually bright, and her heart full of care. She was not long in reaching the well-known spot—their old trysting-place, where the coarse sand was white, and the rocks which shut in the retired tiny cove rough with limpet, barnacle, and weed. This was the first time she had been there since James Armstrong had wearied of the prude, as he called her, and jilted her for his wealthy wife; and now the question arose: Would he come } Gomicbooks —)