A Daughter of Maryland — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

_ A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND. 81 - ‘*Mr. Berners, your words pain me. I am sorry for the wound that rankles in your breast, but God knows it was no fault of mine that that unhappy deed was done. Did you hear all of Uncle Frost’s story ?’’ ‘‘I did, and under the circumstances I was weak enough to let you slip through my fingers. But now I demand justice.’’ ~ **In what way, Mr. Berners? If my life will atone for the injury done you it is at your command. I cannot think it will.’’ ‘Then you will give me satisfaction?’’ **Not in the way you imply. That would not lift the shadow. If you want my life——’’ ‘*Stop! I do not know how to deal with you. I have no wish to be your murderer. I believe you are a coward.’’ ‘* Were I, I could not face you so calmly with those words in my mind. Mr. Berners, have you stopped to think of the circumstances surrounding that unhappy affair, suppos- ing it was not after all a delirious dream of a weak-minded old man? I say, have you looked this matter squarely in the eye and decided that my father was really to blame for your mother’s untimely fate ?’’ ‘‘Perhaps not—perhaps not! I have been nearly crazed by the thought. It seems hard to have been thus robbed of a mother. ’’ ‘*You have my sympathy. My own mother was taken from me before I was old enough to remember her sweet face; and then my poor father went cows with that cloud upon his fair name. ’’ Esten Berners did not reply at once, but he walked nervously back and forth in the road. It was light enough to see that he was undergoing great torture. Suddenly he stopped, exclaiming: BA ‘*T hear horsemen coming, Mr. Southard. If I mistake not you are a fugitive. ’’ ‘*Under a most unfortunate combination of circumstances Comic 200 cS com >