Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

A STRANGE ADVENTURE, 7 He had had a hard day; he was very weary, and would have hesitated about answering astrange call even in mild weather, and the temptation to send the boy and his card to some one else, and remainin the genial warmth of his own home, was very strong. Still, the man was conscientious. The summons was urgent, and it might be a case of life anddeath. Perhaps the delay of sending to some other physician might re-. sult in the loss of a human life. This thought decided him. He turned quickly on his heel and passed down the hall to his office, remarking to the waiting messenger as he went: “Wait here. I will be ready to return with youin a few moments.” He looked into his medicine case to see that he had everything that he wished, wrapped himself in a long ulster with an ample cape, drew a fur cap down over his ears, and a pair of seal-skin gloves upon his hands, and then went forth with his youthful guide to face the pene- | trating air of this bitterly co'd night. When he reached the —— House, he was conducted directiy to a handsome suite of rooms in the third story, and ushered into the presence of a magnificently beautiful | woman, who was reclining upon a luxurious couch. ~ Dr. Turner had never seen a lovelier woman. She was, apparently, about twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. Her hair was very dark, almost black; her eyes were also very dark, with straight, beautiful brows. She was deathly pale—the pillow on which she lay was scarcely whiter—but her complexion was faultless, her skin as fine and smooth as an infant’s, while her features were remarkable for their delicacy and loveliness. Beside her, in a low rocker, and holding one fair white hand in both her own, there sat another woman, some two or three years older, but scarcely less beautiful. al- though of a different type, and looking anxious and dis- tressed. A few direct inquiries enabled the physician to com- prehend the nature of the case, after which he rapidly wrote a few lines upon a card, and, ringing for a servant, dispatched it to the clerk below. An hour later a middle-aged woman, of respectable and motherly appearance, was conducted to the sick-room, and when morning broke there was still another presence in that chamber—a tiny baby girl, with rings of golden Gom Eboo S (E(@)