Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

' 134 AN OCTOGENARIAN INTERVIEWED. Annie Dale left it to come to Richmond,” mused Miss Southern. “It was very good of Colonel Mapleson to leave it so,” she added; “perhaps he disliked to disturb any thing, hoping that the wanderer might some time re- turn. Kveret did not say what he thought, but his face wore a troubled look. ‘“You were going to tell me what your theory is regard- ing Miss Dale’s disappearance,” he remarked. “T think there was a lover in the case,” shereplied. “TI believe she must have made the acquaintance of some young man, who was enamored of her beauty, and who, having won her heart, enticed her to z0 away with him to some place, promising to marry her, and who then—be- trayed her confidence.” “Then you think she was never married?” said the voung man, flushing with excitement to find how like her theory his own was. “Tf she had been a lawful wife I think she would have written of the fact to her nurse; for she promised to let Mauma Gregory hear from her when she was settled, and there has never come a word from her.” “She may have written and the letter miscarried,” Everet suggested. “Tn that case she would have written again, for -Mauma could write, and if Annie did not get an answer to her letter she would have sought a reason. Besides, what you have told me confirms my suspicion; if she had been a happy wife, with a home of her own, she surely would have wanted the articles of furniture belonging to her, and which must have been sacred to her because of their associations. No; I firmly believe that the poor girl met with some crushing sorrow and has either died ofa broken heart, or is still hiding herself and her w.isery from all who ever knew her.” Miss Southern wiped a tear of regret from her eyes as she concluded. : Kveret Mapleson felt that he could have settled the fate of the unfortunate girl for her by telling what Margery, the flower vender, had told him; but he did not care to say anything about it then, and believing he had learned all that Miss Southern could tell him, he changed the sub ject; and after a few minutes took his leave, prom- ising to come again to see his father’s old friend upon an- other visit fo Richmond. He went immediately to seek Mauma Gregory, bus comicloookkSs.€