Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

a EVERET MAKES A-NEW ACQUAINTANCE. 143 there that I ever set eyes on—a sweet, white-livered little thing, with eyes as blue as the sky and hairas bright as. the gold we dug out of the bowels of the earth.” The miner was waxing eloquent over the reminiscence. “°Tisn’t often that a man cares to take such a dainty piece of humanity into such a wild, outlandish place asa miner’s camp, and goodness knows that it’s rare enough | for a rough set like us to see a beautiful woman, let alone having her right among us all the time. But there wasn’t a soul that wouldn’t bave risked his life to defend her from any evil or danger, for she always tad a kind smile and a gcntle word for the worst of us.” Kveret Mapleson sat suddenly erect and looked the astonishment he felt. His face had grown as white as his shirt front, while © his companiou was speaking, and bis heart was beating with great heavy throbs that almost suffocated him; for a wild suspicion had suddenly taken possession of him, “You say the man’s name was Dale?” he asked. “Yes, William Dale——or Captain Dale, as we all called him. You see he was chly newly married, and had just brought the little woman there, and that was the reason he didn’t like to leave her alone over night in that wild region,” the miner explained, beginning to notice his listener’s strange manner. “You are sure that they we:e married—that she was really his wife?” said Everet, in an excited tone. The miner looked the surprise he felt at such a question. “Why, yes; at least everybody supposed she was his wife; he said she was; whille they seemed to set the world by each other, and the poor captain grieved like one bereft of bis reason when she died.” “Died?” gasped his listener. “Yes, poor little lady! she was in the camp just one blessed year, then the little shaver came, and the mother never got up again.” “There was a child!” ejaculated Everet Mapleson, loa- ing his self-possession ine * and more. “Strange,” said the man, with a curious stare, “you | seem wonderfully moved over my story—did you ever hear of these people before?” “T’ll tell you by and by. But go on—tell me about this child,” Everet eagerly urged. “Well, there was a fine boy,” continued the miner, “and he was the pride of the canip; you seeit wasa rare thing for a set of rough miners to havea baby CONMIEOCOKS (EC) =}