Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

i » A THRILLING STORY. 163 something happened to her—that she was hurt or struck—_—” On hearing this, the man stretched out his hand with a quick, appealing gesture. ‘*Don’t—don’t,” he pleaded, hoarsely. ‘“‘Do—do you remember anything—any one else?” “Yes, I recollect that there was aman named Jack”— another violent start confirmed Geoffrey’s suspicions— “who was not always good to me, and whom I feared and—you are Jack !” This was something of a shot at random, but it teld instantly. The man sank to the ground, trembling and urnerved, his face blanched with fear, while great beads of perspir- ation started out upon his forehead. ‘‘Good Heaven! Iam lost! Havel come back after all these years, just to get caught like a rat ina irap?” he cried, brokenly. “But,” he went on, crouching lower among the tall grass and weeds, ‘“‘I never meant ye? any harm, Master Geoffrey, It was the Grink that did :t; it crazed my brain, and I never really knew I done ye such injury, or that I'd killed the girl I loved, till hours after twas all over.” Geoffrey grew pale now, at this revelation. It was far more than he dreamed of extorting when he had charged the man with his identity. He was so excited that it was with difficulty he could | conipose himself sufficiently to speak. But after a mo- ment or two he said : “Well, Jack, since it is you, and we have recognized each other, you may as well make a clean breast of the whole storv. Owing to the kindness whieh I had re- ceived, the injury which you did me has not resulted so seriously as it might have done; but poor Margery !” ‘‘Boy—boy—ye will drive me crazy if ye talk like that,” Jack cried, in a voice Of horror. “I tell ye, I loved — the girl, and I’d never have lifted my hand agin her—I’d have cut it off first, though we didn’t always agree—but for the drink; and if I could only leok into her good face once more, and hear her say, ‘Jack, I forgive ye!’ I'd be willin’ to lay down in the grave beside her, though Heaven knows I’ve never even seen the spot where she’s buried.” Great sobs choked the man’s utterance, while tears rolled over his weather-beaten cheeks and dropped upon the ground. GOmIiGcbdoo Ss (E(0) =)