Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

al ees *. i — Z Wee a% A STARTLING RECOGNITION. 193 isn’t going to do at all. You must brace up, for there is a long story to be told yet.” He lifted him to lis feet by main force, drew his arm within his own, and compeiled hin: to walk up and down the porch two or three times. Then he seated him again, and begau at once to tell poor Margery’s story. The man listened as if spell-bound ; he scarcely seemed to breathe, so intent was he to catch every woid. He did not move, even, until Geoffrey mentioned meeting the strange woman in the wood, when he looked up, a wild gleam in his eve, a cry of joy on his lips. W hen Geoffrey repeated what she had told him about her traveling from city to city, searching tor her hus- band, working at whatever her hand could find to do, to earn the money necessary to keep up her tireless quest, he could control himself no longer. Great sobs broke fron: him. : ‘*My girl! my girl! I never deserved it of her! Where is she, Master Geoffrey? tell me and I°)l creep on my knees to her feet and ask her LOR EEV ERE !” he wildly cried, “ Jack, she is here!” “Here! Where?” and he glanced about him in fear and awe. | ‘‘Here, in this very house! waiting, longing to see you! to ease your conscience of its burden, and tell you that ahe freely forgives everything !” “Can she?” the trembling husband breathed in an awed tone. “Come and see,” Geoffrey retufned, and taking kim by the arm, he led him toward the parlor where Margery was anxiously awaiting him, her patience nearly ex- hausted by the long delay. Reaching the door Geoffrey opened it, pushed Jack inside the room, then shut the two in together. ** Jack !” “Madge! my girl!” The glad, fond ery of the wife, restored at last to her long-sought loved one, the pleading, repentant intona- tion of the erring husband, were the only sounds that he caught, as he turned away, and with tears in his eyes, went out alone into the quiet summer night leaving them in their joy. Two hours later, Jack came to seek him, but he valked like a drunken man, weakly and unsteadily. His unexpected happiness was almost more than he a COMMicl ao) Ss (E(0) =}