Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

276 COLONEL MAPLESON’S STORY. “Mr. Huntress, allow me to present to you my wife, Mrs, Mapleson,” he said by way of introduction. The lady glanced into the gentleman’s face. Instantly her own froze into a look of horror; a shock went quivering through her frame like the blow of an ax upona tree. She started wild- ly back from him, her eyes dilated. her lips apart. “August Damon!” she gasped, and sank fainting to the floor. CHAPTER XUITII. COLONEL MAPLESON’S STORY. Colonel Mapleson sprang forward to lift his wife, amazement depicted on every feature. August Huntress appeared like a man suddenly deprived of his senses, and stood spell-bound, gazing with a look of awe upon the prostrate woman before bim, whom he instantly recog- nized as Mrs. Marston, the mother of Gladys. ‘ Geoffrey, after one astonished glance at this vivid tableau, started forward to assist Coionel Mapleson to bear his wife to a sofa at one end of the rcom. “Shall I ring for assistance?” Mr. Huntress asked, rousing himself with an effort from his state of stupefaction, and reach- ing toward a bell-pull. Colonel Mapieson turned sharply upon him, with a stern, troubled face. “Did vou ever meet my wife before, sir?” he demanded. “T—T think I did, once-—vears ago,” Mr. Huntress replied, shrinking from compromising the lady, yet forced to tell the truth. “Where?” was the terse query. ‘“Parhaps,” returned the gentleman addressed, while he met his host’s searching gaze frankly and steadily, vet with conscious dignity; ‘‘perhaps it would be as well to give our immediate at- tention to the recovery of your wife, and allow her to make her own explanations when she is able to do so.” It was a polite way of telling him that he would say nothing more until Mrs. Mapleson gave him permission to do so. Colonel Mapleson bowed acquiescence. ‘Hand me a glassof water, if you please,’ he said to Geoffrey, and glancing toward a table on which there was a water service, ‘We will do what we can for her ourselves, without having any prying servants about. I do not believe my wife ever fainted before.” He sprinkled her face vigorously, bathing her temples, and chafing her hands, to restore circulation. She began to recover almost immediately, and before the ex- comiclooolks 5}