The Island School — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

, ‘i ' ee i fy j ‘ rey y, lok me sa ies a MK Pett ve ME ; i'd - Ma ate in of the aioe. replenished with the new material supplied in the half- ait i pi hy ’ a mo Mi eae and the light was more brilliant than ever. a _ The conflagration extended along the whole line of ee Even the post-office shared in the fate of oe ae the rest. Ere the morning broke, the schoolhouse Ne erected by Napoleon Farrell would be naught but of cs __ smouldering ashes. ike his reputation, it would be gone for ever. C+ i - ‘ N apoleon had fallen, and the house he had built upon | the sands was wrecked, never to be restored again. | Morse, sole spectator of the scene, watched it until ‘as there was nothing but a faint glow. Long before it came to that, he had observed the Spaniards stealing | ay * “away in the direction of Silver Bay, and satisfied ns En that even he might sleep, he curled himself up by the | bah vee ot the battlements, and Bare himself up to repose. wee RO ‘But it was hee. fa the) fire, i ae beams | and collapsing woodwork, burst out Pala ee aa CHAPTER XC. ih | THE RETURN OF DAY.—SCOUTING IN SEARCH OF THE Kr was Eveline who | ee was first up in the he ( morning. She occt= a pied, with her mother, a small x chamber at the back of the store-room. Having dressed, and ascer- tained there was nobody about the chief room ad- joining, she stole out, crossed the courtyard, and made her way oa the portcullis gate. | Still nobody stirring, and remembering the stair- ease that led to the battlements, she stole up to get a view of the island in the resplendent light of the early “ i morning. As she stepped out of the gloom of the i, staircase into the light, she saw Morse lying with his ie ; head upon his arm, still asleep. ___His face was upturned, and it had upon it the look of absolute repose. Eveline stooped over him and gazed at the well-formed features, noting, for the first time in her life, how handsome he really was. __ _His face was different from Jim Gordon’s. One was indicative of coming manly strength, the other of _ intellect and refined thought. Eveline was strangely _ moved as she gazed at him, but the feeling was more of awe and admiration of a superior than anything else. It had never been apparent to her before that here was a genius who, with all his delicacy, might one Gaye do see ae to rock the mond, Ae a V3 : i¥ ee - - : - , . 7 , : yr | “ x as ¥ r . tt ; Ate . 4 fo yak of me g% es Lj . rN Res hag pe ean EN ¢ Sho any x : ones ty ok Aves eyes Oud. 1s seek shat gee eae on ane He ue a a Reetotite tee Sea) Buti it Caasnedo on her no y, remembering ‘the wonde ful things he had already dene in the way of in tion. There he was—a boy no more, but ‘one who } ha handled with the utmost coolness materials that, carelessly manipulated, would resent the blunder b blowing him into a million fragments. ) ‘He suddenly became a living marvel in her eyes. Hat Wee ay While she was still gazing at him in dumb wonder- ment, he awoke and saw her. In a. ‘moment he was on his feet, with a faint smile upon his face. — ae ‘Iam a pretty fellow for a sentinel, you will think, he said, “but I assure you that before I lay down mn knew there was no danger to be apprehended for a while. I saw ae fellows going back to ‘Silver Bay.” ss ‘a “You saw Ghanne" Sec Eveline, amazed. We re. you outside the castle last night?” | Be Feu “No,” he answered, “I saw them by the light an big fire—a very big fire. Can you not: Bue, whee it was?” ke Ni | She grasped his meaning, and her face turned ale pale, but rallying, she said, quietly : I a “The schoolhouse is aca down ?” Ay) “Tt is,’ answered Morse. “It was a ‘wonderful sight, and at another time I would have aroused yo u all to witness it. For good or ill, the castle i is now our only home, while we stay on the island.” Sd RS ‘How long will that be ?” exclaimed Eveline, sadly. “T must apeies you vaguely,” he said. “ “Until we a can get away.” Pay ay They walked on siete way, with their Hebe to the staircase of the tower. Eveline laid her hand “upon, his shoulder in the confidential way of a girl speaking to a brother. aA uy “Qn you and Jim we all rely,” she said, ey It was at this moment that Jim in person appeared at the head of the staircase. He came up so quietly that they did not hear him, and their backs being turned from him, of course did not see him. His face is expressed surprise, then anger, and finally pain. Without saying a word or making his presence known, ‘ he stole softly back again. | ‘i Be Jim was proud, and strong enough to hide his” : wounds. He also recognised the fact that he was too. much of a boy “to worry abouta girl.” He therefore resolved to look upon Eveline as a bit. of a minx, fond of admiration, and willing to recognise it from n whomsoever it might come. mee aut a4, Ay) ! As for Morse—well, Ji im had the sincerest affection st _ ( f : ¥ ST sThig §a¥ 43 —_ iY tN ee aero tithe aan and it must be a very serious matter to. inde eal ie, quarrel with him. As for going so far on account of Hiveline or any other girl, Jim felt inclined to Jaugh i at the -idea. * 3 ih Mi i, But he did not laugh at: t all, “ont the contrary he even ene for a Ee, felt Mec ked ee ae Lik a ry oO a| : @ {aN ‘om : ¥ ys