José — page 291: what you’re looking at

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

984. JOSE. as if grasping the thought which he had uttered, she took the paper, bowed her head, and went. CHAPTER XXI. LOVE’S JOYS AND SORROWS. Bob seemed to be astonished at the sudden turn the conversation had taken, but simply shook his » head and supported his chin in his hand after Jose had gone, while the two friends, one apparently as anxious as the other, resumed their former seats. The men had remained seated in silence three min- utes, when the door was hastily opened and the young mistress of the fort, tall and erect, stood in the opening. Her face was pale as before, but there was upon it a look of surprise; it was a restless, fiery - glance with which she swept the little group. At sight of her Baumann had sprung to his feet, while slowly the others followed; he took two steps toward her—her eyes measured the figure in the wild prairie garb, plainly showing traces of the rough pilgrimage so recently brought to a close, until it remained suspended on his face—a moment, as in doubt, then brightening as in sudden recog- nition, while a faint red suffused her features. “Mr. Baumann—is it indeed you?” she asked, while hesitatingly she raised her hand and advanced a step toward him; “how in the name of Providence did you come here?” He looked into her eyes and felt his heart flutter as it did when he opened her last letter; he took her hand in his, and with the left quickly produced the bracelet which he had been holding in readiness and which had never once left his person. Eomichooks co m