Mezzoni the Brigand — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

28 MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. moderate action of treading the water. The fact was, his strength was failing him rapidly, but the boat had reached them at last. One brave effort he made to help the girl as they seized her and drew her into the boat, and then he sank back into the sea, too weak and exhausted for further effort. His own life came very near being sacrificed; but a boat-hook was thrust into his clothes, by which means he was drawn to the side of the little craft, and taken in by the strong arms of the two sailors. Here he sank insensible upon the bottom of the boat, and was pulled rapidly to the side of the steamer, where he was soon resuscitated, and in an hour was quite himself again. This was the singular and romantic introduction of Marion Bray and Wal- ter Hammond. | Colonel Manius Bray was a retired English officer, who had come to Italy with his daughter at the close of her boarding-school career. The father was himself rather an invalid, suffering severely from chronic rheumatism, and had hoped to reap some healthful advantages from this summer trip in ~ Southern Italy. He was a widower, and Marion was his. only child, the relationship between them being one of the tenderest affection. The English girl was not yet twenty; but having lost her mother in early childhood, she had grown up self-reliant to a de- gree unusual in one of herage. She had enjoyed excellent educational advantages, and was very ma- - ture both in mind and in person for one so youthful. Marion would have been pronounced handsome in any company. Her eyes were blue and large, with a natural tenderness in them that nothing could drive away. | The face was oval and tinted with the color of cComicbooks.com —