Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

134 Ne OOTAVIA'S PRIDE “What! You are Jimmy Owen’s father? Listen, sir, you are going to pay Doctor Morley’s fee now. ‘There was something he wanted done very much—a package to be carried to England by my own hands, and this man, his brother, who is the heir, says it shall not go. I am running away with it. Iam Jane West, the woman who kept his house and helped in his office. You know, by yourself, that one must be willing to face any danger rather than fail to fulfill a request of Doctor Morley’s. ‘They are coming hunting for me. Oh, if there was only- a ship below, all ready to sail for England!” : . ‘“ Bless your good heart!” exclaimed the man, in a perfect fervor of delight, ‘‘there’s the Royal Bess down below, ready to slip off the very minute the wind changes. Ive just come up from taking down a bundle they forgot, to the captain’s wife. Ill take you down straight off. They sha’n’t get you. So youre MissJane. Well, well! Jimmy has told me enough about your nursing and fussing over him. Ill take you anywhere you say, miss, and Id just like a chance to pay off the man as fired that lubberly shot at you. How did he know it would miss?” Jane did not say that it was hardly a miss, but.she asked, anxiously: “Do you think they would take me on board the vessel? Would they let me go to England with them justas I am? I have clothing in this bag tied on my back, and my money, I suppose, can be dried and made as good as new. I must not go back to Sydney, for he has the law on his side, and can compel me to give up the packet.” | “Take you! I should think Captain Warner aad be a pretty sailor if he wouldn’t help a woman in trouble.” ‘‘ Hush!” cried Jane, ‘‘the boat is coming this way. Don’t you hear their voices? How they are shouting!” | Her new protector groped about for his other oar. ‘We'll see about their catching you. It’s best to make