Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

228 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. it’s a mistake, let old Mother Woodstock nee si she pleases. I saw my niece alive and well ten days ago.” «<'That’s a queer go!” said the man, peering ans into the sphinx face. But the old man ‘was busy over his letters again. He had seized upon the one bearing the latest date, and at the bot- tom there was a postscript. He raised a shout of joy and triumph when he saw it. ‘< My boy is coming, my George is coming. - He sailed —— why, why, it is time he arrived. I may look for him any day. Oh, thisis good news. I must run down to the owners of the Comit, and see whether they have heard from her at all.. There, man, drink to the good luck of the good ship Comet.” He tossed a silver coin into the man’s hand, thrust the let- ters into his pocket, and went hurrying out, his face aglow, his very hands trembling with the joy of the news he had found. In the generous glow of his delight, he even gave a coin to the thin-faced beggar-girl who held out her timid - hand toward him. ‘George is coming! and I have found out the girl's re- treat. I shall work the rest tomy mind. Noone holds the clew, no one but Mathew Merle, and I shall have my way, against them all. I will keep my eye on ag Wilhelmine, but I will leave her alone until George comes.” He found the owners of the Comet in good spirits les wise. ‘I'he ship had been spoken by a steamer having made a fine passage to that point. ‘They were looking ee for the signal of her approach. Mathew Merle went off in such high glee that he never noticed a woman in a plain dark shawl and bonnet, with a thick vail over her face, who kept at just such a distance from him, let him turn as he might. He went down to Mother Woodstock, as he called her, and entered bluntly into the object of his Visit. Mant com Cc 900 wee Vy ' a i pp hy mn ar isi’) |} is é +a pb ‘ tte) ° . “d - f. + ’ ta fh. ‘ea pirat 2 3] * Faced Ip A fea * lat f ae "ae Wy a) ; —- = a 5