Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

14 - OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. that the passenger was sick, Captain Lo hurried, with his burden, to the state-room off his own, and hastily unwrapped the shawl. It was intense relief to catch the first glimpse of a black coat sleeve and a modest gray waistcoat; but when his eye came to the pale, set face, Captain Lo’s heart was deeply touched. It was so fair, and sweet, and innocent! Carved in marble, it would have passed for a perfect Ganymede, or Hyperion, or Narcissus. The hair curled in short, shiny, browny rings, from above the broad, full forehead; the long, silky eyelashes lying on the proud, pallid cheeks; and the wistful pout of the sweet lips had an expression in them which reminded Captain Lo of his own children, when, sometimes, on his home visits, he had hung entranced over their sleeping innocence. ** Bless my soul !” muttered the captain, ‘‘ what an exceed- ingly handsome boy! What has he done, I wonder, to bring this about? I shall have to steel my heart to part with him, I fancy, much more to leave him alone on that lonely island.” And, forgetting his affairs on deck, the tender-hearted- seaman hung over the stirless figure, fascinated by its un- usual grace and beauty. Lhe narcotic held its powerful sway, and a cannon, fired there in the little cabin, would not have roused the heavy sleeper. Captain Lo fixed the head more comfortably upon the pillow, tucked the hands (how small and elegantly formed they were) under the coverlet, and, closing the state-room door, went back to the deck reluctantly. The boat and its crew had already vanished into the dark- ness from which it had come. He saw the curious faces of his officers, and knew that some explanation was expected, if not necessary; but he kept moodily by himself. The five hundred pounds weighted down his conscience now with comicboo cS CO