Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

6 LOVE’S YOUNG DREAM. It was the first chance of the evening that he had _ seized upon to detain the daughter of the ae at his _ side. He was deeply interested in the fair Scntieni girl, for she was not only a lovely woman, but the only child and heiress of the McVane property, which was no inconsiderable portion, as Senator McVane, late of the United States Senate, was a man of great in- fluence and wealth in the Palmetto State. It will be presumed, then, that Captain Trafton had cast his eyes upon the possibility of winning not only a charming wife, but a handsome fortune as well. Under these circumstances the gallant officer might well be excused for feeling a trifle sore. But Captain Trafton had a far more potent reason for his displeasure. He had for some time recognized Royal Chetwood as a dangerous rival. And not without reason. The handsome young fellow had made a decided impression upon Miss McVane. Nor was she alone the only woman who admired the stalwart young Pennsylvanian, since his social dedut among the e/zze of Charleston. More than one designing mother had set her net, so to speak, for him, but though the target for many a bright eye and winsome smile, this young Chester- ‘field seemed yet to be perfectly heart whole, unless indeed Miss McVane herself was the fortunate young lady. Senator McVane had given the reception, which _ was a ball on a small scale, in honor of his daughter’s nineteenth birthday. It was well attended by the aristocratic set in which the distinguished politician and his family moved, notwithstanding the critical state of affairs in Charles- ton. Though mirth and social gayety reigned supreme GEomicbooks