Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

10 "TWIXT LOVE AND DUTY. She saw tears sparkling beneath his eyelashes and her woman’s heart warmed to him with all the strength that a true, sympathetic, loving nature yields to the object of its first attachment. The moment was fateful for those two young hearts. For the time being, they were unconscious of their surroundings, unmindful that the music had struck up again for a cotilion, and that another gentleman was approaching to claim the fair girl for his partner in one of the sets forming. Royal seized her fingers with a tremulous grasp. The words, so sweet when uttered by one we love, fluttered upon his lips, when—— ‘“Miss McVane, may I have the pleasure——”’ The gentleman to whom she was engaged for the dance stood smiling before them. 7 The airy bubble of the moment broke and vanished. ‘Certainly, Mr. Hollis,’’ said Bertha, instantly re- covering her self-possession, and rising from the sofa. Casting a glance at Royal, which thrilled him for -many a day afterward, she accepted the proffered arm and was gone. And Chetwood’s eyes followed her fairy-like fcrm wistfully, hungrily, like one famished—as indeed he was—for very love. CHAPTER II. *TWIXT LOVE AND DUTY. The wine-room was crowded. Senator McVane, standing upon a chair, was ad- dressing his male cuests with all the fervor that his patriotic Southern blood could throw into his speech. ‘The Southern States,’? he was saying, ‘‘have in the exercise of the inherent tight of every free people to change or reform bhi political institutions, with- “comicbooks. (E(0)