The Wreck of the South Pole and Other Strange Tales — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

The Wreck of the South Pole. 27 enjoyment of it; lay back upon the couch and rested, gaz- ing idly out at the branches of the trees in the park gently swaying with the breeze. A servant entered with a lunch and a strong cup of cof- fee, and after I had eaten and drank he returned again with a suit of clothes of American cut which fitted me very nicely. And again at the end of an hour, when my host supposed I was sufficiently rested, the same servant appeared and invited me to descend to the parlor, which I did. : It was a quietly, comfortably furnished room, with a curtain suspended across the entrance to another, and as I stood in the center surveying the apartment the curtains parted and Winnie, the beautiful figure I had seen that afternoon, appeared between them. She was smiling as when I first saw her out on the bar- ren plain, and came forward with hand extended to greet me. But noticing that I drew a step back and, as she afterward told me, that my face grew pale, she cried out in a cheery voice: “Will you not allow me to welcome you to our home? Iam Winnifred, your host’s daughter,” and coming close to me took my hand in hers. | I could say nothing, only looked at her in astonishment. There could be no doubt but this was the exact image of the girl I had seen on the barren mountain plain, and I defy any man not to have been completely nonplussed under the circumstances. CORNICE OOOKS (©)