The Yankee Champion — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

THE YANKEE CHAMPION. __ 99 my father has come to me and spoken kind words, and smiled upon me.”’ *W ell??? ‘That man was not Silas Ryan!”’ ‘“You never told me of this before.’’ “No, because it was a mere phantasy of the brain —a dream-answer to my constant living wishes.”’ “Helen, that vision may have been a phantasy, — but it was a true one. Silas Ryan is not our father!’ “Say that again! Oh, say it again!’’ “TY tell you truly. The hard-hearted traitor is not the man from whose veins we drew our blood of life.’’ | **How know you this? Oh, make not that assur- ance upon a light foundation.”’ “I do not, my sister. Listen: for a long time I have been able to see that which was hidden from you. I have often wondered why Ryan kept old _ Luke, and fed and clothed him, when there was lit- tle or nothing for him to do; but gradually, as I grew older, I learned to read men’s thoughts by their looks, and I soon became convinced that Luke held a vast power over the man we have called father. I have heard words dropped between them that set my suspicions on the rack, and at length, three days ago, I had confirmation strong. Silas Ryan would have killed me with his own hand! It was on the morning that you told me he had thrown you upon the floor.’ Helen trembled like an aspen, and clung closer to her brother; but she spoke not, for she was speech- less with horror. : “Do not fear,’’ urged Gideon, in a soothing tone, “for Luke has sworn to protect me, and I know that the unnatural man dares not cross him, though he is GomilEeboo cS (ele)