Beadle's Dime Novels No. 126: Old Jupe — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

y ANNETTE’S FEARS. 77 husband! Her pride must be humbled by this time! If I don’t bring my plot to a consummation before many months, She will be out again !—and then, if she once meets Bryant, it will be all up with my chances. Tark !” init The sound of a familiar voice on the pavement below caused her to look down, and her heart beat quickly upon perceiving Luke Bryant in the midst of a band of just-returned miners, The party was in high spirits, boasting of its good luck; some de- clared they had “ made their@pile,” and should go home by the next ship—others, that they should “stick to the land of Ophir as long as the dust was to be found ‘lying about loose.’ ” But, who was that Luke had with him, whom he had just lifted from a mule, and to whom he was so attentive? Only a poor “darky,” and apparently sick one. Probably a ser- vant whom he had taken out with him, and who had come down with the fever. Yet it struck Annette that she had seen the man before. She watched them, furtively, behind her curtain. Suddenly her brain whirled as she recognized Jupe! What had sent him to California ? Could it be possible that he had been sent after Master Bryant with any message of importance? Was hing unfortunate for her to occur, just when she began to any t long endeavor? She grew quite cold see some result of her with a thrill of fear. It was in vain that she tried to make herself easy.. A dozen possibilities made her tremble. Then she steeled herself to meet the worst, resolved, if any accusations were made, to fight it out with that “ woman’s weapon,” her tongue. Also, she would be prepared for the other contingency—to please and flatter Luke, if nothing had occurred to awaken his sus- picions. She rearranged ner hair, added a little artificial bloom to her rather sallow cheeks, and put on a white dress in place of the black lawn she had been wearing. “This black ribbon about my throat will be mourning enough,” she thought, and laughed, a hard, heartless laugh, shocking to come from a woman's lips. 3 She did not go down to tea, ordering acup inher room, She was afraid to meet the man she had been so impatient to have return. Very soon after tea, before the long summer twilight began to fall, there came a knock at the door, and opening it, Ccomiclooks.com