Beadle's Dime Novels No. 127: Bald Eagle — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

12 BALD EAGLE. “JT don’t know; only I feel so dreadfully. It seems to me a little love is what the heart needs,” “Poh, poh, Mag! you're better off without it. Every thing we love brings us misery in some way.” This time she turned her face to the girl ; there was a slight shade of feeling in her hard tone, and she added more softly, “ But what is this Maggie ? why all this bravery ?” Maggie brought the small red hand quickly up, as if to hide the rose in her hair, and she answered timidly, “JT thought Richard would be here.” | “ Put; tut, girl; this is no time for foolery. Take it out, take it out, all the roses are spotted with blood now,” Maggie rose to her feet, without removing the rose, and lis- tened intently. The wind had increased toa perfect howl, and was frantically tearing the leaves from the trees. It roared in the chimney, shook the door-latch, gaye ‘a wrench at the corner of the house, and then went screaming up the mountain gorges, as if it heard some horrible tale, which could only be divulged in shrieks of horror, The old woman—and yet she was not old in years, but old, blighted, dead in soul—listened also; but with a keen zest of enjoyment, and a smile, which was not a smile, wpon her lips. | “This is grand music,” she muttered. But Maggie drew back into the darkness, and covered her face, lightly rocking with her foot a eradle. ‘“ What, in conscience sake, do you rock that cradle for?” cried her mother-in-law. | ; There was no answer, and the question was repeated. At which Maggie replied faintly, “T think I hear every now and then poor little Dicky ery, mother,” . f os ‘The woman groaned, but she answered, “ He’s past that ; past that.” “YT know it, mother, but it comforts me to rock the cradle.” At this moment, a furious blast shook the house, tugged at the rafters, trampled over the roof, gave a great howl down the en and went shrieking up the mountain. Maggie cried,— connicloooks.com