Beadle's Dime Novels No. 119: Blackeyes — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

THE RIVALS, 17 lieutenant, and was ordered to report to Major Benjamin But: tress, whom he accompanied on his expedition to New México. Charley Bent, as he was commonly called, thought it not presumptuous to fall in love with Fanny Buttress, as soon as he saw her, though it must have been evident, that a young lieutenant with nothing but his: commission and his sword; was not likely to win-the heart which had withstood the as- saults of men who were much higher in rank, and of better worldly position. Whether he succeeded in doing go ‘remains to be seen. | | rv tit ere y The young officer was not thrown in the company of Fanny as much as: he wished to be, and when he approached her she held him at a distance, in:a manner that was not very encouraging to his hopes. Nevertheless, with ‘the ar- dent and enthusiastic, mind of youth, which: !is ever reaching after the unattainable he continued: to “hope, and made his advances slowly and surely, as:if he was determined to gain the position. It was his love for. Fanny, and the hope of Winning her, that caused him ‘to court the favor of her father, and to endure with patience the petulant and unreasonable humor, and the overbearing manners -of that cross-grained old martinefi ~~ | : que gist fotulmaled as wordt bi Hopeful as Charley Bent was, there was ‘one person con- nected with the expedition, who was m e hopeful, and ‘with better cause. That person was Captain Andrew Sardis, a Virginian, and an officer of.sover thirty years of age; although he had recourse to the appliances of: art to make’ himself ap- pear younger. As a Virginian, & native of his own proud old State, Major Buttress strongly favored the: pretensions of Captain Sardis. Besides, the captain’s rank’ entitled him to marry, and his family was wealthy and influential. Iti was generally believed, therefore, that Sardis’ would: ultimately carry off the prize.. There were two persons, however, who refused to subscribe to this belief, and ‘thesé were Charley Bent and Fanny Buttress. The former ‘was unwilling to’ ‘be- lieve it, because his own hopes were too high to: be overtopped by even the tall form of Captain Sardis: Tlie latter had no thought of being won by the-captain; because he was per- sonally distasteful and even repugnant to her. So the mat- ter stood, Captain Sardis having the advantage of Major COMMCDOOKSs COUN Ss