Beadle's Dime Novels No. 119: Blackeyes — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

46 BLACKE YES. | Night came. That is, his supper ¢ame, which indicated that night was near at hand. He had not heard’ any thing of his friends, and he had seen no one but the peon who brought his meals. Resolved that ‘his prison should not hold him until the dawn of another day, he commenced his work. sei iit The ceiling was composed, as has been stated, of boards laid upon stout joists. He had noticed that two or three of the boards had been’ sawed across, in such @ manner as to lead him to think that it might have been done for the purpose of forming a trap-door. ‘Standing on the pile of blankets, he pushed up against these boards, and perceived that they yielded somewhat to the pressure, although the door did not open. He then felt through the cracks with his knife, and discovered that the’ resistance was caused ‘by a carpet or grass matting, which was laid over the floor of the room above. : eric eres bag It was not a difficult, though a rather tedious task, to. cut through this’ obstacle; and he at last had’ the satisfaction of knowing that he could easily lift up the trap. — | He raised it accordingly, with ¢reat caution, fearing that the room might be occupied, and that his proceédings might be discovered. Peering ‘through the opening, he saw a small and neatly-furnished ‘apartment, ‘lighted’ by a wax candle. It was evident that it belonged to’ some person of the softer sex, but he could see no signs. of the presence of the’ occu- pant. Satisfied with his scrutiny, he uncovered the trap, put his elbows through the hole, and drew himself up into the room. As this movement required considerable muscular exertion, it was attended by a slight noise, sufficient to awaken a woman who lay on a sort of lounge in a corner, covered with a large shawl. | This woman, although she had fully reached the middle age, had not ceased to be beautiful. Her chief attractions were the purity of her complexion, the loose masses of her abundant dark hair, and her Jarge and brilliant black eyes. She had Jain down in her ‘clothes, and was entirely hidden from view by the shawl with which she was covered. As she awoke she threw off the light drapery, and started up, fixing COMME IOOKXS.COML | | | | | ) | | | | 4