Beadle's Dime Novels No. 14 — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

rr THE NECKLACE RESTORED. 63 has failed instead of gained since we lefthome. We were de- tained four days at M—— on account of her illness, and have just started on our way again.” | “I long and yet dread to meet her, Mr. Percy. You know my feeling for her, and that it is in vain. I can not bear to hear that she is suffering. I thought that she looked thinner when I saw her that day in the boat.” “ What day can you be speaking of?” 3 “It is curious, is it not, Mr. Percy ?—but we came very near meeting two or three weeks. ago. Were you not upon a little island about twelve miles above here on the third of this month ?” “We were. Our boat met with a slight accident and was lying several hours for repairs. We were restless at our de- tention, and hearing of the beauty of the island, several of us hired a boat and went over. It was on our way up. We had a delightful excursion.” “ We were there within half an hour after you left. Did your daughter lose any thing on the island ?” “T heard her speak of leaving her favorite copy of Bryant on the table in the summer-house.” “T found it and will return it to her. You can guess my surprise at seeing her name on the fly-leaf. While wandering along the shore, I saw some thing sparkling in the sunlight. I went to it and found she had lost something of more worth than the poems—that veritable necklace with which my fortunes seem magically to be mixed. I am glad of this op- portunity of restoring it, for it is of value.” “J wish she had lost it in the river where it would never have appeared again. I confess to the weakness of beginning to feel nervous aboat that thing.” Pennon smiled, though rather mournfully. “J must go and see Clematis,” said her father. “TI will tell her of your presence on the boat. I believe she will wish to sir, but it is my belief—based merely upon my own obserya- tions, and, therefore, not to be depended upon—that she re- fused the offer of your hand, simply because she thought her affliction unfitted her to be the fitting companion of ‘such a man.” = comliclsooks.conn