Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

4OMETHING NOT DREAMED OF 119 “A lover!” he exclaimed, his white face growing almost stony. “ Did I hear you aright, Florida?—a loyer? Virginia?” “Tt is even so, Parker; think no more of her—she is no longer true.” “No longer true—good God! She, my wife/ no longer true. - It is a lie, woman—false as hell !” Florida shrunk from the glittering eyes, the panting bosom, the wild demeanor. But all these affected her as nothing to the words—“my wife!’ They sent her heart-blood surging yack in wayes of fire. She had never dreamed of this—no, not fora moment. Now, she saw as in a flash the key to Virginia’s strange words. “Your wife, Parker?” “Yes, Florida—oh ! unsay those cruel words; my very heart is bleeding. See, you have broken my heart, and it is bleeding upon my lips.” Florida shrunk again, both conscience and terror stricken, as he wiped the crimson life-tide away. Once in possession ~*~ of that knowledge, she had nothing more to do with him— nothing more to do with herself, saye to trample upon the Honorable, inasmuch as the husband of another was sacred to that other in her eyes, she would say nothing more tender, nothing more loving in the least degree ; but strangely m feelings chased each other through her breast—i was Lest for thought that her sister should rejoice in what was denied her. She had intended to use her power upon the weak frame—to subdue that will to hers—to wrest his love, as it were, from her gentle sister—but not now. Though the former was sin, as surely as the latter, the difference in degree appalled her: No— she would leave him—at once and forever. What she might t she should do nothing. do, she knew not; for the presen : : fog her mind with lightning-like All this flashed through the alarming rapidity, and almost before he had displayed tokens of his disease. . “ Parker, I did not dream of this, coming out of a vision. “QO! if you have any love for me, Virginia false? My wife, false f” she said, slowly, like one unsay What you said. coniclbooks.conn 3