Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? 85 Poor Virginia! The child droops forward, her cheeks one moment all scarlet, the next death-white, as she stammers, “ I thought—you—” “Thought I was out—and so I was till a moment ago; you see I have not yet taken off my things’—the lip curls into a smile, the eyes glitter. “And you, it seems, have taken the same opportunity to visit—somebody. Why, child, you are all dressed in white—quite a bridal style upon my word! Where Jave you been ?” “I—I—” the words die upon her lips. .. “If you were going to a party, I don’t know why you should keep it a secret from me—I do believe you are afraid of m e, Virginia.” 4 . “O,nol—the quiet manner of her sister quite deceives —“0O, no!—but I thought as—that is—to-night, I would not tell any one.” oe “Don’t, for pity’s sake, be so secretive again, then. Come why, how very pretty you look! White ribbons—where did you get them? Beautiful!” _ “Mother gave them to me,” stammers Virginia, still _ “Suppose this were white brocade, now”—she takes the uslin up with a contemptuous touch— and this, the rich lace of the German looms. Suppose pearls or diamonds encircled these pretty wrists, and glorious gems shone on this bosom— while one of the bridal yails that we have heard of fell in Sleaming folds from these curls to the floor. Some time I hope ' I shall see you dressed thus ; it would be a much prettier bridal Tobe than this.” | Virginia catches her breath; does this strange, witch-like woman know that this is indeed her bridal dress, her brida) night? What shall she say or do? how fathom the deep, dark depths of her designs ? life,” she says, half passionately. “O! yes you will—when you are married”—and the glance __ She meets causes the blood to rush over neck, arms and brow. “But now let us talk of other things, and then to bed; We have,so much to do, to-morrow, we need all the rest we can | get. Come—how strangely you stand there, looking at mel, - What do you want? hall I help you ?” ‘ , Comichooks.conn