Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

60 FLORIDA ; OR, THE IRON WILL. remember his yesterday's visit. Florida saw the whole thiag in a flash. “T suppose he spent the day here,” she said, impatiently “ He was here some part of the day,” Virginia murmured. “ Poor fellow !” said Florida, with an indescribable mingting of pathos and scorn. Virginia felt irritated, she hardly knew why. “Tl tell you about it to-night,” Florida said. “I declare it makes my heart ache to think of it, and he so sadly sick.” “What do you mean ?” asked Virginia, her fears taking the alarm. “Has any thing happened to Parker ?” “Not to-day that I know of,’ was the repiy. “O! its something widely different from what. you imagine; [ll teh you to-night. It’s time to dress, now, Virginia.” The young girl went to her chamber, her heart chilled, her frame trembling. Florida made the most of her secrets, whenever she had any, and they were always terrible. She could not feel any interest in the duties of her toilet; and | perpetrated nimberless mistakes that consumed her time and made her nerves crawl. At last she had finished the task of dressing. It was very early, but Florida had thought best to be in full season, and it was nearly two hours before the com- pany was expected. A scratch of gravel on the window startled her.’ She looked out. Parker, standing not far off, shading his eyes from the sun with his straw-hat, held’ up a ‘note, then deposited it inside’a little heap of yellow leaves at the foot of an oak. Virginia hurried down, breathless with anticipation. She did not encounter Florida, and sécured the note. A nameless terror crossed her heart as she read: “Deanest, DEAREST:—It’s all up for the present. Pye been fortunate enough to lose my city situation through the malice of the Spicers, I expect. I can’t claim you yet, my darling. God knows I repent that rash deed. You might have heen free—free to choose some less luckless mortal than myself O! Virginia! Virginia! Yet if I should hear you say, ‘! repent, I should go mad with grief’ No, no, dearest—I am certain you love me well enough to wait with patience till I am righted again ; but it seems so hard! ©}! I thought te claim you to-day—what shall Ido? Tam almost crazy. I can’t come till late, very late this afternoon. O01! Yirginis, conmiclooolkks.conn