Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

- 68 FLORIDA: OR. THE IRON WILL CHAPTER X. IN THE CITY. A GREAT SURPRISE. “Tas party is given in your honor, of course.” The gentleman whom Florida had surprised with Mr. Burney, was the speaker. A slighter, more elegant man leaned against the ornamented mantel, his arms folded, his dark eyes kindled—a smile on his lips as he coolly surveyed the glittering vista beyond. Flowers and diamonds, floating drapery, tissues and feathers, and beauty made gorgeous by the gas-light, met the view everywhere. White-armed dames, as careless of their charms as their daughters, floated by, all having smiles and nods for Horace Dudley, the eligible bachelor of thirty-two. _ A shrewd smile was the answer. A moment after, Horace Dudley spoke. “They are very kind. I wonder how they would manage if I brought home a wife.” “OQ! you rich young fellows must expect to be ogled and sighed for. I am past all that nonsense. Society has about made up its mind that ['m not a marrying man, and, per- haps,” he added, with a good-natured grimace, “they are— wrong.” “T shouldn’t wonder,” said Dudley. “Tl tell you what,” spoke the elder, whose name was Le ttoy, “if ever I should think of settling down in good earnest, I saw the woman yesterday that I should like to make my wife.” “An? “ Yes—a magnificent creature ; none of your petite heauties with little languishing ways and zephyr-like sighs, but 2 aobly- planned woman—large, full of life, steady-eyed, self-poised ; oh! I admired that woman greatly, though, at first glance, I saw that she was far from fashionable or rich.” “ Quite a description,” said Horace Dudley, ho felt but conmclooks.comnn