Beadle's Dime Novels No. 215: The White Hermit — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

THE WHITE HERMI?. touched the lady, for she looked at him with a less careless ‘manner, evidently pleased by his proffer of friendship. #2 _ ._“T thank you, sir,” she said, softly. “I happened to over- 3 hear your controversy with Bill Epps, and his refusal to tell of WDY thing of the secret which by accident was placed in his < keeping. I thought you one of those men who, from mere _ arelessness, wished to penetrate the secret of the place. Do __- you promise that, except I am in real danger, you will not fol- low me ?” ““Z “It is a hard condition,” he replied. “ But—you have my promise.” ‘eA “Thanks. Then you have mine as well. When I am in = danger I will send Bill Epps to you, and claim your promise ~ so nobly given. I must now bid you good-day.” “ Will you not even trust me with your name ?” he said. “Your question is answered by this. Call me Perdita. _ One name is as good as another to me. And since I have Jost all, friends, name, and station, there is no better name than that. Perdita let it be.” 2 “ One thing more. Do not question Epps If I know any = thing of his character, he would not reveal any thing he knows, if laid upon live coals.” “ Bet yer life,” muttered Bill. The head of the boat swung-swiftly round, the oars dropped “nto the water, and, like a bird seeking its nest, tovk its way toward the rocky island in the distance. A jutting point soon a * 34 ~, = - > Pn =< a Pr re = = _. back at the pair, while, with the water dripping from his _ drenched clothing, Captain Laurence Austen stoot upon the _ Barrow sand beach, like Niobe, the picture of woe. ‘ Who was this strange girl, who called herself 1 erdita and 3a came and went like a vision? Why had she truseed in Bill _. Epps—Hungry Bill, the butt of the garrison—-when she - would not trust in the leader of fashion in his owu circle ia =e Albany, and the breaker of ladies’ hearts along the Mohawk ? It was in that early day when the colonics had to keep 2 watch: and ward. over their dangerous Techn: the frencit te hid her from view, still pulling with a practiced huud, looking a>