The Land Claim — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

80 THE LAND-CLAFM. And I’m sorry enough you didn’t just do what he asked you to—be married to him whether or no. For your father has cast you off; and Mauvais has no right to you—nobody thinks he has. It is worrying about this that keeps you so pale, I’m afraid; tho’ you don’t just own it. For you see it is going against nature.” “ Please, dear Mrs. Wyman,” said Alicia, coaxingly, “ do not mention Mr, Allen to me any more. I can not help doing what, I have promised; I should be very unhappy to do any other way.” ! “Well, dear, I won’t trouble you; you have troubles enough I guess. I only wish you would take good care of yourself, and not work so steady when I know you don’t feel like it.” “T have been thinking all the afternoon about home—I mean about our house on the claim,” said Alicia, dreamily. “ Don’t you think I might go there by myself, Mrs. Wyman ?” “I guess you might. ’Tisn’t likely you will meet any one out there. But I don’t like to see you taking such lonely walks, because company would make you feel a great deal cheerfuller,” ) “ Not to-day,” said Alicia, shaking her head. “I am longing to see the place alone; company would prevent my enjoy- ment of it.”’ “Well then, take care not to overheat yourself. It’s very sultry, and looks as if we might have a shower by evening. You'd better go by the lower road, in the shadow of the bluffs.” : Promising to take all these precautions, Alicia set out upon her walk. As she left town she turned into the “ lower road,” which was a mere terrace along the river-bank—a limestone ledge, like that on which the trading-post was built—and was overhung in the same way by a vine-clad wall of steep bluffs, In several places the wall was opened by the mouths of ravines that divided the ridge of the bluffs and afforded a way of ascent to the high prairie-land beyond, as they gradually nar- rowed in depth to the top of the ridge, like a funnel with its wide end inclined downward to the river. Opposite to one of these openings Alicia observed a skiff moored, with the oars still wet ; but the oarsman himself was not visible, Thinking it was one of the many that crossed the river daily on some comicbooks.com