How he won herSouthworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
How he won her
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
American fiction -- 19th century
“Lor’ forgive me, Marse Doctor, now I does look at you, sar, and calls
up my memorandum, it seems to me as the—the—_other one_—was more taller
and more darker complected than you is, sar. It must a been a spirit,
sar, come to warn me as my days war numbered,” shuddered the old man.
“Fudge, old fellow! All our days are numbered, for that
matter.—Colonel”—and here the doctor turned to address Justin—“you said
that there was another witness in this case—who was it?”
“Elfie,” said Justin, “have I your permission to speak?”
“Yes, certainly,” replied the young lady addressed.
“Well, then, Mrs. Goldsborough was the other witness. At the same hour
at which old Bob admitted the mysterious visitor, Mrs. Goldsborough was
watching by the bed of my sister, when she was suddenly aware of the
presence of a man by her side. Taking him at first to be myself, she was
about to speak, when, on looking closer, she recognized, or _thinks_ she
recognized, the Rebel General Eastworth, supposed to have been killed at
Charleston.”
“I am quite certain I recognized him,” put in Elfie.
“Well, then, she is quite certain she recognized him. She was at first
so stupefied with astonishment that she could not call out. And before
she could recover her self-possession and give the alarm, he applied
chloroform to her nostrils, and deprived her of the power of moving and
speaking, although not of hearing and seeing.”
“I heard and saw everything that occurred in the first few minutes of
his presence there,” added Elfie.
“She asserts that he spoke to my sister, succeeded even in arousing her
attention, and calling her back to full, though transient consciousness,
and gaining her forgiveness and her blessing.”
“And by that time,” added Elfie, “the chloroform that he had secured
under my nostrils so completely overcame me, that I knew nothing more
until Britomarte aroused me.”
“And is that all?” inquired the doctor.
“Yes, and enough, too, I should think,” answered Elfie.
“And what is your opinion of all this, Colonel?” inquired the doctor.
“I am perplexed beyond measure, and as yet can form no possible opinion.
General Eastworth has been in Charleston, South Carolina, for the last
twelve months. He is reported to have been killed within the last week.
I can make nothing of it.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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