[Gutenberg 31146] • Stories by American Authors, Volume 8

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to [www.million-books.com](http://www.million-books.com) where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ZERVIAH HOPE. By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. PRELUDE. IN the month of August, in the year 1878, the steamer Mercy, of the New York and Savannah line, cast anchor down the channel, off a little town in South Carolina which bore the name of Calhoun. It was not a regular part of her run for the Mercy to make a landing at this place. She had departed from her course by special permit to leave three passengers, two men and one woman, who had business of a grave nature in Calhoun. A man, himself a passenger for Savannah, came upon deck as the steamship hove to, to inquire the reason of the delay. He was a short man, thin, with a nervous hand and neck. His eyes were black, his hair was black, and closely cut. He had an inscrutable mouth, and a forehead well-plowed rather by experience than years. He was not anold man. He was cleanly dressed in new, cheap clothes. He had been commented upon as a reticent passenger. He had no friends on board the Mercy. This was the first time upon the voyage that he had been observed to speak. He came forward and stood among the others, and abruptly said: Scribntr's Monthly, November 1880. What's this for ? He addressed the mate, who answered with a sidelong look, and none too cordially: We land passengers by the Company's order. Those three ? Yes, the men and the lady. Who are they? Physicians from New York. Ah-h ! said the man, slowly, making a sighing noise between his teeth. That means?that means? Volunteers to the fever district, said the mate, shortly, as you might have known before now. You're not of a sociable cast, I see. I have made no acquaintances, said the short passenger. I know nothing of the news of the ship. Is the lady a nurse ? She's a she-doctor. Do...