Guy Earlscourt's Wife — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

32 The Daw™- of the Fourteenth of Apr® find it out, but. thuen, I would like to see her once mete How handsome she looked, standing up there, and defying that old Turk, her uncle!” Mr. Mason unconsciously assumed a defiant attitude him- self, as he thought it. Miss Mason saw him and laid down her work. “Duke,” his sister said, in a deep bass. Duke started to his usual position, and Jaid hold of his brushes in some trepidation. It wasn’t likely his sister could read his thoughts, but Duke wouldn’t be very much surprise to find that she eould., “Duke!” repeated Miss Mason, in her deepest tones, “le: there be an end of this. Tell me what. it means.” “And end of what, Rosanna? Do you mean this scene? Well, ’m bringing it to an end as fast as I can. I suppose those big fellows do make a mess, but there’s no help for it. As to what it means, it’ s the Grotto of the Venus Aphrodite, and the piece it’s for is a new thing, and will make Tinsel & Spangile, 1f anything will. ‘“ Mr. Mason dashed in his skies and clouds energetically, feeling guiltily, all the while, that his accusing angel in the marlor was about to bring him to book. “T don’t wani to hear about your Coral Caves and your Venus thingamies, Duke Mason,” his sister retorted, sternly ; “it is bad enough to know such sinful things exist, and tha my own brother is risking his eternal welfare among them. I want to know what you mean by that odious habit you have contracted of.sitting for hours and staring at nothing, like an idiot. It means something—don’t tell me, sir—lI know better !” “Then I suppose it means laziness, Rosanna,” Duke an- swered, good-humoredly. “Tt means more than laziness, though that’s bad enough. You know what the pious and wise Dr. Watts says: ‘In works of labor and of——’” “Oh, dear! Yes, Rosanna, I know; don’t repeat it,” groaned Duke. “But it isn’t laziness; its worse, Duke!” in her cruelest voice. “Don’t prevaricate to me. You have fallen in love.” If Miss Mason had said, and truthfully, “you have com: mitted a murder,” her brother could hardly have looked more alarmed and vuilty. Was it love, to be haunted by dav and by night by one beautiful face. to wear an opal! : ring in a pocketbook, and have a secret hidden from an only sister? Guik was there, and guilt told. “T see I am right,” Rosanna said, after.a thrilling paus: “Duke, who ©; the young woman?” th an po po Re ald pu ore th: ot] fu ere ru bh i. th: sh VO fe sc les st er (1 comicbooks.com.