The Craze of Christina — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

144 The Craze of Christina. trigue with a girl who came from nobody knew where, and who had had the effrontery to fol- low him down to the very gates of his new home! The only consoling thought which Miss Ash- ley was able to hug to her heart, was the reflec- tion that at least she was not the only woman who would suffer—she was but one amongst a crowd. And how delightful it would be to go about and pour the whole story inte every other female ear of the neighborhood! There was at any rate, balm in Gilead in that thought! How mad the managing mothers with marriageable daughters would all be at the news! and above all, with what perfect enjoyment would she not put a spoke into the wheel of that most auda- cious flirt, Mrs. Frederick Bruhen! And her glee over the prospact of that poor lady’s dis- comfiture almost compensated Miss Ashley for her dismay at the discovery of her secretary's misconduct. For all these ladies of Middle- shire, it will be noted, hated one another with a sweet and holy hatred such as the female heart alone is capable of cherishing. She dressed quickly and went down to the parlor to await the delinquent. She had put on her shot-silk dress, which she invariably donned for events of importance, together with her sternest and severest manner, and as she (eCoypnicelo) (00) KS (e€(0)