The Craze of Christina — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

70 The Craze of Christina. ant home with a lady, will she at once write to Miss Ashley, Oldcastle, stating age, height and further qualifications as to temper and disposi- tion. Miss Ashley is a lady by birth, but re- duced by circumstances to keeping a shop——’ ”’ : ‘*A shop!’’ burst from the horrified lips of her father and sister. : ‘Wait, this isn’t a common shop!—‘a shop for artistic objects and furniture. Miss Ashley re- quires an assistant or secretary to wait upon customers and keep the accounts. AsC. P. can give no references, Miss Ashley would pre- fer to engage her by the week on trial; if she did not suit, a week’s notice might be given on either side, and if satisfactory a more perma- nent arrangement might be entered into later on. C. P. had better come down for a week on trial as soon as she conveniently can, so that Miss Ashley may judge if she will suit her.’ ”’ “Out of the question!’’ cried Ella excitedly. ‘*What insolence! what does she take you for?”’ ‘‘My dear sister, pray be calm; it is not ‘out of the question’ at all, because | am going down by the first train to-morrow. I don’t care what the place is, I shall take it; I may not get such a chance again.” ‘*My dear Chris,’ said her father, “it seems Comichooksico