A Daughter of Delilah — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

118 . ST. LEONARD'S FINE HAND. heart of stone; but I have hope. I have confidence that she will yet be my wife. I sympathize with you now that your ambitions threaten to fall about you like a house of cards, Mr. Alston, but you will have no one to blame but yourself !”’ | He turned and hurried away, and Jabez Alston stifled an oath upon his lips. | In the face of extreme danger he was as cool as an ice- berg. His calm smile had inspired confidence in the hearts of his dupes when upon the verge of ruin, and now that he knew the worst, his expression became doubly serene. ‘‘He says that 1am heartless,’’ he mused. ‘‘Perhaps I am. Lhave long discarded the passions which are supposed to be inherent in all thatis human. Now let me analyze myself—let me suppose that Edgar is stubborn enough to cling to this—er—harlot—what shall I do? Curse him, and turn him penniless into the streets! I have no regard for anything which bars my way. But he will see with what he has to deal,’’ his thin lips resolved themselves into a straight line, ‘‘and, as usual, will bow to my superior will. As for my daughter—— Pshaw, itis not worth arguing. She does as I command her to do!”’ He passed up the noble flight of steps into his own splen- did entrance hall, a smile upon his lips. He spoke pleas- antly to one of the servants, and inquired for his daughter. Miss Alston was in her boudoir, and Mr. Edgar was in the library. He decided to see his daughter first and went to her at once. He kissed her brow calmly, saying: —**You have been crying, my dear. There! do not trouble to explain. I met young Hawley, and he told meall! As (E(0) Gomichbooks