A Daughter of Delilah — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

50 THE 'TEMPTRESS A'T WORK. CHAPTER V. THE TEMPTRESS AT WORK. ‘When Edward Hawley received Miss Alston’s note he was almost bewildered with joy! The words were cold and formal, the ‘‘Sincerely Yours’’ and the signature were the same that she had doubtless penned to hundreds of people, but he kissed them rapturously, and vowed that he would never part with the letter, to the day of his death! ‘‘She wishes to consult with me,’’ he murmured, and his heart sank. ‘‘Bah! What afoollam! A mere friendly adviser! Perhaps St. Leonards is to be her future lord, and I am sent for, as an old friend of the family, to advise and assist in the arrangements for the wedding. Heavens! I would sooner be shot!”’ Then he laughed at his own foolish fears. No engage- ment even had yet been announced, and, growing cooler, he rightly surmised that Miss Alston had something to say about her brother.. ‘‘He is not worthy of such an angelic sister,’’ Hawley thought. ‘‘Still, I believe that he has improved lately, though I see very little of Edgar now that I am out of his set. I did not know that they had returned from Cincin- nati.’’ He lunched with his mother, and after a refreshing smoke, dressed with great care. ‘‘ITam going to take half a day off,’’ he told her, ‘‘and \ Eomichbooks. co