Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

130 AN OCTOGENARIAN INTERVIEWED. “This child was a daughter, I have heard, and there ig some romantic story connected with her, I believe,” in- terpcsed Everet, who could hardly restrain his inipa- tieuce to learn Annie Dale’s history. “Yes, yes; 1 will teil you all aboutit, only you must let me do 1t in ny Own way, if you please,” returned Miss Southern, who, like many other garruious old ladies, did not enjoy being interrupted. “Nannie Davenport,” she resumed, ‘“ was, as I have told you, a very beautitul girl, and her little daughter inherit- ed ali her mother’s loveliness, which was of the golden- haired, rose-and-liiy type, and much of her father’s en- ergy und love of business. Jabez Mapleson, whose moth- er was @ Sister of Auntie Dale’s father, supported them after Henry Dale’s death until the girl was fifteen years of age, when she insisted that she and her mother were able to take care of themselves, and they opened a small private school, to which some of the wealthiest families of the sectivu where they lived sent their children. In this way the mother and daughter managed to get a com: fortable and independent living. But this proud spirit on their part offended old Jabez Mapleson, who never left thein anything at his death, but mace that queer will, which you, of course, know all about.” “Yes,” Everet returned, with a slight smile. “Tt was the most absurd and arbitrary affair that [ever heard of," Miss Southern asserted, indignantly, ‘‘to divide his great fortune between those two young people—one the son of a sister, the other a daughter of a brother— giving them a taste of the luxuries and pleasures of life for several years, and then dooming them to poverty again if they refused to marry each other at the end ofa given time. [tall turned out well enough, though, as it happened, only Talways thought it a little queer that your iather and mother fought shy of each other until al- most the last moment, when they concluded to comply with the terms of the will.- They were wonderfully suited to each other; there was no question about that ; and they made a handsome, noble couple; but I’ve always won: dered if there was really any true love between them, of whether they had become so accustomed to the life of Juxury they were living that they could not give it up, and so married to secure the fortune.” _ This last seemed to have been uttered in an absent. way, as if the old lady were simply musing upon what had a:: ways been a mysterious question with her. comuicbaool< (A) S