Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

132 AN OCTOWUENARIAN INTERVIEWED. the last eight vears, and previous to that he never had felt interested enough in the property to ask any informa- tion about the boundaries of Vue de Kau. Colonel Mapleson, in speaking of the Dales, had said they lived not tar from that place; but now it appeared that his estate included the little vine-clad cottage, the old mill, and other buildings in that vicinity. Did the furniture of that little house also belong to kim, orhad he simply let it remain there after the mnysterous disappearance of Annie Daie, thinking, perhaps tiiat some time she might return to the home she had so strangely left? Or had the writer of that letter, a portion of which he had found, had something to do with tbe rich garnish- ings of that cozy home? Lhe mystery seemed to be thickening, rather than be- ing explained. “T have been at home so httle that I have had no op- portunity to learn much about the estate,” Everet re- marked, in reply to Miss Southern’s look of astonish- ment. “But do you know how old this girl was when her mother died?” “Annie was in her eighteenth year. Poor child! She seemed to be entirely alone in the world then, and came here, to Richmond, to try to earn her living. She made mea call, while looking about for a situation, and I pitied her from the bottom of my heart,” said the old lady, with a sigh. “ Where did she cates her home while searching for a lace?” Everct inquired. ‘With her ald nurse--a free colored woman, who was very fond of her. Mauma Gregory was her name. I begged her to come to me, and would have been glad of her company, for her mother and I were great friends during our youth; but she feared to hurt her nurse’s feel- ings, while she hoped to obtain a situation in a few days, and thought it best not to change her address.” “Ts that old nurse living now ?” Everet eagerly asked. “Tam sure I cannot tell. If she is, she must be very aged, and I think it doubtful.” “Where did she live at that time?” . Miss Southern told him the street and number, direct- ing him, as well as she could, how to find if. | ) “T never saw the girl again,” she went on, sadly. ‘‘Af- ter her call I did not hear anything of her, and, feeling interested to know how she had succeeded, | went one day to see Mauma Gregory, and make inguiries about her. 3} A (C(O) GO =} ElOOOKKS ae my