Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

A MONSTROUS PROPOSITION. — 15 “Have you no love for your innocent babe?” he de- manded, sternly. “T have not dared—I will not allow myself to become at- tached to her,” was the low, constrained reply. “Have you no pity, then, that you thrust her thus re- morselessly from your sheltering care?” “T should become an object far more pitiable if I should keep her with me,” returned the incomprehensible mother. “T eannot understand it. Poor child! poor child!” sighed the sympathetic and perplexed physician. * Doctor,” said his companion, with a sudden start, her face lighting with eagerness, “have you children of your own ?” ‘No, madame. i should consider myself blessed, im- deed, if I had,” he sighed. “Then will you adopt my daughter? Iean assure you that there is not the slightest taint upon her parentage, — and it is only the force of hard, obstinate cireumstances that compels me to give her up. Your sympathies seem to have been enlisted for her. I am sure you are a good man, and Ilknow that she would finda kind parent in you.” The man flusned, and tears rose to his eyes at this ap- peal. “Mrs. Marston,” he said, sadly, “if your child had been born six months earlier, and you had asked me this question at that time, I should have answered you with eagerness in the affirmative; but she who would have given the little one a mother’s care is no longer in my home. She died five months ago this very day, and I have no one else in my family to whom I could commit the babe.” “Then what shall Ido?” murmured the woman, with knitted brows and sternly compressed lips. “T ean think only of one alternative that I should be willing to suggest,” replied the doetor. “What is that?” she demanded, eagerly. “ Advertise for some young couple to adopt the child. You will then have an opportunity to select a permanent home for her, and eseape the. anxiety which her uncer- tain fate ina charitable institution would entail upon you. I should suppose the mere thought of it would be torture to you.” “Tt is,” replied the mother, with a quick, indrawn breath, while a nervous shiver ran over her. “I will do O ‘Gom Eboo Ss (E(0) =}