Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

THE LITTLE STRANGER ADOPTED. 21 elasped close to her aching heart, while a sob burst from her as she pressed her quivering lips to its velvet cheek. Then she turned to her husband with it still in her arms. ‘Oh, August, she is lovely !” she murmured, in husky, unsteady tones. ‘‘And, dear, my heart longs for her !” Mr. Damon stood looking down upon the two for a mo- ment, while he seemed struggling with some deep emo- tion. He took one of the little scft hands that lay outside the heavily wrought blanket tenderly in his own, and bent for a nearer view of the small face. “ Her eyes are blue,” he said, under his breath. “Yes, like our own darling’s. Oh, August, we will take her, will we not?” pleaded bis wife, eagerly. A look of fondest love leangd into his eyes as they met hers, but he did not reply to her just then. He turned again to Mrs. Marston. “I have animportant question which I feel it neces- sary to ask you?” he began. ‘‘In a moment,” she returned, and signed to the nurse to withdraw. “Now, if you please,” she added, as the door closed after the woman. “Is your child legitimate? If you can assure me of that, and that nothing of dishonor can ever touch herin the future, and that, as faras you know, she inherits no taint of insanity or incurable disease, I see no reason why we should not accede to your conditions and adopt the babe as our own.” Mrs. Marston’s face had grown crimson during this speech, and her eyes flamed with anger. Twice that week she had been obliged to meet this humiliating suspicion, and it Was more than her proud spirit could endure. “Do you presume——” she began, haughtily. “Madame,” August Damon interrupted, gravely, but with the utmost respect, “pray do nat accuse me of pre- sumption when I have only the well-being of your own child at heart. If you will but consider a nioment you eannot fail to realize that it is both natural and proper I should wish to be assured that the child I contemplate taking as my own is of honorable parentage, and with no heritage of future misery hanging over her. We shall, of course, use every precaution to prevent her from ever realizing that she is not our very own; but there may eome a time when unforeseen events will lead her 1 Oo sus-