Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

THE LITTLE STRANGER ADOPTED. , 2 the bond, I must say, No!” the woman replied, with de- cision. , “Of what use would such papers be,” she went on, “since I could not plave my real signature upon them, and the name, by which Iam known to you to-day, would amount to nothing, legally. I can only give her to you here, now, in this informal way. Take her—she is yours; and may she be a great comfort to you during your future lives.” ‘*IT see,” replied Mr. Damon, “papers of adoption would amount to nothing ;” but, nevertheless, he did not appear very well satisfied with this conclusion. ‘“‘And here is the future littl Miss Damon’s dowry,” continued Mrs. Marston, with a smile, as she took a roll of bills from the same drawer whence she had paid Dr. Turner, ‘and I cannot begin to tell you how much of gratitude goes with it.” ‘“Madame, I cannot accept your money,” August Damon said, flushing hotly, as he drew back from the proffered bribe; for such it seemed to him. “Tam rich ;.I wish you to have it,” said the lady. “Tt is the child that we want, for her own sake, not for what you offer as an inducement to adopt her,” returned the voung man, with dignity. “But I must insist,” Mrs. Marston replied. “If you have no immediate use for it, put it at interest some- where for her, and let it accumulate fora marriage por- tion. You will have to name her,” she resumed, with a glance at the little one. ‘‘Call her whatever you wish, and may she prove a real blessing to you.” She approached Alice Damon as she spoke, laid the reil of bills between the soft, pink hands of the now sleeping babe, bent over ber and imprinted a light kiss upon her cheek, then turning quickly away, she bowed to the hus- band and wife and walked abruptly from the room. A half-hour iater the mysterious little stranger was sleeping peacefully in the dainty cradle that had oree held Alice Damon’s namesake, while two tender, earnest faces bent fondly over her, as hubsand and wife prayed that she might long be spared to be a comfort and a bless- ing to them, and never realize the shadow that rested upon her birth The next morning, at an early hour, Mrs. Marston and her “maid” quietly left the —— House, and the city, leaving no address, nor any clew to their destination be- hind them. GOmicbooo Ss (C(O) =)