Gratia's Trials — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA'S TRIALS. 145 hand of some person or persons unknown,” and the melancholy conclave broke up. : ‘* Never knew such a puzzling affair in all my life,” said Mr. Cleve to the lawyer, as he passed out. ‘‘Very melancholy,” said another. ‘‘Of course that pretty girl must have done it,” said a third. ‘‘T’ve known the temper of a demon hidden under a more attractive exterior than hers. But she struck the blow a little too soon.” ‘¢There’s an ugly look in the whole thing,” said another juryman, for the first time speaking above his breath, as he b passed out of the marble-paved vestibule into the open air. — ‘‘And if I were Mrs. Falconer, I would get that girl out of the house as soon as possible. Mind, I don’t say anything,” he added, rather apprehensively, and went his way. And once more the gloom and dreariness of twilight came down upon the room in which Ralph Miller lay dead. CHAPTER XXV, THE BRIDAL PEARLS, ‘Scipio !” The old negro, sitting by the door of his dead master’s room, started from the half doze into which he had fallen in the dusk. ‘‘ Miss Gratia, is it you?” ‘©Yes, I want to look at him, Scipio. I have not seen him since last night, and you know he was very, very kind to me.” Scipio rose up with alacrity. He was one of the firmest be- lievers in ‘‘ Miss Gratia’s” spotless innocence. ‘‘Deed was he miss, and so he was toall of us. Ole Scip ll neber get such anoder massa. Come in, Miss Gratia,” He held the door open for her to pass, Eomicbooks.co m