Gratia's Trials — page 199: what you’re looking at

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

190 | GRATIA’'S TRIALS. gracefully upon a low velvet couch opposite to where Gratia stood. 3 ‘“T cannot possibly imagine.” ‘‘T shall have to change the style of my interrogatories. How would you like to return to America ?” ‘‘What can you mean, Miss Melworth ?” breathlessly gasped Gratia. | ‘‘Just what I say, my dear. Because we are all going— Lord and Lady Chichester, and Lord Barron, papa, Algernon, and I,” - ‘To America, Miss Melworth !” “Yes; why not. I declare!” cried Alicia, with a merry laugh ; ‘‘one would think a voyage across the Atlantic one of the impossibilities. We are going early next month, and you shall accompany us, if you choose.” Gratia Kempfield’s homesick heart gave a joyous upward leap at the idea. It was like a glad, impossible dream to her —and none the less because /e. was there. ‘‘TIt's rather a sudden idea,” went on Alicia, ‘‘but the Chichesters have been talking about it for some time, and when papa turned round to me and said, ‘Shall we go, Alicia?” I answered, ‘With all my heart, papa,’ and so it was arranged. Mamma does not like the idea of a sea voyage, so she is to remain at the Hall, with plenty of visitors to cheer her loneli- ness.” And Gratia was fully able to sympathize in Miss Melworth’s innocent delight. _ ‘Of course we shall meet Colonel Falconer again,” went on Alicia, who was in the highest possible spirits. ‘‘ He has so often spoken to us about his mother and sister, and their hcme on Fifth avenue, and his little daughter. Did I ever tell you, Gratia, that he was a widower, with one child ?” ‘“Only one?’ asked Gratia, faintly. «That is all,” Miss Melworth answered, and poor Gratia’s heart sank like a stone in her bosom, She might have known GEomicbooks.co