Gratia's Trials — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. 11 miss the minute. Keep her perfectly quiet; humor her in whatever she wants, and if, by the time I come in to-morrow morning, she isn't better, there will be no use in my coming here any more.” : As the doctor crossed the hall, on his way out, he met Ira Kempfield. ‘‘What do you think to-night, doctor?” asked the farmer, wistfully ; for he was human, after all, and Mary Kempfield had been the cherished wife of his youth. ‘Shall I tell you what I think, or what I hope?” asked Dr, Moseley, sadly. ‘‘What you ¢hink, of course.” ‘‘ Well, then, I give you no hope.” “ Doctor |” 2 _ ‘ST know it’s hard, Kempfield,” said the doctor, with a husky sound in his voice. ‘‘ You.remember the old saying, ‘While there is life, there is hope.’ Think of that, and don’t quite despair.” ‘‘Can’t I go to her?” wailed the strong man, sinking down on a chair, with his hands clasped over his face. ‘‘Tt would hardly be advisable. She seems to know no one, and Miss Bassett appears an excellent nurse, though I must say I didn’t quite like her face at first.” ‘* She’s the best creatur’ that ever lived!” burst out Ira. ‘‘I don't know how wed ever ha’ got along without Almira.” The doctor went out, softly shutting the door behind him ; but their dialogue had had an auditor of whom neither was aware. Gratia Kempfield, leaning over the stair-way above, had heard it all. ‘No hope!” she repeated to herself, while her lips seemed to grow hard and dry like brass—‘‘no hope! Oh, Father in heaven, has it come to that ?” | Meanwhile, Almira Bassett, rocking to and fro in her arm- chair, was sinking into a comfortable dose, from which she was GEomichooks (e(@) =)