Gratia's Trials — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. | 195 ‘‘Gratia !” exclaimed Alicia, ‘‘speak tome. Tell me what all this means. Have you kept a secret from me all along ?” Gratia was opening her pale lips to answer, when Alberta Falconer anticipated her. ‘A secret—yes,” she exclaimed—‘‘a secret of blood and crime! Girl, you dare not deny that you have ni crimson stain of my uncle’s blood on your hands !” Alicia turned shuddering away. ‘‘Give me some water, or I shall faint !” she gasped. ‘‘No; don’t come near me!” as Gratia hurried to her side, and the look of repulsion in her eyes struck like an envenomed poniard to the poor girl’s heart. | : She turned aside, pale, sicky and trembling, feeling that since Alicia Melworth’s love and trust were taken away from her, there was nothing left to hope for more. | ‘* May God forgive you for this day’s work !” she murmured, fixing eyes full of sad reproach upon Alberta's haughty face. ‘« Whatever comes of it, remember it was you that drove me to |”? ail despair ! ‘‘T beg that you will not have the audacity to dare to address yourself to me!” angrily exclaimed Alberta. ‘‘ Mamma, ring the bell, and have this girl turned out of the house !” But Gratia had not waited for this crowning indignity. Pale and silent, with her hands pressed tightly over her ice-cold heart, she had glided out of the room. ‘¢Oh, call her back! call her back !” pleaded Alicia, through her tears. ‘‘ Where is she going? What will she do?” ° But Alberta Falconer caught her hands and restrained her when she would have hurried to the door. | ‘‘Would you recall a murderess?” she uttered. The sunset radiance flooded Broadway like a rolling river of gold, as Gratia Kempfield hurried along the stately thorough- fare as if she were flying from some Nemesis which followed ever upon her track. Coming, at last, to where Broadway branches off westward, m comicbooks.co