Gratia's Trials — page 216: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. 207 oning hand of a guardian ansel. Sister Madeline had come, truly, just in time to save the perishing soul. In the Sisterhood of St. Hildegarde they found her sufficient employment to make her feel herself no burden on them, and she was fast regaining, not only physical strength, buta healthy, cheerful tone of mental elasticity, under the kindly guardian- ship of the sisters, when this unexpected call happened to press her into the ranks of active service. She had started and col- ored when Sister Agnes told her where she was to go, but she had not shrunk. ‘* All places and people are alike to me now,” she had told herself, even while the blood rushed with wild, uneven pulses through her veins at the idea of seeing Hugo Falconer. ‘‘ Yes, Sister Agnes, I will gladly go.” And although the glad surprise in Colonel Falconer’s face, as he looked upon her, was like the very breath of life itself to her hungering heart, she controlled herself by a determined effort, and held up a warning finger. ‘‘Gratia!” he cried. *‘Oh, Gratia, my lost darling! my recovered treasure |” ‘¢Hfush !” she answered, resolutely. ‘‘I am not here as Gratia. I am here as the nurse sent by Sister Agnes.” | ‘But you will let me tell-you g ‘¢T will let you tell me nothing until I have wrought the work that I came here to do.” And so he left her, wondering in what school the slight, deli- cate young girl had learned the lesson of that dignity and self- command, whose influence he himself could not but feel. But after the long weeks of weary watching, when at last Al- berta was sitting up, and Ida, strong, sought to recognize and speak to those around her, Gratia ran down into Colonel Fal- coner’s presence, one day, shawled and vailed. ‘¢Vou are not going, Gratia,” he exclaimed, starting up from his seat at the library table. (E(0) Mm: — (aay apical exexe) <3