Gratia's Trials — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

a 14 ~GRATIA’S TRIALS. ‘‘ Merciful father !” cried Mrs. Playfair ; she’s dead, and it’s her ghost !” Mary Kempfield turned her wild, hollow eyes to the speaker. and seemed to strive for utterance, as the neighbors, rushing forward, gathered round to help support her reeling form. ‘‘What is it, Mary?” cried Mrs. Waring. ‘‘ What is it you have to tell us ?” There was a rattle in the dying woman’s throat—a husky whisper on her lips—but that was all. The next instant Gratia Kempfield was kneeling on the floor beside her mother, crying out : ‘‘Mamma! mamma !”’ And Miss Bassett, hot and flushed with the haste she had made, ran into the room, mingled terror and defiance in her face. ‘“What has she said?” she shrieked. ‘‘ What has she told you?” CHAPTER IV. AFTER THE FUNERAL, Even as Miss Bassett spoke, the seal seemed to be removed from the dying woman’s lips. ‘‘Gratia !” she uttered. ‘‘My children—Gratia !” And that was the last word that Mary Kempfield ever spoke. While they were lifting the stiff form, Almira Bassett looked from one to the other with fierce, hungry eyes. ‘‘Why don't you tell me what it was?” she said, with her hand preesed tight to her fat white throat, as if to repress some upsurging emotion. ‘‘Of course she was only raving ; you all know that she is delirious. Tell me—/7 am not afraid. You know wey ue against their best friends when—-when the fever fit is on ’em.’ =) Eomichbooks.co