Gratia's Trials — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

id GRATIA’S TRIALS. 17 Mrs. Deacon Playfair thought it was very odd that Mr. Kempfield walked to and from his wife’s grave with Miss Almira Bassett, a moving mass of crape and bombazine, upon his arm. ‘He'd ought to have gone with his daughter,” she said, shaking her head. ‘‘ It looked too forlorn for anything to see them two poor children stragglin’ along behind, like lost lambs.” But Mrs. Playfair had not observed the maneuver by which Miss Almira rustled up to the widower’s side and slipped her hand through his arm, in the momentary confusion of leaving first the house, and then the grave. Ira Kempfield himself had been a little startled by the bold- ness of the coup defa/, but he took it for granted that it was all right and proper, or Almira would not have done it. Gratia was standing by the window, when the maple leaves were slowly drifting down, when Raymond came soberly up to her that afternoon. ‘¢ What are you eating, Ray?” she asked, scarcely thinking what she said. ‘‘ Have you found some ripe chestnuts ?” “No,” said Raymond, with his little round cherry of a mouth full of something. ‘‘Cousin Almira gave mé some candies. I picked up a basket of chips for her to kindle the fire, and she gave me all these. See!” ‘¢Give them to me,” said Gratia, contracting her brows, and holding out her hands. ‘‘ You know, Ray, the doctor said candies weren’t good for you.” | The child jerked himself backward with a quick, impatient movement. “No!” he ejaculated, stamping one tiny foot. ‘‘Give them to me this instant!” said Gratia, trying to take the obnoxious dondons from the little fellow by main force. He set up a piteous outcry, and Miss Almira came in from the kitchen, | | Eomichooks (ele) =)