Gratia's Trials — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. | 43 did, the mention of his dead wife’s name; ‘‘but things are changed now.” ‘They are indeed !” cried Gratia, passionately. ‘‘ Oh, father, father! Iam sometimes tempted to believe in the old-world Stories of witchcraft when I see how Almira Bassett has turned your heart away from us—from Raymond and me.” [77 Ira Kempfield rose from his chair, muttering a suppressed oath. between his teeth. ‘‘ Look here, gal,” he said. ‘‘I don’t mean to stand this sort of thing any longer. It’s just as Almire says—you're a fire- brand in the house, and there'll never be peace in it as long as you stay. Doas I say, and put your things together, for to- morrow mornin’ you start for Packenbridge, to: go into Milo Bassett’s shirt factory. Raymond would bea tolerably decent child if once he was out o your influence, and I mean to give him a chance.” Mrs. Kempfield came smiling and simpering home at nine oclock, and Gratia said nothing to her of: the conversation that had taken place between her father and herself. She did not mean to go to Packenbridge—upon //a¢ question she had fully made up her mind. A plan which she had often thought of as possible, in some unforeseen emergency, now presented itself definitely to her mind, as the only course to be taken, and it was this : | ) Mrs. Homer—a woman who made wax flowers—had been used, in the reign of the first Mrs. Kempfield, to make long visitations at the old Kempfield farm-honse, and the only gud _ pro quo which she ever proffered for board and lodging was an oft-repeated invitation for Gratia and Mrs. Kempfield to ‘‘come and visit her in New York. Make it your home with me, if ever you come,” she had said, with that silver-plating of manner that passes among so many undiscriminating souls for the genuine metal, and Gratia had unhesitatingly believed in Mrs. Homer. ‘*T will go to New York,” she thought, ‘‘and she will give 4 GComicboo (e(e) =