Gratia's Trials — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

64 | GRATIA’S TRIALS. ‘¢ They live on Twenty-sixth street, mostly, but they've got a cottage at Long Branch for the summer season. <Any one can direct you to Mrs. Walbridge’s. Mary Ann has told me it's one of the prettiest cottages there, just on the edge of the sea-shore. ” ‘<T should like that,” said Gratia. ‘‘ I.never saw the sea.” ‘Then all I’ve got to do is to give you a line to Mary Ann,” said Hannah. And Gratia left the house in good time, thanks to Hannah's expedition. She would have liked to visit the nursery once more; and kiss the little ones good-by, but Mrs. Simmons reso- lutely interposed her veto to this. ‘‘T don’t want no fretting nor whimperieg,” said that Rea matron, ‘‘and I’ve seen quite~enough of you, Grace, as it is.” ! Gratia reached Long Branch just before sundown, and on presenting herself at Mrs. Walbridge’s cottage, found a dis- mantled look about the whole place, as if the household gods were on the wing. ‘To Grace’s modest inquiry for Mrs. Wal- bridge, a fat, elderly woman replied : ‘«She’s at home—yes ;-but unless your business is very urgent, miss, you ll have to excuse seeing her. The family leaves for Europe day after to-morrow.” To Gratia Kempfield this item of information was like a stun- ning blow. She stood nale and startled. ‘‘TIs there anything I can do for you?” the woman asked, kindly. ‘* You look tired.” If she had shut the door in Gratia's- face, the girl might have gone away, carrying her burden of desolation as best she might. But there was something in the. kindly sympathy of the good __ old cook’s voice that touched the hidden spring of tears in the heart of the forlorn young wanderer. ‘Dear me, child, what fs the matter?” she asked. ‘‘ Tell me quick, for I havent much time to spate. What is your business with Mrs, Walbridge ?” | im | com Eboo KS (G(O = ———— <———