Gratia's Trials — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

68 GRATIA'S TRIALS. through the verandas and walks, and before Natalie could snatch her terrified charge from Gratia’s arms, the little girl’s father, a tall, handsome man, with jet black eyes and hair, had inter- posed. “Ts ¢his the care you take of my little lame darling, girl?” he angrily demanded of the nurse-girl. ‘“Oh, papa, papa !” sobbed little Ida. ‘‘ I was drowned, and I screamed so loud, and the cold water came all over my Beck. | ‘‘My treasure,” murmured the father, letting his face droop for an instant over his child’s, to conceal the emotion he could not repress, ‘‘TIt was not my fault, sir,” exclaimed Natalie, all ina tremble. ‘Miss Ida would go down close to the waves, and when I called her back she would not come.” ‘‘ You told me not to bother,” said Ida, innocently. ‘‘ No, papa, I wont go back to Natalie; I don't like Natalie! Let ie other girl carry me—the nice girl with the bright eyes.” And she held out her arms Sonhidifiely to Gratia. The young girl came forward and took the slender form of the little creature. Natalie would have pushed her away. ‘It is my busineos to carry my young lady,” she said, inso- lently. ‘‘Don’t, Natalie—you hurt me,” wailed Ida, as the flounced maid tried to wrest her from Gratia’s arms. %; ~The gentleman turned sternly to the girl. ‘‘You are discharged’ from my. service, Natalie,” he said. sternly. ‘‘ Your neglect of your duty, too long overlooked, has now nearly caused a fatal result. Miss Ida Falconer has no further need of such care as yours, ‘This young person,” turn- ing to Gratia with something of an appealing look in his eyes, ‘will, I dare say, také care of you until we are able to se- comicbooks.com