Gratia's Trials — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

GRATIA’S TRIALS. | 89 —lightful thing in the world to me, to feel the great, cool waves wrapping themselves round me.” ‘*So you like it, Miss Gratia,” said Mr. Ardenham’s voice, close to them. ‘‘ Don’t you want to venture out far enough to touch the post ?” ‘Touching the post,” as Gratia knew, was considered quite a feat among the naiads who frequented the beach, and she her- self had more than once made her way out through the warring billows to lay her hand on the last post to which the rope was fastened. “Ves,” she answered, unhesitatingly. ‘*VYou will come too, Miss Falconer,” said Mr. Ardenham, but the acute ear of Alberta detected a difference in the tone in which he had addressed herself and Gratia. ‘‘'Thank you,” she answered, shrugging her shoulders, ‘‘ I have no particular wish to risk my life for the mere satisfaction of saying I have touched the post.” ‘Come then,” said Mr. Ardenham ; and side by side he and Gratia ventured so far out into the ocean that Ida screamed aloud. Five minutes afterward Gratia came laughing up the beach, wringing the salt water and bits of floating sea-weed out of her hair, from which the oil-silk cap had escaped. ‘‘Where is Alberta?” she asked. ‘©Gone up to the hotel,” said Ida. Gratia Falconer, as we must now call her, looked lovelier than ever, as she came out of her room dressed in simple white muslin, with rose-colored ribbons run through every hem and puffing, and a knot of the same ribbon at her throat. Mrs, Falconer sat waiting for Robert to come to take them in to dinner. She looked up as Gratia approached. ‘‘ Gratia,” she said, ‘‘ Alberta thinks—and / think also—that it is my duty to speak to you.” “To speak to me, ma’am?” Gratia repeated. ‘‘ About what ?” | Eomichooks:.¢co