A Heart's Bitterness — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

A HEART'S BITTERNESS. 195 for its carvings and its antique treasures. The library door opened from the darkest part of this hall, and suddenly Vio- let realized that across the floor of the library lay a band of livid light. She had always supposed herself timid, but at this sight she grew singularly calm, and neither fled nor screamed, but gently stole toward the library. Were there robbers in the house? There was a bell-pull near the li- brary, that of the largest bell in the building, she remem- bered that, Since the birth of her child, all Violet’s best nature had developed itself. She had grown in force of character, in dignity, and self-reliance. Becoming a mother, she had become, in a fine, noble sense, a woman. So now she thought only that some danger menaced the house—the house that sheltered her child—and she went quietly toward. ee the bar of light. Standing in the door-way, she saw that the light fell from the door. of a large, square, inner closet, which she had but once or twice seen opened, but which contained, in drawers and on shelves, the private papers of the house of Leigh for many generations—letters, copies, journals, all filed—and each receptacle labeled and dated. She thought of this in a flash, as she saw the light streaming redly in the library from the door of this closet, which stood less than half open. Also in a flash 1¢ occurred to her that ordinary robbers would be at the plate closet, or at the great safe. Straight to the invaded closet silently moved the slender, girl-like form in white, with the silken masses of brown hair falling over her shoulders. A lamp with a double burner stood upon a shelf. A drawer, marked ‘‘’*40—’50,” was near the lamp, and was © open. 7 Beside it, intent on running over a bundle of papers held in her hand, was the head nurse. Yet, was it the nurse? Violet knew the long, striped flannel wrapper, and the soft, shapely hands of the nurse; yet, what strange change had passed over her? Cap, light wig, gray glasses, were gone; so were the thick, light brows; the skin seemed no longer thick and faded, but was smooth olive; the shoulders were well carried. In a word, — this midnight searcher into family secrets; this felon, whose false keys, in black betrayal, lay beside the lamp, brought — from the lips of the horrified Violet the cry: Eomicbooks (ao)