His Other Wife: A Novel — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

58 AMY'S DISCOVERIES. in the sad office of ‘‘laying out” the dead body of her mis- tress. When this was duly completed, Mrs. Rowe desired to speak in private with Mr. Croft. She said: ‘‘T am sorry to ask such a thing of you, my dear sir, but one must look out for one’s self and one’s own in this selfish world, you know. It’s mighty hot weather, Mr. Croft, and there’s rumors of Yellow. Jack, and typhus, and various other pestilence, as which, the Bible says, do walk in noonday. Now, if you would be so good, my dear Mr. Croft, as to consent for the body to be carried to the chapel in the cemetery, and there laid until the proper time for decent burial, it would takea load from my mind. This coast ain't healthy, and I’ve a large fam’'ly, and a corpse a-lyin’ in a house, under a tin roof, on an August day, might breed some bad fever or other that'd drive lodgers away.” With this the widow put her ample handkerchief to her eyes and held out her hand to the widower. Not seeming to see the plump red fingers which his landlady reached to him, Mr. Croft said, with great kind- ness ; ‘‘T fully recognize the justice of your appeal, my good woman, and, of course—painful as it will be to my feel- ings—lI will not hesitate to sacrifice them to the good of your family.” ‘‘T felt certain you'd see it so, sir—a Christiam minister like you is always sure to see things in the best light for other people. After all, sir, it will only be partin’ from Eomicbooks.¢o =}