A Final Triumph; or, A Lady Bachelor — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

A RIFT. 64 ** It may account for his strange conduct.’’ “* Certainly it does. He'll be back here in a day or two, and I hope you women have learned a-lesson;’’ and as he went out of the room, he added: ** You women are always imagining the worst. ”’ Mrs. Studevant read the news to her daughter, and it did appear as though an explanation was apparent; indeed, the only possible one to account for the young man’s singular conduct. : The mother and daughter discussed the news, and, as intimated, it really did suggest a solution of the mystery. It was this possible solution that caused the flicker of hope to rekindle in the heart of the afflicted girl. Hope once kindled is easily fanned into a strong blaze; our inclina- tions and desires are always in accord with our anticipa- tions when the latter are pleasant; besides, in her position, Kloise was ready to grasp at any straw, for she could not bring herself to believe that George was either a scoundrel or indifferent, and she found excuses for his conduct, under the new light, where her mother could not. The probability gave her momentary strength, however, and permitted a brief display of cheerfulness. As her mother had given out that she had not recovered from the effects of the ball, in order to account for her non-appearance, her reappear- ance was greeted with many congratulations, and one old lady good-naturedly, as the vulgarism expresses it, **put her foot in it.2? She intended to be reassuring and complimentary, and said, as she patted the girl’s cheek: ; **I suppose the young man has gone down to make com, EO MMIKELNOOL<S ». ’ wit y a eal ian to . e ' ¥ Ay