Out of the Past — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

Out of the Past. AI pale—now I wonder—Christ save us; it doesn’t do to think.” With that she closed the kitchen door sharply. During that day and night Rose sat with the letter on her knee, concentrated in thought. ‘My dear Rose,” it ran, “since you prove yourself so obdurate and lost to all sense of gratitude, it is well that I should tell you the truth about yourself. Having no children, Mrs. Lloyd and I took you from a foundling asylum and brought you up as our own. It was her de- sire that you should know this from the first. It was my command that you should not. I did not want you run- ning away because you might think yourself free. I counted upon you to be the stay of my old age. It will _ be well for you not to ask any particulars of your par- entage. “Mrs. Lloyd, whom I hoped you would welcome as your mother, very sweetly says that if you want a home with us you are welcome to it. She is a noble woman, and as beautiful as she is noble. She could teach you many arts and graces that would embellish you. “Trusting that this will reach you safely and that you will now see the nonsense of your objections to my mar- riage, I am as ever your friend, “THomas Ltoyp.” This, then, was the real man she had loved as her father; this was the affection he bore her. At first it was a relief to remember that she need not Gomicsdooks (C(O)