Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

110 PLEDGING HIS WORD. clear as a cameo against the gray afternoon Jight and mo- tioned him to seat himself a little away from her. ‘‘Oh, no, Bebee is so dear to me! You see, he was given me by an old friend in Brussels. Besides, he is so clever and devoted.’’ ‘‘Ves?’’ uttered Arthur, for want of something better to Say. He was devouring her with his eyes. ‘You have heard, perhaps, that papa is ill ugain?’’ she went on, abruptly changing the subject, resting one hand on the woolly head of the dog. | ‘‘No,’’ replied Arthur, starting, ‘‘I had not. It’s not seri- ous?’’ ‘‘He’s better to-day. But papa isso childishly imprudent; he cannot endure being shut up in the house, even when he is really ill. And you remember how it poured this morning?’’ “Of course,’’ assented Arthur, mendaciously, for of the state of the weather two hours previous he could have given no veracious account had his life been at stake. ‘‘It was simply beyond description. ’’ ‘Yes, indeed; yet papa quite insisted that he must go to the office. ’’ ‘“Why, it was not fit for a dog to be out,’’ declared Ar- thur, which caused Miss Clayton to smile. Bebee nestled closer and closer to his mistress, until his head lay upon her lap, a picture of perfect contentment. ‘‘He has been ill for the last few days,’’ she went on, ‘fand the doctor said he must take great care of himself. That meant, of course, to stay at home, as the slightest ex- ertion is injurious to him when he has one of his attacks. But did he? No, indeed; he simply declared he would not Gomichbookssco