Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

'12 THE DELMAR SIS TERS. elder sister, looking with fond admiration into the bright young face beaming with pleasure. ‘‘Your complexion is perfect.’’ | ‘‘Flatterer!’’ exclaimed the other, ‘‘you’ll spoil me if you don’t take care—you and Dolly. But give it to me, I must try it on at once. So it’s finished!”’ And she dropped the tart and milk and ran to the glass to look at herself, coquetting with her image there like a bird. ‘‘All but this little knot of ribbon. I’m glad you’re pleased with it, but I could have made it prettier if I had felt we could spare the money.”’ This last remark was accompanied by a half impercepti- ble sigh. But the quick ear of Florence caught it, and ina moment she was kneeling beside her, with her arms about her neck. ‘‘Oh, Rose, how mean and contemptible I feel! Here you have been slaving all this long time to get me ready to go away to enjoy myself and perhaps ‘denying yourself lots of things that you really needed. How could you? What I had was quite, quite good enough, but you’ve given your- self no rest until you’ve turned me out a wardrobe fit for a bride. It’s too bad, and I’m positively vexed at you.’”’ ‘*Nonsense, dear, I’ve enjoyed sewing for you. It isn’t that, it’s only that I wish I could give you all the hand- some clothes you need to set you off. It wouldn’t do for you to be shabbily dressed, where you’re going. I’ve seen enough of Mrs. French and her friends to know that. I want to feel that you look just as well as any of them. It is my pride.”’ ‘‘And so I shall, dearest,’’ said Florence, ‘‘thanks to you and Miss Tucker. Sweet simplicity is my style, you know, .