Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

SAVED. 259 ‘‘Dead!’’ screamed Nora. ‘‘One of who is dead? Answer me!”’ ‘‘Well,’’ replied the messenger, meditatively, ‘‘I dunno ’*xactly. I didn’t wait; I hurried on.”’ “‘Drat yer! did a body ever meet with your match?”’ cried Nora, wildly; ‘‘with no heart at all, at all! Sure, if ye got yer just deserts it’s a royal good trouncing ye’d git! And it’s mesilf would administer it with pleasure. Och! be off wid ye!”’ And nabbing the astonished urchin by the arm, she shook him savagely and then slammed the door upon him. Giving vent to his amazement in a prolonged whistle, the boy stood a moment, staring, as though wondering what had happened to him; then he leisurely searched about for his cap, which had fallen over the railing. Pick- ing it up, he brushed the snow carefully off it and replaced it upon his head, muttering: “Tf she an’t clean daft!”’ Then he proceeded toward the gate, stopping every few moments to look back and whistle. When Nora arrived atthe hotel she was flushed and breathless. She had run all the way, merely stopping long enough in the lower hall to snatch her bonnet and shawl from the peg, adjusting them as she went. ‘The collie had followed her, but she was unconscious of the fact until she was half way there. He appeared to thoroughly enjoy his outing, romping and rolling about in the snow like a young puppy: Nora had occasionally been to the hotel—the only one in Wallford—but only on one mission for her mistress. She never felt at ease there at any time—everything seemed so important and bustling to her—so she always finished her Gomichbookssco im