Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG WIDOW. 47 haps I may never see her again, so I suppose I may be per- mitted to say ‘was’ if I choose, Miss Delmar?”’ ‘“You are a cruel woman!’’ cried Rose, biting her lip, ‘‘and if it were your sister you might understand my feel- ings.”’ Next to being questioned, Dolly disliked being abused. - And under her own roof, too, it was unbearable. So she rose to her feet and was about to reply scathingly, when she changed her mind and began to cry softly. ‘“You have no—no right to talk so to me,’’ she sobbed. ‘Tl would do anything to get Florence back again.’’ ‘“You have only to prove it, then,’’ commanded Rose, coldly. | ‘““What can I do?’’ she responded, doggedly, from the depths of her handkerchief. Rose’s patience was well-nigh exhausted. Utterly weary of the farce, she sighed and drew her chair closer to Mrs. French’s. ‘Listen to me,’’ she said, as kindly as she could. ‘‘You appear to bea sensitive little creature, and I’ve no doubt you are a good-hearted one in many respects, but you are acting falsely to all three of usin this manner—to Flor- ence, to me, and lastly, to yourself. You claim that you would like to see her home again, and yet you refuse point- blank to help me to get her back. But I warn you, sooner or later you must tell me, and for your own sake it is bet- ter that it be now.”’ Dolly caught her breath and glanced out of the corner of her eye at the pale, serious face bent so near her own. It was evident Miss Delmar was very much in earnest, and she began to be afraid. Instinctively she looked toward the hall to see if any one of the servants were in sight. Eomichbooks (CO)