Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

50 THE YOUNG WIDOW. ‘‘So it seems,’’ answered Dolly, calmly examining one of her pretty, pink finger-nails, ‘‘so I should conclude. ’’ ‘‘But never alone! With whom did she go?”’ Rose’s heart seemed to stand still as she asked this ques- tion. Dolly’s face grew very mournful. ‘“That’s the most unfortunate part of it,’’ she responded, reluctantly. ‘‘As I said before, my news is not pleasant, but you would insist on hearing it. . It appears she went with a man named Fabbricotti, a person who trains people for the stage. He met her here in New York on several oc- casions, when we were rehearsing for some private theat- ricals, and by some means or other he induced her to go abroad with him. No doubt she intends to go on the stage —he said she had a great deal of talent, and he went wild over her singing.’’ Rose fell back in her chair with her face like that of a dead woman. ‘Therese! Harris!’’ screamed Dolly, rushing toward the door. But Rose made a motion with her hand. ‘*Be quiet,’’ she said, faintly. ‘‘I shall be all right pres- ently. Did—did I hear you aright? Did you say Florence had gone to Europe with a—man—not her husband?”’ ‘‘I believe she has, Miss Delmar,’’ answered Dolly, in a subdued tone, ‘‘at any rate, she didn’t give me to under- _ stand they had been married. I saved her letter. You may read it if you wish.”’ Rose pressed her hands to her throbbing temples. Oh, if she could but awake and find the torture of this houra dream. The horror, the disgrace, of it were maddening, and this heartless little woman was perhaps gloating over } cOnmiclooks.cohm