Roxy Hastings — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. | 129 perhaps the discipline of life in some obscure station may be of ser- vice to me. Whatever that discipline may be it will be better than marrying a man I loathe, or remaining where everything reminds me of him whom I have murdered. ‘*Farewell! Be assured that no efforts will avail to find me. We have parted forever ! Lucy.” - She had taken a part only of her apparel, and that chiefly the plainest. Her best and most costly dresses, with a single exception, she had left; but she had taken all her jewelry, including a diamond pin and ring, of con- siderable value, which her father had given her on her twenty-first birth-day, when he was in the height of his prosperity. | No one could give any account of the time or mode of her departure. The servants, who were severally suspected of complic- ity in her flight, all avowed, with the most earnest pro- testations, an entire ignorance of her movements. The father stormed with rage at first, but, being confi- dent of speedily discovering her retreat, he gave orders that the strictest secrecy should be maintained in regard to an event which, he considered, reflected so much disgrace upon his family. Especially was it to be kept from Mr. Burr, whose inquiries after the invalid were to be an- swered in the usual way, and whose daily love offerings were to be received and acknowledged in her name. An experienced detective was employed, who laughed at the idea of his failing to find the runaway, and promised her certain return within twenty-four hours from the mo- ment he was engaged. But, when thrice that time had elapsed without the slightest clew to the missing girl, the baffled man grew less confident, though he was still hope- ful. : Mrs. Holden was in great distress, and insisted that no further secrecy should be maintained, but that advertise- ments should be inserted in all the city papers, describing her daughter, and offering a large reward for her return. “She is clearly out of her mind,” she said, “and may be wandering through the streets, exposed to every danger. She could not have had but a few dollars in money.” Mark yielded to his wife’s importunities to advertise, but a preliminary step to this was to inform Mr. Burr of the true state of affairs. Yet they did not tell himall. The repugnance which Lucy had expressed toward him was, of course, carefully concealed. “She had a tender conscience,” said Mark. “And when Comichoo “S (Elo)