Roxy Hastings — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

132 ROXY HASTINGS. I want that understood in the outset. I’m very plain spoken, you see.” | | “T see you are,” rejoined Mary Blythe, much incensed. “T don’t think my friend would suit you, or rather I don’t think you would suit her, if you indulge in such suspicions even before seeing her. I will bid you good-morning.” | “ No—don’t be huffy. I dare say she may be allright. I didn’t mean no offense. I only want to put her on her guard, you know, for boys are always great fools where there’s a pretty face in the way; and you say your friend is handsome.” ‘She is.” “Well, wait a minute while I call Allard, and see what he thinks about it.” The husband proved to be a gentleman of unquestion- able good sense and temper, and at his request Mary con- sented to bring her protegee for inspection. She gave ample references for herself and family, but declined to give any information about,the antecedents of her friend, who, she said, must be taken, if at all, on her recommendation. ‘And now, Lucy, what do you think of it?” she said, when on the ensuing second day her friend had again come to see her, and had quickly heard the whole story. But Lucy’s countenance had already answered the ques- tion. ‘Nothing could be better,” she said, “for it takes me out of the country and beyond their reach. Of course there will be terribly disagreeable things said about it. What of that? I had made up my mind to go out asa common serv- ant if I could do no better.” The friends went to the Allards, and Lucy was pro- nounced “ tip-top” by the lady, and “A. No. 1” by the busi- ness man, and she was engaged without hesitation or scarce the pretense of it. The salary was, of course, satisfactory, for Miss Holden would have accepted the place without pay rather than have missed it, and the sum proposed was larger than either of them expected. When Lucy left home she went to her friend’s in the night, accompanied by a servant of the Blythes, whose secrecy had been insured, and she remained there in con- cealment until the day of the sailing of the vessel. Mary kept her in her own room, took her meals to her, and aided her in every way, though she never ceased to counsel her to abandon her scheme of flight, and to permit . / comicbooks.co