Roxy Hastings — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. 143 lady, with a covert smile. ‘‘A trifle too old, perhaps—not _quite handsome enough, and the least particle, too—” | _“Stiff. Her name should begin with a P instead of a B.” Now the contrast between this maiden lady and the ‘widow was in all respects so striking, and so immeasurably in favor of the latter, that if the result had been designed, it could not have been more telling in its effects upon the old bachelor. His eyes sparkled as they ran again over the fresh, smil- ing face of his mentor—over her beautiful bust, and leaped to the tiny feet peeping out from beneath her dress. The two tall daughters came in from walking at this juncture. They were blooming girls, both under seven- teen, and the widow did not seem at all to regret the inter- ruption. Would not they be ornaments to any household? After a little small talk, and any amount of giggling, the lively girls vanished as suddenly as they came, and Mr. Burr inquired, with a thoughtful air: ~ How old are your daughers, Mrs. Bright ?” -* Fourteen—and sixteen and a half, and a half, as the auctioneers say.” ‘‘And you have a son older ?” “Tom is nineteen.” “Older than you were when he was born, now, I’ll be bound, madam.” “ A trifle—yes. You are good at guessing.” “And you have two younger! Quite a family, I declare.” ‘Two dear boys. Oh, how I long to see them. We shall all be together soon in the country.” ‘““They’re a trifle wild and rude, like all boys, I suppose ?” “Frank and Freddy wild! Oh, I only wish they were a little wild. They are too much like girls, the precious dears, so soft and gentle. There now—don’t ask me any more questions about them if you don’t want me to make a fool of myself. But I have told you the truth.” So she had. ‘“Why do you take them out of school ?” “Simply because I can’t afford to keep them there.” “Oh! I—I— That could be—yes, I see.” The lady blushed and so did Jedediah, and yet the simple man of money had not the least idea that the bright widow was reading his thoughts, just as plainly as if they had been printed. ‘‘I—I should quite like to see your boys, Mrs. Bright.” ‘“Would you?” with a surprised air. “ You are very kind. They are only at Hoboken, and as I go every Saturday to GComicbhboo cS ¢com