Roxy Hastings — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. 149 CHAPTER XXIX. THE TRANSPORT OF THE GIRLS. A day or two later Mr. Burr, carrying out his new role munificently, brought his beloved Louisa a bank-book, showing not a few thousands placed to her credit, and said : ‘“You’ll want a little extra pocket-money for prepara- tions, both for yourself and your daughters. You have so frankly told me of your straightened circumstances, before our engagement, that you cannot refuse to accept of this. Use it freely. the more freely the better I shall lke it.” The widow acknowledged this generosity with tears, and so her admirer saw her in still another phase of her beauty. “There is the key of our house,” he said; ‘if you will look in some day and see if anything needs. alteration, I will be obliged.” ‘‘Oh, I am sure that is unnecessary, but I will go and see it to-day, for I have the greatest curiosity. But is it quite safe to leave a furnished house entirely unoccupied so long ?” ‘‘Not quite—no. But there are the public watchmen and the private watchmen—we must take our chance.” An hour later, after Jedediah had gone to Wall street, the postman brought a letter for Mrs. B., which bore the post-mark of Nyack, and which one of the daughters eagerly received from a servant who brought it up to their room. ‘(Now we shall know about the house.” said Henrietta, eagerly. ‘‘May I open it, mamma ?”’ “Oh, yes—certainly.” She tore it open, and after glancing a few moments over it, said : “Ves, we can have it, at our price—two hundred dollars —but we must give security for the rent. Can we do that, mamma ? : ‘“‘Of course we can,” replied Nelly. “There’s Uncle George—” “T don’t know about Uncle George; besides, who wants to ask him? It isn’t so very pleasant a thing to do.” The widow watched the anxious faces of her daughters with a smile. GEomicboo ss) (G0)