Roxy Hastings — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

160 ROXY HASTINGS. what was right. ‘‘He will come immediately home when he hears of you being here, but it may be a week or more before our letters overtake him.” ‘‘No, no, mum—he’s travelin’ for his health—don’t let me be a hinderance to him, mum. I’ve suffered for him, and I kin do it agin. Don’t call him hum, mum.” “That’s spoken like Louis Hartley!” said Laura, “‘but we must not let the generosity be all on your side.” ‘Certainly not,” added the mother. “I shall write to Alfred and Charles at once, but in the meantime we must ourselves assist Mr. Hartley, Laura.” ‘“You are very good, but I would not take a dollar, mum, ef I didn’t owe a friend twenty-seven dollars and fifty cents that he advanced for me to git these clothes, besides eight dollars due for board, which is very high in this city; — and what I’m to do for the future, and to pay railroad fare to Washington, is more’n I can tell, ’m sure. But that isn’t your business, ladies.”’ ‘I’m sure it is our business,” replied Mis. Lee, promptly. “What is a paltry sum of money compared to what you have done for us?” ; She and Laura now whispered apart, and after some consultation the mother came forward, saying aloud, as she did so: *“T’m sure that Charles would approve of it, or would blame us for doing so little. Take this,” she added; ‘‘it will relieve your present wants, and when my son comes home I am sure he will increase it many fold.” : The man wiped his eyes with rather a fine white hand- kerchief for his circumstances, and then proceeded quite deliberately to count the money upon a table. “A hundred dollars! I’m really ashamed to take so much,” he said, slipping the bills into his vest-pocket, “ but when I git ’dentified and paid off you’ll allow me to give . this all back agin, mum. Promise me that, mum.” “If my son consents,” replied the widow, with an air that seemed to say she was safe enough there. “*Pon that condition only I’ll consent to receive it,” said the man, who had already buttoned his coat very tightly over the treasure. “What disinterestedness!” exclaimed the widow, ina low voice to Laura. ‘‘In what school do you soldiers learn so much nobleness of character 2?” “Don’t know, mum. I never went to school much. It comes nat’ral, I guess. Good-mornin’, ladies.” GComicbooks.co