Roxy Hastings — page 230: what you’re looking at

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

ROXY HASTINGS. 221 “There is a clew, but compose yourself now, and you shall soon know all that I can tell you.” “Right! Leave me a little while with my joy, my great joy, but before you go tell me does mother—” ‘*Not yet—not yet.” “Be careful then-—be careful of mother.” “T shall leave it for you, Alf, to tell her. Thee is no haste.” 3 “Thank you. What bliss it will be. Yes—yes, let me tell her—let me witness the dawn of returning happiness and serenity in her long sorrowing heart.” Later in the evening of that eventful day everything was divulged to Alfred and to all the members of the happy family, who discussed the exciting subject to a late hour, and looked impatiently forward to the expected revelations of the next day. Mary Blythe came, punctual.to her appointment, and was received by Charles alone, whose face was so radiant with delight that it proclaimed his good news before he had power to give utterance to it in words. “Tt is all right—all right,” he said; “we were under a cloud yesterday, but, thank Heaven, it is lifted to-day.” He shook hands with his visitor very cordially as he spoke, and the delighted Mary replied, hesitatingly : “Then Lieutenant Lee still loves Lucy Holden.” “Yes, more fully, more fervently than ever. He has never for a moment been unfaithful to her memory. Our conjectures were all wrong.” , “Then this is the happiest day of my life. What tidings to take to her mother, whom I left but half an hour since, sad and foreboding.” “Dear! Dear! You must hasten back to her, but not until you have seen Alfred—and—and the rest. They are all waiting to be summoned to this interview, even little Roxy, who was the innocent cause of my misunderstand- ing.” Gary assented, of course, and the family, including old Major Todd and Miss Hastings, came in with little regard to ceremony, and flocked about the visitor, whom they all shook cordially by the hand, in the midst of a very extra- ordinary introduction by Charles. : “This is Miss Hastings,” said the excited youth, present- ing his grandfather, amid a shout of merriment. “ And this is grandpa,” said Laura, leading up Roxy. “Well, well, introduce yourselves,” said Charley, laugh- ing. “I forget the names just now, but they’re all there.” ¢om (Q) Doo cS (E(o) m