Ruby's Reward — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

YT wish T had a little basket to put | these in,” Ruby continued, as she held up ‘a handtul of the little bight caps and ‘looked at them lovingly. “ Put them in my hat until we go down, and then I will deposit them in the lunch- basket,” Walter said, removing his straw hat and bending to receive the lichens. “Thanks,” she answered, as she spread her handkerchief in it before depositing her treasures. “Are there more thab you wish to cather ?” her companion asked. He could not bear to have her remain so near that frightful precipice, and yet there did not seem to be any danger with that tree between it and her. Yes, there were jusb a few more particularly fine ones, she told him, as she stooped forward to get them. ln doing so, she leaned her weight more heavily against the tree, and, without an instant’s warning, its rotten, deceitful trunk, whose sap had all gone to nourish the few thrifty branches at tho top, snapped short off. Ruby lost her balance, and, with a cry of horror, went slipping down toward that frightful abyss, from which there could be no resene. “Oh, Walter, save me !” she cried, turn- ing her imploring eyes and death-like face to him. | He sprang toward her, terrorwritten upon every feature of his own white face, while he knew that if he should live for centuries he should never forget that appealing cry, those anguished eyes and. hucless<digiesis.com > Fe