Ruby's Reward — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

“To be exact, I believe it was tendered me on the twentieth of last month.” “ Neither Miss Gordon nor her brother was in the city at that time,” retorted Hdmund Carpenter. “Very true; neither was I,” Walter quietly replied. *' Ha! where were you ?” “T spent the twe weeks of my vacation with Mr Ruggles at Redville.” Mr Carpenter experienced an inward shock at this information. “Were you there during Miss Gordon’s visit to the farm 2” “T was.” ‘“* And played the gay cavalier to the best of your ability, I presume ?” ‘*Tdo not know what you mean to in- sinuate by that, Edmund,” Walter said, coldly ; ‘‘ but, at all events, I took Miss Gordon about a good deal, and enjoyed a very pleasant visit with her and her brother,” Edmund Carpenter gmawed his under lip angrily. This, then, accounted for the un- usual reserve which Ruby had manifested toward him since her return. Walter had been playing the agrecable to her while she was at Redville, He must nip the thing in the bud. ‘* Well,” he said, grufily, after econsider- ing these points for a few minutes, ‘I wish to inform you that I am addressing Miss Gordon, and with her brother’s permission, and I desire that you will do nothing to in- torfere with my plans.” He had, indeed, recently sought Mr Gordon, and solicited his consent to his ad- dressing his sister. Mr Gordon had gravely told bim that it was a matter in which Ruby herself was chiefly concerned ; that he should never lay any obatacle in the way of her happiness ; and if she should bestow her affections upon him, he should freely give his consent to their union. : comicborlesucom