Ruby's Reward — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XX. A FINANCIAL WRICK. Runy pecsuaded Mr and Mrs Ruggles to remain until after Christmas, as they were to have no other guests, and as her invita- tion had been heartily seconded by both Mr and Mrs Gordon, this had not been hard to accomplish, The day arrived -a bright, keen winter's day ; and, aflor the morning meal had been disposed of, tho family adjourned to the library to inspect the many mysterious packages which had been arranged upou the table there. lt would be useless to enumerate them all, but cach one had vomembered all the others in some way, and a very handsome way, too, it proved to be. Ruby's gitt from My and Mrs Ruggles” was contained ina very tiny bos, which had | been most carefully perched upon the top of the pile allotted to her. “What mysterious charm lics concealed within this?” she asked, with a rovuish glance at Farmer Rugyles, for she had recognized his handwriting on the outside. She removed tho rubber band that held the cover on, and opened the bow to find a layer of pink cotton within. Lifting this her eyes were almost dazzled by the rays of light that were emitted from three large beautiful diamonds, of the purest water. She cried out with delight : “Oh, Mr and Mrs Ruggles! they are like perfect drops of dew, and they are the first diamonds that FE have ever had pre- sented tome. I have my mother’s, to be sure, but no one ever gave mo a diamond before.” comiebooks.com pas a e > <_< ac ak