Ruby's Reward — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

But just opposite, anc where they could not fuil to see it, there hung a Hfe-size and life-like crayon portrait of their dead daughter, which Ruby had had copied from a photomaph, and, fastened ta one coiner of the frame, tiere was a card bearing the words ; * From Ruby to her dear friends, Mr and Mra Ruggles.” They gave one startled look into the sweet, retined face of the girl who had been so dear to them ; for ‘Annie Rucgles,” as she was known among her school fiends, had been an unusually cultivated girl, having been a thorcugh student and some- thing of a poct; then a mist, a blur ob-cured their sicht; asob burst from the loving mother; Mr Rugeles choked back a groan ; then they both broke down entirely, and clung to each other for comfort. Ruby had been sure that it, would be so, and thas she hac delicately planned for them to sec the pictare for the fist time hy them-elyes. She could not have given them anything that they would have valucd so much as this enlarged and perfected likeness of their only child ; and when, a half hour later, Mr ltugeles had regained his composure and met Ruby in the hall on his way back to the library, he laid his hand gently on her head, then stooped ana touched her hair with his still tiemulous lips, as he said, eratefully : ‘Forgive an old man’s weakness, Miss Ruby, but I tell you, you couldn’t have touched mother and me in a more tender spol; and—though [I don’t suppose the time’ll ever come —if you're ever in a tight. place and need a friend, Owen Ruggles is the man that’!l stand by you.” comicbssts.com