Ruby's Reward — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

be in a position where he might feel justified in con- fessing his love for Ruby, now that she was poor, and he could not endure the thought of his winning what he had aspired to secure. The thought of Ruby Gordon as the wife of another, and that other one whom he go heartily hated, was torture to him. Walter had not seen very much of the Gordons since their reverses, as he had been away on busi- ness for Mr. Conant; but he had ealled once or twice, and been most cordially received, and he had re- solved, as Edmund Carpenter feared, that he would ut no distant day put his fate to the test. The family formed avery inviting circle in that wee house where Ruby lived, on the evening of Mr. Car- penter’s call just referred to. Mrs. Gordon, who rarely left her room, had been coaxed to come downto dinner “to give Robert a gurprise,” and, after the meal was over the pretty parlor lamp was lighted, and the coziest nook in the room assigned to the invalid, who, had she but realized it, made a charming, addition to the apart- ment in her rich crimson wrapper, with a soft white shawl thrown over her shoulders. | Mr. Gordon, looking unusually cheerful, was seated on the opposite side of the glowing grate in a hand- some dressing-gown and slippers, and near him, with her dainty work-basket, piled high with the week’s stockings, upon the table before her, was Ruby, with the lamp-light streaming over her golden head and the fair tace the chief charm in that household. And into this pleasant circle Edmund Carpenter was suddenly ushered by the little maid-of-all-work. And he had come with the settled purpose of asking Ruby Gordon to be his wite before he should leave the house. comichooks.con