Ruby's Reward — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

But somehow there was a false ring in those last words of his that grated upon Ruby’s sensitive nature and helped her to recover her self-possession, of which his sudden avowal had deprived her, She sat erect and resolutely withdrew her hand. ““Mr, Carpenter,” she said, ‘I am more sorry than I can tell you that you came here with this purpose to- nicht, for I cannot respond as you desire.” “Do notsay that, Ruby,” he pleaded, turning pale. Edmund Carpenter was a man who could ill brook any opposition where he had once set his heart, and the ring of decision in Ruby’s tone had aroused all his will, and he said to himself that nothing should now stand in the way of his winning her. “TJ must tell you nothing but the truth,” she went on, more firmly than betore, *‘You haye been a pleasant friend, you have shown me many kind at- tentions, you have sympathized with us in our trouble and I appreciate it all; but-——” “But Bam not worthy of your love—you will not tell me that, Ruby ?” he cried, earnestly. “No, could not tell you that, I should be very pre- suming to do so; but I must state the fact that 1 do not love you and so I cannot become your wite.”’ “But, Ruby, I am rich, I am very rich, aud your lite shall never know a shadow; everything that heart can wish shall be yours.” “You say that my life should never know a shadow,’ Ruby repeated, a gentle gravity settling over her face. ‘Mr. Carpenter, it would be shadowe by a great wrong at the very outset. if I should vive myself to you, simply because you could gratify every selfish desire of my heart. Believe me, tt can not be. I have laid out my course for the future; at least for the coming year.” “But I will wait, if your heart is set upon this wild idea of teaching for a year; only promise me that you will marry me at the end of that time,” he inter- rupted, eagerly. “T cannot.” comiichbooks.com