Ruby's Reward — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXIY. IN THE MIDST OF LIFE THERE IS—DEATH. When Mrs. Gordon heard of Ruby’s rejection of Mr. Edmund Carpenter, she was much disappointed and depressed. She had set her heart upon the match, for it seemed to be the only avenue of escape from their troubles. To Mrs. Gordon, aecustomed to af- fluence as she had been, the restrictions of poverty were little less than a series of calamities. A calamity more grievous than all others, however, was destined soon to overtake the Gordons. The holidays drew on apace—those days that had always been so full of gayety and excitement—and though our friends could not fail to feel, more keenly than ever, the difference in their circumstances and the pinching poverty that would make itself felt whichever way they tured, yet two of them at least siniled brayely into each other’s face and cheerfully went their round of daily duties. “Tam afraid, pefi/e, it is going to be rather a lean Christmas for you this year,” remarked Mr. Gordon, reeretfully, one morning during breakfast, as his eye caught the flaming advertisements in the paper that le had been reading, : Ruby looked up with her brightest smile. “No, indeed, Robert,” she said. “I expect it will be » very happy one, for I Have a delightful little project inmy head. Besides,” she added, with grave aweetness anda tender gleam in her eye, “I believe Tunderstand better this year than I ever did before what Christmas means.” Her brother looked up inquiringly. comicbooks.com it aie Se ee ne er = wee Hat pee