Ruby's Reward — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

“You have already comforted ne more than I can express. What should I have done without you, Walter? Estelle has been ill, almost paralyzed, and Ishould have been utterly alone through all this trouble but for you,’ Ruby murmured, brokenly, while she lay still in his arms with a sense of perfect rest and content, and let the tears, that would not be stayed, rain over her face. He wiped them tenderly and in silence. He knew that no words, however fond, could as- suage her grief for her brother; only time would serve to heal the wound; and yet he felt that she was comforted and strengthened by the simple knowledge of his love and presence. “T should not trouble you thus,” she said, atlength, trying to control her sorrow, and looking up with a pathetic attempt to smile, “but ob, ‘Walter, my brother was everything to me!” “T know it, darling, and no one can ever fill his place in some respects, But,as tar as may be, let me be ‘everything’ to you in the future. I will work hard; I will strain every nerve to make a position in life worthy of you; and I hope it will not be so very long before I can take care of you ag I wish you to be eared for. You can never iknow, dear,’ Walter went on, ‘how IT have rebelled against the hard fate that has been yours during the lust few months; and yet, Ruby, I never should have dared to break the seal that I had set upon my lps, if you bad not lost your fortune.” The young girl sat up and looked at him, a gentle surprise in her beautiful eyes, “Why not?” she asked, “Because of My own poverty,” Walter answered, flushing. “You are very proud,” Ruby returned, with a look that thrilled him; “but you are not poor.” “What can you mean by that?’ he questioned, smiling. “You have a grand intellect and rarecdhalasbrsyeaih