Ruby's Reward — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

ness that startled the young girl. “But you are not happy 3 ‘ you had been weeping before I caine in, and it distresses me to gee you miserable. If you would only let me take care of you, Ruby, and save you from all this unpleasant- ness. Come to me, darling, and let me shield you from all care and toil in the future. It makes me wild to see you going back and forth, like a common working-girl, to earn your pittance. Oh, Ruby, give yourself to me, and you shall never know a sorrow; nothing disagreeable shall ever touch you. I will surround you with everything that heart can wish, aud be your loving slaye besides. Edmund Carpeuter was terribly in earnest. His face flushed, his voice shook with the strength of his purpose, and Ruby could see that he was actually ag ae with the intenseness of his desire to win er “Why will you persist In saying such things to me, Mr. Carpenter?” she said, in a tone of distress. “Because L love you—I idolize you!” he answered, passionately. ‘I never believed myself much in- clined to sentiment—I used to laugh at it in others; but I have come to realize that I have a great deal of it. I cannot live without you, Ruby; my life is wretched—a perfect blank—— Luby started again to her feet, her face crimson. “You must not talk like this to me; I cannot lis- ten,’ she cried, feeling that she was alinost a traitor to Walter in alowing Edmund to utter a single word ot love to her, “T told you long ago,” she continued, “that I did not love you, that T could never marry you “You must,” he interrupted, putting her soit back in her seat, though the veins stood out full and hard upon his forehe vad, ©L tell you I cannot—L will not live without you, Ruby Gordon. You have won me by the witchery of your charms; you have made ine your abject slave, aud—you owe me yourself in return, my beautiful enchantress—my little heal a haired’ queen !"" he concluded, with a flere Goo es der-