Ruby's Reward — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

& le B.A See “He answered her as patiently as he could, but just as soon as she gave him an opportunity he confided to her his object in coming there that evening. “Mrs. Coxon,” he said, in conclusion. “Tam sure oe you are my friend, and that I can trust you folly.” i “Indeed you may trust me, Mr. Walter,’ the good woman said, heartily; but she had been surprised to learn that he had come there to see Miss Gordon and failed in his object, “Well, then, to come to the point at once, I believe there is Something wrong in these ladies being here this summer.” “Something wrong! How so?” she eried. “Tam satistied that Miss Gordon would never have come here if she had not been deceived or trapped into doing so.” “Deceived ?” “Yes. How does it happen that Edmund is taking boarders this summer 2” “T do not know,’ Mrs. Coxon replied, looking grave, for the story that she had been lonely and wauted to take boarders for company was alla hoax of Mrs. Gordon’s, and she had not lked the secrecy which be had enjoined upon her, particularly after she found that he was to be a constant visitor there ; “Tonly know that he said he wasn’t going to live here himself but wanted to have the house kept open and made to pay him something,” “That was a queer idea for a man with all his money,’* said Walter, with a curling lip. “T thought 80; but not so queer as that he did not want the ladies to know that he was the owner, He gave the matter into the hands of an ageut to adver- tise, and though he comes here a great deal, he has forbidden me to recognize him as the master,” «There is a plot at the bottom of it.” “What plot? I supposed it was only pride on Mr. Edinund’s part. [don’t see how thergcan, hr aay plot,” returned Mrs. Coxon. :