Ruby's Reward — page 229: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Coxon held the door open for her to pasa out, then closed it again without making the slightest noise, and led the way down a flight of back stairs in silence, Ruby thinking her action very strange and perplexing. But when the woman opened the door to her own little room at the foot of the stairs, and she saw who was within, she sprang forward witha elad cry that made the housekeeper smile with an air of triumph as she went back to the kitchen to give orders for breakfast; and then she left the lovers alone. “Walter, how came you here?” Ruby exclaimed, as she laid both her hands in his and looked up at him, a vlad welcome in her blue eyes. “Teame to see you, dear,” he answered, smiling as he led her to a seat and drew another beside her, “But—but—” Ruby began, flushing and looking slightly disturbed. “But you cannot understand why you are called to the housekeeper’s room to receive me instead of the drawing-room, which would be the more proper place?’ he concluded for her. “Yes, that was my thought,” she admitted. “Well. then, to be pertectly frank, it is because I was not allowed to see youin the drawing-room,” Walter explained, flushing a vivid crimson, “What can you mean, Walter?” He then told her all that had transpired, greatly to her amazement and indignation. He thought it best that her eyes should be opened at once to the fact that her sister was a secret enemy to thei both, “T cannot understand it,’ she said, wheu he con- cluded. ‘I have been very Weary since school closed, and have lain in the hammock most of the time. FEs- telle knew Iwas there. I went there directly atter tea, and everything was 80 theo I fell asleep... itis not fifteen minutes since she aroused Ss me up stairs to bed.” Tati ahh