Ruby's Reward — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

“Ooax her!” repeated her companion, with an ex- ressive shrug of her shapely shoulders. ‘Miss Gor- don is not easily coaxed when there is a principle at fe asl have recently learned to my mortifica- tion,” “Play the invalid, then, and keep her with you. She surely would not leave you if you were ill; it would be a question of ‘duty,’ you know.” « * * kr ve * * * During the next day or two Edmund Carpenter set himself diligently to work to ascertain what Wal- ter's plans were. Hefound what we already know; that he was only in the city temporarily ; that he was engaged upon a contract at Chester, and would leave Philadelphia the first of the coming week, and this explained why Ruby had also decided to leave on Monday for Redville, He did not present himself once during the inter- val at Forestvale, but he watched and played the spy upon the lovers, and waited his so ope akg to spring some trap upon them that sho ruin their happi- ness forever. The last night of Walter's stay he followed him as he went to pay his final visit to his betrothed. Reaching his estate he hitched his horse to a tree in a secluded spot outside the grounds, and then stole softly up to the house, like a thief, hoping to overhear something that would help him in his scheme, He was not disappointed; for,as he drew near, he heard voices upon the veranda. He knew instinctively to whom they belonged, and creeping softly nearer upon the velvet turf he sta- tioned himself behind some vines which grew over one end of the piazza, and where he could easily overhear all that passed between Walter and Ruby. The night was sultry; the sky was heavy with clouds, making it very dark, while low and frequent pHa sao in the west told of an approaching thun- er-storm.