Ruby's Reward — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

“What ails you, Ruby? Why do you not tell me?” she persisted, as the girl madé no answer. Ruby aroused herself at this. She arose and stood before her sister, looking down upon her with stern eyes, which were nevertheless fitted with unspeak- able agony. Estelle, ‘tell me truly,” she commanded, in a tone that she had never used betore, do you know any- thing about that arrest‘—is it any of your work, or is Edmund Carpenter also at the bottom of this foul wrong ?* “What on earth do you mean, child ?—what is my doing ?—of what is Edmund Carpenter at the bot- tom?” returned Mrs, Gordon, impatiently, and try- ing to look mystified. “Walter has been arrested upon the eharge of hay- ing stolen your money and diamonds.” “Walter Richardson! is it possible ? ? How does he happen to be suspected 2?’ “ |: “Because ‘he “eae here on the night of the rob- bery, and it is claimed that no professional, or no one trom outside the house, could have taken the things.” “Well, that is a startliny piece of news; but who knows but what he may be the guilty one, after all? It does have a suspicious look, come to think of it—his sleeping here that night, and then getting away before light in the morning. Well, T warned you against him, Ruby, and [ hope’ you w ill listen to me now,” Mrs. Gordon concluded, in a reproachtul tone, as if she wished to imply ‘that Ruby had, in some way, been partially to blame for the covil7'e- temps. “Estelle! Walter is as innocent of this crime as I am. I do not see how you ean imagine for a moment that he could be guilty of such a thing , and I will not believe one word against him,” Ruby asserted, in- dignantly. “Butit it should be proved against him, how could you help believing it?’ Mrs. Gordon usked, as she stooped to pick up ‘the paper and begun to read the account for herself, regardless of her a sabes “Tt never can be proved against bim. One qa Se