Ruby's Reward — page 302: what you’re looking at

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

He saw that he had made a vreat mistake in allow- ing his anger to get the better of him; but he never could bear to be ‘opposed in anything. He might have temporized w “ith her—prounised anything’ that she asked; and when he had once got the will in his possession, he would not have hesi- tated to burn it before her eyes, and then let her iy if she could, that such a document had ex- istec It would have been a doubtful question to settle, while no one would have been the wiser as to its con- tents. _ After a few moments, however, he said: “©Very well, Taecept your condition. I will call Thomas, who has just returned from the station, and he shall be the third party. “T should prefer that you would call Mrs. Coxon,” Ruby said, and remembering for the first time that she had not seen the housekeeper that morning, “Mrs, Coxon is not at home to-day,” Mr, Carpenter answered. He had been afraid that Ruby wonld make a confi- dante of her, so he had posted higr off at an early hour to superinter nd the cleaning’ of his bachelor apartinents in the city, and she would not be back until evening; meantime, he was determined to se- cure and destroy the will—after that she might tell whour she pleased: “Tam sorry,’ Ruby said, greatly disappointed, for rahe knew that Thomas Was completely under his testers thumb, and woul! doulstless swear to suit him, “for, in thatcase, Pena fee obliged to wait until I can see Mr, Rugeles again.’ Edmund Carpenter was in despair. He saw that Ruby was resolute; he had not be- lieved that she possessed a tithe of such determina- tion. ht 8 shall not permit you to remove your Lowy 3 to- day,” he said, angrily, imagining that she suet ye the. document convenled in it. ae