Ruby's Reward — page 318: what you’re looking at

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

“My mother’s name was Sadie Burton before her marriage,” he began, “That is a pretty name. Tell me about her parents and where they ‘lived,’ said madam, deeply inter- | ested. “Her parents died when she was a very young girl, and her home was in one of the suburbs of New. York. Her father’s sister, a maiden lady, having | considerable property, adopted her after she became an orphan, and it was understood that she was to in- herit all that she possessed in the event of her death, Her money was mostly in bank-stock, and after a few years, a heavy defalcation, together with some other misfortune, swamped the institution, leaving Miss Burton almost penniless in her oldage. My mother, however, had received a good education, and at once went to teaching to support herself and the aunt who had done so much tor her. But her voice failed after a few mouths, and she was obliged to relinquish her position and go into a store in New York, where she earned barely enough to enable them to live moderately well. Here my father, who was study- ing mechanical engineering in the city, met her, and a short acquaintance resulted in an avowal ot affection and an engagement, Miss Burton died soon after, and thus my motber was left entirely alone. T fear, however, this is but a dreary story to tell you,’ Walter interposed, and dreading to go on, | ‘No, m0; go ou. Let me hear the whole story,” madam said, eagerly, And he resumed : “My father iusisted upon an immediate marriage, for he said it was not fitting that she should be un- protected In that great city. He appeared to bein a condition to support her handsomely, and she, never dreaming but that she would be kindly received. by his friends, consented. It was not until some time after their marriage, that he told her he belonged to a wealthy family, and that he had magried, auuinst their wishes, eREa we eg