Ruby's Reward — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

Ruby said she would, and the woman led her up stairs to a large, square chamber, with windows overlooking a magnificent western view that made the young girl ex- claim, with delight : “Oh, M.2 Ruggles, what wonderful hills —what lovely valleys !” she cried, running to the window and looking out. . “ What a feast you must have all the year round.” ‘La, child, I’ve lived here all my life, and I suppose I’ve got so used to it all that it doesn’tseem very grand to menow, though most of people think it is, and Idon’timagine I should be willing to live anywhere else for a great while atatime. It’s home.” ‘* It must be beautiful here in the winter when everything is covered with snow. Those tall mountains must seem almost like | pillars in the temple of the Lord,” Ruby murmured, with her eyes fixed in a far- away, almost entranced gaze upon the dis- ant verdure-clad hills. The woman regarded her wonderingly for & moment after this reverent speech, and then stole away, leaving her to enjoy the beautiful scene undisturbed. But a little later the sound of a bell aroused her from her reverie, and, hastening to make some little change in her toilet, she went down to supper. Never before had a meal tasted so good as did that one eaten by the hungry travellers in tho cool, shady dining-room of the Ruggles mansion, with the last rays of the setting sun stealing in at one window and touching with their mellow radiance the in- viting table and the happy group gathered about it comichooks.com