A Social Meteor — page 254: what you’re looking at

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

244 | A SOCIAL METEOR. “Run, will you?” cried Mrs. Douglass, im- patiently, ‘“there’s some in the dining-room.” ‘Lor’, ma’am, I should never dare to go there all in the dark, and the wind whistling like this ; I should be scared to death!” “Well, upon my soul, you’re the greatest cow- ard I ever saw,” returned Mrs. Douglass, in mingled anger and disgust; “but perhaps you can go as far as my room and get the brandy flask off the washstand, do you think you can, as it’s possibly a question of life and death ?” “Tl do that,’ replied the terrified chamber- maid, starting off on her errand. “You're very kind, I’m sure,” observed Mrs. Douglass, tartly, proceeding to rub her young lady’s cold hands vigorously, “I didn’t know as you'd have the nerve.” Presently she was gratified by seeing the closed lids slowly open, and the pale lips move, but there was no sign of recognition in the dark eyes, nor did the words she spoke contain any ~ meaning. ‘Poor darlin’ child,” muttered the housekeeper, . ‘what is the matter now? ‘Tell your own old Kate, what indticed you to come up here in such a dreadful cold place? It’s enough to give you your death.” | _ Then her sharp eyes fell upon a bundle of letters, yellow with age and tied with a faded comicbooks: com,