Stella Rosevelt — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

FILTHY LUCRE..- 107 berries you ever tasted, every one picked by my own fingers,” and she held up her right hand, showing her slender fingers stained by the rosy fruit. He watched her, his pale lips relaxing into a smile, which even extended to the eyes that had been so sad a little while before. She was irresistible in her bright beauty; she was as fresh and sweet as the morning itself, while with her heart filled with kindness and consideration for him, he began to think that all the world was not quite so bad as he had thought. ‘*Mrs. Mellen told me, as I came in, that you did not eat much breakfast,” Star continued; ‘‘and as she is about to serve you a little lunch, I brought my berries right up to give them to you myself.” Mrs. Mellen entered at this moment, bearing a little tray with a tempting lunch spread upon it. Star wheeled a small table to the invalid’s side, spread a spot- less towel which she found upon the rack upon it, and then deftly arranged the dishes in the most tempting way before him, putting the oleander blossoms in the center and the raspberries just under his nose, where he could not fail to get their delicious odor and long to eat them. ‘‘ How pretty and inviting you make everything look, little one,” he said, affectionately, as he watched her graceful move- ments and their result. ‘¢What would the world be but for the beauty there is in it? and what are pretty things given us for, but to enjoy?” Star ~ returned, with a fond glance at the flowers, as she moved them a trifle nearer to his plate. ‘‘There,” she went on, smiling, and tossing her hat upona chair, ‘‘I believe lam hungry myself, and if you will allow me to pour your tea, I think I could eat a slice of Mrs. Mellen’s delicious bread and butter with you afterward. You don't often see such bread as that, I can assure a and I toauhidt Ab run down here and beg her to give me sume.’ (E(@) % Gomicbooks