Stella Rosevelt — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

AN INTERESTING STORY. 247 ‘‘Now, good-night,” he said, rising; ‘‘I want you to be as fresh as possible to-morrow.” He led her to the door of her room, and then, with a softly breathed ‘‘ God bless you !” sought his own. God bless you! Those words rang in Star’s ears. Was he- beginning to believe in her God, after all? She hoped so— | she prayed so. But she did not go directly to bed, as he bade her; his story had strangely stirred her heart, and she could not rest until she had decided some questions that were troubling her. - She opened a drawer of her dressing-case, and taking that worn portfolio to which we have before referred from it, un- locked it, and drew forth a sealed package. ‘‘Papa told me to wait until I was eighteen before I opened and read it,” she said, musingly; ‘‘but a few hours can make no difference, and I feel now as if I must know if he was her son, and why he never would tell me anything about his family.” With reverent fingers she broke the seals, a sob rising to her lips as she thought whose hand had fastened them there, and how tenderly it used to stroke her hair and call her ‘‘ My bright little Star.” The package contained several papers, and it took her more than an hour to examine them; but when she had read them through, there was a look of wonder in her large blue eyes and an almost blank expression on her white face. Gomicbooks (E(0)