Stella Rosevelt — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

262 | STAR’S DELIGHT. ‘Oh, Uncle Jacob,” she faltered, ‘‘I am afraid you are - spending too much money for me.” ‘‘Don’t you like them?” he questioned, although her glow- ing face should have told him all he wished to know. ‘‘Like them? They are perfectly lovely; and I do particu- larly love diamonds.” ‘Then don’t trouble your pretty head about the money. You know I have been denied all my life the pleasure of spend- ing it for either wife or child, and now that I have found some one who appreciates and is worthy of it, let me get all the comfort I can in this way. You forget,” he continued, witha smile, *‘that there are two years’ income to be disposed of in some way, and lam only making up lost time. I like to go about the world, and I like to go in style, as I told you once before, and so my heiress must help me keep up appearances,” ‘‘Are you sure you are doing just right, Uncle Jacob, in giving me a// your money?’ Star asked, hesitatingly, after a few minutes of thoughtful silence, while she watened the sunlight play among her new treasures. | ‘To whom should I give it, I should like to know?” he questioned, bluntly. “But I have no gal claim upon you, and you have ‘rela- tives. I’m afraid it will make trouble i ‘‘No, it won’t; I’ve taken care of that, I can assure you,” he interrupted. ‘‘ My will is made, signed, and sealed, and in the hands of one of the best lawyers in the city. You are to have the whole of my fortune, excepting what the law demands for blood. I’ve given a dollar to each of them, just to clear myself and keep them from breaking my will; and they'll never get another red cent,” he concluded, with more asperity than she had ever seen him betray before. “Tm afraid you are piling a mountain upon my small shoulders,” Star said, with a little laugh. © ‘It isa mountain which I shall take care won’t crush you ; Gomicbooks-co