Stella Rosevelt — page 317: what you’re looking at

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

4I PROMISE.” 311 lips, telling of some fearful burden of care that was wearing his life away. ‘*So you want me to help George Richards out of his trouble, do you, Star?” Mr. Rosevelt said, on their way home, and his eyes rested fondly on the graceful figure sitting by his side, driving her pretty gray ponies. ‘* Perhaps it was presuming in me to ask you to doso, Uncle Jacob,” Star answered, gravely, and flushing a vivid crimson; ‘but I feel very sorry for him. He was kind to me in many ways while I was living with his family, and but for him I should have been made a common servant.” When George Richards was ushered into Jacob Rosevelt’s luxurious and cozy dining-room that evening, where the table was laid with exquisite taste for three, his eyes lighted, and the look of care vanished as if by magic from his face. Three times after dessert Star made Mr. Richards let her fill his tiny cup with the delicious coffee; then she playfully told _ him that she should not give him any more, but if he would come into the library, she would try and see what she could do toward intoxicating him in some other way. ‘‘T have not forgotten how fond you are of music,” she added, smiling, ‘‘and I want you to tell me if you do not think I have improved some since you last heard me play.” She slipped her hand through his arm and led him into the library, while Mr. Rosevelt watched her with humorous eyes as she performed this labor of. love. Seated at the piano, she whiled away another hour, making George Richards forget everything disagreeable, and appear the pleasant, genial gentleman whom she used to know. ‘< “Richard is almost himself again,’ I think,” she tlicught vith a happy little smile, as once, after a comic song which she sang to him, he leaned back in his chair and laughed long and heartily. But this could not go on forever, and finally Mr. Rosevelt comicbooks (Eo) 3