A Struggle for a Ring — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

THE MEETING. 159 devote the whole of her time to studying how to make the best of herself; but, first and foremost, she must decidedly get into good society, where she could learn those things in which she was now most deficient. ‘‘T see it plainly now,” she said. ‘‘It is of no use to be able to quote Dante and Goethe in the original unless I have a pleasant manner, an easy, graceful address, and something like self-possession. I must acquire those first.” She had thought it well over, and she had come to this conclusion, that the wisest thing she could do was to go to some first-class school. She would ask her young hus- band’s advice, and if he consented, the matter was settled. Not for worlds would she have allowed Hettie to suspect this intention. Hettie’s sarcasms would have been terri- ble—she would have made many bitter gibes and jests. To be married to go to school! How absurd! But then fortunately Hettie was not mistress of her destiny—there was no need for her to know anything about it. Poor Alice! She dressed herself on the day that he was coming in her best dress, a new blue silk, very tastefully trimmed with white lace, and she wore red roses in her golden hair and on her white breast. She had given up hope, she had long felt nothing but despair, yet because he was coming all the sweetness of life returned to her— her eyes shone like two lustrous stars, her sweet face had a dainty flush on it. Any man, save one blinded by an- other’s love, must have read love on that most fair face and in those beautiful eyes. | ‘‘Dear me,” said Hettie, when Alice went down into the little parlor, flushed with the knowledge of her own happiness and her own beauty—‘‘dear me, this is a cer- tain sign that Mr. Nelson is expected home. Frank, see (E(0) mn (C JOO (eto)