A Struggle for a Ring — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

oA4 TO WIN A HUSBAND'S HEART. ‘Dear. madame,” she cried, eagerly, ‘“‘that need not be; I can make some arrangement—let me still continue, after a fashion, to be your pupil.” Which speech madame rightly interpreted to mean that she would most gladly continue her payment of two hun- dred per annum if madame would help her gain her heart's desire. ‘*We will talk it over,” said madame; and they did so, the result of which conversation was that on receipt of two hundred pounds from Alice madame would furnish her with all needful testimonials as to ability, character, refinement, etc., and that she should do her best to secure her the situation. Mrs. Howard wondered much over it; the girl, she thought to herself, must have some strange under-current in her life—she must have some strange, settled design in wanting to goto this house. Yet, that the design was in any way connected with the family themselves, never even occurred to her. Alice was almost beside herself with joy; she could not realize that she had really gained her heart's desire—she could not realize the wonder that this great dash of sunlight was indeed hers. She-settled it all with madame—she told her frankly that she did not wish those at home to know- what she was doing—they would not understand it, nor would they like it; so madame promised to receive all her letters and forward them to her, and not to let any one know that she was engaged as com- panion to Lady Waldrove of Roseneath., Madame prom- ised on the day following to write to the countess and tell her that she had found the most suitable person it was ede sible to find. rap — AL 5, Then Alice, hasnike more eats more wilted fan she RSS | comicbhoo ‘S -CO ' a