Thrice Lost, Thrice Won — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

On Christmas Eve. Lear os Yr AY cniudl their a i. Poor little Essie! It was all my fault, I am afraid, and she is so romantic, and Alwyn so handsome. Don’t be too hard on him, Norah: he can’t help that face of his, or all those winning ways, and he can’t fall in love with our little girl and marry her, just to please two sentimental, match-making old maids. Here is a note from him, accepting my invitation to come and spend Christmas with us. Very good of him, is it not, to leave his gay life in New York, for our dull old Chelsea homestead ! Q?? Norah’s answer was a contemptuous snort. “Better have let him stay—that’s my opinion, Miss Heian: but it’s likely you know best. He’ll only make that child worse, with his wishy-washy picture-painting and _ piano- strumming, and song-singing, and walking, and gadding. He’ll make her worse than she is, and that’s bad enough, goodness knows, and then he’ll go off at New Year’s, and we’ll all have the mopes for a month. You can do as you like, but if I was mistress I’d no more let a young man near the house than I would a fiery dragon. There!” | | “Norah, hush!” cried her mistress, Habaidously. “Listen to this.” She had torn open the third letter. and her thin cheeks © ; flushed. and her eyes kindled, as she reat its few curt lines: ‘ -Fisuer’s FotLty, RockLepcr, Nov. 98th, 18—. “Miss Henen Mauuory : Madame,—It is my painful duty . to announce to you the death of my friend and your nephew- - in-law, Captain Roysten Darrell. The Raven was wrecked off the coast. of Bermuda, and all or board perished. I send you a paper containing a full aecount of the disaster. Mrs. makes her his heiress, I trust to her generosityrand sense of _ parent to her for So many years. “ae | “Very truly yours, ae | “PETER FISHER.” : ore cat . “There, Norah! !? exclaimed Helen, eagerly, “Estella is p Free ee ate | “Thank the Lord!” aad Mealy “not that I thought-she Drowned and out of the way; he can make her no trouble in the future. Don’t sit up too long, Miss Helen, and don’t tire _ yourself reading. Will I send Miss Essie to you when she comes in?” _ “Yes; I will remain here. How relieved the poor child will be io the thought of her freedom! The fear of this Roysten pe: oo to remember handsomely the old man who was a _R. D. is consequently a widow, and when her wealthy father Eas: anything but free. Still, its a great deal better he’s~ : S09 Nora ah quitted | the Cee tem and cdesconded to the (E(0) comick 290 S