Vashti's Fate — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

116 LAUREL HILIL—TROUBLE of a skillful chaperon—either Mrs. Gordon heiself, ot Some one selected orf approved by her. ) The consequence of this was that the fair young habitues of Laurel Hill were rather ‘‘dressy.”” Amid all this blos- soming array Vashti, with her homely, unbecoming garb, looked as though she might have strayed from some orphan asylum or charity-school, that uniformed its profegees after a style, to say the least, intensely p@tuliar. She sat all dur- ing breakfast, scarce lifting her inky lashes, rose when the rest did, and went to her room, thinking Aunt Margery was not so greatly mistaken about boarding-schools after all. When the bell rang at eight o’clock for prayers in the lecture-room, she would have staid in her room had she dared. Most of her new schoolmates smiled when the ‘‘new scholar” came in a little after the rest, more awkward and embarrassed than ever; and when, in her fright at her novel situation, she sat down in the first seat she came to, that happening to be Professor Thorpe’s chair, a very insufficiently suppressed titter went round. Professor Thorpe himself was at the other side of the room, lowering a window which had been raised to cool the too highly heated room. He turned at the sound of that low laugh, and seeing the drooping, blushing figure in his - chair, glanced with sharp displeasure at his rude pupils, and crossing the floor stood by Vashti’s side, saying: ‘‘My child, are you the new pupil?” He had a very pleasant voice, and Vashti, won by its , kindness, lifted her downcast eyes timidly, saying : ‘‘T came last night, sir.” ‘‘Your name is Everleigh, I believe?” ; ‘* Ves, sir, Vashti Everleigh,” she answered, in an almost indistinct voice, ‘es ; ; vr. " ‘ ‘ “is ~1 74> i nd ~ .? = * + - ¢ ’ 7 ¥ pts ~ 3 “—< e a " , -? 22 : , ot - Ag : « G4 ca La - ae ©, 7 or | am | > ae al hy J — J Opte as 7 $ t ' ~ > it) St’. en ha 7 Pay a. e - . . . ° f 4 ? 4 hay , 4 ¥ > 4 e “ ) b a . ; , wt ‘ y * ; ‘5 A* * ae; ie * Cae i a aa ae a eC ee A a PT Vy: & SIA) er al ie ., Ph tiadl , Sf ~ - {AN 4 ( 2 “y a oo” a, _ fond / . “a+ ia, id _ sf > “ *