Vashti's Fate — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

ELIZABETH BRENT AGAIN. 139 ‘¢She has made the girls believe it, some of them. She hates you so bad, Vashti.” “‘Does she? Well, I don’t like her any too well; but what has she been telling now? Out with it.” “Did you know where Libbie Brent went at the holi- days?” ‘““No; I don’t even know where her friends live, or whether she has any, and I care less.” ‘«She knows about yours, though, or pretends she does. She visited at a place that she calls Hart Corners at the holidays. She says that is only a little way from Ever- leigh.” “Tt is six miles from Everleigh.” ‘“Well, she says she saw some one there that told her— oh, a dreadful tale about—about your father.” Vashti started, her face wearing a look of shocked sur- prise. Violet put her loving arms about her neck, kissing her, and crying: ‘‘Don’t cry darling. Tell me what she said.” Vashti spoke as if her voice was choked with tears. “‘T don’t want to tell you; it will make you feel so bad. It was a dreadful, dreadful story !” Fea ‘Violet, you don’t know how you vex me with this delay ; tell me, this instant, what this dreadful story is, I can Pd imagine—but tell me She put the child down from her lap, as she spoke, and with her hands on her shoulders, held her with a hard, tight grasp, while she answered her with a scared face : ‘«She said your father killed a man, and then killed him- ° self, for fear he’d be hung for it.” ‘““Vashti’s hands fell away from the child’s shoulders—she pushed her almost violently from her, .and rising, went straight to the door, her face dark with passionate anger, cay (aie) mM comicbooks > F- : oA " RF = ¥ et “S")a' ’)