Vashti's Fate — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

142 ELIZABETH BRENT AGAIN fore her, a round red spot on either cheek, and her dusky eyes burning with frenzied imploring. The half dozen girls in the room shrank close to each other, breathless with excited expectation, and Elizabeth Brent, as if unable to stand, sank into a seat. ‘‘ Just ask her, Mrs. Gordon.” It is difficult to tell what were Mrs. Gordon’s thoughts. Possibly she thought the girl was so nearly distracted that she had better humor her. At any rate, turning to Eliza- beth Brent, she said: ‘*You are terribly to blame, Elizabeth, for circulating a story of this kind among your schoolmates, whether it is true or not.” | ‘‘It is not true,” broke in Vashti; ‘‘she knows it is not.” “TJ don't know that it is not true,’ aad Elizabeth, sullenly, and beginning to cry. ‘‘I’m sure it is no fault of mine, if folks do say her father killed a man, and She did not finish the sentence. With a sharp cry, Vashti struck the girl’s insulting lips with her open palm. Nobody spoke in the room for several seconds. Vashti’s passion seemed to have all gone out of her with that stinging blow; and when Mrs. Gordon, with a very, very grave face, said, ‘‘Come away to your room, Vashti,” she followed her, perfectly subdued and looking half ashamed. Subdued and ashamed, she looked so, truly; but when Mrs. Gordon, as she left her at the door, said: ‘7 leave you to your own thoughts for the present. In the morning I shall expect you to have come to yourself — sufficiently to ask not only my pardon for your conduct, but that of the school whose decorum you have broken} in upon, as well as that of the girl you struck.” } 2 Vashti turned in the doorway, a smoldering spark in her eye, as she answered : 5 ‘ ¥ - ra ‘ te hve oT dee EE, i ad, ar 5e~ "4 mae A 7 ee ro ee a ae. . wea *: i a ae “ rhe sauce Dees ne / J iy . , ‘ wie bie tes * 6g 7 hr} —— nite rr, 7 ay af fs : | Ded Ne ia ee eS RELEN eM IIR pgs eM as “com icboo! <s.com ; ; wi 4 A t + ae. Bes ~ al ' » Ty 5 mM Y=" yee a P the a va * 444-33; eo Px rf 4 fi . é x 4 ie” Py § " a at - ’ i a Af “Ae +y- % ; Ay Fea aw P-Pe, a | - 7 t ’