Vashti's Fate — page 264: what you’re looking at

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

2 LS ee r,s Pe ee eee POR pn er ee Oe ee gion, r a << os et « ‘ ‘ > ~~ as ta a f . TANTALIZATION. — 259 She made him no reply, arranging the opals, shaking out the lace trimming of her rich dress, and finally, with the utmost deliberation, sat down. ‘* Well,” she said, ‘‘ brother mine, about this news. It amounts, as I understand it, to this—just this—the money is all gone! You and I have spent in about a year more money than an Everleigh ever did before in a life-time.” ““T don't believe it. How could we ?” ‘“Easy enough, when one spends a small fortune as you did yesterday on that span of grays. I did something after the same style yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. This, for instance,” throwing him a dainty pocket-handkerchief, ‘‘cost about half as much as your grays. ‘There are half a dozen of them.” ‘“T don’t care; I don’t believe a word of it.” He was interrupted by a violent fit of coughing. ‘‘ What business had our money to be ina bank? Banks are always break- ing; and as for that enormous sum Aunt Margery says we have spent, I don't believe it, there! But I don't see what difference it makes how much we have spent. If we had not spent it, it would have been swallowed up in that broken bank. Whatever was the use in Aunt Margery being appointed guardian for us? Dr. Gracie would have put the money in a safe place. It is just like a woman’s work. Jam glad I shall be of age sometime.” ) ‘“Pshaw! Frank, it was no fault of Aunt Margery’s the bank breaking; and I’m sure she never stinted us in _ money as long as it lasted. We've spent all we wanted to; and, for aught I can see, you and I will have to, go back to Everleigh, or do worse. I’ve an idea that the house, trinkets, grays, bays, and sorrels will pay whatever debts there are on the firm of Everleigh & Co.” “You talk about it in a wonderful easy, off-hand way, COmMIcbDoOo cS (Ee) mn