Vashti's Fate — page 286: what you’re looking at

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

HOPE DEFERRED. 28r One evening, while thus occupied, she started up with a smothered exclamation, and a glance at her sister of the profoundest astonishment. Vashti, sitting before the fire with her folded hands upon ‘her lap, had inclined her ear to the half-uttered sound. She had already something of the Sharpened hearing pecu- liar to the blind. ‘What is it, sister?” she said, in the soft, musical tones that had characterized her speech since her misfortune. Nora crossed the room, and kissing her on her colorless cheek, said: ‘“What would you say, sister, if we were to get some of our sad losses made up to us? We do lead a rather hard life, don’t we ?” | Vashti thought she referred to money matters, and an- swered : , ‘‘Have you any encouraging news from the bank?” ‘‘T guess God is going to settle part of our account for s,” Nora answered, with another kiss, and turning away with tears, she could no longer repress, in her brown eyes. Miss Gresham looked up with a surprised glance, and Nora, laying the paper on her knee, pointed to a paragraph a little way down the page. Her eye, too, went from the paper to the lovely, drooping face at the fireside, and a flush of deep emotion crossed her cheek. Vashti asked no more questions, and presently, Nora, bringing writing materials into the room, sat down near the fire, and penned with eager, exciting fingers, a brief, but judging from her countenance and shining eyes, a very em- phatic letter. 3 Aunt Margery looked over her shoulder and read as she wrote, nodding and smiling, and throwing, now and then, a keen, bright glance at Vashti. The letter was folded, CS co mn ComIcboo