Vashti's Fate — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

’ . eu o2 | * J) eee we ee 6 - ‘ . ea} * 2 § re « a7 a4 ge" edt 5 Fil © oP ek > é * ; of mt o « - '% ry ‘ >» s on 282 HOPE DEFERRED. sealed, and directed, ready for Philip to take to the office in the morning, and then with her bright air slowly fading out, Nora relapsed into her own sadly foreboding thoughts. The week passed, and another, and no answer came to that eager letter. Nora made no allusion to it, but if pos- sible she was more than ever tender to Vashti. One morning, weary with a long confinement, first in the heated kitchen, then in Elise’s sick-room, and after- ward reading to her sister, she had thrown a shawl over her head, and was slowly walking down the road from the house. Miss Gresham came out and joined her. ‘“Nora,” she said, ‘‘what is it you are grieving about? _Is this poverty-stricken life really killing you ?” ‘‘Oh! Aunt Margery, I am trying to be patient. Iam trying, but I want my friend, my brother. God forgive me, I have tried to give him up to His hands freely, but my heart is very sore. This uncertainty is terrible.” Her lips quivered as she spoke, and her voice thrilled with sharp pain. ‘‘He will come again, my child. I know—I know he will ; he must,’’ Miss Gresham answered, hoarse with emo- tion, and went in. | Nora sauntered on toward the highway. The morning was a bright one, sharp and cold, per- haps, but exhilarating, and unconsciously the spirits of the girl rose at every step. At the gate she paused, lean- ing upon it in musing attitude, while up the road a little way off a gentleman, muffled to the chin in fur wrappings, was coming toward her at a brisk pace. She had not ob- served him, and as he came nearer he slackened his step a little, came up almost on tiptoe, throwing back his fur wrappings a trifle, and taking his fur cap off. He looked. a handsome gentleman, with his bronzed but fresh- comicbook ‘S.con NS, ae ee Wake. SADIE Me Peper Fie ae) eee