Vashti's Fate — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

HOPE DEFERRED. 283 expressioned face, and his laughing, bright eyes on Nora— dear, unconscious Nora Everleigh, with her crossed hands on the old gate, and her tender brown eyes watching the — sunlight among the tree-tops. The stranger smiled brightly to himself, as he looked at the fair vision, and dropping cap and gloves, with familiar impulsiveness he covered the clasped hands with his. Noras upward gaze reverted suddenly to more earthtly things. All the red faded out of her startled face, as she met his smiling glance, and she looked at him with scared eyes. ““Don’t you know me, Nora, my little Nora?” he said, almost reproachfully. Scarlet blushes’ covered her face, like a rose blushing into sudden bloom, and pulling her hands away from him, she covered her eyes with them, and burst into tears. He looked pained and surprised, but waited a little be- fore he said : : ‘* Are you, then, sorry to see me?” ** Ah, sir,” she cried, almost frantically, ‘‘I thought you would never, never come |!” ‘«That is it, is it?” he said, picking up his cap and gloves, dnd coming inside the gate. ‘‘I wrote you word I was coming more than two weeks ago.” She was drying her tears, but her lips still quivered as she said ; ‘*T haven't heard a word from you for six long months,” He smiled as he took her trembling hands again in his, saying ; | ‘Well, I have written you once in two weeks all the time. I didnot hear from you, either, but I believed you were safe, for all that.” cS comicboo co m