Weaker than a Woman — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

6a F ‘gh! 8 x) Wee wT 4, th TiS ee. Oe tet oe ie am PRAT 4 WT eee! oe 7. meer. _ i. =i Me # Oe hy e Pay Sina ~.. , nt ‘ RS ah Sas,’ r po ak ts ee FE Soler D1, i ee ye —~w ; WEAKER THAN A WOMAN, — 103 and myself to part. I am afraid he has enough on his shoulders.” “T have thought so for some time, my dear,” was the quiet reply. “Your engagement is folly, your marriage would be madness.” | Then Violet went up to her mother, and put onearm around her neck. “Mamma,” she said, “you will save me all trouble 2?” “Yes,” replied Mrs. Haye, “you may safely leave it all to me.” : And so wealth won a soul not. noble enough to live for ove. ‘ CHAPTER XX. THE LETTER. A cruel day dawned for Felix Lonsdale—a day when the sun shone so brightly and with such heat that grass, flow- ers, and leaves withered beneath his fervent rays, when a golden haze seemed to lie over the land, and the brooks ran slowly over the pebbles beneath them—a day when the wind was still, and not the faintest whisper of a breeze stirred the leaves or blossoms—a cruel day. He remem- bered it all through his life, for the warm sunlight seemed suddenly to change into a fire that burned him, every- thing bright and fair appeared to wither before his eyes. It was a day which brought him a pain that never quite left him while life lasted. He was in his office in the High street—the office that had once borne such signs of prosperity—where the great iron safes had been filled with deeds, and huge bill-files had been loaded with documents—where the tables had been strewn with papers and letters—where busy clerks had passed the day, all too short for the work they had_ to do—where people were always going and coming with the air of having important business on hand. It was all so different now. One by one the clerks had gone—there was nothing to do. One by one the neighbor- ing squires and farmers had withdrawn their business from the old office. There was so little to transact now that Felix could manage with one clerk. Still he had hope. He felt sure that in time this state of things must improve. When people began to think calmly they would know that his father was innocent of that which had been imputed to him, Eomicbooks.- co