Weaker than a Woman — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

~~. . ee ee ay ae Xe ge.“ le eo OP Ee Fie 4% ay be "Fas ~~ ? Uy i“ oe pe A +) - “>. pa a ‘as. Pe : fa y in - . ‘ — 10 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. or I estimate the amount of happiness that lies in six thou- sand pounds ?” | “I value it because it will give me Violet,’’ declared the ardent young lover. “And I because it will give me every desire of my heart,” said Mrs. Lonsdale. “And, above all, it will give your dear father a little rest.” — CHAPTER II. WOOING VIOLET HAYE. Violet Haye! There is something ina name. More than one man murmured this one over and over again, won- dering to himself what sweet magic, what wonderful sor- cery lay init. Violet Haye—the very sound evoked a vis- ion so beautiful, so full of witching grace, so dainty, so delhghtful, that dwelling on it proved too much for minds and brains not overstrung. What had not Violet Haye to answer for? How many prosperous young farmers had - wasted the best hours of the summer days while the hay _ spoiled in the meadows and the corn grew over-ripe in the fields, watching in Castle street, or waiting in the green _lanes, for one glance at the peerless face of Violet Haye? The young doctor, who had bought the old physician’s practice had almost gone mad for love of her; and when she told him, with a sweet, bright smile, that she disliked medicine and everything connected with it, in pique and despair he married a prim little old maid who had ceased for fifteen years to dream of a wedding-ring. Young curates came, Saw, and were comquered; but beautiful Violet res- — olutely refused to help any parish work—she would have nothing to do with the schools. One after another the eurates went away, with a bitter memory of one of the lovelist girls in Loomshire. The young tradesmen of the place had never dared to lift their eyes to her, for she be- longed to the class known in Lilford as the gentry; but when by chance Violet Haye did enter a shop the mas- ter of it had need of patience during the next twenty-four hours, for Violet Haye was a most beautiful girl, and _ reigned queen of the country round Lilford. There was a wonderful charm about the girl. It was not simply for the sheen of her golden hair, for the wonderful light of her violet eyes, the exquisite tints of her face, the * beauty of her rosebud mouth, that men loved her so; itwas comic 900ks.