Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

was very sorry for you then, Mr. Osborn.” ; “Thank you, Miss Belle; I believe you were sin- cerely so, and almost the only one of all my fair weather friends who did not give me the cold shoul- der. I have always regarded you as my kind-hearted little sympathizer. I am not sure, however, but that. it was a good thing to have the gilded ,rops pulled | from beneath me,” he continued, cynivally; “it at least proved who were my true friends, and threw me upon my own resources. I hope,” he added, more vec Pai “that I shall be a better man all my life or it.’ “But was it all a mistake?” Siieu tonsa Belle, with more of curiosity than regard for etiquette. ‘““‘Have you got your inoney back again?” “No; the failure of the house of Osborn was no. mistake; if was a genuine one—a stern reality,” he answered; “but Il was fortunate enough to have an old bachelor uncle, somewhere on the other side of the world. who—though [ never saw him—left all his money to his hair-brained nephew, simply because he happened to be named for him.” “Oh, wasn’t that just splendid!” cried Belle, with sia sympathy ; ; “and I only hope that he had piles of it.” Againthe young man laughed, for her girlish curi- osity and genuine enthusiasm and good will amused him immensely. “How are your mother and sister?” she added, suddenly remembering to inquire for them. ‘““My mother is dead, Miss Belle, and Nellieis mar- ried,” he replied, with an involuntary sigh. “And that leaves you all alone,” lio’ remarked, re- gretfully. “Lam sorry. But you'll come to ne eave us, won't you, Mr. Osborn, before, . eave