Beadle's Dime Novels No. 13 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

‘*- CONCILIATING THE MOTHER. 37 merous questions of Reginald. As he did not think it best to Commence an offensive warfare upon women, the chances of any Private conference with his fair cousin, seemed, to Preston, to — be small indeed; so small, that the thought of incéntinently beating a retreat, more than once crossed the Briton’s mind, but was as often dismissed; he coufd not—he would not give it up so / At length, insensibly as it were, Mrs. Vale was drawn into conversation. The young man had an insinuating manner that was hard to resist, and he taxed his conversational pow- ers to entertain these, to him, simple folk, quite as much as he had ever done to rivet the attention of some. wealthy belle, in the days when he flirted in the London salons, and was an honored guest at the table of the richest and most distingue families of the aristocracy. So much did the widow forget herself, that she actually asked the’ visitor to remain for tea, when she saw him preparing to leave about half an hour be- fore the regular time for that meal. Gratifying as it would, no doubt, have been to the young man, he was, nevertheless, ' compelled te decline—he had an engagement which it was necessary for him to meet; he did not, however, state this as ah excuse, but simply declared his inability to remain. | When Preston had departed, the impression he left behind was rather favorable than otherwisé® Kate's heart told her he was one to be feared rather than respected, and that these visits boded no good. On the contrary, the mother’s first suspicions seemed allayed, and she expressed a fear that she had hastily formed a bad opinion of the honest young man, as Captain Preston appeared to be. He promised her dwelling Protection from all foraging parties belonging to their line. As a general rule, it is wisest not hastily to change first- formed Opinions. Mrs. Vale saw into the true character of Reginald almost the moment he crossed her threshold, but suf- fered her vision to be obscured by the curtain of plausible “onversation, and insinuating manners, of the shrewd man of — World. She was not the first mother who had been flat- vered into silence in the same manner ! : commiclhooks.comn