Beadle's Dime Novels No. 131 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

58 THE WRECKERS DAUGUTER. “Tm afraid the boy’s a fool,” he said, a little angrily, as he passed into the house. Oliver had been over a year in, Mr. Wetmore’s counting- house, winning “ golden opinions” for his steadiness and in- dustry, notwithstanding his. natural indolence, and a_cer- tain fire of restlessness which blent with it. In society he was a great favorite, there being a grace in his manner un- approachable by scions of northern growth, and a brilliancy in his smile that was like a flash of light.. That his father was an East Indian merchant of great wealth did not detract from his popularity. He would have been laid siege too by many very nice girls, had it not been generally understood that Miss Wetmore had claims upon him. His long visit was to terminate soon, he did not know how soon,as he was await- ing orders from his father, who had barely mentioned, in his last letter, that he might revisit his native land and carry his son back with him. If he concluded not to come, Oliver ex- pected to be recalled very soon. ‘Although he had rooms in a Secateghenns. his real home was with the Wetmores. When they were in the city he al- “ways dined with them and spent the evening, being as privileged as any other member of the family, He had been with them considerably since they went to the country; but ud seemed inclined to stay away. Kate had noticed a cold- ness and reserve so little like his natural manner that she be- gan to think she had seriously offended him. Oliver never had told Kate of his engagement with the wrecker’s daughter. Some inexplicable feeling always had pre- vented the confession. Kate never had suspected it until quite lately. When she did suspect it, # made her very un- happy. The suddenness and depth of that unhappiness re- vealed to her the state of her own affections. She loved him, and he was indifferent to her. . Still she hoped against hope. Sometimes she would find Oliver’s eyes resting upon her with an expression which made her heart throb ; sometimes there was a faltering tenderness in his tone—or did she imagine it? On this evening all her most jealous suspicions were con- ed... He had gone away to visit that girl without even telling her, the previous day, of, his intention to be so long . EComicbhooksicom