Beadle's Dime Novels No. 14 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

100 THE EMERALD NECKLACE, “ Noyse thought you were in New York, but I knew better. I have read your selfish nature, and I know you are rusticat- ing this moment, enjoying all the splendor and beauty of your castle in solitude, not only unmindful of friends, but of a heart that is breaking itself most uselessly. Well! if somebody dies, I know what her epitaph ought to be; but I believe she has too much good sense to die for so inadequate a cause. However, she is not of the strongest make—she is fine clay, easily shattered. We are going home soou. I shall not say whether we are well and happy, or not, for you do not care, and do not deserve to know. The Percys are at home by this time. . Yours, in high dudgeon, _ = “RosaLie SLOANE.” A word to the wise is sufficient—sometimes. Five days after the receipt of the communication which set Pennon to packing his trunk so unexpectedly, and which caused the poor housekeeper to say to the chore-boy: “Its plain to be seen, we'll have little peace of our lives with a master that never knows his own mind, and is here one day and away another and back the next”—five days after this, about half an hour before sunset (to be explicit), Clematis - Percy, looking fragile and wan, leaned back in.the arm-chair her mother had drawn to the window for her, and looked out upon the landscape. It was the window at which their guest had painted the picture now hanging over the mantel—the scene was one she had always loved, and she gazed at it now more than ever; for she was an invalid, and had not much else to do. Her parents glanced in at her from the dining-room, where Mrs. Percy was laying the cloth for tea. “Tt’s the emerald necklace which has done it all,” said the - mother. “ Fiddlestick, wife! it’s that confounded painter of pictures !” It was seldom Mr. Percy used strong language; but his feelings were by no means enviable as he saw the “sole daughter of his house and heart” drooping daily before his es. tt was well that the lady of the house had set the table so neatly, and placed on it “good store of all that’s nice”—for . comicioooks.com