Beadle's Dime Novels No. 14 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

THE TWO BETROTHED GIRLS. 105 . meadow and sit under that flaming maple-tree that I see glow- ing like the burning bush between us and the hills.” “You are as romantic as I am,” laughed Clematis. “I gid not think it.” “ Indeed I used, when I was a child, to be a real sentimen- talist. But it spoils one so to devote themselves to society, Iam getting back my old tastes though. I would give my _ best dress or my diamond ring to be the fresh, enthusiastic creature that you are.” “Do you feel so very old, Rosalie? Let me see, you are twenty, or thereabouts, are you not ?” : “Tt was not the years, it was the manner of life which I was regretting. One could stay young forever in a place like this. That rustic well-sweep looks as if it dipped into the fountain of perpetual youth. By the way, Pennon wrote some verses about that, did he not?” Again the silvery laugh of the fair girls rang on the air. “There is mamma waiting for us at tle door.” They hastened their loitering steps toward the house. “Welcome, my dear Miss Sloane.” As Mrs. Percy kissed the young traveler’s cheek, speaking in her soft voice, and looking more welcomes than she said, as she untied the bonnet-strings and removed the cape, Rosa- lie wished that she had such a mother. “I bave not had a mother since I was a little child, Mrs. Percy,” she said, “ which is the reason I haye so many faults, [ expect. Will you not adopt me, and try and better me?” “T will adopt you and take suitable care of you until some one else substitutes their right,” was the answer. i “Ab, well; that will be soon enough,” and the beautiful cirl sighed, and Clematis caught its echo and sighed too, Then catching the look in each other’s eyes they smiled at themselves. t = The tray of refreshments which were brought into the par- lor looked so nice that Miss Sloane found she was a trifle hungry, after all ; so she ate a little lunch, talked a little longer with her hostess, took up her bonnet and— “ Now for the maple-tree, Clematis.” With arms about each other’s waists they wandered forth ; and there was no crusty citizen of the world to sneer at ComiclboOokks.conn