Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

73 FLORIDA; OR, THE IRON WILL. long are you going to stay, Mr. Dudley? I heard it was a year. What will Miss Loyd and Miss Carey do?—there! I am betraying secrets.” - _ The young man opened his eyes and bit his lips. She saw his movement, and deepened the impression by saying: “O! I don’t know as they care about you more than common, but they’re all the time talking about you. Come, now, don’t look so conscious; there, see, you are forgetting the figure.” “I shall be heartily glad when the figure is over,” said Horace Dudley to himself. ‘ “How dreadful_y dull it will look about here when your house is closed, Mr. Dudley,” persisted his pretty but rude partner. “It will not be closed, Miss Fanny. You will have neighbors, for I have let it.” “Indeed !” echoed the young lady, as, lifting both hands, she adjusted a stray ringlet with more persistency than grace. “Yes, indeed.” “O! Mr. Dudley, I wish you'd tell me all about it,” “With pleasure, Miss Fanny. The house is taken for a lady slightly aged, and almost bedridden.” “Horrible! and will she haye no one with her? no daughters ?” “ Two, Miss Fanny.” “©! I wonder if I shall like them. Are they agreeable ?” “ All ladies are agreeable to me, Miss Fanny.” “They wouldn’t be if you knew them as well as I do,” retorted Miss Fanny, in such a blunt, matter-of-fact way, that Mr. Dudley lost his self-possession, and laughed outright. “TI trust you will find these people exceptions,” he said, recovering himself. All over the room there was 4 general mourning at the prospect of a loss so detrimental to “our set.” Mr. Dudley was, I might remark, a bright and shining light in more Tespects than one. In fact, he was a desirabie friend, a man to be loved (by some hopelessly) for his simple, manly vir- tues, and it had long been the ambition of the reigning beauties to secure him for a husband. Vain all their attempts: he was not to be caught with chaff, nor with wheat either °- comliclOoks.comn