Beadle's Dime Novels No. 20: Florida; or, The Iron Will — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

L® ROY. TOr's 88 “ At your old pet theory again. Even a lovely woman can only interest you as she shows capacity for science, or an agent for science to work upon. You had better get acquainted; she would make a capital lecturer. What a pity, now, that some reverses will not come, and you two, joining interests, go out into the world and astonish the natives! You would make money hand over fist, as they say.” « That’s a delightful little creature,” said the lecturer, nod- ding toward Virginia, who stood now in perfect repose, listen- ing to some low spoken words, but whose mind seemed to be far away. “She is as passive as her sister is positive. Ill venture to assert that she is the meek Cinderilla of the house- hold — whose godmother gives her delightful dreams, but whose sister tyrannizes over her to her heart’s content. If you look closely, you'll observe a weary, care-worn look that doesn’t come all out on the surface. It is rf€her introverted, as if the heart were prone to gather its sorrows into a secret place for nursing. I really pity that girl if she is sensitive— and with that complexion and those eyes she can hardly help “ Hers is a very peculiar style of beauty,” said the author, suryeying her more intently. “I have@often described it, but, upon my word, I don’t know as ‘I ever saw it in its purest type before. That girl is not aware of her own worth.” Meanwhile, Florida was going from one to another, dis- pensing graces, smiles and words, and, whether unconsciously or not, bringing scores under her influence by the-irresistible attraction that seemed to flow out from her presence. She was the observed of all observers, the closely-followed by more than one man of note and wealth. The most favored of the gentlemen, however, was undoubtedly Le Roy, who was y in love, and would scarcely have given a straw for existence if assured that she was indifferent toward him. ally attentive. Everybody saw, and not a few laughed over, his infatuation, as they called it. "An old fellow like him !” sneered the young men, though . they knew that his personal appearance and his vast wealth were a powerful counterbalance in the scale of a woman’s preference, especially suck: a woman as Florida. conmicldoolkks.conn ‘