Beautiful but Poor — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

46 BEAUTIFUL BUT POOR. “No, bring it here this minute!” . Jess went slowly up stairs, and reluctantly handed the letter over to her mistress. She had given her letters before, which she knew never reached those to whom they were directed. And the poor little ser- vant loved Hattie Butler, and could not bear that she should be wronged. Miss Scrimp looked at her letter. “Tt’s from Californy again,’? she muttered. ‘“There’s somethin’ strange in so many letters comin’ to that gal from Californy.’’ Then she turned to Jessie, and fixing, if she could fix, those cross-eyes on her, she said, in a whisper, a harsh, fierce whis- per: “If you just breathe one whisper to a living soul about this letter a-comin’ here, I’ll pull the very ears off your frowsy head. I’m afeared some one is a-tryin’ to delude that sweet young cretur away, and I’m not a-goin’ to sit still and see it. No, it’s my, Christian duty to take care of her, and I’m goin’ to doit. Dll see who it is a-writin’ to her, and what he says.” “Why, sure, ma’am, you wouldn’t keep Miss Hat- tie’s own letter from her?’”’? asked Jessie, with un- usual boldness. ‘Yes, for her own good, I would. And now, mind you, don’t speak it toa living soul. If you do, ’ll whip you till you can’t squeal !’’ Miss Scrimp was one who never forgot sucha promise, as poor Jessie knew to her sorrow. So she went back up stairs to. her work, and Miss Scrimp darted into her own room with that letter. She sat down near the dingy window, and looked at it, back and front, and examined it in every way to see if it was not possible to open it without break- ing the seal. (ee) -comicboo