His Other Wife: A Novel — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

104 MR. CROFT’S WARD. Mrs. Foster was seldom seen to exchange a word with her employers; the servants stood in wholesome dread of her, though she never seemed in any way harsh with them, only her grim, silent ways frightened them. Toward Faith, the housekeeper manifested the same passive repulsion with which she chilled off every one about her. It was seldom that their paths touched at all. What do you think ails Mrs. Foster?” inquired Faith of her governess, as they were saying good-night. % ‘“‘Screw loose here, I would say,” replied Miss Draper, touching her forehead significantly. 3 ‘‘Poor soul! Do you know that I have the queerest feeling whenever I see her? I fancy that she has some dark and terrible sorrow. I would like to be kind to her, and try to comfort her, but she seems to shrink away from notice, as if it hurt her physically.” ‘‘Go to sleep, my dear, and let Mrs, Foster and her , queer ways alone,’ said Alice Draper, as she kissed her lovely pupil’s brow, and left her to her repose. Hours later, as the midnight moon shed its pale ra- diance through the light draperies about Faith Hilary’s couch, a slender, dark figure bent above the girl’s fair head, a wan hand softly touched the rich clusters of curls that flowed over the pillow, and, moving noiselessly in her sleep, Faith reached up her bare, snowy arms as to some figure in her dreams, murmuring, softly and lov- ingly: 4 5 at 6 ‘‘ Mother !” 7 Eomicbooks,. co 3