Should She Have Left Him? — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

222 SHOULD SHE HAWE LEFT HIM? comforted. On the steamer’s deck, a few moments before sailing, a respectable-looking man, who had been hovering about her, taking advantage of the temporary absence of Waldemar, dropped into her hand a small packet not larger than an English wal- nut, touched his hat respectfully, and disappeared over the side of the steamer. Instinctively conceal. ing the packet, she had examined it in private. It was a ring, so fashioned that the colors of the jewels made a ‘‘forget-me-not.” There was neither word nor symbol to indicate from whence it had come, but Hilda knew it was a message from Buttontrave. From that moment she wore it, not on her finger, but next her heart. But she never expected to see Buttontrave again. She was saddened and despair. ing. That was the meaning of her listlessness and indifference to all things upon her return home. Once back in New York all semblance of attention upon the part of Waldemar passed away. Hilda's disgust and contempt for her husband increased, and she was left to brood over what might have been had she not been hurried by her mother into co hateful marriage. Not many weeks had passed before Lord Button. trave, having thrown over his post, appeared in New York. Rumor said he had come to secure an Ameri- can heiress, and the matron mothers were all agog. Cards and invitations poured in upon him, all of which were accepted, for it was through these enter. tainments he could meet Hilda. This time he put no restraint upon himself. He whispered words of GOMMGIOO cS (GO)