Stella Rosevelt — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

102 THE UNWELCOME GUE5sT. tended then to come here before this. Why did you not, tell me that you were a relative of Mrs. Richards?” ‘‘T did not think much about it, sir, or that my destination could interest you,” she answered. “Tut, tut, child!” he said, gently; ‘‘ any/hing connected with you would have been of interest to me after your kind- ness tome. I was deeply disappointed to find you gone when I went to seek you; but they told me that some one had come and taken you away, so I was forced to go my way also. Well,” he concluded, smiling, ‘‘I have found you now, and I shall not lose sight of you again.” ‘‘But are you going away now, sir?” Star asked, glancing at the bag Mr Richards was carrying, and which had the initials “J. R.” painted upon it. ‘‘No; only to the lodge for sleeping accommodations, as there is no room in the house for me.” ‘*No room in the house for you?” Star repeated, in astonish- ment; but something in Mr. Richards’ face warned her that all was not as he would wish, and she added, flushing: ‘‘I wish you would take my room, then; for I can sleep very nicely on the lounge in the sewing-room.” Mr. Richards raved inwardly over his wife’s obstinacy and heartlessness, which compared so unfavorably with this gentle girl’s generosity and self-denial; but he could only. hold his peace and let matters take their course, for if he interfered with his wife in her present state of bitterness and disappointment over the loss of her expected fortune, he knew that a domestic squall would be sure to follow, and one which it would be hard to settle. ‘“No, thank you, Miss Star,” Mr. Rosevelt returned; ‘‘I will go to the lodge until there is room for me in the house. You are as kind and self-sacrificing as ever, I perceive, but I wiil not deprive you of your room. Good-night, my child; I shall see you to-morrow.” Sete : y Gomilcbooks. Go