Stella Rosevelt — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

DEFEATED. 277 It was a terrible blow to her to lose this great fortune, and remorse for her heartless treatment of her uncle was gnawing keenly at her heart-strings. . Mr. Richards had met with heavy losses in his business of late, and it was only by straining every nerve, calculating, and contriving, that she and Josephine had been able to come to Newport at all that season, and it was simply maddening to think that Star, whom she had so disliked from the first, should have won, by little acts of kindness, what she would have spared no pains to secure had she once suspected the truth. ‘‘Well, miss, you have played your cards very cleverly, haven't you?’ she finally found breath to ejaculate, and turning with blazing eyes upon the fair girl who, all unwittingly, had usurped her place in her uncle’s affection and will. Mr. Rosevelt’s face grew stern. ‘«She certainly has, Ellen,” he said, before Star could speak, even had she wished to do so, ‘‘ especially as she could not, by any means, have known that there was anything worth winning by her acts of devotion and self-denial. And now let me tell you, that true kindness and sympathy will @/ways win, where arrogance and pride will only gain contempt, and lead to dis- appointment and regret.” ‘‘Uncle Jacob, you cannot mean what you have said. Surely you will not discard those of your own blood, your kin, for the offspring of a stranger!” Mrs, Richards said, appealingly. Mr. Rosevelt looked down at Star with a tender, tremulous smile. “The offspring of a stranger!” he repeated, softly; then added: ‘‘ Ellen, there is a stronger bond uniting this dear child to me than ever bound me to either of my brothers children.” ‘‘What do you mean?” cried his niece, in a startled tune. ‘‘Surely, at your age, you do not contemplate Mr. Rosevelt stopped her with a motion of his. hand before she could complete her sentence, ; / Eboo =) (Ee) <S (€(0)