Stella Rosevelt — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

MRS. RICHARDS’ GRFAT EXPECTATIONS. 333 The reason for this was the flat refusal, on the part of Mr. Richards, to accede to her immoderate demand for five hundred dollars, to purchase for herself and Josephine new dresses for the coming winter, and she had just returned to her room after the stormy interview. ‘*T cannot let you have a dollar,” he had said, with a gravity almost amounting to sternness, ‘‘for I haven't it to spare.” ‘‘Not a dollar, George!” she retorted, with a scornful laugh. ‘“Who ever heard of anything so absurd?” ‘‘Tt is true, nevertheless,” he answered, gloomily. ‘‘ Two months ago I expected that to-day would find us all beggars.” ‘*What do you mean?” his wife gasped. ‘‘Just what I say; and but for the appearance of a friendly kand just when and where I least expected it, I should have been obliged to fail, overwhelmed with debt and disgrace, and everything we have—house, furniture, horses, and carriages— would all have had to come under the hammer of the auc- tioneer. ” | ‘I cannot believe it,” Mrs. Richards said, growing pale. ‘*'That does not alter the fact, however, ’ her husband replied, laconically. ‘‘Why did you not tell me?” “‘I did tell you. I kept writing to you when you were at Newport, Ellen, that I could not long endure such a drain upon my purse as you were subjecting it to, and that you must cur- tail your expenses; but you paid no heed to me, launching instead into greater extravagances, ” ‘‘But I never dreamed that things: were so serious as you represented,” she said, a guilty flush mounting torher forehead}! as she remembered that*allher Javishness!hadi been ‘to Sutshine Star. ‘* I never thoughtzysu were really! embarrassed) 6r would not have asked for so mucthi@ «109 10 soivbhs oliil yov soy svig ‘‘Well, then,” hevanswered)! in''al geritler *tone}! ‘! show ‘your consideration fopmeémow,! for:you semrengats se will shave (te Gomicbooks (E(@)