Stella Rosevelt — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

380 STELLA’S MENTAL AGONY. 99 ‘‘ Perhaps,” she thought, light suddenly breaking in upon her mind, ‘‘it was something connected with this lovely stranger which had caused his own sadness during the last year.” A gentleman approached her just then, and, turning to Star, she said, with a smile: ‘‘J must ask to be excused, as I have an engagement to dance now. I am sorry to leave you in the midst of our pleasant chat, but I will see you again before the evening is out.” ; Star, with an answering smile, said she ‘‘ hoped they would meet again;” but, oh! how she longed to inquire about her brother. If she had but spoken just one word to tell her that he was well and happy. Happy! The thought nearly made her cry out with pain. He must be changed indeed if he could be that with Jo- sephine Richards; and, loving him as she did, it was agony to contemplate it. What if he himself was there among that gay throng, with the bride he had so lately wedded? What if she were to meet them together? For a moment, as this contingency presented itself to her, her brain reeled, and she felt as if her senses were forsaking her again; the next, she called all her pride to her aid. This would never do; no one must ever mistrust her weak- ness and wretchedness, and Ralph Meredith surely wou!'d if she gave up to her. feelings, for had-she not told him of her false lover? It was strange, she thought, that she should have fourd him with Archie’s sister, and she wondered if they had met and Ralph had called him to account for his treatment of her, as he had said he should. Oh! why had she not been more reasonable? Why did %he Eomicbooks,.Go