A Struggle for a Ring — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

ALMOST FORGOTTEN. 173 do not remember things as women do. I should not make myself unhappy about it—he will write a very kind letter about it when he remembers it.” Something like a faint gleam of brightness came over the white, sad face. ‘‘Do you think so, Hettie?” she asked. ‘‘Do you really think that? JI am so glad. I shall be so pleased. And, Hettie, stay with me—do not let any one else come in.” It was so new to Hettie to be looked upon as a comfort to any one; she was only too anxious to play her new part gracefully. Presently Mrs. Derwent came to the door, bearing her universal refuge and comfort in her hand—a cup of strong tea. She recommended that to every one for all kinds of evils, both of body and mind. ‘* Alice, my dear,” she said, ‘‘you must be terribly tired, Iam sure. Drink this; it will do ROUr heart good.. We all have these kind of troubles to bear.” Alice clung to Hettie. If she could only hide her white face and weeping eyes, she cared little for anything else. Hettie shielded her; Hettie took the tea and talked to her mother while the hot, fevered hands clasped hers. Then Mrs. Derwent, satisfied, went away, leaving the sisters together. ‘Will it soon be night, Hettie?” was the question that the pale lips asked continually. ‘at night I shall most likely sleep, and if I sleep I shall forget it, Hettie—shall I not forget and sleep?” So Hettie watched impatiently enough until the sun set and the world began to grow dark. She longed for the noises in the streets to cease—she longed for the mantle of silence to fall over the noisy little house, for the . scraping of the fiddle, the sound of the pupils’ arrival, the comicboo <S 7 ee)