Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 371: what you’re looking at

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

*“But—but you don’t look very glad about it,” Belle continued, markiug her pale cheek and anxious eyes, Marie leaned forward and kissed the flushed, tear- stained face looking so earnestly into her own. “Dear Belle, it would make me very happy to know certainly that you are my sister, for I have grown to love you very dearly this summer,” she said, tenderly; ‘but, dear—I must confess it—after all these years I should find it very bard to leave my mother ;” and the sweet lips trembled, the gentle voice broke in giving utterance to the leved name. “OF course you would; I can understand that; and it wouldn’t be right to ask you to, or to ask Mrs. Earlescourt to give you up,” Belle answered. ‘But I ain sure it could be arranged some way, 80 that you could stay with her, and yet we be allowed to feel a little claim upon you. Come, let us goat once to mamma and then to Mrs. Earlescourt; they will know—they will decide it all, and of course, as things are now, you can never rest until the matter is settled.” Marie arose, but it was with a heavy heart; she shrank more and more from the revelations which the next few hours would bring to her. Just at this moment, however, Belle’s attention was attracted toward the ocean. “Look, Marie!’ she said, pointing out to sea; “something is the matter out there. Mr. Osborn and his man seem to bein very much of a hurry; they are pulling at their oars as hard as they can. Oh! somebody is in the water—there! to the right,” asa dark object seemed to be struggling helplessly. “I’m sure somebody is drowning, and they are going to his rescue.” chrools Both girls forgot all else now,’ in whee that