We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
THE TEST OF FRIENDSHIP
103
the next visitor, little Elizabeth. She, too, was looking for some one — evidently some one she could not locate — but she spied Jimmie, and, running quickly to him, thrust a letter into his hand.
Jimmie's face flushed. He rose quickly. "For me?" he inquired, looking at the child instead of at the letter. "Are you sure it is for me, Elizabeth?"
"No, no. Of course not," exclaimed the little girl. "Can't you read? It's for Tom. 'Celia said I should give it to him as I went to school, but I can't see him anywhere. Won't you find him, please ? I'll be late if I wait."
Away she ran, leaving the missive in Jimmie's hand. It was in Cecelia's writing — no mistake about that — and it was addressed to Tom.
Oh, the irony of fate, that he should be elected to deliver that message! There was an impulse to crush the letter in his grasp. Then, as if all the evil spirits had united in placing temptation before him, came the thought to
open it — to read what Cecelia was saying to Tom.
Poor Jimmie groaned aloud. "I can't do it — I can't do it," he muttered; then, suddenly, with a look of stern resolve upon his face, he turned toward the entrance of the building.
High up on the roof, with his dinner partially eaten, sat Tom, dreaming of Cecelia. He hadn't a doubt as to her answer. She was nervous and startled last evening, he thought. He would surely hear from her by the time he quit work that day. He blew soft rings of smoke into the air and, with half closed eyes, saw the vision of a cosy home, with Cecelia at the gate waiting for him when his day's work was ended.
Dreaming of all that the future might hold for him, he heeded not the soft, shuffling noise gradually coming nearer and nearer. Suddenly he realized that he was not alone. Some one was near him, coming stealthily. It was none too soon. As he sprang to
A FEW QUICK MOVES, THE PRESSURE OF A VALVE, AND THE ENGINE IS STARTED