Guy Earlscourt's Wife — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

& \ aa 34 The Dawn of the Fourteenth of Apsi. low. Be at the area gate at that time, and you will confer @ deathless obligation on her whum you once so generously served, O. L. There was au address at the bottom of this note—the number of a house in Park lane. And the blood left Duke’s face, and a cold thrill ran through him, as he thought of the dreadful possibilities involved. Did she want him to run away with her again? Wasn’t it a penal offense to elope with an heiress ¢ | A Ile rose, and paeed softly up and down the parlor, feeling | like the wretched conspirator he was. He could hear i Rosanna bustling about the kitchen, the clatter of cups and saucers, and the general preparation for tea. “T’ll have to stay out all night,” mused Duke. “I couldn’t 4 sleep if I went to bed. What can she want? I thought she promised to marry Sir Vane Charteris. It was bad enough to run away with a young lady. It would be worse to run away with a baronet’s wife.” 4 “Come to supper,” called Rosanna, and Duke went out to the kitchen, which was also the dining-room, meekly, and with all his wrongdoing palpable in his face. How was he i to drink weak tea, and eatslices off a stale quartern, with that secret on his mind, and that letter buried in his pocket! He rose after two or three gulps, swallowed spasmodically. ‘ Rosanna, eating with the powerful appetite of strong virtue ‘4 that can relish weak tea and stale bread, saw all his confu- 4 sion. “You needn’t sit up for me, Rosanna,” the artist said, with nervous hurry. “TI shan’t be home to-night. Tinsel & Span- | gle have been blowing me up for laziness, and I shall work & double tides to make up for it. ' shall work at the Britannia 4% until three or four this morning, and—ah—good-evening, a Rosanna.” 4 Lies were not at all in Duke Mason’s. way—this was a mild one, but still it nearly choked him. And, of course, Rosanna did not believe one word. She listened and ate on in ominous silence, making no response to the fraternal good- night; and Duke drew a long breath as he closed the street door behind him, and hurried on his way. A blue, silvery haze filled the streets, through which the gas lamps twinkled. One or two early stars shone up in the blue, and a cloudless sunset irradiated the town. Duke took an omnibus, and ~~ reached the Royal Britannia at an earlier hour than he had @ done for weeks, and Tinsel & Spangle congratulated them- & : — that their blowing up had done their seeond violinist 7 o» 125. og? Ip r j - Ae «el q ash bie Ro Wg 9-44 Pr * PY AM AE Tiucecal Sms ty ‘pata Re ae ¢ ae vn oF tie Be ee hg? ea a S i 2 se ait See a wrk ° comicbooks.com