His Other Wife: A Novel — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

MISSIONARY WORK. 45 to pierce like cold steel to the brain of both, for both grew pale as they met it. Then she put out a lean, brown hand, with fingers like talons, and resting it on Mathew Croft’s shoulder, while she kept her gaze on Leda, she said to the wife: ‘* Do you call this man your lawful husband ?” _£* Yes,” answered Leda, in a low, scared way, shrinking back from the lurid eyes of the strange woman. ~ “So do I,” said the woman, dropping the words slowly from the bloodless lips, now drawn from discolored teeth ina horrid smile. After a pause, during which the trio remained breath- less, the gray woman leaned her ashen face nearer to Mr, Croft’s, and added: ‘* My husband, and my would-be murderer! Mathew Croft, the victim returns to punish your crime, or to wring from you atonement for her great wrongs. Zhe dead hives!” CHAPTER IV. MISSIONARY WORK. It was true that the wife he believed to have been quiet in her grave for eighteen years now stood before Mathew Croft in the fell guise of an avenging spirit. Just twenty years ago Mr, Croft had made his appear- EomicbooksiEeo im