Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

208 OCTAVIA’S PRIDE. Jane’s arm, and leaning trustfully against her husband’s shoulder. | **Come up stairs, both of you. This is better settled now than any time.” And she led the way promptly, where the pale, dismayed group still stood, with exulting, defiant Mathew Merle in their midst. | He darted forward at the first sight of Wilhelmine, but Maurice flung his arm around her, and warded off his grasp toward her shoulder. | ‘“<'Take care, sir; this lady is my wife.” ‘“Your wife!” vociferated Mathew, fiercely. ‘* What fool’s talk is this?” “‘It is simple, honest truth. Shall I show you the recorded certificate of a legal marriage,” was the cool re- turn. | ‘‘ Legal absurdity! the girl is my ward.” ‘She has another and better guardianship now, that of a husband.” . Lady Mary had seen and listened, all a-tremble with the dawning revelation. She took a step toward the fair young creature, clinging with such loving trust to the young man’s sheltering arm. ‘This girl, this girl,” she faltered, and turned her im- ploring eyes from Mathew Merle to Jane West. “‘ You guess rightly, Lady Mary,” the latter hastened to say. ‘‘Itis Dr. Morley’s child, your daughter.” : It was Wilhelmine’s lips which uttered the sharp ery. Lady Mary was likea statue of snow, only for the yearning ~ love which seemed to hold all the life and warmth of her nature in the imploring eyes. The girl had dropped her hold upon the young husband’s arm. She sprang forward, she dropped on her knees at Lady Mary’s feet. The latter bent down and caught her to hersheart, f" oe comicbooks CO