Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

WOMEN ARE WITCHES. 101 him more than he realized. They walked, rode, or drove together in pleasant weather and were generally to be found at the club when outdoor exercise was out of the question. Occasionally, when they received invitations to the same houses, Dick would urge Arthur to accept—to bear him company, he would say—and in this way he con- stantly kept new faces before him and forced new acquaint- ances upon him. But few pleased him for any length of time, and the unrest which was taking possession of him became daily more difficult to cope with. To really interest him seemed an almost impossible task, and although he evidently strove to do his share in gay company, his laugh had an artificial ring to it which roused all the sympathy in Dick’s kind heart. By common consent Miss Clayton’s name became a dead letter between them, and at last Dick began to hope his efforts were beginning to bear fruit. But one night, at a fashionable ‘‘crush,’’ the wedding of a young society belle, Dick caught a glimpse of her just ahead of them. Instinctively glancing at Arthur, who was beside him, he saw him turn pale, set his teeth hard, and stop short. Dick’s heart sank; he knew he had labored in vain. One brisk morning in January, as they were riding in the Park together, walking their horses and conversing, Dick descried her just ahead coming around a curve. She wore a light cloth habit, which fitted her to perfection, and she was mounted on a spirited gray horse. She was giving her entire attention to the animal, which was prancing and curveting, having just been startled by something real or ‘imaginary. Behind her, at a respectful distance, followed a groom on a fine black cob. Dick wondered if she had espied them and also whether COMME OOO KSAEO