A Struggle for a Ring — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

A HUSBAND'S CAUTION, 11g occupied manner made her slightly anxious, What if, after all, he should love this beautiful Lady Ethel with a mad, deep love, and she should refuse him. The countess thought it wiser to say very little, but the mischief was already done. There were great preparations made for the wedding. Roseneath seemed given up to the hands of all kinds of people. Lady Waldrove had a beautiful suite of rooms entirely refurnished for the Lady Ethel, and Lord Carsdale took great interest in the designs. ‘*It was only natural,” he said to himself, ‘‘that he should like to see her; it would be something like seeing the Venus of Milo come to life.” In the midst of all these preparations of the choosing of carriages and horses, jewels and luxuries of all kinds, there came to him one morning a little plaintive letter. It said: , | ‘* My DEAR HUSBAND :—When shall you return, or when shall I hear from you? It seems so long since I saw you—I am quite sad with longing for even one line.”’ The letter stung him with pain sharper than a serpent’s bite. Dear Heaven, he had forgotten her; he had for- gotten this strange tie—this half absurd, half Quixotic marriage ; he had forgotten this young wife, who was never to be more than a good comrade to him. He sat quite still and motionless, with the letter in his hands. ‘‘Who has been writing to you, Vivian?” asked Lady Gertrude, who had entered the library unnoticed by him. ‘‘How agonized you look over your letter. Is it a bill for cigars? What is the matter, Vivian?” ‘‘ Nothing,” he answered, sharply. ‘‘Why do you look so distressed? Iam sure that you "s have bad news in that letter.” as : { e - # SE pert hes comicbooks