A Struggle for a Ring — page 342: what you’re looking at

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

338 “7 WOULD DIE TO FREE YOU.” 4 ‘<Poor child!” he said. But Ailie looked up into his face with a smile. | ‘‘T am not poor,” she replied; ‘‘you must not call me so. How can I be poor when I have the chance of seeing you so often? Poverty would mean never seeing you at all.” | ‘‘Do you, then, love me so very much?” he asked, sadly ; and the girl looked at him with a wonderful light on her face. ‘‘My love, my love!” she whispered, ‘‘some day, when your heart is larger and your soul grander than it is now, you may know how much.” He was half startled at her words. ‘*You think I cannot appreciate your love just now, then ?” | ‘¢T am sure,” she returned, quietly; ‘‘to appreciate it, would be to return it. I had but two minutes, and they are over; I must go, Lord Carsdale. How happy it makes me to have spoken to you! Say ‘good-night, Ailie, and— God bless you.’ ” ‘*Good-night, and God bless you,” he replied. He could say no more, knowing in how short a time he must say words to her that would break her heart. Then he was alone again; and now his eyes were dim with the mist of tears, and he was more miserable than when she found him. That gentle, tender, loving heart, how was he to plunge this cruel dagger in it—how could he? It seemed to him easier far to plunge a dagger in the soft, white neck, or to brand the fair, pure face with an iron brand. He smoked one cigar after another; they. brought him neither peace nor inspiration. He walked miles. Strong as he was, he felt some little fatigue; but he could not shake off the thoughts which haunted him, (E(o) comicbooks