A Struggle for a Ring — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

DECIDING HER FATE. 33 ‘‘But,” said she, ‘‘how could it be—how could you marry me?” **T will find the way and means,” he replied. ‘‘Do not be afraid—trust to me.” It was the second time he had used these words to her. If the result of the second trusting was as fatal as the first, it would be woe to Alice. ‘“Tt seems so very dreadful to me,” sobbed Alice. ““Do you see any other way out of it?” he asked, gravely. ‘‘I must confess that I do not. I have been thinking of it for the last hour.” ‘*No,” sobbed Alice. ‘‘I am afraid, Lord Carsdale. I think it is the most terrible thing that ever happened to any one in this world.” ‘Are you sorry that you came?” he asked, briefly. ‘‘No,” she replied, looking up at him with wet eyes. *¢T will never say that.” He loved her for her stanch fidelity. She would not, indeed she could not, regret the only gleam of happiness she had ever known. ‘‘T am not proud,” said the young lordling; ‘‘and as for boasting, a gentleman never does it; but I come of a race that has ever held the fair name and honor of a woman in highest reverence. I should think myself branded as a coward, and no man, if I could go away and leave you to pay the penalty of my faults. I could not do it, Alice.” There was something grand and noble about him. He had acted with great recklessness, but there was something almost heroic in his way of redeeming his error ; his hand- some young face was pale with emotion under the light of the stars. EO ‘Do not cry so bitterly,” he said, his honest, kindly oS ae | Eomicbooks sae