A Struggle for a Ring — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

a ote THE PARTING. — ee. repine a little; but he will soon be back, again—young husbands do not like being parted from their wives.” ‘*T never hold with it myself,” said the dancing-master, ‘*but in this case it cannot be helped.” They both looked in wonder when Alice turned her beautiful, colorless face to them, it was so full of fear, so weary; all the mother’s heart awoke in Mrs. Derwent. | ‘* You will like to be by yourself for a time, my dear,” she said; ‘‘go to your room, no one shall trouble you; I know what if is, although your papa never was cone to leave me.’ Only too thankful for escape, Alice went to her room and fastened the door; it was something to be able to weep there alone, to think of this great wonder of her life—her marriage. Ah! would the time ever come when the marriage begun in honor would end in love? ‘‘He looked so surprised when I held up. my face © to him,” she thought to herself, ‘‘as though I had forgot- ten that kissing was no part of good comradeship. I could not help it, with Hettie’s eyes fixed on me, watch- ing whether he was sorry to leave me or not. Oh} my love, shall you ever love me for my own sake, and because I love you so deeply and so dearly? -I would give all my life waiting for his love, if even, in dying, he would say that he had learned to care for me at last—con- tent to die if he would smile and kiss me in dying. But I will be patient; the old German proverb says, ‘ Patience wins all.’ I will be patient as death itself, waiting for the love that will surely one day be mine.” -It was characteristic of her that she did not give cne thought to the, grandeur of the future; she never said to herself that if all went well she should one day be Lady Carsdale or Countess of Waldrove. She never remem- ~~ s —s oe =) =) Ya? at's , p hy » wt ew - a . . comichbooks: (e(0)