Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

. ‘2 THRICE WEDDED, 93 lovingly in her Jap, and then repeated the story of her mar- riage, her love for Robert, how it had grown with her growth, and strengthened with her strength. And this was the reason why she had persisted in coming to be present at __ his graduation. | She showed her the locket, which she had always worn next to her heart, and Madame Alroyd felt, as she gazed upon the honest and handsome face of our hero, that treachery or fickleness could not lurk in the heart of one who pos- sessed such truthful eyes, and such a frank, open counte- nance. She had listened in speechless amazement to the strange tale, and when Dora finished, she asked in a husky voice: ‘Why have you never told me this before, Dora?” ‘‘T didn’t dare to, auntie. I feared to displease you, and above all, I feared to be ridiculed about it. I thought you would say just as everybody else did, who knew it, that ‘it was a foolish, childish affair,’ and try to persuade me to consent to a separation.” Dora buried her burning face in the folds of madam’s dress, and sobbed afresh. Her aunt laid her hand fondly upon that golden-crowned head, and stroked it tenderly, while she sat for a few min- utes in deep and troubled thought. At last she said: _ “And do you love him now, darling, well enough to con- sider yourself bound to him for hfe?” ‘Oh! yes, auntie, only—I am afraid he has forgotten his love for me.” And again the tears poured forth. “Why, love?” asked madam. ‘‘Because,” she replied, when she could control her voice, ‘when I looked up after he found the note, he sat pale and cold as a marble statue. You say you saw it too. I hoped he would at least give me one look of remembrance; but no, he did not, and my heart sank like lead in my bosom. Just then you called me, and I did not dare to look again. I felt so ashamed and grieved.” “What did you write, darling?” Dora repeated word for word what she had written. ‘There was nothing that you need feel at all ashamed of; and if he is true to you, he will seek you the first moment he is at liberty. And I don’t believea man with such a face could be untrue!” s GOomichboo <S ico