Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

98 THRICE WEDDED. — out whom life to me would be utterly wretched. Could you see her, you would not blame me that I wish to wed her. And now I have one request to rnake, and ther I bid you farewell forever, and hope that vou may yet attain earth’s highest happiness. - Will you consent _that the bonds which unite us be annulled? I feel that I have not the courage to meet you, and when you receive this I shall be far away. I have written to my father the cause of my absence, and if you will sign the paper which he will present you, you will render deeply grate- ful one who has done you great wrong, and who earnestly wishes to be forgiven. | “Yours, with deep repentance, RoBeRT ELLERTON.”’ For an hour Dora lay in a fearful swoon, and Madame Alroyd was nearly distracted with the fear that her darling would die. She showered the bitterest reproaches her heart could invent upon the author of all this sorrow and suffer- ing. She blamed herself, again and again, for being over- persuaded to come to that ‘‘horrible place.” But Dora’s health was good, and her constitution firm and strong, and she finally opened her eyes and gazed wildly upon her aunt and maid, who hung so anxiously over her. At first she could not realize why she was lying upon the sofa, so weak and languid, but presently the remembrance came to her, and she closed her eyes again wearily, with alow, helpless moan. «There, darling, you are better now; drink this, and it will give you new strength,” said her aunt, putting some wine to her lips. , She obeyed, and the color soon began to tinge her pale lips again. : Madame Alroyd bent tenderly over her and pressed a kiss upon her pure brow. | ‘‘Have courage, my precious pet,’ she whispered. “‘Show your brave little heart now. You are all that poor old ~ auntie has got, and must try and live for her.” “Do you know—did you read? she gasped, a look of stony agony in her deep eyes. ‘Yes, love; I knew I might; and, oh, darling, this poor old withered heart has suffered, too. JI know how it feels, and the sting is there yet. ‘The thorn is left, if the rose is faded and dead.” And poor, sympathizing Madame Alroyd took the pale, erushed lily in her arms, and sobbed as if the sweetness of her own life had been just crushed out, instead of years and - years ago. And Dora cried, too; the tears came like a flood, and they = €omicbooks nN 2 +