Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

THRICE WEDDED. 119 “Mr. Moulton became very angry at this decided refusal of his suit, and vowed he would be revenged, andmy mother, in her intense love and passion, at length yielded to her ~ lover's persuasions, and wedded him in secret. ‘'l'he blow was too much for my grandfather, and he died in a fortnight after the discovery of his idol’s disobedience. Upon looking into his affairs, instead of the wealthy noble- man that every one supposed him to be, he was found to be involved to the extent of his whole fortune, and his darling was therefore left penniless. Her brothers had each a small fortune, left them by their father’s brother, which they gen- erously offered to settle upon my mother. But she firmly refused the sacrifice, believing that her husband loved her for herself alone, and would be true to her, though she brought him no dowry. “She was quickly and cruelly undeceived, however, for he commanded her to accept her brother’s proposition. Again she refused, and he coaxed and threatened to no pur- pose, until finding it all unavailing, he declared he would have nothing more to do with her, brutally telling her that he did not love her, and had only been attracted to her by her resemblance to one whom he had loved a few years be- fore. Moreover, he said that their marriage was only a farce; that he hoped by making her father believe they were mar- ried, he would be willing to forgive her, acknowledge him, and settle his fortune upon them. Now that she had no money, and would not take what was offered her, he was tired of her, and never wished to see her again. He left her in her weakness and despair, and she never saw his face again. ‘“‘My uncles were furious, and vowed the deepest ven- Beene upon the villain; they tried to prove the marriage egal, but the brute had cunningly planned the affair, and removed every trace and proof offtslegality. Aftera tedious search they at length found the man who had performed the eeremony. He was a poor monk, who had been confined in a mad-house by this villain, and, on his death-bed, sent for a clergyman and confessed the whole story. ‘In the meantime I was born, and my mother died of a broken heart. “T was put out to nurse until I was old enough to go to school, when I entered a convent, and there received my education, during which time my uncles were constantly — Eomichbooks €oO