Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

70 THRICE WEDDED. share his lot before I would wed with you, had you a thous- and fortunes! Now I command you go, and never pore my sight with your vile presence again!” She raised her graceful arm and pointed toward the draw- ing-room. «You'll repent of this, my fair lady, and that right soon, too,” he muttered, savagely. é$Go!l’? He took a step forward as if to obey the imperious com- mand, then stopped and turned toward her again. ‘‘] warn you once again that I will hunt your lover to the death, and I swear that you shall yet be my wife!”’ Her clear eves flashed angrily, and her finger did not even quiver as it still pointed toward him. Gol” : Clear and ringing as a trumpet-call it sounded on the still night air, and a tiny foot stamped beefs os upon the floor of the balcony. Like the craven coward he was, his eyes drooped before her stern gaze, and he slunk cringingly from her sight. A deep, shuddering sob burst from Dora Dupont’s pale lips as he disappeared. She clasped her hands upon her breast, as if to still the painful throbbings of her aching heart, while an expression of keenest. agony swepf over her beauti- ful face. “Heaven grant that it is nothing but a base calumny,” she murmured, as she paced to and fro. ‘‘But I fear it is all too true; still, it may be, he only did it to frighten me Into becoming his wife—coward that he is, to threaten a weak woman! But Robbie, come weal or come woe, I am yours, and only yours, until my heart shall cease to beat.” A sweet smile dispersed the shade of anxiety that clouded her lovely face, as her thoughts flew over the seas to one whom she knew would yet claim her as his own. . Oh, heartless flirt that I am,” she continued, after a moment—‘‘two offers in one night! The Fates defend me against another!” Saying which, she gracefully swept aside the heavy drapery, and appeared within the brilliantly ag draw- ing-room again. a * * 2 ae * a The following day a noble steamer sailed slowly down the Eomicbooks co