Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

q0 | (URICE WEDDED. of noble but weary and dripping horses, drew up before an inn in the village of - , Germany. Two men alighted, and muttering discontentedly about the storm, hastened within the friendly shelter of the inn. It was not a first-class inn. All those were already filled to overflowing by the crowds who thronged the place to be present on the morrow at the commencement exercises of Institute. The house before which our travelers had stopped, al- though clean and moderately well kept, was one in which the middle and lower classes collected every night to drink their beer, smoke their meerschaums and chat a while around the fire, which always burned brightly in the public room. This room was now occupied by a dozen or more of this class, who left off their drinking and smoking as the strangers entered and shook the water from their dripping cloaks. Mine host approached them with many smiles, asking what he could do for them, and at the same time assisting them to remove their wet garments. | “‘Give us a warm, private room, and something hot to eat and drink,” replied the younger of the two gentlemen, ‘‘and be quick about it too,” he added, ‘‘for we are almost perished with this cold, miserable storm.” The speaker took off his hat as he spoke, revealing the handsome face of Ralph Moulton! While his companion proved to be Ralph Moulton the elder! _ A man who was seated in the back part of the room, and rather in the shadow, started violently as the features of the new-comers were revealed; and he drew still farther into the shade, while he pulled up his coat collar, so that it half con- cealed his face; and then he sat in an attitude which showed that he was eagerly listening to catch every word that should be uttered. é In a few moments the host entered, saying their room was In readiness, and that supper would soon be served to them. ‘“A wet night!” he said, affably, while he lighted a candle. “Yes, blast it!” replied Ralph, the younger, who con- stituted himseif spokesman. ‘‘A mighty disagreeable night for any one to be out, especially if they have traveled as many miles as we have to-day.” : ae “Come to be here at the grand doings to-morrow?” asked the irrepressible keeper. | 3 ~ ‘cComicbooks co nN