Weaker than a Woman — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. 27 proper for listening, he turned to her. How dazzlingly beautiful her face was in the sunlight. “Violet,” he said, “‘I want to quote a couple of lines from a familiar ballad to you. Can you guess what it is?” “No, I cannot; Ido not care for familiar ballads,” she replied. “What is it?” “You know ‘My Pretty Jane,’” he said. “The lines I want to quote to you are these: ‘Name the day, the wedding-day, ~ And I will buy the ring.’ Now, sweet Violet, that is just what I want you to do—tell me when that happy day will dawn for me. Do not let the summer sunshine and the summer flowers all die be- fore you are my wife.” She turned her startled face to his. “You are cruel, Felix,” she said. ‘ You always spoil these lovely sunny days by talking about marriage.” “My heart is full of it,” he replied—“ at least it is full of you. Ido not wish to startle you, Violet, but give me one kind word to dream about now. Iam always wondering, “When will our marriage take place? When will my darl- ing consent? When will the end come to all my uncertain- ties, doubts, and fears? When shall I be able to say to my self, ‘On such a day I shall bring home my wife? ” She answered, half impatiently. “You make so terribly sure of everything, Felix.” “Have I not the rightt to do soin this case?” he asked, laughing half sadly at her. “I did not quite promise, you know, Felix.” “Perhaps not in so many words, Violet, but in honor you are bound to be my wife.” “Tam willing to be your wife, Felix, but let me enjoy my youth a little longer. I am only nineteen—there is no hurry.” “You forget,” he interrupted, ‘how dearly I love you, Violet, and how I long for you to be with me. If I thought you did not love me, Violet, I would not urge my request —I would go far away, and occupy my life as well as I could—nay, | would rather die than make you unhappy. If you do not love me, I will not hold you pledged to me, Violet.” “But I do love you,” she said, looking up at him with sweet perplexed eyes; “still, Felix, it seems so sudden—” “Hardly sudden, darling,” he interrupted, “when I have GOomicbooks (Ele) mn