The Widowed Bride — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

a THE WIDOWED BRIDE, 157 CHAPTER XXI. RENA PERCIVALS SISTER. The June roses that mantled the gray stone walls of Tre- garvan Rectory were a sheet of crimson bloom—the sunny air was musical with the hum of gold-belted bees, and the humming-birds darted in and out of the foliage like ani- mated blossoms. _ Alice Percival was sitting on the doorstep, feeding a brood of hungry little ducklings, that swarmed fearlessly around her feet, with crumbs of soaked bread, quite unconscious of the pretty picture she made. ‘<Come here, you little truant,” she said, half aloud, to” one small downy creature, who persisted in running round the edge of the doorstep after an imaginary fly, which had long since made good its escape. ‘‘You are like the rest of the world—too ready to barter substance for shadow.” _ She took the tiny, struggling thing in her gentle hand as she spoke, and set it down among its brethren. Little Agnes Eskett came out at the same moment, her face full of beaming importance. ‘‘“Miss Percival,” she said, gleefully, ‘“‘we are going to = have company.” ) ‘‘Are we?’ said Alice. ‘‘But are we going to have our. Latin verbs more perfect to-day than they were yesterday?” ‘No; but don’t you want to know who is coming?” said the little girl. ‘Well, no; I am not particularly curious upon the sub-— ject, Agnes.” ‘It’s Captain Evelyn.” “Captain Evelyn!” Alice sat up now, and left the nine yellow little ducklings to quarrel over the bowl of soaked bread at their leisure. ‘‘From Glenhampton Castle?” “Yes,” assented Agnes, delighted to have succeeded in attracting her governess’ attention at last. ‘‘Papa had a telegram this morning asking him to send to the station for the noon train. Wouldn’t you like to ride over in the car, Miss Percival?” “No; it would be too warm,” said Alice, her heart throb- (E(0) Eomicboo cS