The Widowed Bride — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

g THE WIDOWED BRIDE. He nodded assent, and the little girls flew onward, while his weary footsteps followed at a slower and more measured ace. z ‘T mind it well,” he thought to himself. ‘‘I’ve never forgotten St. Hilda’s, all the time I’ve been away—no, nor ever shall. It’s a sight good for sore eyes, to look upon that mossy old tower again; ay, that 1t 1s.’ At the crest of the hills one seemed to come almost di- - rectly upon the church, which nestled away among stately yew trees and hedges of box, its shadows, drawn by the pen- cil of the sunset, “lying over the peaceful rows of graves beyond, and the sound of a wayside fountain, walled by rude stones, and surmounted by the semblance of a rou ghly - hewn cross, making a soft, rippling monotone through the summer evening silence. Rena inclined forward and drank eagerly from the brim- ming surface. **Jt’s so good and so cold!” she cried, smacking her cherry lips merrily. ‘‘Come and drink, Allie; come, grandpapa!” «St. Hilda’s Cup!’ said the old man, with a-senile laugh. _ “Yes, yes, I remember it well. I used to drink here when I was a little mite of a thing, not so big as you are, lassies. Always cold, in the sultriest summer day! I wonder now, how many years He stopped and shook his head, the bright drops yet sparkling on his grizzled beard, where he had quaiied the cool water. ‘My memory’s goin’ from me, somehow,” he murmured; ‘sense, and memory, and allelse. It’s time I came back _ to her; she was always stronger than me.” _“Grandpapa,” said Rena, her small form appearing sud- _ denly from the deep shadow of the Gothic-built stone porch, ‘the church door is open, can we go in?” He followed her slowly into the porch. Open, is it? They used to haye evening service in _har- -_vest, in my time, and maybe they keep to the same old ways yet. Yes, go in, my lasses, but step soft, and don’t talk and laugh out loud, like ye was in the sunshine and the open alr.’ pe NO, grandpapa, we won't,” said Alice, as, holding tightly to her sister’s hand, she crept into the church, close on her grandfather’s heels. At was a spacious, antiquely fashioned oe ales with a ~-€omicboo Ss co