The Widowed Bride — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

162 | THE WIDOWED BRIDE Antonia Clive lifted a heavy fold of tapestry, and opened a door behind it. “Enter,” she said, briefly, and, with a vivid sensation of curiosity, "Rena Percival followed her into the apartment kept so secret from the rest of the world. She shuddered as she looked around, and well she might, for the hangings and draperies of the room were of black serge, the carpet of black, and the furniture of ebony wood upholstered in black velvet. ‘‘Does it seem gloomy to yon?” Miss Clive asked, watch- ing Rena’s face with keen, glittering eyes. ‘It seems like a tomb” the girl answered, involuntarily. ‘Tt 7s a tomb,” Miss Clive said, in low, impressive tones; ‘the tomb of my buried heart and hope. Oh, Rena Perci- val, you are young as yet, but if you had lived ten long years of despair, as | have done, you would learn to wonder what God’s sunshine means, and why his vengeance does not come down upon the blood-stained head of the guilty mur- derer!” “Do you mean—— ‘“‘[ mean but one thing,” the strange, pale woman inter- rupted, sharply. <‘‘My life has but one signification. I re- fer to the murderer of Arthur Hunsworth. Sit down there, Rena Percival.” She drew forward one of the black walnut chairs, and Rena seated herself, wondering what was coming next, and half regretting that she had allowed herself to be conducted into this casket of funereal gloom. “You know the story of my bereavement,” she began, briefly, as she stood before her guest. ‘*You have been told how, upon the very day previous to that appointed for my wedding, I came suddenly upon the corpse of my murdered lover! It is no secret at Glenhampton—everybody must have heard of it!’ 7 know if, ” Rena answered. ‘Blanche Arden has told it all to me.’ _. “That. is the beginning. of the story,” said Miss Clive. “The end is yet to come. “The end?” repeated Rena, questioningly. The end comes only upon the dav in which I shall drink the cup of vengeance to the dregs,” said Antonia, with slow, frightful emphasis. ‘‘See here.” With a key which she drew from her bosom she unlocked 39 [comichbooks.co