The Widowed Bride — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

vey %/ Ae is ‘S ‘ THE WIDOWED BRIDE, 189 and sunshine of a spring day. Alice Percival was the ~ sweet, ennobling spirit that drew him nearer to his own bet- ter self. As the afternoon drew toward sunset, and the sunset softened into early twilight, and the sight-seers did not return, Mrs. Eskett began to grow a little uneasy. “Surely they ought to be at home by this time,” she said, for the twentieth time at least. ‘I do hope nothing has happened.” | ‘“Why, what should have happened, my dear?” said the rector. ‘‘Don’t fret—don’t fret, theyll be home in time.” “But it is eight o’clock.” ‘When it is nine I’ll begin to worry too,” langhed the rector. ‘‘let the poor fellow enjoy this one day—as you said yesterday—it is his last.” ““And I am heartily glad of it,” said Mrs. Eskett, who in spite of the interest she felt in this apparently blighted love affair was very nearly out of temper. ‘‘What is it that you want, my good man?” for at that moment a gray-haired old man stood in the door-way, making his best bow over and over again with unceasing persistency, and trying to extract from the cover of his hat something which had apparently got wedged in there. ‘‘Please, ma’am, I be come all the way from Cresslyn to see Muster Eskett, him as is the rector here. ‘The young gentleman gived me a letter as was to be guv in his own hands?” “TY am Mr. Eskett,” said the rector taking the letter which the stranger had brought. Mrs. Eskett summoned the man of all work to take the messenger into the kitchen and give him a glass of home- brewed ale after his walk, and then went back to her hus- band’s study. “Ralph, what is the matter? Any news from ee “Yes,” said the rector, quietly folding the letter, and placing it once more in the greasy envelope. ‘‘I’hey are married,.”’ : “Married!” echoed Mrs. Eskett, her breath fairly taken away by the suddenness of the tidings. ‘‘What! Captain Evelyn and Alice?” | ‘““Yes—at Cresslyn Church this morning,” said Mr. Eskett, who, although he was in the habit of getting sorely per- plexed and befogged about the trivial occurrences of life, Eomicbooks Eo