The Widowed Bride — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

gave us the bread and the milk.” iy Fad , TS) Be 8 earn Se ee ey a rn A ‘vet ne fa? aL aPee! bao Fi OE A ale eh ¥ A Pet BOP ays yam: “ ar SRN "Mw vate ey . ees ] (~ ie ~. : : é > 34 THE WIDOWED BRIDE, The simple meal of fresh-baked brown bread and milk. with a red harvest apple for each of the children, was quickly disposed of, and the woman turned fawningly to the pretty girl, who had sat watching them eat, with a sort of innocent pleasure in seeing their hunger satisfied. ‘‘My bonny lass,” she said, ‘‘you let the old gipsy tell your fortin’ now. ‘There ain’t a many can see the futur’ as I can, and there’s a black-eyed husband ain’t far off, as———” ‘““Not black-eyed,” interrupted the girl, laughing and blushing. ‘‘Dark eyes, ll go bail. Dark blue, maybe, but you have to look twice to see the color—and brown hair——?”’ “And that’s true,” said the girl. ‘Brown hair, and a face handsome enough for a king,” smoothly went on the gipsy, ‘‘and he’d marry you to-mor- row 1f_——” ‘‘Now, don’t ye go to putting nonsense in the _lassie’s head,” good-humoredly interrupted the farmer, a stout grizzle-headed man, who had come in with a pail in either hand. ‘They always do a harm enough of it, without no help. Clear out, I say. You’ve broke your fast and quenched your thirst, and there ain’t nothin’ you need to stay for now. Go about your work, Delly, child, that’s the best way to get good husbands, if gals only knowed 1t.” It was not until the three paused at a wayside brook, two or three hours later, that Rena, to her astonishment, saw the gipsy woman stoop and dip upa draught of sparkling water with a little plated mug she had seen and admired on the farm-house dresser, as she had munched her crust of bread, that very morning. ‘Where did you get that?” she asked, doubtfully, yet fear- ful of putting her vague fears into words. ‘(Where should I get it?” answered the woman, roughly. “‘“Haven't 1 had it ever sin’ I was knee high to a grass- hopper?” ‘You are not telling the truth!’ said Rena, valiantly. “‘T saw it on the cupboard-shelves at the house where they ~ The woman laughed, but her face was as black as a thun- der cloud, nevertheless. | ‘‘You’re asharp *un, Ido declare,” she said; ‘‘a reg’lar needie’s-eye! Well, 1t was the same one, if you’re so scrupu- — jous about it.” comicbooks.com