The Widowed Bride — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

58 - THE WIDOWED BRIDE. It was quite true. ‘The Honorable Mrs. Heneage, whosr — whims had all her life-time been humored, and who bough, every long cashmere shawl, diamond set, or pony-phaeton that she happened to fancy, on the spot, had bethought ~ herself that a bright-eyed little playmate would be not un- acceptable to lighten the aristocratic gloom of her childless home, and Rena’s pretty face had put the idea into her - head. “‘Come here, my pretty one,’ * sed Mrs. Heneage, draw- ing Rena close to her, ‘‘and tell me if you wouldn't like to be my little girl?” ‘But I am not your little girl,” expostulated Rena. «‘But I can make you so, if I please,” said Mrs. Heneage, patting the silky, down- drooping head. ‘Would you like to come with me, and wear elegant dresses every day, and ride in my carriage, and gather flowers in my garden, and have all the money to spend that you wanted?” “Ves,” said Rena, slowly: ‘“f——” “Ves, ma’am,” prompted Mar, in a sort of stage whisper. Mrs. Heneage turned sharply around. ‘Don’t be putting those eharity-child conventionalities in her head, I beg of you,” she said, with asperity. ‘Tell me, my little blossom,” with her lps touched to the child’s slowing cheek, “would you like to go with me?” “If Allie goes, too,” pronounced Rena, courageously. ‘*Who-does she red) Who ig Allie?” asked Mrs. Fang: age, looking at the matron. ‘It’s her little sister, ma'am, that came here with her, and sat next to her,” answered Mrs. Mar. “That faded little thing, with the red hair and the color- less eyes?” ‘““Yes, ma’am.” “Nonsense!” said Mrs. Heneage, authoritatively.. ‘‘I can’t adopt the whole of Wykenham Refuge. I want you, child, and nobody else.” Won't you take Allie, too: 0? wistfully asked Rena, look- = ing up into Mrs. Heneage’ S eyes. ‘“<Certainly not.” ‘ee ‘*Vhen I won’t go,” said Rena, resolutely. ‘I won’t leave Allie!” inet Mrs. Heneage appealed to the matron. ‘Does the child know what nonsense she is talking, Mrs, - comicboo Son