The Widowed Bride — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

BU THE WIDOWED BRIDE. “T don’t know what to do with you, I am sure,” sighed Mrs. Mar, feeling painfully that she ought to be vexed, and yet quite unable to summon up the necessary degree of in- dignation. | | ‘‘Let me go and play,” suggested Rena; ‘‘I’m so tired of staying here, and I want to see Allie.” But Rena Mordaunt’s unwise frankness, although it had angered the Honorable Mrs. Heneage past all chance of rec- onciliation, had yet gained her another and a powerful friend, of whom she as yet knew nothing. Lady Barrowfield, who had sat a silent witness to the whole scene, went home to her husband and put her slen- der, pretty arm around his neck, as he sat ata table look- ing over a heap of Parliamentary Blue-Books. “Well, little one,” he said, glancing up somewhat ab- stractedly, ‘“‘what do you want now?” | | “The set of oriental topazes that you promised me, Her- bert * “T know,” he interrupted, ‘‘and I’m ready to give a check at any time.” “But I don’t want the jewels, Herbert; I would rather in- vest the money -in another way.” “In what way, Clemence?” he asked, gravely, and she sat closer at his side, looking with a soft, pleading glance into his eyes. girls whom I saw at the Refuge to-day.” “If they are received into the Refuge, they are provided for already.” : “Yes, as housemaids, or cooks, or upper-servants; but these little creatures seem to be worthy of a better fu- — ture.” And she described the incident which had occurred in the matron’s room that day, while Lord Barrowfield interrupted her to laugh heartily at the discomfiture of the Honorable Mrs. Heneage. : ‘'That’s just like Eleanor,” he said. ‘If she wanted a funar rainbow, she would think she ought to have it pro- duced for her at once, on her own terms. So the little - sprite wouldn't consent to be adopted, eh? Well, I must say that I like her spirit. But what do you want to do about ite? “T want it to advance the future of two homeless httle “You will call it a mere fancy, Herbert,” Lady Barrow- -EcomiIcbooKkKs.com |