The Widowed Bride — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

74 THE WIDOWED BRIDE, Rena smiled up in her face. - €Ts she asleep?” Rena nodded assent. a2 ‘Poor thing! Iam so glad!’ whispered the kind-hearted preceptress. ‘‘She is the only daughter of the Countess of Glenhampton. They thought a change would be beneficial to her, but she has never been separated from her mother before. Don't you think she is pretty?” Rena made a negative motion of her head, as she surveyed the calm, sleeping lineaments, with the dew of scarcely dried tears yet hanging on the heavy eyelashes, and a crimson _ spot on each cheek. oS ‘‘Not pretty,” she said; “‘I should rather call her hand- some.” “Do you know, my dear,” said Miss Hartford, with almost a start, ‘‘there is a strange likeness between you, as your faces are there, side by side?” Rena glanced across at a mirror which, hanging on the - opposite side of the room, reflected the little group. She smiled and shook her head. “It is your fancy, Miss Hartford,” she said, lightly. ‘I_ do not perceive anything approaching to a likeness.” “Not just now, for she is pale and passive, while you are all smiles and dimples, and sparkling eyes and pink cheeks; but, a minute ago, when you were silent and quiet, you did look strangely alike.” | Miss Hartford darkened the blinds, drew down the mus- lin shades, and went out of the room on tiptoe, and for nearly an hour Rena sat there, the slender fingers grasp- ing her wrist, and the pale forehead pillowed upon her shoulder. ‘‘How strangely the prizes and blanks are apportioned in _ Life’s lottery,” Rena thought, half mournfully, as she looked ~ down upon the fair, aristocratic young face. ‘‘Both of us girls, both young and both passably pretty, but there the parallel ceases. JI have my own way to fight in the world-— she has hers all made for her, the path carpeted with flow- ers, and the very winds of heaven prevented from blowing too roughly on her brow! Iam poor—she’s rich.” She sighed softly—a strange sound to come from one so oung and so beautiful, but she never moved, until Lady lanche Arden waked with a start, unaware, for the instant, == *comicbooks.co