The Widowed Bride — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

THE WIDOWED BRIDE. 499 CHAPTER X. RENA’S CHOICE. Miss Hartford’s reception-room was a prettily furnished apartment, always scented with roses, newly cut and ar- ranged in vases during the summer months, and exhaling sweetness from huge Japanese jars of dried petals during the winter. In one hand she held an open letter, in the other were her gold eye-glasses. ‘‘Come in, my dears, and sit down,” said Miss Hartford, welcoming the young sisters with a smile. ‘So you are to. graduate to-morrow. Dear me, how the time flies.” ‘“Tt’s the way of the world, Miss Hartford.” said Rena, sitting down on a low stool beside the old lady’s chair, and laying her cheek against the wrinkled white hand that rested against its cushioned arm. ‘‘You have sent away too many young birds, newly fledged and eager to try their wings, to wonder that we, too, are anxious.” “That is what I wished to speak to you about, Rena,” said Miss Hartford, gravely. ‘‘I think I may say that you two girls have received every advantage of education that it was possible to give you. You are excellent musicians, both in the vocal and instrumental branches, and Alice has a su- perior voice. You are both good linguists, moderately skilled mathematicians, and accomplished in the depart- ments of natural science. You have well improved your time here, and I think Lady Barrowfield herself could not have failed to be perfectly satisfied with you. In short, girls, I have done my duty, and you have done yours.’ “Of which two facts,” observed Rena, gravely, “the lat- ter is the most to be marveled at.” “And now,” went on Miss Hartford, scarcely noticing Rena’s speech in the graver considerations which were occu- pying her mind, ‘‘the question now naturally presents itself, what is to be done next.” Both girls remained silent, for they saw that Miss Hart- ford had not finished all that she had to say. ‘“T have here a letter,” she added, after a moment's Eomicbhooks mi =