The Widowed Bride — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

84 THE WIDOWED BRIDE. on the top of his staff, and two sunburned, wild-haired little elves creeping down the wide aisle of the sacred edifice within, starting at the sound of their own voices, and filled _ with shy delight tosee the bars of orange and ruby and blue light quivering down through the stained glass splendors of the western oriels. and lying like shattered rainbows at their - feet! Poor little wearied wretches! She pitied them now, almost as if they nad been strangers, as she remembered the wearied limbs and blistered feet of long ago, and, like a writ- _ Ing on the wall of her memory, rose up the gilded letters on the marble tablet, surrounded by the sculptured angels, be- fore which the little wanderers had stood in a mute rapture of delight: : | ‘To the memory of ALLEGRA and KATHERINE, twin daughters of Adelbert, Karl of Glenhampton, who died June 21, 18—, aged two years and sixteen days. ‘Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven!’ ” Ever so marvelous is the power of association. During ~ the ten years that had elapsed since that September evening, Rena had never once recalled the monumental inscription - to her memory; now it seemed as vivid before her as if she - had deciphered it but yesterday. “Daughters of Adelbert, Earl of Glenhampton! They were Blanche’s sisters then!” She glanced through her drooping eyelashes at the young girl sitting by her side, and longed to ask about the little things so early stricken down, but she never opened her hips. “Tt will all come about in due time,” she thought; ‘‘and I have no wish to be identified, in anybody’s mind, with the ragged little pauper of the old time, who tramped through the mud and dust of London streets, and wore the charity- checked aprons of Wykenham Refuge.” as ‘‘How silent you are, Rena,” said Blanche, playfully lay- ing her hand upon the other’s shoulder; ‘‘and how grave you look!” | ‘Tt is all so new and strange to me,” said Rena, with a forced smile. ‘‘Have we nearly reached Glenhampton?” ‘This wall of gray stone on our right, with the vases of hanging trailers on every buttress, is the westernmost boundary of the park; we shall soon be there now. Do you ~~ €comicbooks-com