Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

afternoon; but, hard as itis to grieve you when you offer me the greatest homage that a woman can re- ceive—the love of un honest heart—I must be true to myself. I cannot bid you hope or wait, for—Mr. Harwood, I do not love you.” “You have not had time to think of it—to realize whether you do or not; [I have frightened you by my abruptness,” he said, despairingly. “T have uot, indeed, had time to think, for I did not dream that you cherished aught save feelings of kindly friendship for me," Hazel responded, sadly ; adding, “but truly, I can give you uo other auswer.” “Oh, my darling! when I love you go, pray, pray, give me but a single ray of hope! I will wait years, if need be.” “T cannot, for I know my own heart," she said, her mie of tears, aud be knew that his fate was sealed, Without a word, he took up his oars and rowed back to the shore; but his face was like the face of one shorn of every hope in this life. He was just as tender and careful of her as he had been when they started ont, and never left her side until she was safely seated in her chair on the veranda, Mrs. Stewart and ber party drove up just then, for which Hazel was very thankful, as it prevented an awkward and trying leave-taking between herself and Mr, Harwood, He was greeted cordially by the ladies, although Helena quickly detected the cloud upou his face, and the unusual flush on Hazel’s cheeks, and took in the situation at once. “He has made a fool of himself over that girl,” was her mental comment, ‘and got his cage for his pains. I miust settle her fate before she does further inis- chief, She will leave Crescent Villa before many weeks, or Helena Stewart will have lost her usual eunning.” When Perey next met his friend he knew, by his dejected attitude, that he had staked his all, and lost, He had been checkmated in a far more important affair than 2 game of chess. comichooks.com