Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

her frail form like a reed. It was the first time that she had wept since her berenvement, and this natural outburat did her more good than medicine, When she was calmer ler husband told her the story of the unfortunate child, and his desire to adopt it, and she gladly assented; lier Heart went ont te it at once with all the affection which she would have given to her own Woy, and though she did not cease to mourn her loss, yet she was greatly comforted. The uecessary papers were immediately made out, and when Sir Heuvy Harwood aud his wife left their obscure lodgings und returned to their own luxurions home in another part of the eity, no one suspected that the beautiful child they brought with them wus not their own. Mrs. Harwood had just recovered froma dangerous illness, which was excuse euough for her changed appearauce, wid only to each other did they ever hee of the terrible affliction which they had suf- ered. Charlie was reared exuctly as if he had been their own flesh and blood, and no suspicion of the truth had ever come to hin. He was an active, intelligent boy, affectionate and remarkably honorable and high-ininded for one of his years.’ He did not love study, as we linve seen, but for the sake of his father and mother he was ar- Iitious to make nm good appearance, and ashamed to | have {tt said that he could not do as well as other | boys of his own age. He was 0 dear lover of the ocean, aud never 80 happy as when, during the hot montha, Sir Henry re- paired to his beautiful summer residence ut Brighton, _ where, all day long, he would play upon the beach and sail his little ships along the shore, “Tt is in his blood; he cannot letp it,” Sir Henry would tell his wife, when she lamented lis extrayva- gant love for the sea. | There was one little thing that sometimes excited the boy’a curiosity as he grew older. It was a pecu- liar device that had been pricked into his wrist with Tndix ink, | “What is it!’ he sometimes asked his mother, “I donot Enow; it bas been there ever since you were a baby,” was all she could tell him; but she never saw it withont feeling deeply annoyed and wishing thut It could be obliterated. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Goulicbooks.com