The Island Bride — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

52 CAST AWAY. doubt will be happy here. If they should tire of the place at some future time, they can leave it. Your niece has requested me to ask you if you will not live with them.” “Never!” shrieked. Miss. Trundle... “‘ Oh, dear! dear! what an idea! I would not. do so for the world! If they stay here they can not have my company! Were it not that ie? father on his death-bed made me promise not to oppose wy attachment between her and one of the other sex, I should ut off my right hand before I would allow this thing to go any further. The heart of this young man may be good enough ; but, oh, dear! dear! he is the last man I weuld have chosen for Minnie’s husband !” “Madam,” said the parson, “ permit me to say that I feel convinced he will make her a good partner. He is a worthy young man, and may God help them both!’ Here Miss Trundle burst into tears, and, with many heart- rending sobs, declared that she was “one of the most perse- cuted of women ;” that she wouldn’t oppose the marriage of her niece, as she had no right to do so, but that it ought to be opposed, however, with heart and soul ; that the fact of its not being opposed would be the death of her! The parson exerted himself to console her, and, attracted to the spot by her cries, Minnie came to assist him. But the sight of her niece only seemed to add to Miss Trundle’s distress, and it was a long time before she recovered sufficiently to dry her eyes. “You will remain with us, will you not, dear aunt ?” “ Never!” ejaculated Miss Trundle, ina hollow voice. “If you marry that man, you must take the consequences. But if you are a girl of common sense you will not marry him !” Before Minnie cculd reply, her aunt started back with a -oud scream, and pointed to a rock that projected into the water, a few yards from the spot where she stood. The parson and the young girl followed the direction of her glance, but were unable to discover the cause of ler alarm. “T saw it plainly !” she gasped, “only for an. instant, but T’'m quite sure I was not mistaken. The moonlight fell di- rectly upon it; it- was a brown cap!” - Parson Trust sprung forward and looked behind the nO tat he saw nothing of Mise‘Trundle’s apparition, | PEC ome cam