Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

248 A SEVERE THREAT. arms outstretched, panting, eager, breathless, to fling them about the lady of whom her husband had spoken. ‘‘Lola! oh, Lola!” she panted, ‘‘I—I was afraid that you were dead ! Lola, is it really you, or a: Lola smiled sadly. ‘¢One does not often attend one’s own funeral,” she returned ; ‘at least not in the character of mourner. No, dear-—where did you spring from anyway ?—it is the funeral of Lady Venetia Chandos.” ‘*Mercy! When did she die ?” Lola’s face was very pale. ‘‘She—she attempted to push me over Dead Man’s Cliff. You know the place, Dot. Butin her blind fury she made a misstep, and went over the side of the ravine, down to instant death. Oh,” with a violent shudder, ‘‘it was horrible !” Then, after a pause of silence, Lola inquirec: ‘‘ When did you arrive, and who are your friends? I believe that you are keep- ing something from me. That’ snot like you, Dot Wylde.” ‘Not Dot Wylde any more,” returned the little bride, with a blush, and laying a card in Lola's hand as she spoke. Too astonished to utter a word, Lola glanced at the card, to find engraven thereon: ‘‘ Mrs. Halton Dexter.” She caught Dot in her arms. ‘‘Oh, Dot,” she whispered, kissing her friend tenderly, ‘‘ how glad lam! Halton Dexter is a great friend of Lloyd’s—Mr. Vernon's.” ‘‘Ves,” quoth Dot; ‘‘and—I think I can foresee another wedding looming up in the distance.” But Lola shook her head gravely, and turned away. The solemn little group gathered about the great Chandos tomb, and soon ‘‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” was said, and the door of the tomb closed forever upon the beautiful Lady Venetia, until that great day when the graves shall open, and all the dead shall come forth. They turned away sadly and slowly, and left the fair body to return to its mother earth, and the spirit to the hands of the great Judge of all finite creatures, (e(@) Eomichooks