The Dugdale Millions — page 272: what you’re looking at

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

262 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS. they had not been, and if their companions were still in view, it is doubtful whether Dick, so suddenly lifted from the depths of despair, could have restrained his actions. He stopped short, caught Bessie in his arms, and impressed upon her lips that first kiss which as he had said had been the dream of his life. And the truth compels the statement that Bessie made no effort t@ escape from the. embrace, at least, net for some moments. They stood for some time, both of them giving themselves up to the delirious joy of love de- clared and love reciprocated. It was Bessie who first recovered possession of her senses, and who brought them both down from the clouds in which they had been floating. **This is not the way I intended it should be,’’ she said, laughing almost hysterically. ‘‘We have begun at the wrong end. I meant to have told you what occurred between my father and myself, but you did not give me time to do so.”’ ‘It matters little now,’’ cried Dick valiantly, ‘“since I know that you love me I care not what he thinks or says.’’ . ‘But I have not told you I love you,’ sie, demurely and mischievously. ‘*Not in words, to be sure, but in the most eloquent of ways, by eyes beaming and face glorified,’’ replied Dick earnestly and irrationally, growing maudlin in his joy, ‘‘but no matter what your father may say, or think, or do, crowned with your love I am strong enough to battle a regiment of opposing fathers, though they all deny me the house and forbid inter- course with the daughter.”’ ‘‘He did neither one nor the other,’’ she replied. ““T will tell you all, which I ought to have done at first, though I don’t see when I think of it how I could have done so, but that day when we came over to Springhill and you were playing at tennis, Mrs. Stan- ton told father that you had-—weil, that you did not replied Bes- Comicbooks.€© d=!