Should She Have Left Him? — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

THE DECREE OF FREEDOM. ' 263 of romantic—that it smacks altogether of too much common sense and practicality. If I were writing romance, I should have Buttontrave in a carriage outside the door of the courthouse, the steam up in his yacht in the harbor, and as the decree was arinounced, while the Waldemars were wailing and enashing their teeth, the nobleman should whisk Hilda off to some land of flowers, where the sun always shines, and the soft, languorous winds always blow over the blue Mediterranean Sea, where in love and luxury they should live until Hilda’s retributive conscience pricking her, she should return to the bosom of her weeping family to die of consumption and a wailing orchestra; but I am writing sober his- tory and must adhere to the facts. So also must I record that instead of foolishly rushing to this country and interfering with the suc- cessful progress of her suit, Buttontrave replied to these letters despite Hilda’s injunctions to the con- trary. And in these letters his protestations of love were as ardent, and his expressions of hope of her success as fervid, as Hildacould desire. He assured her that when she sent for him he would come speedily, to weld her in a new bond of wedlock. As soon as she was informed of the decree of the court, which was immediately, Hilda drove to the office of the cable and sent this message: eter, . Come.” A few hours after she received his reply: “On wings.” Which was quite pretty but nonsensical, for even Comicloo KS C@© 3