Should She Have Left Him? — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

24 SHOULD SHE HAVE LEFT GI? should have to remain all night, she began to cry and blame herself for the freak that had brought us into such a predicament. I soothed her as best I could. Finally she fell asleep with my coat about her, and my shoulder for a pillow. Later I fell asleep, and thus we were found in the early morning by the angriest brother I ever saw. Returning to the inn, we were loaded with reproaches by all the family, and especially by an insufferably conceited jack—a cousin and a clergyman to boot—who had, as expected, joined the family during the night, and for whom, I believe, Elsie had been destined. “Tf my tale was believed it was not heeded, though Elsie joined in asserting it. Mr. Hallock insisted loudly that Elsie was compromised beyond redemption, and the mother filled the air with lamentations over her poor ruined daughter. The brother declared that those who had ruined his sister must care for her thereafter or deal with him. Finding that the worst construction was put upon the affair, and losing my head through my sympathy for Elsie, who I thought was basely treated, in a burst of chivalric anger I declared I would marry her then and there and thus put an end to the out- rageous treatment of the girl. My proposal was eagerly seized upon, though Elsie protested strenu- ously, but wholly on my account. She was silenced, however, and almost before I was aware of it we were made man and wife by the cousin, who went through the ceremony as if he were attending his own funeral.” Comicbookks C@