A Struggle for a Ring — page 309: what you’re looking at

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

_THE HUSBAND’S PROMISE. 30 Then he recognized his wife, Ailie; and, though his first quick impulse. was one of impatience, in a moment he had taken off his hat, dismounted,.and stood bare- ; headed by her side. ‘“You want to speak to me?” he - repeated ‘* You: almost startled me, Ailte, standing. there in the dusk of © the evening. Tell me, what do you wish to say?” : He fastened the reins of the horse round a tall tree. ‘‘T will leave Black Charlie to -enjoySome of this fine~ grass,” he said. ‘‘ And now, Allie; to. business. You ~ ‘want me—what is ite” ; ‘ He walked on in silence for some minutes by her side; then she raised her ace to hiss2 is Be x3 ‘«T want to téll you, ".she said, ‘that you must t speale aio _. °° kind word to me. ~ I cannot bear this. any longer ;* I shall — go mad unless you speak kindly to me, ' There is alWays a cloud on your face when you look at” me. Have you, not-‘one word forme?” eae He looked at her in astonishment ; he did not: even un- - derstand the terrible storm of love oie detpatk going on in: her heart. : e sesy aa “I do. not know what you mean, i A tio he cpl ae «J have not been unkind to you; I do not know that I have ever looked or.felt impatient at all. . Of course, it is pes an unpleasant state of things, but I have not coinplained.” ‘““Once before,” she said, ‘‘I asked you for bread and: ~ you gave me a.stone; now I have.watched you—how kindly you smile and look at others; how kind you are to. | every one—hoy gentle; yet you treat me as though I were . the most indifferent stranger.” pees ‘My dear Ailie; that .is hardly my fault; you: have placed yourself in a situation that has -no panillel: Forse: betray my secret now, after guarding it so long, weal be ah * ; * y , c} -- com 900kS.com