Thrice Lost, Thrice Won — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

a i M's Y - “ , f r ; “. # ; , * v¢ “ AS vs ‘. av oe, ‘," : : : wa y; » at's 7 : ‘ Shee a! on : — ety + , . : i : eh “7 \. % i By he -- d re wy ‘ ‘is . 2 ite ; ae ae > Be Por : Veird e din I f & Is og! — bd 2 4 stor ry which, if told, might have saved them so many years of 8 Py “X * Zor) | f ta : oe with b fatal i okistiey: the past was hidden, and the ‘sorrow and parting was not told to Alwyn Bartram. Be pais ¢ “The days of that Christmas week went by, each one bring- ing the fatal end nearer and nearer. There was no time for a love-making now; the awful presence of death filled every \ - room in the house, darkened the very air. Helen Mallory was dying—they counted her life by hours now, not by days. 3 _ You will marry Estella on New Year’s-eve, Alwyn?” she said, wearily. “I am going with the old year. I can hardly ~ hope for more than to see the new year dawn, and I cannot die until my darling is your wife.” : 4 “Whenever you please, Helen,” the young man answered, ‘ aon very gravely. “The sooner the better—since it must be,” -_was his silent confession, with a groan. ae Estella’s preparations were few—there was no time, and - -was happy, unutterably happy, though the aunt she loved lay i dying. The stronger love conquered the weaker—her heart ~ >was. full of inexpressible bliss, despite the terrible shadow | of Death. | | It came—New Year’s- bee Retella’ s wedding-day. Her _, second wedding-day—she remembered that with a sharp pang - of terror and remorse. — 1 ES _ “Tf wish Aunt Helen had told him,” she thought. “What ~ would he say if he knew of Roysten Darrell?’ | The day dawned dull and‘leaden—no glimmer of sunshine > 3 in sky or earth.~ A wailing wind sobbed round the gables, | and drove the snow in wild drifts before it. As the afternoon wore on, the threatening rain began to - fall, freezing as it fell, and lashing the windows in sleet and othath AG bad, black day, eold and tempestuous, dark and ap The dying woman shuddered as she listened to the Fae - paging of the storm. “And I had hoped for ol wd brightness on this last day,” she thought, trying to shut out the eerie cries of the winter wind—“my darling’ s wedding-day. What if it should be ominous? What if. it should be prophetic of the future, after all?” aot | cine Ri * She turned suddenly, and looked full at the bridegroom. ef He sat heside her, alone, looking very little like a bride- groom, his dark face. set, and ee: and smileless as the Jan- tary sky without. “Oh, Alwyn, tell me!” a Poot | in shrill affright, “you ~ do love Estella, do you: not? You will cherish and protect of = sta when I am gone?” SS idee - | > €COMIGCDOEOKs: co _ Alwyn Bartram’s pale face turned a shade paler. | es can,” he pda said. gar and faithfully, Helen, | ws iy ws i * a - on . : . ~ i eis ae . - Oe t éurt » a of * ghd <2 we 7 * - ~ S e _ = oe * c.>. > i ~ . & ' —_ r