Thrice Wedded, but Only Once a Wife — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

THRICE WEDDED. 179 ‘Oh, heavens, what a monster!” moaned the wretched man. His heart sickened within him as he realized his horrible situation. | ; The fiend bent near to him; he-could feel his hot breath against his cheek, see the pupil of his eye dilate and then contract with the deadly purpose of his heart shining through them. ; The squire raised his arm high above his head, while his long, bony fingers firmly clutched the handle of the dagger. For a moment it quivered in the air, then it descended toward his foe with full force. But it missed its destination, for his arm was fiercely arrested in 1ts downward motion, and with a howi of baffled rage the squire turned to see who had cheated him of his long wished for revenge. He met the stern face and flash- ing eyes of his nephew. He was pale as the dead, and he shook with the excitement of the dreadful moment; but his hold upon his uncle was like the grip of a vise, and the mur- derous wretch could no more move his arm under it than if he had. been an infant. Ralph pulled him roughly from his intended victim, and said, hoarsely: ‘‘T told you that you should not do this thing.” “Curse you, I will!” he shrieked, frantically striving to free himself. ‘*‘He shall not live—I will have his black heart to pay me for what I have suffered! Let me go, you young dog. Qh, it was treacherous in you to cheat me so, when my triumph was so near. Help! help!—I will be free!” I'he baffled wretch writhed and twisted in the iron grasp that held him. His eyes grew blood-shot, his face became of a purple hue, while flecks of foam flew from his mouth. — Gaining renewed courage from his almost miraculous deliverance, Mr. Ellerton struck his foe a powerful blow, _which felled him to the floor, and sent the fatal dagger fly- ing to the farthest corner of the room. ‘Now,’ said Ralph, “if you have a cord anywhere, we will bind this dangerous gentleman until he recovers his senses; it will not do to let him run at large.” | Mr. Ellerton picked up the weapon that had so nearly put an end to his existence, and, quickly stepping to the stout bell-rope, severed it with a single blow; then together they CS cComirchboo (Ele)