Thrice wedded, but only once a wife

In a retired street in one of the inland cities of Massachusetts stood a neat and attractive little cottage of purest white, the dark green of its blinds making it seem still wh...

All unmindful of the withering curses invoked upon their devoted heads, the young and newly-wedded pair went on their homeward way, as happy and light-hearted as they had come,...

It was a large and elegant building, unique in its architecture and adornments, and furnished with the most exquisite taste. It was a home of exceeding beauty, but, with all its...

Robert drove home as fast as he could make old Prince go, his mind all confused, while doubts and fears oppressed him. His father was just going in to tea when he arrived, and R...

Mr. Ellerton and his son entered their carriage in silence; the one in stern and gloomy displeasure, the other with a look of firm resolve still upon his face, though his heart...

His head was bowed upon his narrow and sunken chest, his hands were clasped with rigid firmness at his back, while his long grizzly hair hung in neglected masses around his stoo...

While the unhappy woman was pleading so earnestly for recognition, and a welcome, the heartless squire had in a measure recovered from his fright at thus being confronted by one...

Half crouching, half lying among the tall grass just outside the circle of arbor vitæ, was a large, swarthy-looking man, his eyes and mouth agape with astonishment at the wondro...

How much significance those two short words contain! To how many souls they have brought joy and sorrow, weal and woe—some lifted to the highest pinnacle of happiness, while oth...

Waiting a few moments, Ralph Moulton—for it was he who was hidden among the heavy folds of drapery, and had listened to every word that passed between Weimher and Dora—stepped s...

Late one night, while the wind was howling dismally, and the rain poured down in torrents, a carriage drawn by a pair of noble but weary and dripping horses, drew up before an i...

The examination exercises of the few days past had passed off satisfactorily alike to professor and pupil; and now the last day of all, the great day, had arrived, that was to g...

The next morning Robert arose, and found a perfumed bath and all the dainty appointments of a toilet awaiting him. After performing his ablutions, and dressing himself with grea...

Madam was in ecstasies over the young orator—the more so, because he was one of her own countrymen, and had borne off the palm in the face of all the natives.

In direct contradiction to the note which Robert received, Mr. Ellerton bent his steps toward the Glenburn House, where, despite the crowd of visitors, he had managed to obtain...

Both were trying to busy themselves about some light fancy work, to drive away the agony that was tugging so fiercely at their heart-strings, and failing most miserably, as thei...

That same evening found Ralph Moulton and his uncle again seated in their room at the inn, engaged in earnest conversation, while the same eager listener, Ronald Edgerton, was w...

While standing thus he saw a dirty little urchin, barefooted and ragged, behind one of the large fluted pillars which supported the porch, and every little while he caught him p...

The sound slumber into which Robert had fallen was broken by the sweetest strains of music. He sat up on his couch and rubbed his eyes, trying to arouse himself; he was bewilder...

“Some nineteen years ago,” said the maiden, “a gentleman, Ralph Moulton by name, was traveling in Italy. He came to Naples, where my mother’s family resided. There were four of...

A week passed away, more quickly and pleasantly than Robert could have imagined, and he daily had secret interviews with the fair Vivien, and her sweet presence soothed him to b...

“Oh, my fine gentleman, that is too good! The joke is really refreshing, after my hard labor in accomplishing what I have. It is truly very cunning of you to seek to blind my ey...

Madame Alroyd and Dora had intended departing from the place where they had suffered so much, the day following the one on which Mr. Ellerton had visited them and obtained our h...

The roaring winds had ceased, and the clouds had been suddenly swept aside by a master-hand, and the blue-vaulted heavens, studded with their sparkling gems, looked serenely dow...

Well might Dora Dupont cry out, for she recognized in the handsome face and form of the man who stood beneath that arched entrance, her rejected suitor and enemy, Ralph Moulton.

Ralph was rewarded by a sweet “thank you,” and a glimpse of a pair of lovely purple-black eyes, which for a moment were roguishly upturned to his, and then vailed beneath their...

Early on the morning of the same day on which Ralph imparted his diabolical design to our heart-broken heroine, two men sat in the room back of the one which was occupied by Squ...

Seven o’clock came, and Dora sat, pale as the robes in which she was arrayed, awaiting the appearance of her persecutor, who was to lead her forth to such a heartless sacrifice.

Every eye was turned like a flash upon the intruder, and the chief, with a fearful oath, sprang toward him, with a gleam of startled fear in his eye notwithstanding his dauntles...

“Will you allow me to leave this place for a few minutes? Nay,” she added, quickly, as she saw him hesitate and glance suspiciously at her, “it is only good that I would do. I w...

He followed as well as he was able, for he was wholly unacquainted with the situation of the different cells and the way which led to them. Every few moments Ralph paused to lis...

With those few touching words, which fell from the lips of the long-parted father and son, they were clasped in each other’s arms, all the bitter feeling of the six years previo...

Alfred Ellerton raised the fair face that was hidden upon his bosom, and tenderly kissed the rich, full lips of his wife; then wiping the tears from her splendid eyes, said:

“I thank Heaven for these unexpected and unmerited blessings. It is more than I ever hoped for, to have both wife and child restored to me at once. But, my son, we will now list...

“My love, your story was rather unceremoniously interrupted. If you feel equal to it, I would like to hear how you spent all those long years, after you gave up our boy.”

We left poor Enid Chichester in a faint in the arm-chair, into which she had fallen on discovering who the bridegroom was; and there she had remained unnoticed and uncared for u...

Meanwhile Alfred Ellerton had found the Italian brothers, who had retreated into the background when the long-lost wife presented herself; but they now came forward, and stood p...

An hour later a happy company, comprising the reunited husband and wife, the happy lovers, and the lovely but now joyous and hopeful maidens, who long had been held in captivity...

Behold! upon a lofty hill, surrounded by magnificent beeches, whose overhanging boughs make a royal arch of green above the smoothly graveled drive-way that encircles it, stands...