The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-16

: bridge, running at right angles to tn
. rDad-and in moment, behind them
: that lane was chosed with whirlin,
. debris.
But in that moment they had clear
ed the track Of the whirlwind. FO
the first time Alice cOmpreheudedt tn,
conduct Of the Marquis. For the frs
time he turned to see. 4 quarter of;
mile on each side Of the road the hur
ricane lad carried complete desolation
But after passing the heavy timber i
had Veered several degrees, and wa,
sparing the house Of Mrs. Ruggles.
With white face she met them al
the gate. A word Ofexplanation from
the Marquis-an ejaculation of men.
tai anguish from the girl. Two fugi.
tive tie choppers from the woods
turned back to find the COlOnel's body
Mrs. Ruggles, carrying Alice in hel
arms to the doOr-the yalIer-headed
dOll-baby that never washed a dish
did what she could to sOOthe her, but
did it as silently as possible.
Mrs. Ruggles intercepted the return
ing tie-chOppers in the lane. A look
. Ofeager joy was in their faces. The
bruised Colonel, assisted to the thres-
hold, sank into the big arm chair,anu
! Alice was in his arms. Mrs. Ruggles
did not see their meeting, not at all.
1 No, her back was toward them, but
! the corner Of her apron made another
/ journey TO the corner of her eye,as the
I father SfOlded his lost daughter once
more to his heart
/ His desire to express his gratitude
( to Mrs. Ruggles and her son was
| equaled only by her fears that he
would do so. As a last resort ne call
ed the Marquis to him, and, while a
Z tear stood on his rough cheek, drew a
I handful of money from his pocket
but bOny hand appeared majestical-
ly between them, and a voice said,
"Not by no means. We're not them
kind of persons. AfaTkis-dee, put away
the camfire."
Then a rickety gig ratified up to the
gate: "COntusiOn-severe danger
-there!-be lame a while-sO the
other bandage- bridge gone-creek
half dry-bend your leg-sO current
turned up stream-nOw the shoulder
not strange Crawfish Creek should
run backward-he hew And the
rickety gig ratified merFily offin search
of other broken bones.
Alice, meeting the Marquis outside
the door, approached him in such a
way that made him tremble. What
was said will never be known, butts she
placed her white little hand upon his
shoulder, the golden head bowed fora
moment and her sweet lips touched
his sUnburnt face.
By remaining quiet that night the
Colonel would be able TO get back to
Thompson City in the morning. Be
fore nine o'clock, he was at rest in the
bedroom. A couch for Alice had
been prepared in the same room. In
the other-kitchen, ,parlOr and dining
hall, blanket was thrown down for
the Marquis, and two chairs fixed for
the bed of Mrs. Ruggles. Before retir-
ing, however, she sat down at her
lonely table, where, Notwithstanding
the tea she drank to keep'them off, an
unusual number of weak creepings
came over her.
''I couldn't help il, J." was all she said;
whether to the tornado, or her
kindness to the sufferers, or to
the manner of rendering the kind
ness, no one knows. That was all
she said to the teapot, but to her
son, who sat for a while beside her,
she spoke in low tone: "Markis-dee,
you should never c'verse with her.
You're better'n she is. Put her out o.
yer head. She laughed at ye."
"But she kissed me wiz tears in Ter
eyes afterward," was his answer as
he turned and walked off to his bed on
the floor.
An hour later the tea was exhaust
ed, but Mrs. Ruggles yet sat at her
lonely table as still as the sleepers
around her. The clock struck ten
she neTvously drew a soiled paper from
her bosom. Eleven: she rose with hes
itatiOn and set the tallow candle be-
hind the door. Then she softly enter
ed the bedroom and stood before the
window where Alice lay. The sky
was clear again. The moon shOne on
the form and face of the sleeping girl,
rI,,lIy,l- tII, sffTuows in the golden hair,
tenderer the tint of cheek and lip.
She stepped again into the shade
and stole to the COlOnel's bedside. His
disturbed mind had turned backward
over the path of life from the sudden
death escaped, and, sleeping or wax
ing, his memory had been busy with
the people and events of other days.
"JOhn Miller ~ she said, in a sur
pressed tone. He started. "John
Miller, know ye. Common name
1 WANT sure before to-day. When
We pulled that money out o. yer pOck-
ct ] see that in yer face that satisfied
me. It's fer the good name o. the
dead I've come. Elseways I never'd
ha' troubled We" The astonished
colonel shifted his position painfully
prepared to speak or to listen. 'There
yer girl lies in the light o. heaven.
Mex room my boy lies in the shadder
an dark. He don't know, an never
will. John Miller, ] married as hon
est and as good q a man as ever YOU
see. Folks has come to me in sick
nes an trouble, an gone behin' my
back to talk. Some | said done right
to take him, twas Christian in me.
SOME said I must ha' been a fool.
Some said we WANT married a-tall.
Wasn't a Peables? ? Didn't 1 know
t'wOuld be flung up in my face
Wasn't prouder'n any on 'em ?"
A moments confusion and doubt
ing of senses then, as the suppressed
voice went on, the colonel remember
ed. A dozen years ago, before he
had meddled with railroads; back in
the old town; soon after taking his
fathers shop; he was plaintiff; Rug
giles worked in the first room; POr-
ter's testimony; Becky Peables the
sweetheart of both; burglary; loss
George Ruggles, for one year;
came back and married when releas- |
ed; went West. The old case had
scarce crossed his mind for years.
"Yes, you sent him, an waited for
him. The day he come out married
him. We had to dig hard. I'd do it |
ag'in. Now his boys saved yer girls |
life to pay We fer putin his father'n
States prism, Two year ago didn't
Bill POrter-sick an a-dyin'-hunt I
till he foun' me here? Didn't he 90
an swear? Done fer spite. Didn't he
il safe. Got it swOre to by him, with
the justice o. the peace's name signed
an two witnessis, an the Judges red |
seal on top o. that. Could 1 go back
an show that paper'n tell how twas?
Too late! George was dead. IcOuldn't
go. NY folks almost disowned me
when took him. / said then I'd
never step my foot into their doors. !
Them that gives me the cOl' shoulder
once don't do it no more. Come to
me ?-well an good. Go to them >
never"
The bewildered colonel, promising
every possible reparation, would have
thrown himself at her feet, could he
have done so, for the part he had TAX
en- in the prosecution. But she per-
mitted no interruption, and cOntinu-
ed: ''He lay by the winder where yer
girl lies. The moon come in on his
bed as it does on her'n. In the night, |
when I see the light o. the sky shine |
there where he died, I feel his sperit !
in the room. l moved the bed to this |
corner, where it's darker. I WANT
good enough TO lie there. But twas
on his mind. He said, Becky, if I |
could prove it to you afore / died y I.
An 1 say, Georges sperit sent Bill .
Porter here, an sent you here, an /
sent me into this room tonight. |
Now, fer the sake o. him an Marks I.
dee, 90 back an tell the truth :"
Speaking the word "tTut: rshe van |
ished across the light to her dark place I
Of rest.
Next morning the colonel examin- /
ed and copied the confession while a I
buggy waited for him Ut the door. Re- /
specting the evident wishes of Mrs. [