South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-04-14

z Mrs Ruggles intercepted the returning
tie-choppers in the lane. A look of cage
Joy was in their faces. The bruised Celo
mel, asst ted to the threshold, sank into, tn,
big armchair, and Alice was IN his arms
Mrs. Ruggles did not see their meeting
not at all. No, her back was toward them
but the corner of her apron made .auothel
Journey to the corner of her eve as th,
father folded his lost child once more K
his heart 'aa .--t tA- l' -.s
His desire TO express his gratitude tc
Mrs. Ruggles and her boy was equaleC
only by her fears that he would do so. Al
a last resort he called the Marquis to him
and, while tear stood on his rough cheek
drew handful of money from his pocket
But bony hand appeared nlaiestically be.
tween them, and voice said % Notab BY
no o,means. We're net them kind. o. per
sons. Marks dee, put away the camfre.' =
Then ricketty gig rattle up to the gate
"Oonfusion-seVer-nO danger-therei-
be lame awhile-so!Athe other bandage
bridge gone-creek half dry--bend your
leg-sc current turned up stream now
the shoulder-not strange Crawfish Creek
should run backward-liel hei" And the
rickety gig ratified merrily of in search OF
broken bones. llff YES - -1tc
Alice, meeting the Marquis outside the
door, approached him in way that made
hil1 tremDle. What was said will never
be known, but she placed her white little
hand upon his shoulder, the golden head
Bowed for moment, and her sweet lips
touched his sunburnt face: 90 .1se-s
By remaining qtiet that night the
Nn1Ora1 ha oIl e. -
Thompson City in the morning. Before
o'clock he was at rest in the bedroom A
couch for Alice had been prepared in the
same room In the eother-kitchen, psrlor
and dining g-halEa blanket was thrown
down for the MARQUIS, and two chairs fixed
for the bed of Mrs. Ruggles. Before retir-
iDgy however, she sat down at her lonely
table; where, notwithstanding the tea she
drank to Keep them of, an Unusual num-
ber Of weak ,creepings came over her, ,t
cotldt't help 1t, was all she said to
the teapot Whether che referred to the
tornado, or her kindness to th5 spfferers,
or to the manner of rendering the kind
tiess, nc one knows That was all she said
to the teapot, but 10 her son, who sat for
a while beside her, she spoke in q low
t0de: y"Markiss-d dee, yo1 could never
c'yerse with her You're better'n she is.
Put her out o yer head. She laughed at
ye."' tg..-.-- s- .f---- e.,t r--,-.r
"But she kissed me WI tears in her eyes
afterward," was his answer as he turned
toward his bed on the floor. a 81
An hour later the tea was exhausted,
but Mrs. Ruggles yet sat at H5r lonely
table, as still as the sleepers around her
The clock struck 10; she rervously drew
a soiled paper from her bosom. Eleven;
she rose with hesitation and set the tallOw
candle behind the door Then she softly
entered the bedroom and stood before the
window where Alice lay. The sky was
clear. The moon shone on the face and
form of The sleeping girl, making softer
the graceful lines, richer the shadows in
the golden hair, tenderer the tiat of cheek
and lip. 4..r- -.---
She stepped again into the shade and
stole to the Coloners bedside. His dis
turbed mind had turned backward over
the path of life from the sudden death es-
capped, and, sleeping or waking, his mem
ory had been busy with the people and
events of other days.
"John Millerl" she said, ina suppressed
tone. He started "John Miller, know
ye. Common name-I want sure afore
to day. When you pulled that money out
o. yer pocket, see that in yer face that
satisfied me. It's for the good name o. the
dead I've come Elseways I'd never'd ha'
troubled ye.i The astoDished Colonel
shifted his position painfully, prepared to
speak or listen. There yer girl lies in
the light O. heaven. Mex room nv boy
lies in the shadder an dark. He don't
know, an he never will. John Miller,
married as honest an as good man as
ever you see. Folks has come to me in
sickness an trouble, an gone benin my
back to talk Some said I had done right
to take him-'twas Christian in me. Some
said must ha' been q fool Some said we
want married a-tall. Wasn't a Peables?
Didn't know 'twould be flung up to my
face? Wasn't prouder'n any on 'emr
A moments confusion and doubling of
then, as the suppressed voice went
on, the Colonel remembered. A dozen
years ago, before he had meddled with
back in the old town; soon after
taking his fathers shop; he was plaintiff;
Ruggles worked in the first room; Porter's
testimony; Becky Peables the sweetheart
Of both; burglary; loss trifiDg; George
Ruggles, for one year; came back and
married when released; went West. The
old case had scarce crossed his mind for
years. aeT-s -.l-l El--a- Il
" Yes, you sent him, an L waited for
him. The day he come out married him.
We had to dig hard. I'd do it ag in. Now
bis boys saved yer girls life to pay ye for
putin his father n States Prism. Two
year ago didn't Bill Porter-sick an a-dyin'
hunt till he found me hereY- Didn't he
90 an swear? Done for spite Didn't he
sem me the affydayy ?-an' I've OF it safe.
Got It swore to by him, with the Justice o.
the Peace's name signed, an two wit
nessis, an the Judges red seal on top o.
that. Could 1 go back an show that
paper n tell how twas. Ny folks Almost
iisowned me when / took him. said
then 1 never'd step my foot into their
doors. Them that gives me the coli
once don't do it no more. Come
TO me e?-well an good. Go to them?-
never"
The bewildered Colonel promising every
would have thrown himself at
her feet, could he have done so, for the
part he had taken in the prosecution. But
she permitted no Interruption, and con-
tinued; ".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 / see the light O. the sky shine there
where he died, feel his sperit in the
room. moved the bed to this corner,
where it's darker. / want good enough
TO lie there. But twas on his mind. He
said, Becky, if / could prove it to you
afere diedp An l say, Georges sperit
sent Bill Porter, here, an sent you here,
an sent me into this room TO night. Now,
for the sake O. him and Markiss-dee, go
back and tell the truth"
Speaking the word "truth," she van
ished across the light to her dark place of
rest -2 -'e7 7'fr-0 trrE
Next morning the Colonel examined
and copied the confession while a buggy
waited for him at the door. Respecting
the evident wishes of Mrs. Ruggles, he
wentaway with no attempt to express
the feelings that were uppermost in his
heart. ---- enc -s.t.-r u-
She sleeps beside her husband in the
H'r old log house has been re-
placed by a large white box, of which her
son, the Marquis, is the proprietor Each
year adds to his acres or his stock. An
able bodied wife, whose industry and En-
glish are equal TO his own, sits near him at
the door on summer evening, while he
smokes his pipe, takes en- oakum- headed