The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-02-08


in cottage on s'tho heights"
"What can have induced such girl to
90 out to service ?" asked mother.
poverty, suppose" said Dell.
There's some mystery about it. YOU
may depend" said Madge, who has a
weakness for mysteries; but weeks went
by and the mystery remained unsolved.
Meanwhile, however, the little maiden was
steadily gaining in every ones good
graces. Never during Bridget's reign
had such fragant coffee and such faky
biscuits appeared upon the table. Never
had the kitchen been kept in such snug
order. Some way, with Ruth there, we
half forgot that it was the kitchen, and
were frequently beguiled into spending
half hour chatting with its mistress,
whom we found far more intelligent
companion than many of the girls one
meets in society.
II should be afraid that she would
take on airs and expect to be treated as
one of the family" said lady friend
who had dropped in to lunch.
"And why not treat her as one of the
family, if she is worthy of it?" asked
democratic Dell. The lady shrugged
her shoulders but was prevented any
further expression on the subject, by
1.-THE entrance of Ruth herself.
i SIT does seem to bad for that little
girl to be down there all alone" said
Madge that evening as we gathered in
the back parlor with books and sewing
l"Let's ask her to sit with us awhile"
Having no unmarried brothers at home
there was not the least danger that such
all arrangement would result in a TO.
nance and as mother smiled approviugly
Dell FASTENED down stairs to deliver the
invitation. 1t was only after much urg
ing, however, that Ruth could be induced
to come; and AZ first was little shy, a.
if afraid that she might seem to be
intruding, yet she carried herself like
one accustomed to parior all her days,
and was presently absorbed in a volume
of Browniags poems After that we had
her with us every evening, though when
visitors came she always slipped away,
4 as if unwilling to attract attention.
"If we could only know her history! !"
said Madge, again and again; but appsr
emily unconscious that her history could
be of any possible interest to us, the girl
went steadily about her work, hummlng
like q bird at times, and at others 81
lent, almost sad, with wistful, longing
look in the brown eyes that made Madge
more eager than ever for clue to the
i past. PSF
4 One morning, an hour too early for
Iany of our usual callers, there was ring
at the door, which Ma6ge, with her hair
IL crlmpin4 pins, answered in person, to
find herself much 10 her chagrin, face
to face with tall, gentlemanly stranger.
"Can see Miss Somers ?" he asked
"Miss Solhers?" said Madge, with a
long Interrogation point, 90, Ruth, yQp
mean, our Ruth p
Our Ruth" repeated the stranger,
with an accent on the pronoun that plain
Il indicated personal ownership; and
straightway Madge hurried him into the
parlor and flew down stairs for Ruth,
4 sure that this was to be either the begin
ming or the end of thrilling romance
Take off your apron, Ruth, and run up
stairs" she cried; there's gentleman
asking for you'll" ua9
The color went out of Rath's face in
an instant, and her brown eyes grew sud-
denly black.
Il don't wish to see any gentleman
she said, bridling her pretty head little.
Splendid said Madge with enthusiast m.
"Such curly hair and eyes like-let me
see-why the, very twins of yours!"
ooh y exclaimed Ruth breathlessly,
the color rushing back to cheek and lip.
And without stopping to take off her
apron or even look in the glass, she sped
up stairs leaving Madge wholly in doubt
whether the stranger was lover or broth.
er. A halfhour later, however, on pass
ing through the hall, she found him tax
ing very loyer-like farewell and was
beginning to build her romance again,
when Ruth turned toward her with a
wonderously glad face, and introduced
him as her brother, Harry Somers. The
romance, of course, fell to the ground,
but soon after, through a friend who had
become acquainted with Harry, we learn
ed Ruth's history. Her father had been a
prosperous merchant in large inland
town, but heavy losses by fire had
brought him to the verge of bankruptcy,
and made it necessary for the older chill
dren to seek their own support. Tor
Ruth, however, there had been an alter
native--a wealthy sutton twice her age;
but, much to the gentleman's disgust,
she choose her own uncertain earnings in
preference to his wealth, and began at
once to look for work She had Just re
turned from boarding school, and her
friends advised her to try teaching. But
to make successful teacher, she knew
that at least another year of study would
}, be needed, and she could not afford the
time. Sewing and copying were also
suggested as lady like ways Of earning q
living; but sedentary work of any kind,
i il closely followed, invariably resulted in
In sifie-acha and nrpferrinU health r.