Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-02
MlLnRBuRe, Holmes County o. THURSDAY, 1874.

Something, very like an sxecration
half broke from Mr.. Gresham's lips i
might. perhaps, have been one, but fo
the presence of Ruth.
He stopped from his saddle and of
iered his hand.
"Good-by, for the present, Miss Hun
ter,' he said. "But tell your mother
she need not worry herself about the
mortgage. l, not Dent, hold it. fused
to know yonr father, when | was boy
and down here; and shall ever re.
spect any one who bears his name"
With this, he lifted his hat again,
wheeled his and spurred after the dis.
comfitted lawyer.
The whole village was agog the next
day with the news that young Gresh-
am, the heir to the Gresham estates
had returned from Europe where lie
had been at his uncle's death; had come
down to Silverton the evening but one
before, had quarreled with and dis
charged lawyer Dent; and had given
out that he intended to reside at Gresh-
am Hall on the heme-farm, hereafter.
and to look personally after his affairs.
But we anticipate.
How Ruth gor home from the har-
vest field she never afterward could
tell. All she remembered was that she
had rushed into the house, had flung
herself on her knees, beside the bed
and had sobbed out wildly, "Oh, moth
er, mother, dear. the cottage isn't 60
ing to be sold. l have his word for it.
And God, who has been so good i'm that,
will now find some way for ms to get
alsng." 'eatr
1t had been nearly an hour after be-
fore she could rally her hazed faculties
sufficiently to give her mother cohe-
rent narrative of what had transpired.
She had scarcely finished when there
was a knock at the door, and boy from
the stOre-keeper brought in several par
GELS containing tea, coffee, sugar, bis
cults, ham, and various edibles. "Mas-
ter says as how the misses was SICK"
said the boy, land so he sent these
things, reckoning as how you was too
busy to come and order 'em. You can
pay for 'em when times is better, and
you can have as much as you like after
this"
II Ruth had a suspicion that some
kind intercessOr had caused this credit
to be given her she had no proof. She
pondered over the problem as she pre-
pared a hasty supper for her mother,
and had just cleared. the table when
there was a knock at the door, and
opening it she saw hIgh-bred, middle
aged lady, dressed in plain but stylish
walking costume, who asked with kind
smile and voice the very echo of
young Mr.. Gresham's when in its soft
er mood, if"Mrs. Hunter lived there -
and on being answered in the affirma-
tive, said, 81 know she is sick and don't
see strangers, but tell her Maria Gresh-
am is here; we used to knew each other
well, when We were both girls, more
than twenty years ago; how much, my
DEAR" this to Ruth, ''you look like
your mother, when she was of your
age"
Mrs. Hunter 1T sight of her old
friend, seemed to be almost we'll again.
The two talked of former and happier
times, when the poor invalid had been
the belle of the village, and then OF the
years of separation and the changes
that had taken place, until the twilight
fell and Mrs. Gresham, herself rising,
said she must go or she would be be-
lated.
''I had not heard of you for ever so
long, you see," she said, "and was too
anxious to wait even till tomorrow.
We went abroad when Hurbert was
quite young that he might be educated
in Germany; and we have been there
ever since. 1 don't know but that we
should have remained there yet if un-
Gle hadn't died, and Hurbert heard
things about his lawyer here that made
him. think we had better return. We
arrived only last night, quite unexpect-
edly, and my first inquiry was for you"
Our story Is nearly told. Lawyer
Dent, during the long illness OF old
Squire Gresham, that lasted for years,
had had the entire management of the
Gresham property, and had come to re-
gard himself as responsible to no one.
So he had given way to his natural love
of greed, extorting bribes, for forbear-
ance from all debtors who were behind
and lnercilessly running those who could
not bribe. When the old Squire died,
he reasoned that the heir would remain
in Europe, and SO became more cruel
and more exacting. 1t was rumor of
this conduct that had brought young
Mr.. Gresham home in the way We have
seen.
1t was not many months before Ruth
became bride. Young Gresham new
er forget that look IN the harvest field:
it was a case of love at first sight; and
not with him alone; for to Ruth he was
always her "red-cross night" Every
body said she made the most popular
mistress that had ever lived at Gresham
Hall. The reason was that she carried
with her into the new and envied posi-
ton the same simplicity of character,
the same devotion to others, and the
same devotion to others, and the same
which had distinguished
her in her years Of poverty.