Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-08-07

fitted lawyer.
The whole village was agog, the next
day, with the news that young Gresham,
the heir to the Gresham estate had return
ed from Europe, where he had been at his
uncle's death; had come down to Silverton
the evening but one before; had quarreled
bwith, and discharged, lawyer Dent; and
| had given out that he intended to reside at
Gresham Hall, on the home farm. hereaf-
ter, and to look personally after his affairs
But we anticipate.
| How Ruth got home from the harvest
field, she never afterwards could tell. All
she remembered was that she had rushed
| into the house, and flung herself on her
I knees by tn side of the bed, and had sob
bed ont wildly. ''Oh, mother. mother,
dear the colt ge isn't going IT, be sole. L
have his word for it. And God. who has
been SO good in that, will now find some
way, know, for us to get along.
1t had been nearly an hour, after that,
before she could rally her dazed faculties
sufficiently to give her mother coherent,
narrative of what had TRANSFERRED. She
had scarcely finished, when there was a
knock at the door, and boy from the
store-keeper brought inseveral parcels con
tanning tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, a ham,
and various other edibles. 'sMaster says
as how he heard the missus was sick, said
the boy land so he sent these things, reck
oning rs how you was too busy to come and
order 'em. You can pay for 'em when
tirues is better and you can have as much
as you like after this"
If Ruth had 4 suspicion that some kind
intercessor had caused this credit to be
given her, she had no proof. She pondered
over the problem us she prepared hasty
meal for her mother, and had just cleared
the table, when there was knock at the
door, and opening it she saw high-bred,
middle-aged lady, dressed i'll a plain, but
stylish walking costume, who asked, with
a kind smile, and a voice the very echo of
young Mr.. Gresham's when in its usual
softer mood, il Mrs. Hunter lived there;
and on being answered in the Affirmative
said, II know she is sick, and don't see
strangers, but tell her Martha Gresham is
here; we used to know each other well,
when we were both girls, more than TWEEN
ty years ago how much, my dear" this
to Ruth, who held the door open for her,
'syou look like your mother when she was
Of your age"
Mrs Hunter, at sight OF her old friend,
seemed to be almost well again. The two
toll n bnp tiOnac
the poor invalid had been the belle of the
village, and then of the years Of separa-
ton. and the changes that had taken
place, until the twilight fell, and Miss
Gresham, herself rising, said she must go,
OF she would be belated
II had not heard of you for ever SO long,
you see SHE said, ''and was too anxious to
wait even till morrow We went abroad
when Herbert was quite young, that he
might be educated III Germany and we
have been there ever since. | don't know
that we should have remained there yet, if
uncle hadn't died, and Herbert heard
things about his lawyer here, that made
him think we had better return. We az
rived only last night, quite unexpectedly,
and my first inquiry was for YOU"
Our story is nearly told. Lawyer Dent,
during the long illness Of old Squire Ores
ham, that lasted for years, had had the en-
tire management of the Gresham property,
and had come to regard himself us rtspon-
sibe to no one. So he had given away to
his natural love of greed extorting brides
for forbearance from all debtors who were
behind and mercilesS running those whom
he could not bride When the old Squire
died, he reasoned that the heir would re-
main in Europe, and so become more cruel
and. more exacting. 1t Was Il rulnor Of the
conduct that had brought young Mr..
Gresham home in the way we have seen.
1t WAS not many months before Ruth
became a bride. Young MI. Gresham
never forgot that look in the harvest field
it was d case of love at first sight and not
with him alone for To Ruth he WAS al
ways her ''red-cross knight" Everybody
said she made the most popular mistress
that had ever lived at Gresham Hall. The
reason was that she carried with her, into
her new and envied position, the same SIM
plicity of character, the same devotion to
others, and the same noDleness, which had
distin guished her in her years Of poverty