Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-07-03

Believe me. l would not, for worlds, thai
this had happened
oh. sir don't, on my account, quarre
with him. cried tender.hearted Ruth. lie
was only doing what he thought his duty
Besides, besides
Besides what? p kindly.
Besides, he holds the mortgage ON our
cottage, and it might make him harder OH
US than ever
Mortgage on your cottage Is it, he
said, as if sudden light had broken on
him, the little house down in the mea-
dow p A mute nod of assent was the re-
ply. Then l am talking to Miss Hunter.
You don't, you don't mean to say that the
rascal has been threatening you about
that p
He is to sell us out, next month, an
swered Ruth, looking down, and feeling
oh how humiliated.
Something, very like an execration, half
broke from Mr.. Gresham's lips it might.
perhaps, have been one, but for the pre-
sence of Ruth.
He stopped from his saddle, and offered
her his hand.
Goodbye, for. the present, Miss Hun
ter he said. But tell your mother she
need not worry herself about the mortgage.
L, not Dent, holds it. l used to know
your father, when l was boy, and down
here ; and l shall ever respect any one
who bears his name:
With this, he lifted his hat again, wheel
ed his horse, and spurred after his discom-
flied 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 quarrelled with, and
discharged lawyer Dent and had given
out that he intended to reside at Gresham
Hall, on the home farm, hereafter, and to
look personally after his affairs. But we
anticipate.
How Ruth got home from the harvest
field, she never afterward could tell. All
she remembered was that she had rushed
into the house, and flung herself on her
knees by the side of the bed, and had Sob
bed out wildly, 'Oh, mother. mother,
dear the cottage isn't going to be sold.
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 4 coherent
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 parcels,
tea, coffee, sugar biscuits, a
ham, and various other edibles. Master
says as how he heard the missus was sick
said tie boy, 'and 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.'
If Ruth had suspicion that some kind
had caused this credit to be
given to her, she had no proof. She pom
dered over the problem as she prepared a
hasty meal for her mother. and had lust
cleared the table, when there was knock
at the door and opening it, she saw high
bred, middle-aged lady, dressed in q plain,
but stylish walking costume, who asked
with kind smile, and a voice the very
echo of young Mr.. Glesham's, when in its
softer mood, if Mrs. Hunter lived there >
and on being answered in the affirmative,
said, Il know she is sick, ard don't see
strangers, but tell her Maria Gresham is
here we used to know each other well,
we were both girls, more than twenty
years ago; how much, my DEAR this to
Ruth, who held the door open for her,
you look like your mother, when she was
of your age
Mrs. Hunter, at 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 separa-
ton, and the changes that had taken
place, until the twilight fell, and Mrs.
Gresham, herself rising, said she must go,
or she would be belated.
Il 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 Hubert was quite young, that he
might be educated in Germany and we
have been there ever since. l don't know
but that we should have remained there
if uncle hadn't died, and Hubert heard
things about his lawyer here, that made
him think we had better return. We ar
rived only last night, quite unexpectedly,
and my first inquiry was fol- you.'
Our story is nearly told. Lawyer Dent,
during the long illness of old Squire Gre
sham, that lasted for years, had had The
entire management of the Gresham proper
ty, and had come to regard himself as re-
sponsible to no one. So he had given away
to his natural love Of greed, extorting
bribes for forbearance from all debtors who
were behind, and mercilessly running those
who he could not bribe. When the old Squire
died, he reasoned that the heir would re-
main in Europe. and so became more cruel
and more exacting. 1t was rumor Of the
conduct that had brought young Mr.. Gres-
ham home in the way we have seen.
1t was not many months before Ruth be-
came bride. Young Mr.. Gresham ne
yer forgot 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 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 simplicity of character, the same
devotion to others, and the same nobleness,
which had distinguished her in her years