Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-12-31

not Dent, hold it. used 70 know vour
| father, when was boy aud down here.
and ! shall ever respect any one who
bears his name"
| With this he lifted his hat again, wheel
ed his horse, and spurred after the discom.
| hted lawyer.
The whole village was agog the next
day with the news that young Gresham.
| the heir to the Gresham estates. had re-
| turned from Europe. where he had been
| at his pncle's death, but had come down
to Silverton the evening but one before
had quarreled with aud discharged Dent,
and had given out that he intended to re-
| side 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 tifs house. had flung herself on her
knees by the side OF the bed and had sob
bed out wildly, "Oh. mother the cottage
isn't going to be sold. | have his word
for it. Aud God, who has been SO good
in that, will now find some way, know,
for us 10 get along
1t hal been nearly an hour after that
before she could rally her dazsd faculties
to give her mother a coherent narrative OF
what had transpired. She had scarcely
finished. when there was u knock at the
door, ged a boy from the ore-keeper
brought in several parcels, containing tea,
sugar. biscuits, ham. and various other
edlbles. Master SAYS rs how he heard
the missus was sick" said the boy, "and
so he sent these things. reckoning as how
you were too busy to come and order 'em.
on can pay 'em when times is better. and
you can have as much as you like after
this"
Ii Ruth had n suspicion that some kind
intercessor had caused this credit TO be
given her she had no proof. She ponder
Ell over the problem as she prepared
hasty meal for her mother. and had just
Gle ared the table, when there was knock
at the door, aud opening it she saw a high
bred. middle aged lady, dressed in
plain, but stylish walking costume, who
asked with kind smile, and a voice the
very echo of Mr.. Gresham's when in its
softer mood. III Mrs. Hunter lived there :"
and on being answered in the affirmative,
said, Il know she is sick and don't see
strangers, but tell her Maria Gre sham 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
10 RUN who held the door open for her,
you look like your mother when she was
your age
Mrs. Hunter, at sight of her old friend,
seemed almost well again. They talked
of former and happier times. when the
poor Invalid had been the belle of the viii
lase, aud Of the years OF separation. and
the changes that had taken place, until the
twilight tell. and Mrs. Gresham. herself
rising. said she must 90 or she would be
oelated.
Il had not heard ofyou for ever SO long,
you sse," she said. land was too anxious
to wait even till tomorrow. We went
abroad when llurbert was quite young,
that he might be educated III Germany.
and We have been there ever since. |
don't know but that we should have re-
manned there yet. ii uncle hadn't died. and
Hurbert heard things about his lawyer
here that made him think we had better
Feturn. We arrived only last night, quite
unexpectedly, and my first inquiry was for
you.
Our story is nearly told.s Lawyer Dent
durln. the long Illness of old Squire Gre
sham, which lasted for years. had had en-
tire management OF the Gresham property.
aud had come TO regard himself rs re-
spon>ible 10 no one. SO he had given way
10 his natural love OF greed. extorting
bribes tor furbearance from all debtors
VINO were Dehind, anu merciles>iy running
those he could not brihe. When the old
squire died. he reasoned that the heir
would remain in Europe, and so became
more cruel and cXactiug. 1t was ru-
NOR of this conduct that had brought
young Gresham home in the way we nave
seen.
1t was not many months before Ruth
became bride. Young Gresham never
forgot that look In the harvest aeld. II
was 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
new and envied position, the same sim
plfcity OF character. the same devotion to
others. and The same nobiensss which had
distinguished her in her days of poverty.
- PetersoDs Magazine.