Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-04-09
INDEPENDENCE, IOWA, FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1875

ing things, but l put it some how
like this: "Ruth, David don't blame
you. It's with him as it always was
Come back to the old place."
About the time Mrs. Frisbee wa.
driving homeward woman go
down from a wagon in which /
farmer had given her a lift She wa'
humbly, almost meanly clad in ;
black gown, over which she wore /:
light summer shawl. There was {
little trace of beauty about her face
but her eyes were dark and sorrowful
and the cheeks were line sunken
where the mouth had once been ;
ripe reh
She had been set down on the edge
of a little piece of woods, where tht
braided tree boughs made dark
frame work for the brightness of The
sunset. A wind was rustling tht
the young leaves softly, like lovers
whispers. There were ferns and wilc
flowers growing in the crotch of the
fence, and moist bright mosses max
ing a soft lip to the little spring tha
bubbled up through the grass. The
woman sat down on a log near by
and united her bonnet strings, and
let the covering fall little way of
from her hair, showing that it was
thin and streaked with gray. Hel
senses seemed to drink in eagerly
the fragrance and freshness, as if She
had long been away from pure coun
try places. Little shoals of bright
cloudlets were dissolving slowly in
the blue. She looked up long
through the tree boughs, aud then
she turned and began to finger the
ferns and grasses and wild geraniun1
blossoms around where she sat-ten
derby, hungrily almost. and then dip
ped her fingers in the little pufling
stream and touched them to her fore
head. 1t was like a baptism.
She sat there long and pinned
some little flowers in her old shawl;
when the shadows began to thicken
she crept onward past the Lonely
fields. She kept close to the fences
and glided by. as noiselessly as 4
shade. She came, ere long, to the
forks of the road. There were habi
tations not far off, with lights glim
mering through the trees; a dog bark
ed, the stars began to shine. On.
ward she crcpt up to the gate Of the
old Collins place. She stopped un-
der the big wayside maple, and CLAN
ced at the front of the dwelling. All
was dark, not ray of light any
where. The smell Of lilacs, and old
fashioned scent lavender came to hel
out Of the garden. She would at
least touch the Threshold. She
crouched in the shadow of the porch
hearing her heart beat quick.
The door opened and Il man came
out. He stumbled q little in the
dark on the last step, and then he
stood still and took off his hat under
the sweet sky and the stars. He was
thinking OF one-enly one, and ask
ing in his own way that God would
keep her wherever she might be-
He had done it every night for ten
years. There was a rustic in the
shadows and a whisper, panied and
eager, that said, "David." He reach
ed out his hands. He was half stun
ned, and the blood seemed ringing
in his ears. "Ruth!' 1t was all he
could articulate with his thick
tongue.
II had to come, David" The
tears were raining down her face.
He could hear how she wept. II
saw what you put in the paper, and l
could not rest till | had tried to
make you think little better of me.
l deceived you cruelty, and | was de-
ceived myself. Pve tried to live
honest since. l have had to tread
the wine press alone, David, and it
has sobered me until know what it
was to scorn your love. could go
down on my knees and kiss your
feet"
"Don't," said David, sore distress
ed. .'It amt for you to confess to
me. l always trusted you, Ruth
They tried to force you where your
heart did not incline, and it was
wicked. But that was long ago. 1t
might be different now if you could
overlook all that's gone"
He put his arm round her, and
halt unconsciously to her, bore her
up the steps of the old house and
pushed open the door. The old la
dy had lit a light and was pottering
around at her last chores. "Mother,"
said Davc-he had never called her
mother before. She TUNED, and i'll
another moment Ruth's head was on
her bosom. She was laughing and
crying half Historically.
"My pretty Ruth has come back, "
said she, fondling the dropped head
with her old fingers-''comc back to
me in this lonesome old house, where
Pm scared in the dark. We was
talking about her this very night
wasn't we David? Telling how
pretty she was and how she used to
laugh; and she isn't.a mite changed;
her hair is just like silk, -and hel
cheeks are round and soft"
"Look at mc,'' said Ruth, lifting
her tear-stained face. "See, mother
my hair is as white as yours; look at
the wrinkles
"No, no! it amt SO David" cried
the old woman. "The candle is dim
and my eyes are poor, but see it is
my Ruth, just as you used to be-
You will always stay with me now
won't you?" coaxed the old woman
81 said l wouldn't live with Ebcne
zer or Hiram, uut you and me was
more alike, Ruth. The boys may go
to law now and get the old place;
don't care;' and she fell again to
fondling her child.
"Comc and live with me" said Da
vid, his face unspeakably illuninat
ed. "Come, both of you"
Ruth's sad eyes met his and she
reached out her hand. "Lf you
could take me- whispered she, Gas
am"-
He clasped her hand. After long
years there came the compensatins