The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-06-07

'Chafles, now dare you 30 degrade
us?"
at is an honor, Maria" returned
her brother, calmly. Ruth is a Jewel
of the first water-mOre's the pity that
you are blind to its sparkle"
But, Charles-my son." pleaded
the mother, 1--WE have so depended on
you making a wealthy alliance"
"Mother, am sick of this scheming
and manGuvring," passionately spoke
out the young man. depend upon it,
! never shall become the hanger-on to
rich wife. | have too much respect
for myself ever to be bought and sold
in the matrimonial market. | love
Ruth Murray-and | shall marry her ~
And from this position no storm of
tears, reproaches, or upbraidings could
induce him to swerve one hairs breadth.
"And when will you be my wife,
Ruth ?"
"Only wait until February, Charles,
pleaded the blue-eyed little damsel. 81
have hut one relation in the world-my
uncle-and he is coming home from
abroad. should like him to be pre-
sent at my marriage"
So Charles Trevor waited much
against his will.
Maria Trevor came into the drawing
room one evening, full charged with
the fashionable on dit of the day.
Mamma, everybody is talking about
this Sir William Murray, who has ar
rived from India. Mr.. Lacy says he
was commander in chief there, and is
immensely rich: moreover that he is a
bachelor, and has niece who is to be
his sole heiress. Couldn't we contrive
to make their acquaintance? Oh, if
Charles wasn't such an infatuated mad
man about this dressmaking-girl."
"lts the same name," mused Mrs.
Trevor; "surely they cannot be con-
nected?"
Maria laughed cOntemptuously.
General Murray connected with a
dressmaker that looks likely, don't it?
And Mrs. Trevor owned to herself
that the idea had been very visionary
one.
The wedding was to be very quiet
Ruth had insisted upon this-and as
she walked to the church dressed in
neat gray travelling guise, leaning con-
fidingly on the arm of her future hus-
band, sudden memory flushed across
Charles TrevOr's brain.
81 thought you expected an uncle,
Ruth ?"
"He will meet us at the church,
Charles"
"And you've never even told me his
name."
"His name? Oh, it is General Sir
William Murray?"
"What! Not the General Sir VIII
liam Murphy?"
81 think there is but one General Sir
William Murray" said Ruth, smiling
at her astOnishment.
"Hallo" calculated Charles, stop
ping short and staring down into the
blue eyes, ,-"and are you the heiress
that half the world is gossipping
about?"
81 believe so, Charley"
Charles Trevor never spoke another
word until the marriage ceremony re-
quired his voice, and hardly knew
whether he was awake or dreaming
when his little wife introduced him to
the tall, white-haired old gentleman
who had given her away, as "Uncle
Young man. said the General,
"my niece tells me she has married un-
der false pretences-do you regret the
?"
"Not bit of it," said Charles, hear
tily. 81 don't care whether she's
or heiress, as long as she is
my own little Ruth"
at was her own caprice said the
veteran laughing, "The fact is, Ruth
was so afraid of becoming a victim to
some devouring fortune hunter"
""That she turned dressmaker in self
Defense" said Ruth, finishing her
uncle's sentence for him. "Kate
Wardley and Miss Mackenzie-who
had once been my mothers maid-were
alone cognizant of my secret; and they
have kept it well. Now it is no longer
a secret. Oh, Charley, how | trem-
bled that night at Wardley Place, lest
you should withdraw your love when
when told you that | was only a
:"
~ loved you, Ruth" said honest
Charles, all unconscious that any other
was possible. l'
And Ruth looked triumphantly at
her uncle, with eyes that said, "Have
not won prize ?"
Uncle william wiped his spectacles,
and smiled, and said nothing. 10 hlm
Ruth was the dearest thing in all the
world, and he could fully sympathize
with Mr.. Charles Trevor.
Mrs. Ruth welcomed her mother and
sister-in-law to her palace home with
sweet frankness and cordial welcome
that almost persuaded Maria into. the
belief that She had entirely forgotten
that little episode in Miss Mackenzie's
room and Maria loves dearly to talk
to her fashionable friends about "darl-
ing little sister Ruth-the heiress, you
know, that Charley married ~
-
We must remember that there are
many people who, although lacking
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