Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-14

slept beside her husband amid the
cold HE facets of the dead"
Not that Ruth had any such thoughts
the dream of love was sufficient; but
they were quite natural in the mother.
Moreover, Mrs. Darnel fancied that
while Reginald Tremaine did not come
quite so often, he seemed to be in a
very feverish and excited state when
he did come, as if something he did not
like to reveal brought flush into his
cheek and a strange light to his eyes.
Gentle Mrs. Darnel made up her
mind to interrogate Ruth as judicious-
ly as possible, and one day said
Ruth, dear, have you noticed lately
that Mr.. Tremaine has not been quite
himself when he has been here-that
he was very strange and excited ?"
Ruth mentally noted the Mr.. Ire
maine" instead of Reginald" and de-
termined to stick to her guns. "No,
mamma, I have noticed nothing y
that was the truth, her affection blinded
her" except that he is a dearer fell
low than ever" That was unnecessary,
but it was return shot for the "Mr.
Tremaine"
"Well," said Mr.. Darnel, "I must
say / have noticed change, and l
don't think he comes quite as often as
be used to do"
The shot told. Ruth had noticed
that herself, but it was very unkind of
her mother, she thought, to have found
it out too. What did it matter to
mamma? Reginald was not her lover.
But she answered quietly-"I sup
pose he was detained in town."
Mrs. Darnel sighed, and said" All,
my dear, I wish l could see you hap
PLY married before-before I have to
leave you"
90 mamma, don't say such horrid
things" cried Ruth, "and how un-
kind Of you to want to be rid of me !"
and then she fell to petting and con-
soling her mother. But the minds of
both were full of the conversation.
Part of what Mrs. Darnel had said
was true. Reginald did not come
down to the cottage SO often. Ruth
was obliged to own that to herself with
intense vexation of spirit; but was there
anything in the other accusation for
so she named it in her heart. What
did mamma mean? How was Regin-
aid changed? He had been rather
restless and uneasy, but there was
nothing in that. And yet when she
asked herself deliberately whether some
Of the recent interviews with him had
been so sweet as old, she was forced to
confess that there was an indefnable
something-she could give it no name
which Was not quite satisfactory.
Having settled that in her own mind
she went upstairs and INDUCED in what
she would have called a "good cry"
and then, after studying one or two of
Reginald's incest !etters-she kept them
marked in q particular way-she dried
her eyes, and decided that it was all
nonsense, and that she was very for
tunate girl; that her mother was far too
suspicious, and that Reginald was per-
feet, and so forth. But the little rift
had come, let her bear herself as
bravely as she might, and the music of
life was not so full-toned SIS before.
Several days passed, and Reginald
never appeared, until he had been ab-
sent longer than ever she had remem-
bered during her engagement. And
then, just as her heart was becoming
numb with sorrow and with hope de-
ferred, there came the following letter:
ssALDERsHoT, June 1, IS.
"MY DARLING RUTH-It cuts me to the heart
to have to write this to you, but the fact u.s. dear
est, [ have got to the end of my tether, and l
shall be forced to give you up. Unless as PEG
country. It is hard upon me, and am afraid it
will be hard upon you, but whatever happens,
saall always be your loving REGGIE
Surely more heartless and utterly
unmanly letter never was penned. Nor
more insulting, for while he told her
indirectly he was going to marry rich
wife, he still continued his caressing
epithets, and assured her he should al
ways love her. Ruth's hero was show
ing himself in his true colors, and, ter
rible as the blow was to her, she was
stung by this letter into hot indignation
against the writer.
1t was perhaps as we'll for her that
this was the case, or the stuff ering might
have been greater. AS it WIS, she hard
ly felt the blow in the burning desire to
retort upon her false lover. She had
heard and read of other girls being
treated in this way, but it never occur
red to her that she, Ruth Darnel, could
be SO slightly regarded, and cast off. It
seemed to Danish all the years of love,
and she swore within herself to be re-
venged upon him.
To do this she must, in the first ip-
stance, have an interview with Ire
maine, and she made up her mind to
write to him. She waited, however,
until next day, in order to write calm
ly and coolly, and then sent him q
short note, studiously avoiding any ten
derness, and merely saying that she de-
sired an interview as soon as it was con-
venie t to him.
Never was letter more unwelcome to
any one than that note to Tremaine.
He had intended to cut himself loose
from her by letter, not daring to face
her; and now he had to see her with
that letter written, and without the
power of breaking the matter to he as
gently as he might have done if he had
seen her in the first instance. He
knew there was no getting out of it.
He would have to see her sooner or
later, and the sooner perhaps the bet
@or, b,,+ r. ,uoo 1yorxy dioo