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

who had been brought up as a semi
scientific soldier, he resolved upon q
line Of tactics. He would treat the let
ter lightly, as dealing with something
that would one day happen, but of
which there was no immediate danger.
He would temporize, in short, and
while endeavoring to familiarize her
mind with the idea, would soothe and
calm her.
They met in the garden under the
sycamore where we first saw Ruth, and
Tremaine went forward to take her in
his arms as of old. She drew back,
however, and gravely held out her
hand, which he took with very bad
grace.
elbow are you, RUTH" he said I'M
easily. You don't look very well to-
day."
aNo; I am not very WE'LL" she said
coldly.
1t was evident that she was deter
mined he should begin; feeling very
hot and uncomfortable, he said
"You received my letter."
"Ildid," she returned, looking straight
into his eyes. "Here it is. Do you
wish to withdraw it?"
Here was loophole of escape and
he eagerly availed himself of it.
"Well," he said, trying to force a
laugh, "perhaps you'd better give it to
me. 1t may never come to that dar-
ling; but thought it better to be fair
and open with you.''
Fair and open with me Is that
your version of your conduct"
"Come, Ruth" he said, growing
still more uneasy under her scorn,
"pray be reasonable. There is nothing
to fear at present, and you know how
much l love YOU"
"She rose and faced him, and his
eyes sank beneath the stern look in
hers; soft as they were they could light
up with gleam he had never seen
there before.
Nothing to fear at present I" she
said, with intense scorn. "How very
kind Of you You will condescend to
amuse yourself with me until you fling
the handkerchief at some one else who
is wealthy. And you say in the same
breath you love me. Ask yourself the
meaning of that word" She was pacing
up and down now, with her hands
clasped to her breast in fierce agitation.
And l believed you once, poor fool
that [ was !" She dashed away some
angry tears. "But, now, thank Heaven,
the dream is over. / have been roughly
awakened; but better now than here
after" She took one or two swift
steps, and then stood facing him.
"Love, they say, changes, and mine
has changed now-for, Reginald Ire
maine, hate you, and one day I will
have my revenge
And then she turned and left him.
Reginald Tremaine was thoroughly
astonished, and for the moment
stunned.
The not very heroic exclamation,
"By Jove!" was all he sale, with a long
breath. The young men of the day
are not much given to the soliloquies
which are peculiar to the stage.
He had only one clear idea in his
mind, viz: that any rate it was all over.
The storm had been severe while it
lasted; but it had not been for long.
He had turned over page in his life
forever; and with that feeling he rose,
made no further effort to see Ruth, and
went straight back to town. He was
sorry for her, and he was sorry for HIM
self; for, in his light and careless way,
he had loved her. His way, it is true,
had not been her way; but still he
hardly realized that, and consoled him.
self with the idea that she would get
over it, as he hoped to do.
But, as it happened, Ruth Darnel
was not one of those girls who can be
off with an old love and on with g. new
as readily as they change partners at
ball. She had loved Reginald Tremaine
with her whole heart, and though that
love had seemingly changed to hate, the
shock of his faithfulness was none the
less terrible to her. Indeed it reacted,
as such shocks so often do in women,
on her nervous system, and for some
time she was serioulyi i'll.
When Ruth Darnel recovered, she
and her mother moved from the neigh
bOrhood of London into distant coun-
ty, and the name of Reginald Tremaine
was as that of a dead man between
them, concerning whom they were to
be forever silent.
PART II.