The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-08-22
RUTH.

RUTH.
He came from his days work feeling
just as he used to when he was boy,
after he had been rompiny and racing
over every hill within mile Of home
,. until he, had worked himself up into a
fearful state of perspiration, and then
had set down to rest and get cool. The
next day he was sure to feel anguish, and
dull, heavy pain woula find every par
ticular bone in his body, aud all that he
wanted was to lie Gown on the bright
covered lounge by the fire, and have
mother sit by him and give him drink,
once in awhile, from the cup Of mysteri-
Gus tea which he had used to believe was a
sure panacea fer all ailments his flesh was
heir to. Just so he felt now. His head
H+ached; and every little while he went off
into series Of terrific sncezes which
seemed 70 sthreaten utter demolition to
the top Of his head, and the poor little
plaster sheperdess on the mantel, for she
went into sjingling paroysm every time,
; Prebsbly'from some Smysterious and oc-
cult sympathy which he hardly compre-
bend.
"Dear me! such a cold as I have
gotw growled David Reade, kindling a
fire in the little stove, while his teeth was
fairly chattering. "1t'll keep me tied up
to the house for week, just as like as not,
:. and fought to be down to the store every
day
He got the fire to burning at last, and
pulled up the hard, uncompromising old
chair, which was one of the three or tour
articles of furniture tho room contained,
before the feeble blaze and tried to Get
his feet warm.
But poor David couldn't get warm, nor
feel comfortable. Cold chills crept ND
; lis back and down his legs, and regular
ly, every fifteen minutes, as if he were
run by clock-work, and marked off the
quarters; he kept up his sneezes, and the
sheherdess danced her jigs on the very
edge Of the mantlepiece to their accom-
paniment.
"Seems to me never felt quite so mis-
cradle before, "groaned David with shiv.
er. Seems to me, too, that this room
looks little the worst ever saw" and
he looked about him with great deal of
dissatisfaction written on his face.
1t was bare little room. There was
no mistake about that, David Reade.
There was bed in one corner, and the
char he occupied; bureau that had
amalgamated with Wash-stah0, and be-
came rather nondescript article of furn-
iture in consequence, and his trunk.
srYes, and there was the stove, and little
Ssbabby old table that had been so weak
in the legs ever since he had known any,
T. s1hi1S about it, that it had to have the
, corner all to itself in order to have it
stand up at all.
He was head bookkeeper III a great
/ store down town, and be saved quite a
sum OF money. Sometimes he thoug ht he
would get more comfortable room, and
furnish itnicely, and get some good out
OF his earnings. But-bc hadn't any faith
in bis ability to keep things looking Or
derly and neat, for he abominatcd an un-
tidy, Uttered room, and he wouldn't have
! the chantermaid putting things to rights
Tor him on any account. That would
spoil every thing. for it would seem like
sending out and hiring a home at 50 much
a week to have some one who was paid to
do it keeping things as they should be.
80 he had never carried out his plan, but
had continued TO live on in his cherries
bachelor quarters.
Dear! dear! how do ache !" growl-
ed David, getting up and pacing up and
down the floor. "a fellow doesen't feel
the need of home so much when he is
well, but when he's under the weather.
hs begins to wish he had somebody to
care for him and nurse him up.n
A ray of light flashed across the dark
ness-for by that time it was highland
made bright spot on the wall of his
room. He went to the window and look
cd across the way. The light shone from
the attic window Of tenement house.
de could see into the room from which
1t shone, and it revealed a pretty and pa
thetic little picture to him. A woman.
ssak q . little table, copying. A great
.lnehy.pAges ofmanuscript lay beside her
elbow, ana he knew by the pile before
her that her task would not be done for
It was veiy prstty face that bent over
.. the paper. NotR girlish face, but ii had
"a sweet, grave kind Of beauty in it, and
the brown hair banded back smoothly
-trem the forehead, shown like gold in the
s3aqplight falling on it. It was poor
shtt6ud0m that she worked and lived in.
as far as David could make out from the
Z Hlmpse7 Afforded ~ the window, but it
!. was . wonderfully neat one. He knew
that, for he had often watch her sweep
and dust it, and put things deftly in their
pisces. Yes, he, David Reade, bachelor.
had been guilty more times than he
would have liked to confess, of WATCHING
his neighbor. across the way.
He stood there tonight and watched
her until his feet seemed to be standing
,ina puddle, and the cold shivering sen.
~ sat16n iii his bones warned him that he
;. had better be trying to warm himself at
:, the dre than be watching Ruth Doane.
Tho lest look he got of her was more salts
- factory than any previous one had been,
for she looked straight towards the win.
:" dow David drew back as if he felt sure
= she would discover him watching her;
and then the light of her lamp seemed to
get tangled up in the rose bush in her
window, and he dragged his aching
Ibodylback to the stove and sat down.
>,s'Sat down to think and dream.
% What he thought about was Ruth
Doane, and what he dreamed was this:
'1nthe little glow which came from the
J." crack 10 The stove door, the whole room
y seemed suddenly changed into scene Of
comfort, that TO David Reade stood for
type OF heaven, because it was home.
There was soft, warm carpet on the
sAoof, and . lounge, whose curving sides
seemed made to embrace somebody and
tor nothing else in the world, stood
where the table st'nd in the room that
he was sitting and dreaming in tonight.
There were bright, CHEEKY pictures on
the wall, and bird slept in a cage in