Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1879-01-23

reason why"
Fol Mr.. Napier was a connoieseur
in ceramics, and the moment his idle
glance, cast upward through Mrs.
Wallis milk.room : window as he
drank a glass of water at the well'
had fallen on the piece of old En-
glish CHINA, his soul had coveted it.
"I've just a month to stay here be-
fore I must be back in my dinsy old
law Office again." meditated he. "a
man can do a greatdeal in a MONTH"
And he set himself regularly to
work to win the treasure which he
yearned for so deeply.
Day after day he strolled to the
old farmhouse, now with this excuse,
now with that, a handsome, courtly,
middle aged man, whose; winning
manners would have attracted any
one, and who was as much.at home
under the white-wasLel ceiling Of
the Widow Wallis best room as in a
mansion.
One day he spoke of the old ream
pot.
"Ruth's cream-potl'' said Naomi"
the elder %siseer, a hard-featured, loud
voiced spinster Of nine-and-thirty.
Wasn't it a strange provision of
Grandmother Crocus' will that Ruth
new, r can part with that old piece of
cracked absurdity, unless
&Naomi, hushl" and Ruth had
sprlS9s acros the room and laid her
hand on her.sister's lips, with blazing
ewes and color as deep as n of her
own searlotsgeraniums. "our family
affairs shall not be talked of to stran-
gers"
Am I a stranger" said Mr.. Ma
pier, gravely. II am sorry for that"
"I-I didn't mean quite that" fall
tered Ruth, "only-only-Naomi,
please to remember that this is never
to be spoken of.
Dear mel" said Naomi, bridling
up. Here's pretty how-tO-do about
an old cream pitcher"
That self-same evening Mr.. Napier
followed Ruth out in the garden,
where she had gone to water her car
nations.
"Ruth," said he, "are you deter
mined not to tell me the secret of the
cream-pot?'
eyes," said Ruth, resolutely.
"Not to let me have it On any
terms?"
"Please, Mr.. Napier" said Ruth,
Don't ask me. I cannot"
"Well, them" said Mr.. Napier,
"here is yet a third demand. If I
cant have either secret or cream
pitcher-can I have your"
mel"
eyes," said the staid lawyer, with
strangely-softening eyes. Dear little
Ruth, I have somehow lost my heart
to you these last three weeks. Ican't
GO back to the old life without you.
1 am not a young man, but l have
never loved before, and
But" interrupted Ruth, with
mantling cheeks and a culver in her
voice, lam I good e%nough?"
SPY way of answer he tool -~
hi. into hnr-
fade, and to Ruth Wallis it seemed as
if a whole paradise had opened to
her in that moment.
"Here it is" said Ruth, with glis-
tening eyes and smiling lips. THE
old cream-pitcher, dear WINFIELD"
The ceremaniac forgot even true
love in the destinations Of the piece
of old English ware hat Ruth laid in
his lap.
He took it up with loving touch
but I thought it vas a decree Of
the Modes and Persians that you were
not to part with it?" said he.
"You didn't understand" sad
Ruth, coloring ~radiantly, ~ was never
to part with it-so grandmother Gro.
Gus will said-ezcept to my hus-
band"
why didn't you tell me so be-
fore?"
$50 that you might have taken me
for the sake of the old cream pitch.
er?' said Ruth, a little piqued.
He drew her gently to his side.
"My own darling" said he, II love
you better than all the old china in
the world"
Which was a great admission for
WINFIELD Napier to make.
A month later there was a wedding
in the village church, and after the
wedding came the wedding breakfast,
and not a few of the guests wondered
that the center ornament of the table,
on ouoh on ouop;oior, oooo,;o, ,bor1J