The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-06

haughtier than ever before; no trace OF
tears in the beautiful eyes, only a new
compressed look about the mouth.
s.Ruth, she said quietly. drawing
from her finger the golden band with
its cleaning diamond that Lawrence
had placed there, ssI shall not see Mr..
bingham tonight when he calls; it
would only distress us both unneces-
sarily Give him this, and this note"
When Lawrence came that night with
iespairing hope upon his face, his eyes
wistful and eager, it was Ruth alone
that met him, and looking into her eyes
he read his answer. Then the faint hope
that had buoyed him all through that
long day forsook him. Sinking down
he covered his face with his hands,
moaning only her name, the name that
was SO sweet to him.
With tears falling like rain over her
face, Ruth tried to comfort him, this
man who had pinned all his love and
faith upon broken reed. and afterward
when the terrible pain had died In his
heart, the memory of that face came
back to Lawrence bingham. He took
his ring and the note in which Judith
had told him that it was better they
should part, for time at least; it was
note filed with the philosophy of the
world.
He had loved Judith Stanhope with
his whole strong nature; reading the
words she had written, he felt that that
love was already thing of the past,
love and unfaith could not lie together
in his heart. Where love had been came
a dull hopelessness, a bitter pain. He
went away to the far West. In the busy
city of San Francisco he commenced a
new life, and yet sometimes when his
thoughts would stray back over what
had been, Ruth Stanhope rose up before
him; there came and went in his dreams
her sweet face with its soft eyes, and
memory brought back from the past
words that she had spoken-words
which, when she had uttered them, had
fallen almost UNDECIDED upon his ears,
came to him like strains of old familiar
music. And Ruth in her quiet home
thought often of the lonely man, and
when letter came to her from him, she
wrote a cheerful and encouraging one
IN answer, and so by degrees cores
pondence grew up between them.
Six months after Lawrence went away
Lady Judith married a man whose
name was good for millions, whose sig
nature was well known in many coun-
tries.
4 year after their marriage her hus-,
band died. She had been true to him
during their brief married life, she had
not allowed thoughts of Lawrence to rise
in her heart; but when she was free
again there came longing to see his
face, to hear his voice. She heard of
him often; he was often spoken of as
one of the rising men in the western city.
She wondered if he still loved her, and
her eyes became very tender as she
painted a future wherein she saw herself
his wife. When, after an absence of two
years, Lawrence bingham came back
to visit his native city, she sent for him
to come and see her. And he came; and
looking again into his face, Judith knew
that she loved him, even as he had loved
she showed him her heart. He under
stood; gently he told her that the past
could never come again.
'.'Where are you goingPa she asked,
when herose to leave her, scarcely know
ing what she said
ITO Ruth he answered.
Then when he had gone. she threw
herself down, crying:
HE loves Ruth, and / love him. +"
And Lawrence went to Ruth. No
word of love was spoken, yet never had
days seemed so bright before to either
OF them He Ioneed to tell her his love,
and yet dared not; andFso went away
again, leaving unsaid the words which,
had they then been spoken, would have
saved gentle Ruth the pain that came so
soon. Then Judith sent for her; she
was lonely, she wrote, would Ruth come?
She wanted to see if her sister loved him.
One day, never dreaming that Judith
loved her old lover still, Ruth brought
her letter.
.sHe loves me-" she whispered, hid
ing her sweet face, all radiant, upon
Judith's breast. '<He wants me to be
his wife. -
..And you love him?n Judith asked.
Il love him. she answered simply.
Ruth brought her the letter she wrote
to Lawrence, telling him she would be
his wife.
Il win post it, said Judith.
It was cruel, but she thought that
some day Lawrence would love her
again, would come back To her; he could
not love Ruth, she said to herself. Long
Lawrence waited for the letter thatnev-
er came, and Ruth's face grew white
and sad. Why did he not write? she
wondered. Again she wrote-twice,
three times; and judith burned the pitt
full appeals, dropping them into the fire
with hard cold look on her beautiful
face. Then hope died in Ruth7s heart;
heavy shadows came about her eyes, a
weary droopinto the pale lips; she begged
then to go home, and pang OF remerse
went through Judith's heart as she not
ed the white face.
But she let Ruth go without confess
ing her sin. .tShe is SO young she
thought, '.she will soon forget. y
She did not think that death was COM
ing when her own strength began TO fail;
she did not know that an organic disease
had seized hold upon her, and with iron
fingers was slowly crushing out her life;
not until her physician told her she could
never get well did she realize that she,
Lady Judith, was dying. Then she sent
for Lawrence, and when. he came she
told him all. He had suffered much at
her hands, but he forgave her. She
wanted him to bring Ruth to her; she
could aot die without her sisters for :.
giyeness- He hurried to the old home
stead among the hills; and when Ruth
came to him he caught her in his arms;
she, reading the love in his eyes, knew
there had been a mistake, and laid her
head upon his breast-his own Ruth for
ever Judith was dead when they went
back to her; the white lids closed for
ever over the lovely eyes, the small
waxen hands lying upon the pulseless