The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-06-22
IN DANGER.

'"Tell him I'll come In, Capple." Cap
spun around on her bare toes few
times, then started slowly for the house,
while Ruth swung idly in her hammock
in the shade Of the live oak, and 1 OK
claimed:
'"Think what you are doing, Ruth
He is not happy Il moment without you.
He loves you so that the thought Of not
being able to sail with you brings on Il
fever turn, and you know that he had 4
hcmorrhage the last time you went rid
ing without him. His life is bouud up
in you'll"
II know it, aunty, so I shall 60 riding
and sailing no more"
''But such devotion will surely de-
ceive him."
"When he came to us, with his doom
plainly written in cvcryfeaturc, Ircsolved
ed that if could not nurse him back to
the life he so much loves, his last days
should be as happy as possible"
"Suppose he dies deceived, believing
that you loved him-believing lie?"
Don't you think when lie sees no
understands
"But should he recover do you think
he would thank you for his life if YOU
had taken all hope and brightness from
it,"
"Iassure You that his Happiness should
be, thenas now, my first and only object"
'Ruth," I excl ,in,cd aghast, :'you
would not marry him with no love to
give him-loying:lnotl.cr rs you dol"
She raised herself slowly on her el-
bow, her beautiful brown eyes looking
steadily through the long lashcs wet
with tears, and said.
"My life is something that I do not
prize, but by dyin: l cannot give him
life, SO If by living can make his life
happy, why not? Whatever is for his
happiness that shall do. Now I'll 90
and watch the sunset with him."
l sat still under the spreading branches
of the great old oak and watched the
swollen river which seemed trying to
force its way through the great wall Of
earth that confined it to its course, and
thought of the beautiful girl who had
lust left me.
When Maj Grant had come to us, sick
and apparently dying, she had just met
the first great sorrow of her life. A mis-
understanding had arisen between her
self and Frank Russell, to whom she had
given all the loving devotion Of her
warm heart, and by the interference of
her friends the lovers Quarrel became !,
serious matter, and the engagement was
broken.
She believed herself deceived and cast
aside for another, and life not worth tho
living, but she was proud, and lived On
5ravely, making no moan.
Maj. Grant had lost his health bv OK
posurc during his army life, but would
not for a moment doubt his entire re-
covery. lie was always better. lie
chung to Ruth-was never happy when
she was absent and built castle after castle
in tho air when beside her. And now
the two were Watching the sunset
one believing the sun of her life had al
ready set III clouds and darkness, and
the light was fast failing for the other:
she turning in disnay and dread from
the life before her-hc longing and
striving for the life that was fast slipping
from him.
a bunch Of gray moss swung smartlv in
my face, and reused me to the fact
that the wind was rising, for added to the
muttcring of the river was the moaning
OF the pines. [ walked hastily to the
lcvce. Everybody was there, working
Or watching, for should Il jet of water
force its way through undiscovered, a
crevasse was certain and obstruction
sure.
There was great danger that the levec
could not withstand the force of the
water without the wind, but with gale
it seemed hopeless.
1t was a yearly danger to which every
had hnfny,,n 4 L.
plans were changed, and all amusement.
went on as gaily as if obstruction did not
threaten every homo for miles around
and our nearest ncighbors had invited
us to attend a country wedding with them
that night Ruth hcsitatcd about lcay-
ing her invalid, but he urged her to 90
assuring her there was no danger what
ever; SO when We heard the call at the
gate, "Oh, Miss Ruth, are you re:dy..'
we threW on our wraps and started,
gloves in hand.
We drove beside the levee, but the an
cry rush of the river and the rising wind
seemed to occasion no uneas;ncss in our
companions. The house to which we
were going stood on Il point of land
which the river had cncrUachcd upon
year atterycar until it WAS almost an ISL
and, and it seemed tho whole planta-
ton would be washed away. j could
only wonder at the gaycty OF my COM
panions, and divert my mind from nv
own fears, asked:
HAS Miss Dora been long cngagcd?"
Yes, five years. The wedding dav
has been fixed twice before; guests inyit-
ed. the cake ready, and the bridal veil
waiting to be put on. The first time
Dora was sick, SO very sick it seemed
impossible that she could live through
that day, but as soon as the hour for the
wedding was passed she began to i'm
prove. The next time the groom fell
and broke his leg an hour or two before
he should have been married"
'How stranger
well, Dora is the last one Of an OLD
old family. She had :tn old nurse who
saw VISIONS and forctolu coming CIV cnts,
who told Dora that she would never be
il wife or mother, and she has almost be-
gan to bellevc it. She says if she fails this
time She will never try again."
~ here VIC arc? Back up and dunn
your load" And amid much noise and
chattcring VIC scrambled to the ground
and shook out our crumplcd dresses.
We were received bv a beautiful white
haired old lady who kissed us all and
>>N~0 eA'' " NASoiAS. -AlIC1 iU tAC
bare hands about us we slipped our
gloves into our pockets and were ushcrcd
into the parlor and joined one of the two
lines that set facing each other for the
ceremony to begin. Tho white haired
old lady sat beside Ruth, who had evil
IDENTITY taken her fancy 1 could sec
that the sweet-faced matron was telling
my little girl the story of her own
daughters misadvcnturOus love that
was soon to be crowned with happy
fruition. Had she OWNED that nv
Ruth was heart-sorc and sick because of
love? think so.
The guests waited awlSwardly as pco-
pie gathered from far and near are wont
to do. The servants moved ofticiously
about to save the appearance of delay
At length the hostess, with the slightest
flush ofannoyance on her fair face, left
Ruth to devote herself to others. Ruth
came over where [ was standing by an
open window, aud putting her hand on
my shoulder turned her face from the