Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-01-25

hoped IL might DC, so mucn, my uear."
81 am sorry for your. disappointment, and
sorrier for Arthur's," Ruth said feeling more
kceny what she had done because or the kind
ness In Aunt Rachels voice and words. III
had only known what you wanted 10 be before
/ came, l would have staid away, and this
trouble would have been spared us"
81 should have gone on planning and hop
ing,n said Aunt Rachel III IL must be SO, IL Il
well TO know 1t now. You have thought 1t al
over thoroughly, Ruthn with vague hope
that there might be some way Of thinking 1t out
differently yet.
Eyes, Ihave thought It over In all ways" an
swered Ruth, land always IL came to the same
end. l had not the love TO give that should
give husband"
''You have thought of the dreariness Of @
long life lived out alone, Ruth!n queried Aunt
Raehel-"as mine has been. Have you thought
of thatln
''Yes, of that, too" answered Ruth, with her
eyes on the road leading up the hill they had
climbed yesterday.
She saw awoman climbing the steep alone.
Up the rocks and among the tangled thickets
led the path, end the lonely climber often
paused in the way. Footsore, faint, she turned
to the right and 10 the left, as If by the prompt
ing of an instinct that suddenly asserted itself,
in search of companionship and comfort. None
were there. She must climb on alone. No
matter how weary she grew, there was no arm
| To lean on; no matter how lonely, there was no
| comrade near; no matter how starved her
heart, there was no food of love TO satisfy its
| longing-yea, its needs
| She turned away from the vision of the hill
side-path with sigh. 1t was hard to climb
alone, but it must be. If Robert could have
climbed with her
Robert always Robert! She almost hated
herself for being unable to think of him with
| out the old tenderness rising and asserting IT.
self before she could prevent it. But she could
| not help it yet In time she might outgrOw the
weakness. She hoped so. 1t gave her feeling
| OF disgust with herself to think how weak she
was in that respect.
'Well if what have hoped for cannot be
| why, IL cannot, and there is no more to be said
| about it" Aunt Rachel said with sigh Poor
Arthur! know he loved you, Ruth. He has
| told me that he never cared for any woman
eyes, know he loved me" answered Ruth.
Notwithstanding 1t gave her keen pain to
think how much her refusal must hurt him, the
thought that some one loved her as every woman
is glad TO be loved brought warm glow to her
heart
Il wish could give him what he asks for!"
Ruth cried For his sake, for yours, for my
own. wish it from the bottom Of my heart.
But cannot cannotr She turned away to
hide the tears that came, and presently she left
the room.
Poor Ruth" Aunt Rachel said, slowly, with
her thoughts going back TO her own girlhood.
she is doing as / did-can | blame her. /
loved man, and because he was not for me l
would accept no other. had no love TO give
Did do right! / thought so then. / hardly
know what think now-only that when wom-
an lives her life alone as / have, she finds It
very dreary, very sad, and wonders at times, ii
II is worth living. Bat it will be different with
Ruth. She will not rust out ms / have. She
will be less lonely than / have been, because she
Will be busy with something, and some day.
perhaps, she will change her mind hope So"
At last the end of the month was at hand
Aunt Rachel urged her neice to stay longer; but
she would not.
~ must go back TO work." she said resolutely
~ have had long restiug-spell. 1t doesn't
agree with me TO be idle"
She and Arthur were in the garden when they
said goodbye to each other.
Il know there is no use in asking you II You
have changed your mind since you answeredthe
question asked you that day, up on the Ill.,"
he said, half hopefully. 1t is so hard to let
hope of that kind die $50 hard
NO" she answered. Forget about me as
you think of me now, Arthur, and let us be
brother and sister to each Othern
II viii be brother to you, The answered,
'but cannot forget
II shall expect TO see you and hear from you
often" she said. IF | do not, shall feel that
you have not quite forgiven me forwhat could
not help doing.n
"Therc is nothing 10 forgive" he answered.
earnestly. II do not blame you Ruth. / re-
spect you for II, for 1t proves to me that there
10 Ollc NOllldu III Tue WOTlu 700 DODlc, 100 true
to herself to be untrue. would have been sat
isied with what you have to give, but know
need not ask for it. You have decided and
that ends the Natter
"You viii some day find some woman who
will take the place you offered me, | hope" she
said, as they turned to go up the path to the
piazza, where Aunt Rachel was waiting to say
goodbye. 'You cannot think how glad |
would be to hear such news, Arthur"
'It may be- he answered, "but-I doubt it,"
swell, goodbye, land Ruth held out her hand
in parting. He took it in an earnest, lingering
grasp.
"God bless YOU" he said, brokenly and then
he let go his clasp, and turned and walked down
the garden path, and she did not see him after
that
you viii come again next summer, if-if 1
am herc'" Aunt Rachel asked, OBTAINING her,
after Jonas had driven the carry-all TO the
gate, and announced that he was ready if Ruth
was.
eyes, will come" answered Ruth. "You
don't think of going away, do you!
"Perhaps l may" answered Aunt Rachel with
strange, gravely thoughtful look in her
eyes. IF do, / shall never come back" she
added, and it seemed as If she was talking to
herself.
Ruth wondered what she meant. II was i'm
possible to think of Aunt Rachel's going away
from the old homestead. Others might 60 and
come, but she was not like them.
"We'll have to be spry Of weketch the train,n
warned Jonas ''OI White-face, he amt
two-forty horse, We know"
Goodbye, Aunt Rachel" cried Ruth.
Don't think hard of me because couldn't do
as you wanted me to-" and her arms were
about the others neck, her tears falling fast on
the thin, wrinkled face she was never to see
again in life.
az don't' was Aunt Rachel's reply, as she
| kissed Ruth's face over and over again. II
know there's some trouble you haven't told
me about, dear,-but pray 1t may all come
right. Goodbye, Ruth, and may God make
your life happy, and not such lonely one as
mine has been"
Aunt Rachel's parting words fingered in
Ruth's cars like benediction as the Winsted
hills hid the old homestead from sight, and
she went back TO begin the battle Of life alone.
TO DE CONTINUED.