Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-02-08
RUTH'S ROMANCE.
CHAPTER XII.

I'm AFRAID Anut hacncl 3 slch, sue bhiu up
prehensively, as she unfoded the paper.
II was brief message-only this;
''Miss Nugent died last night. Come al
once"
SAMUEL CRAWFORD"
Dead Aunt Rachel dead!
She went about like one In a dream rs she
made her preparations To go to Winsted. Had
any one been with Aunt Rachel, she wondered
when the end came,-any near friend, like
Arthur, or herselfl She thought not, or the
telegram would have come from them instead
"She must have died suddenly thought
Ruth. "If her sickness had been OF any length,
she would have sent for me-"
Then, what Aunt Rachel said to her at part
ing came into her mind.
IF che was there next summer, but perhaps
she might go away. II SHIT did, she would
never come backl"
Now, she understood what Aunt Rachel
meant. She had been thinking of the last long
journey, and on that journey the weary, feet
had started. She had gone away, and she
never would come back.
Winsted in its winter robes was different
Wihsted from the one she had known. Every
thing was white and chill. Ii made her think
of the chamber Of death 10 which her journey
led her. 1t seemed in keeping with the time
and event which called her there.
Jonas was waiting for her at the station.
"I'm sorry you couldn't have been here be-
fore she died, :" he said, as they started for the
old homestead. "There was no one but Hubby
aud me with her at the last"
Poor Aunt Rachel! She had died, as she had
lived alone
Have you sent for Arthur Fordr' Ruth
asked of Jonas. rsz.asr "a a. q
1.-THE lawyer, he teegraphed TO the place
where he was the last time he wrote TO Miss
Rachel, and they sent back word he wasn't
there, and they didn't know where he was. So
hal hS hare IN
How still and strange everything seemed as
Ruth opened the gate and went up the path
The dead stalks Of the pinks showed here and
there through the drifted snow, like ghosts of
what had been, approaching from the grave the
hands of passing time had dug. The lacs
seemed dead silence was everywhere. Even
the snowbirds that fitted about the dry, brown
weeds, whose tops reached above the snow In
the fence-corner, were noiseless In their search
for food.
Hubby met her at the door, with her apron
at her eyes. In the long years she had lived
with Rachel Nugent she had learned to love
the lonely woman. IL would be lonleier than
ever now.
81 didn't think 1t would be like this when
you came ag'in," she said, as she drew Ruth
into the sitting-room, where fire blazed on
the hearth what an empty look the room
had 1t seemed TO Ruth that she would have
known Aunt Rachel was dead, II she had not
known 1t when she crossed the threshold.
"She spoke of you just before she breathed
her last" Hubby said. "Sh'd been feelin'
unwell for day or two, an that afternoon,
Jonas an me, we prevailed on her TO hev the
doctor So Jonas, he went for him, and he
come an give her some powders TO make her
rest. When he went away, follered him TO
the door, and asked him II there was any
thing serious allied Miss Nugent, an he
told me then--an' we'd kind o. had an idee of
it fer quite spell-that she had heart disease
an she might drop off any time. She'd kpow'd
ii, but she hadn't said nothin' TO us about 1t.
Wall | set with her till after nine o'clock, an
we talked about sendin' for you in the mornin',
II she wasn't better She'd be great deal o.
company for me, if she was here she said, i
guess she did really love the poor old woman
or somethin' TO that effect i was goin' TO set
up all night, an see TO givin' her her medicin',
but she wouldn't hear 10 IL. Lay down. seq
she, IN call, If want anything SO l laid
down on the lounge In her room, an kind o.
fell asleep. hadn't been asleep more'n half
an hour, when was woke up by her breathin'.
run TO the bed, an found her almost gone.
run into the hall, an called Jonas, an when
got back to the bed she was dead. Poor Miss
Nugentp' and Hubby wiped her eyes on her
apron again, as she finished telling of Aunt
Rachers death. "Would you like to see her
nowl"
yes" answered Ruth and Huldy led the
way TO the room Rachel Nugent had occupied
so many weary, lonely years. How much that
room could have told! What secrets It held
But the secret it held now was the strangest
one of all-the weird, awful secret of death.
Hubby opened the door softly, and Ruth went
in. The room was full of gloom. She went to
the window and drew back the curtains letting
In flood OF cold gray light. Then che turned
and looked toward the bed. All, that awfully
suggestive shape beneath the white drapery
Who that has ever seen it will ever forget it,
She went up to Aunt Rachers side and fold.
cd back the cloth that hid the dead face. The
NgA fAnNN ITTlr -
There was almost smile on the cold lips.
"She will never be lonely again." Ruth
thought as she stood there in the solemn ST.
lence Of the chamber of death "Never lonely
any more. II may be that the love denied her
here will be given there. Who knowsi"
All, whol
A rift in the clouds let through ray of sun
light 1t came in through the window from
which she had drawn away tho curtains, and
fell upon the dead face, making 1t almost fair.
Ruth waited till the cloud had closed, and the
sunlight had faded from the room. Then she
bent down and kissed the cold cheek, said soft
ly. Goodbye, dear Aunt Rachel" covered
up the face again. and went softly away.
Hubby was waiting for her in the hall.
'She looks awful natural, don't you think
sol" she asked, as they went back to the sitting
room.
Every much So" answered Ruth, ''only hap
pier than she used to. 1t seems to me that that
hungry, lonely look has left her face"
"Jest what told Jonas" said Hubby. 81
s'pose she's lived alone all these years because
she loved one man too well to ever care for
another. couldn't doit but II she could,
she ought TO be recompensed for IL, an
b'leeve the Lord'll sec it's done, In some way"
Two days later the grave closed over Rachel
Nugent, and Ruth went back to the lonely
house feeling that her aunt was glad to go away
on the long journey.
at was her wish that her viii should be read
directly after her burial Lawyer Crawford
said. 'Did she ever tell you how she intended
10 dispose OF her propertya"
I'VE never talked about II at all,n answered
Ruth. She had cared for Aunt Rachel, not
her money.
"She left II in - well, a rather curious
shape" said Mr.. Crawford. tsYou will doubt
less be surprised. But you will find out in time
that she meant to d you justice. | am not at
liberty To say more, perhaps l ought not to
have said so much, out OF regard to her wishes
You know she was always peculiar woman.
What she did was generally done in way very
different from other peoples"
Whatever Aunt Rachel saw ct TO do, i shall
find no fault with" answered Ruth "Her
property was her own, to dowith as she thought
best"
Mr.. Crawford opened the will and read IL
over TO Ruth, and Jonas, and Huldah
To Arthur Ford she left the sum of thirty
thousand dollars. To Ruth Nugent, her old
Bible. with the request that the wishes written
on the paper in which she had wrapped it be
complied with. All other property belonging
TO herewith the exception Of farm In an adj
joining town, and three thousand dollars,
which she left to Jonas aud Huldah Strong In
consideration Of long years of faithful service
and friendship--was TO go to build school
for Door children In Winsted Such In sum