Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-02-15
CHAPTER XIV.

Tor moment or two then got up suuueniy ah
went to the window, aud stood there lookin
out into the almost deserted street. TIL
leaves were falling swiftly on the littl
grass plot, from the elm tree b
the gate. They battered against the pane lik
rain-drops.
Then She turned and went back TO the fir
where Rhoda Wier sat, with book open upo
her knee.
"How uneasy you are tonight, Rath,n he
your
81 don't know answered Ruth ~ dom
feel like sitting still. That's all can tell yo
about it,"
"When is your cousin coming backp aske,
| Rhoda, as Ruth paced up and down the floor.
"My cousinl-oh, Arthur Ford, you mean
He isn't my cousin, Rhoda> His father was
| cousin of my father, so the relationship be
tween us is very vague" explained Ruth. :"
don't know when he will come. There can't b,
much for him to do at Winsted, beyond taking
| possession Of the property Aunt Rachel left
| "1e told me he should insist on dividing
what she left him with YOU" Rhoda said
"And shall insist on his doing no such
thing" said Ruth. ~ don't need the money
| don't want it. But he Is unselnsh enough to
| give me all of it If he thought would take IT,
| He's noble fellow, Rhoda."
'Yes, think he is" answered Rhoda, and
| then the freight seemed all at once TO have
| given brighter color TO her face.
Ruth went to the piano, and began playing
softly. All at once the fingers that wandered
among the keys struck the familiar notes of the
last song she and Robert had sung together
Robin Adeir. She played 1t so feeliEgly that IL
brought tears to Rhoda's eyes.
There were steps in the hall.
Some one was coming unannounced. Ruth
half turned from the piano, swift excitement
taking possession Of her. Her eyes were on the
door when 1t opened, and Arthurs face looked
In.
She rose, and went toward him with an out
stretched hand and word of welcome.
"Robert first" Arthur said, softly, and then
another hand reached out TO Ruth's and caught
II in a grasp that sent thrill after thrill ID her
swift-beating heart, and kindled an electric fire
In the eyes she lifted to-Robert's face
Ruth am to call you my Ruth, after all ~
he said, and there was tender accent In his
voice that brought sudden tears TO her eyes.
His voice was full OF eager hope.
Yes, II YOU want to-" she answered, and
then his arm was held out for her to creep into
It's protection, and Ruth was crying softly on
his breast.
And the eyes Of Arthur and Rhoda were not
dry, as they turned TO the fire and talked to-
gether in low voices
Arthur was going back next week. Ruth and
Robert must be married before he went away.
He insisted on that, and they did not oppose
him.
at must be the quietest wedding any one
ever heard Of" Ruth said. Just the girls
and u.s."
THAT excludes me-and the minister" Ar
thur said, laughingly.
THE minister must be here as a matter OF
course" answered Ruth; land / said us,
didn't |. That includes you. Always remem-
Der that Arthur; we consider you one Of as,"
1t tcas quiet wedding. Arthur insisted on
Furnishing flowers for tho parlOr and ssthp
girls insisted on taking charge of everything
else, so that really all Ruth had to do was TO
stand up at the appointed time and be married.
The ceremony was over. Ruth Nugent was
Ruth Nugent no longer.
"There is something you must not forget"
Arthur said. Lawyer Crawford told me to
remind you of it-Aunt Rachcl's legacy. You
know what her request was about it."
Ruth left the room, and came back presently
with the package she had brought from Win
sted.
"Let me cut the cord for you," Arthur said
with pleasureable eagerness and look of an
ticipation on his face.
"Wait a moment" Ruth said, and then, in
low and reverent tones she read Aunt Rachers
last message, while tears Of loving remem.
brancc fell upon It,
Then Arthur cut the cord, and Ruth removed
the wrappings from the old Bible. As she
lifted ii from the inner paper, 1t fell open, and
N-~ f~6S' A@s f'N',',N SN'''s'5 ''NA
name.
''Open it, Ruth" cried Arthur, eagerly IL
can hardly wait to know what is in it,"
She united the string that bound the pack
age. Within were several bits of paper, the
value of which she did not recognize. But
cts just as Lawyer Crawford limited to
me-" he cried. "Thesc pieces of paper are
bonds to the amount of twenty-iv thousand
dollars: and this'-holdng a legal-loolSing
4. a. q al. II Il
You're quite wealthy little woman, Mrs.
Ruth Haviland. Allow me to congratulate
you"
Ruth was in maze OF bewilderment. Was
she dreaming! Twenty-Five thousand dollars
and the old home at Winsted 1t was like the
outcome of fairy-tale.
"You haven't read the verse she referred to-
Robert said and Ruth, putting one hand in his,
turned TO the open Bible and read the words
about which Aunt Rachel had drawn the pencil
with which her last message had been written
lore one another"
"Amenl" Robert said, reverently, and bent
and kissed his wife's cheek.
The ''shop" went on. Ruth ceased to be an
active member of the "frm,n but IL continued
to be known as "Miss Nugent's," and Ruth occu-
pied an honorary" position in 1t still. She has
established school for poor girls, where they arc
taught 10 read and write, TO sew and cook, and
fit themselves for positions which may open TO
them when they go out TO win way in the
world. She finds plenty of work to do, and
does 1t because she loves to-
And Arthur Well, he is happy with Rhoda
Wier for wife, and Rhoda secretly thinks
that she has won more of prize in her hus-
band than Ruth has in hers. Ruth doesn't, and
so both are satisfied.
1--WE can do a great deal of good with the
money Aunt Rachel left us" Ruth says often
to Robert, "but the dearest fortune of all, Is
the fortune of love which God has given US"
And always when she says that, her husband
kisses her and says softly: "Thank God fol
the gift, Ruth. How rich We are"
THE END.