The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-09-12

i ih6 ia onJ IT, A-L JAIL uccplJ SIhbS.
full, Miss Be~nnett-more than I can ex-
press-and 1 should be very sorry-ior
any consequences to yourself"
"Oh, it's nothing Ruth answered,
as 500 as she sould speak. ''The only
consequences to myself are q ruined
dress, and that's a proper revenge of
fate. 1t was to save this dress-it was SC
new then, and 80 pretty" she added,
pathetically-.that I trepsssed on your
grounds six weeks ago. Hope you up.
preciate the fact Of the Nemesis" And
Herewith she held up the torn and
streaming silk to his astonished eyes,.
"You won't exaggerate my heroism,"
she went on, "if l tell you that ! thought
more of this than anything else whenI
went into the river. I knew there was
no real danger if I kept a steady head.
But I hope the little boy won't take
cold; and as that is my only danger Just
now-"And before Nj. Hale could re-
cover himself to find speech, she haa
swept him a hooking courtesy, and was
flying toward the Alexander house much
as he had seen her speed six weeks be-
fore.
"Miss Bennett" Mrs. Alexander said,
a few days later, coming into the library
after the children had gone, az have q
commission to discharge. It's rather a
peculiar one, but l hopeyou won't mind
such a thing coming through a third
person. Of course the situation is PEI
culiar and rather delicate for Mr.. Hale.
He thought he would rather put it into
my hands; that is, rather let me find
out first your-your feeling about it."
Miss Bennett looked up bewildered.
II don't understand, Mrs. Alexander.
Is it abont the little boy? Does Mr..
Hale want to reward me"-a deep flush
sufffused her fairness-"for what I did?
l couldn't take his money, Of course"
II don't know that he would look at
it quite in that light" Mrs Alexander
answered. cit probably helped to
bring matters to ~climaxlwith him. In.
deed, he intimated as much. And per.
haps it is a reward of virtue. Certain
ly it is quite after the story-book style,
but you are pretty enough and bright
enough, as I told him, for almost any
position. He is a sellmade man him
self; it isn't such a wonderful condescen-
sion when one remembers that. He
couldn't expect to marry into the May
flower, for all his wealth."
Miss Bennett felt as if her senses were
playing her false. "You don't mean
you can't mean," she cried, ''that he
wants to marry ME Z"
Mrs Alexander put her arm about
her soothingly. ST suppose it is rath-
or overwhelming, my dear. It was to
me at first. But, after all, why should
l ho not T1arn o-a %h,oa ol;1Iuoo ~
course, and he's twenty years older, and
he hasn't much besides his money to
recommend him; but it would be a
splendid homo for you, dear. It seems
he has watched you ever since that time
you trespassed. And he has made
inquiries of me. He began making
them some time ago, butt didn't notice.
I thought perhaps he wanted q COVER
ness. OF course 1 gave you the highest
recommendations she added, laughing,
Though 1 didn't know the position he
wanted you to fill. He seems quite
sure Of his own feeling, and it is certain
ly a great triumph for you, my dear"
Miss Bennett sank back into the chair
from which she had half risen. Her
mind plainly could not take in the new
situation; but she came to herself when
Mrs. Alexander went on: 'Of course
you may want time to think it over, but
he would like to see you this evening,
and-he hopes for an answer then"
"Oh!ohl" Miss Bennett cried, spring
ing to her feet. "There's no use. I
couldn't if my life depended on it,
form engaged to some one else. And
I never knew-indeed, I never knew,
Mrs. Alexander, until a few days
ago, that Philip was his neph-
ew. you see," she went on, breath
lessly, "his sister was with me at school,
and that was the way I learned to know
him. And Mr.. Hale was very angry at
his engaging himself to q 'down-East
school-ma'am,' as he called me. He
had promised to help him before, but
but thav quarreled over me, and Phil
went west, and I came here. And it
was only a fortnight ago that I wrote
him-because I hadn't much else to
write-all about my trespassing, and
what had come of it. And lie answered
IL had his letter last week. That's
my own dragon of an uncle, and If
you've won II concession from him,
perhaps you could do more. If he
learned to know you, he might think
differently about our engagement, and
though / don't need any Of his help now,
still he's my nearest relative, and I
should like to be on good terms with
him. And 1 had been hoping-but
now-now you see how impossible it is.
And if Phil has his own way to make,
we may have to wait q long time, and
perhaps always be poor, I love him too
much to mind"
The soul Of young love and trust
was in her eyes Us she looked
up at Mrs. Alexander, and the
woman's heart in her was touched.
It was the philosophy of the Babes in
the Woods, indeed; she could have
overturned 1T with e touch of worldly
common sense; but she only bent near
or her. and tnen suddenly Ruth felt a
kiss on her forehead, q kiss Of q mothers
comprehending love.
But when she had cooleda little from
Mrs. Alexander had her plans, She
met Mr.. Hale herself that evening; she
COMPOUNDED him with the news that the
school-ma'am despised for his nephew
was his own elect; and she followed up
her advantage till he consented to ex-
press his gratitude to Miss Bennett, by
the gift of o home-of which he should
not be master. And since young Philip
was doing well at the west, and needed
no mor Of his uncle's help, the new
home was hardly ready before he could
claim its mistress. Only one touch Of
romance Mr.. Hale allowed himself-the
wedding gown which replaced Ruth's
unlucky dress.-Harper's Bazaar.
Like Some Railroads.