The Penn's Grove record., 1884-12-06

he took her hand to button the riding
glove she was busily drawing on.
Certainly she made a pretty picture,
the dark green habit showing off her
slight figure a hat and feather of the
same shade were on her bright auburn
hair. ASH looked at her, L saw the
color mantling in her cheeks and her
long dark eyelashes fall over her brown
eyes. Perhaps 1t was because she was
so busily watching Bob's fingers that
she could not find time to answer him,
We stood at the window watching
them as they rode down the avenue.
At last Rue, Struggling his shoulders,
turned away and flung himself moodlly
down upon the sofa.
81 say, Rue" asked Tom, "why
didn't you go with them? You haven't
ridden for more than q week.
81 asked Rachel that" proclaimed
Johnnie, who entered at the moment,
and who, as usual, made a curious use
of his auxiliary verb land she said,
Two am company where three are
none }"
The young gentleman was rewarded
for his sagacity by being put through
the window out upon the lawn beyond.
"Why do you expect a fellow to go
out riding when you know that his
horse IS laid up with a cough 2" an
swered Rue.
The next day that Esme and Bob
rode Rue accompanied them.
1t was in May that ESme had come
to us, and the days went by happily
through the summer and autumn. One
day, about three weeks before Christ
mas, | had been kept In at school, and
| was coming home late, through the
dusk. by a path i'll the woods. The
snow, which was lying thickly upon the
ground, deadened the sound of my
footsteps. Pausing for a jump near
the r~iyer-bank, | heard a voice below
me
My little sweetheart, you are a mil
lion times too good for me-and | be-
lieve you know it, In spite of all you
say. One more kiss, darling, and then
we must go in ; it is too cold here for
YOU"
/ leaped down /; and there by the
river were Bob and Esme, sauntering
along the half-froZen bank as though 1t
we're the month of August. | stood
staring at them ; and they, in return,
favored me with a scrutiny more in
quiring than polite. At last Bob began
to laugh.
"Well, Harry, you have found US out.
Esme has promised to be my wife /; and
you are the first to congratulate u.s."
MycOngratulations were neither slow
nor small Bob and Inearly shook each
others hands off, and unhesltatingly |
claimed my brothers. kiss from Esme.
The knowledge of the cousins en-
gagement was received with evident
satisfaction by my father and mother,
though they would not permit it to be
looked upon a a definite thing until
Esme's parents had signifed their APP
probation. Tom and JOHNNIE were wild
at the thoughts OF . wedding, and
Ruthven rendered his congratulations
in the most approved form.
Immediately after Christmas Rue
left home for London, where he was
now obliged to pass some time. 1t did
not transpire exactly what happened
then, but | feared Rue was not going
on all right. Letters very seldom came
from him, and when they did they were
the immediate forerunners of gloom
and ill-temper on my fathers part and
a sorrowful face and long conferences
with Bob on my mothers. AT last
there came a terrible day. Rue arrived
10y the early tram, and walked straight
past us all to my fathers study. An
hour or more elapsed, then Rue opened
the door, and came out with a white
face and heavy step !; he shut the door
and passed on to the library, where
Tom. Johnnie. and myself were.
Goodbye, boys y he said.
"Are you going away 2" asked john
ME.
Eyes. Johnnie +; / am not your
brother any longer. Are you sorry you
will never see me again 7"
The little fellow began to cry /; and
Ruthyen took him up in his arms and
kissed him.
Goodbye, Harry and Tom We
have had ONE jolly days together,
haven't WEI Tom, will you have my
books and things put together and sent
on to me ?"
He went up to my mothers room,
and a few minutes later came down
alone. AS he passed the library door,
| caught the words, muttered half
aloud
'SOme day perhaps he may find out
his mistake ~
Then he walked away by the front
avenue, with head erect, and never once
looking back.
Tom and | ran up to our den in the
roof, and watched him till, a mere black
speck upon the road, he disappeared in
the distance, and the blue heathery hills
hid him from our sight.
81 wonder what he car have done ?"
l said.
81 don't believe he ever did anything,
except behave like a gentleman" an
swered Tom grutiiy, scarcely, l think,
aware how true his assertion was of in
dolent handsome Rue. Through thick
and thin Tom had always stood up for
him and he did not desert him now.
Next day he packed up all Ruthven's
things, and a good many of his OWL and
other peoples too, and sent them to
him. Some days later l noticed that
Tom did not his watch. When l
asked him what had become of it, he
told Inc that he had left it in GressbrOok
at the watchmaker's, | supposed; and
it was not till years afterwards that |
discovered he had sold it there and sent
Rue the money.
When my father came In to dinner
that night, he paused before saying
grace to announce that Ruthyen Gore
was no longer his son or our brother,
and that his name was never again 20 be
mentioned in our house-a command
which Vas not quite obeyed.
A dreary month followed ; then my
father seemed to wake up, and insisted
on Esme's going out as before. She
had been with us a year now, and
spring had come round again. The sum
mer had passed away in a perpetual
round of feteS and entertainments. /
think it was towards the end of August
that l noticed that Esme would now
and then rise at dawn and go by herself
for a walk before breakfast. She was
always silent on the subject of these
walks and, except myself, l think no
person observed them. One morning |
nronnaad ppomnanyinO har lint sha an