Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-03-06
.pan. inrreduouslv, lifting atOnished

DltdSduL IL 10. CNA S~ '~- |
close to mine"
s'Where did she ever hear ofthe dream
castles of Spain2' he asked, presently,
aside to Ruth. :,
81 read her story once, out o a book,
Ruth answered. 'It pleased her, and
she seemed so to delight in these fancies,
| think they are sometimes real to her.
It is foolish; we are both foolish for-I
see them sometimes, too.
81 am foolish, also, then, " returned
the doctor.
He was looking down directly upon
the pretty face with its troubled color
coming and going, and so saw that swift
uprising of her eyes to his.
oDo YOU think sol" she asked, too
eager for his answer to note the look ne
bent upon her ere it came.
81 am sure of it, " he rePli'd ! Livery
man, | believe, has some assS's-Aa ina, 'la'e
wonderful land, 1 myself am large
property owner there.
II am so glad % she said, simply, not
looking at him, and so seeing not the
swift gladness that shone an instant in
his ewes, as if something in her words, or
thoughts of his which her words had
created-had pleased him. sit don't
seem so silly for u.s."
"Good-by my little princess, " he said,
presently, turning to the bed. 81 shall
drop in and see your ladyship, to-mor-
row."
And by the time he had descended the
four 1ights-in reckless pIeoccupation-
grave, handsome DR.. Fargood had in
creased his possessions and constructed
one more castle in Spain.
After he had gone, the child lay quite
still upon her little bed, her eyes closed,
and both hands clasped across her breast.
Ruth sewing swiftly by the departing
daylight.
Ruth" said the princess, at length,
after that long, long silence. opening her
eyes and looking at the pretty profile by
the window, "the prince has come
a-visiting"
Nonsense, DEAR" said Ruth, but a
little frightened color crept up into the
pale face bent low over the work, and
the busy fingers flew on faster.
"He has come" repeated the child,
dreamily. "He is very handsome, but
it is not Just that. He is noble and good.
He does not even laugh like other story
book-princes. There is trust in his
laugh. What fine, good, beautiful
prince he is!
Ruth stole one startled glance toward
the princess dreaming, and answered
never a word.
Young DR.. Fargood came not only the
next dav, true to his promise, but the
next, and the next, and every succeed
ing day thereafter through that hot
sitting August weather. Was it the
princess alone whose eyes frightened
hearing daily that familiar step? Was il
the princess only who dreamed hel
dreams after the echoes of that step had
died away for another day, Ruth wal
: very quiet, wistful, anxious. All the
= skill which DR.. Fargood, the young
= physician who bid fair to stand at thu
, head of his profession ere many year
: went by, could claim and exercise wa
: bestowed upon the wee little mortal VIII
lay so patiently, day after day and nigh
after night, upon her little cot. Blu
t that skill, alas availed but little. Ruth
= ewes were too dim, often, to see the pos
sible brightness of horizon just be
r vond, but love has dominion even owe
/; the realms that Azrael guards; and tn
| princess, clear eyed and patient, say
a something, perhaps not dreams OF Span
ish vistas, and smiled contentedly upo
y her little cot, even with the darkness Q
|. the Death angels wings casting the
p shadow above her head.
All, that terrible weather! Days whe
l., the sun beat down upon the little roo1
so hot and fierce that it seemed as tn
:, covering of furnace. The great wa
i. of the ungainly tenement opposite SCENE
II to radiate heat, and even when the su
o went down no cooling breath arose.
2. Dr. Fargood had proposed removin
-e the sick child, but the princess had nes
atived this.
,e II could not go anywhere, she ha
IS said. with her wan little smile. ''It
re could"-looking up with wistFul ey,
n that clung to their beguiling hope
)! should go to Spain"
t. She talked much. in those days, OF h
lie far-off possessions.
e "They are different from what
as thought them," she said, once. 'Mut
!, more beautiful, Ruth, than even the n
Mt house and the green meadows, with tt
It. brook running among the trees"
e. At other times she lay for hours qul
still, with the white lids hiding t
r, dreams in her eyes, and her thin, viii
d, hands clasped across her breast.
of cit is too late,n said DR.. Fargoo
n once, seeing her thus. And at the 10
i'd of the lower precipicc, with that viii
ry still face before him, and another, de-
of est of all faces in the world to him,
cursed in his heart the civilization tt
tn had wrought such wreck and ruin.
One evening, just at dark, the prince
he opened her eyes.
"Ruth," she called, softly.
to Ruth dropped her work and came o'
to the bed.
m 'I{uth," said the princess, isn't
strange! / have been growing we'
n weak every day. l could not even |
a myself now. You know said l shou
not go until got we'll, and yet ev
is day, it has seemed as if l were geth
ready to go to Spain" :,
he Ruth dropped on her knees beside
YER bed. Some one knocked without, q
ct then softly pushed open the door a
, II entered. He came over beside the pr
cess, who smiled up at him, moved
or. little thin hand to put it in his.
"Ruth, DEAR" said the princess, aga
as. after another pause. Ruth, dear, sor
mt how it seems as if were ready, now,
the go to Spain"
.ch A sob shook the slight figure kncel
Ike beside the bed. The princess turned
inc seeching eyes upon the doctor. He r
md their prayer, and in like silent fash
The answered it. The princess smiled.
yes The dusk came on deeper, and evt
ace thing grew very stlll'