The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-08-13
A Woman S Revenge.
CHAPTER l.

! IN the nelghbOrhOOd OF Gray Eagle
Church, Ark He possessed many
good traits of character, yet he had
not that sleadiness of purpose nc
cessary to the achievement Of
well, people who knew him said that
unless he cultivated tenacity he
would never set the world afire.
Saturday evening Ned was to
come and spend Sunday. Ruth
stood at the farm gate looking down
the road. She saw Ned coming and
she waved her handkerchief at him.
Gle is the dearest man in the
world" she mused 81 will spend
my life in devotion to him"
"There she stands" Ned mused.
ga good girl, the right kind of a
girl to make a man a good wife, but
-heihgo."
Ned, l thought you never would
come" she said advancing to meet
him.
Il thought 1 was making good
time, Ruth
"Oh, you might have thought so,
for it is much more wearisome to
wait than it is to travel"
Yes, 1 suppose so. Is your fa-
ther well?'' he asked as he opened
the gate for her.
mo, not very. His cough does
not seem to get any better" ="
Sorry to hear it. Shall we go to
the house or walk awhile?
"You have walked enough, Ned.
Why didn't you rider'
"WelI, l was out IN the woods,
thinking, when the time tor me to
set out arrived, so l thought that it
would be saving time to walk rath-
er than to go back to the house and
catch a horse"
Mr.. Hartford, with feeble tread,
was walking up and down the
porch. He cordially greeted the
young man, for whom he had pro
nounced regard. Believing that he
could not live much longer and
with a natural anxiety for the wei
fare of his daughter, he looked up
on Ned as he would have looked
upon a son.
Glow are you feeling, Mr.. Hart
fordY' the young man asked as he
seated himself in a large arm chair
which Ruth had drawn out from an
adjoining room.
Il am not at all well, Ned. To
tell you the truth, L believe that my
time here is short
ooh, don't say that, father" the
girl implored.
Il cannot help but say it, Ruth,
when l feel it so strongly. 1t should
not make you sad for it is much
Better to be dead than it is to suffer
without the slightest hope of recov-
cry. 1t is the pain of this world
that makes us willing to try the for
tunes of the world to come. There
is one thing that l cannot help but
regret: This farm is mOrtgaged
for all it is worth. Being hard
pressed, in consequence OF inability
to look after my affairs, compelled
me to 60 in debt"
Ned made no reply. Ruth looked
at him with an expression OF eager
ness. She longed to hear him tell
her father that it made no differ
ence. "He is devising some noble
plan" she unused, but Ned's face
showed no signs Of generous con
temptation.
"Well, " said the old man, Il must
lie down. l am afraid Of the pleas
ant air out here"
Ruth" Ned remarked when the
old man had withdrawn, 'iet us
walk out into the garden"
They walked among the flowers
which the girl had carefully culti-
waited. The air was sweet with the
rich perfume of roses.
NED, something seems to be
weighing on your mind"
Il am not very WELL"
i am so sorry. Can l do any
thing for youp
"No, Iii be all right after awhile" :"
They walked in silence. Ned's
manne was restless and his frequent
signs did not escape the girls OBJ
servance.
''Ned, please tell me what is the
matter with you. Something must
be troubling you"
Ruth, let us sit down here"
They sat on a rustic bench. After
a few moments of meditation Ned
remarked:
Il fear that you are deceived in
me | am
Now please don't upbraid your
self. You are the best, the noblest
man IN the world"
He sighed wearily.
mo l have begun to believe that
there is nothing good about me.
Ruth, l."
"What, NedY'
81 cannot marry you now. My
circumstances"
Now, Ned, you know that makes
no difference"
Let me get through. My cir
cumstances are such that cannot
afford to marry-cannot in Justice
to YOU afford it. Another thing, /
have lived here in the country all
my lie ana nave never SCSA 1hJ
thing of the world. II is all right
with woman, but a man who has
never been around don't amount to
anything. 1 have thought for sew
el al days that we'd better definitely
postpone that little affair of ours.
want to go out west. l want to see
something"
She had arisen. The moon, com
ing from behind a heecy fragment
of cloud, threw its light upon her
colorless face.
Then you-have-been deceiv-
ing me. You don't love me" she
said with a sob.
'Now here, Ruth, don't talk that
way. You can find a better husband
than l could possibly be. Ruth,
where are you going?'
ITO the house"
81 hope that l have not offended
you"