Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-08-10
A WOman'S Revenge.

The time for the marriage of Ned
BLY, and Ruth Hartford was drawing
near. bly, was the most promising
young man in the neighborhood of
Gray Eagle church, Arkansaw. He
possessed many good traits of
character, yet he had not that stead
mess of purpose necessary to the
achievement of-well, people who
knew him said that unless he culti-
waited tenacity he would never set
the world afire.
Ruth was a quiet, even tempered
girl. In the picturing of gentleness
she could have appropriately served
as a model.
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. ssHe
is the dearest man in the world" she
mused. 81 will spend my life in de-
votion to him.
ssThere she stands" Ned mused.
"Good girl, the right kind of girl
to make a good wife but-heigho. "
"Ned, I thought you never would
comc," she said advancing to meet
him.
81 thought 1 was making good
time, Ruth
"Oh, you might have thought SC
for it is much more wearisome to
wait than it is to travel"
| eyes, 1 suppose SO. Is your faith.
er well?" he asked as he opened the
gate for her.
"No, not very. His cough dom
seem to get any better"
"Sorry to hear it. Shall we 60 te
the house or walk awhile p
"You have walked enough, Ned
Why didn't you ride?''
ssWell, l was in the woods, think
ing, when the time for me to set ou
arrived, SO I thought it would be say
ing time to walk rather than to g
back to tbs house and catch horse.
Mr.. Hartford with feeble tread wa
walking up and down the porch. HI
cordially greeted the young man, TO
whom he had pronounced regard. Be
lieving that he could not live mucl
longer, and with natural anxiety TO
the welfare of his daughter, he look
ed upon Ned as he would have look
ed upon a son.
''How are you feeling, Mr.. Hart
ford?" the young man asked as b
seated himself in large arm chai
which Ruth had drawn in from an ad
joining room.
ST am not at all we'll, Ned. Z
tell you the truth, believe my tim
here is short"
"Oh, don't say that, father" th
e girl implored.
e II cannot help but say it, Rutf
when feel it SO strongly. 1t shoul
d not make you sad, for it is much be
a ter to be dead than to suffer withot
L the slightest hope of recovery. 1t
the pain of this world that makes 1
willing to try the fortunes of I'll
4 world to come. There is one thin
that 1 cannot help but regret: Th
: house is mortgaged for all 1t is wort
," Being hard pressed, in consequent
IN of my inability to look after my a
fairs, compelled me to go in debt
20 Ned made no reply. Ruth locke
= = at him with an expression of cage
- ness. She longed to hear him t.
st her father that it made no differenc
~ s'He is devising some noble plan
IT. she mused, but Ned's face show
lie no signs of generous contemplate
ssWell," said the old man, 81 mu
~ lie down, / am afraid of the pleasa
We air out here"
ey 'sRuth," Ned remarked when t
old man had withdrawn, ''let
IN walk out into the garden"
'k- They walked among the fiowt
~ which the girl had SO carefully cul
waited. The air was sweet with I
bio rich perfume of roses.
,ic "Ned, something seems to
tie weighing on your mind"
on 81 am not very well.
)h' 81 am so sorry. Can do al
''' thing for you?"
"No, I'll be all right after awhile
. They walked in silence. Ne
the manner was restless, and his frequ,
81" sighs did not escape the girls obs
me walton.
ur- "Ned, please tell me what is
matter with you. Something m
I'M be troubling you."
'ns "Ruth, let us sit down here"
,ht They sat on rustic bench. AT
oes a few moments meditation, Ned
Sell marked:
81 fear that you are deceived
rec me, am
rs, "Now please don't upbraid 20
say self. You are the best, and the
err blest man in the world"
OF "He sighed wearily. "No, I b.
'i' begun to believe that there is no
ing good about me. Ruth, +"
~. "What, Ned?"
~ ~ 81 cannot marry you now.
for circumstances"
per "Now, Ned, you know that ma
ced no difference"
ter "Let me get through. My circr
up stances are such that cannot aft
e. x,onrxv oo~~of s,,tsa, ~ ,