The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-03-06
began, increduously, lifting astonished


pleasant it is. Your estate must lie very
close to mine"
"Whcre did she ever hear of the dream
castles of Spainl" he asked, presently,
aside to Ruth.
81 read her story once, out of book,
Ruth answered. at pleased her, and
she seemed so to delight in these fancies,
think they are sometimes real to her.
1t is foolish; we are both foolish for-I
see them sometimes, too"
81 am foolish, Also them returned
the doctor.
lie 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.
"Do you think sou she asked, too
eager for his answer to note the look he
bent upon her ere it came.
81 am sure of it, he replied. every
man. believe, has some castles in that
wonderful land l myself am large
property owner there"
II am so glad !" she said, simply, not
| looking at him, and so seeing not the
1 swift gladncss that shone an instant in
his eyes, as if something in her words, or
thoughts of his which her words had
crcated-had pleased him. ut don't
seem so silly for us"
"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 flights-in reckless Weoccupation-
grave, handsome DIR. .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 DO II 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.
Gle has come" repeated the child,
dreamily " lie is very handsome, but
it is not just that He is noble and good.
He does not even laugh like other-story-
book-princcs. There is a trust in his
laugh. What a 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 stcpl Was ii
the princess only who dreamed heI
dreams after the echoes of that step had
died away for another day, Ruth was
very quiet, wistful, anxious. All the
skill which DR.. Fargood, the young
physician who lid fair to stand at the
) head of his profession ere many years
{ went by. could claim and exercise was
bestowed upon the wee little mortal who
lay so patiently, day after day and night
after night, upon her little cot But
that skill alas awaited but little. Ruth,
eyes were too dim, often to see the pos
sible brightness of horizon just be
r yond, but love has dominion even Owe
; the realms that Azracl guards; aud the
princess, clear-eyed and patient, saw
something, perhaps, not dreams of span
ish vistas, and smiled contentedly upon
her little cot, even with the darkness o
the Death angels wings casting the
} shadow above her head.
All, that terrible weather. Days whcl
, the sun beat down upon the little roof
so hot and fierce that it seemed as tn
, covering of a furnace. The great wal
of the ungainly tenement opposite seemed
+ to radiate heat, and even when the SUI
} went down no cooling breath arose.
DIR. Fargood had proposed remoyin!
c the sick child, but the princess had neg
atved this.
e Il could not go anywhere" she ha'
5 said, with her wan little smile. 'lt
c could"-looking up with wistiul eye
l that chung to their beguiling hope
! should go to Spain
e She talked much. in those days, Of be
c far-oG possessions
z The are different from what
S thought Them she said, once. "Muc
more beautiful, Ruth, than even the re
t house and the green meadows, with tn
= brook running among the trees"
= At other times she lay for hours quit
still with the white lids hiding I'll
p, dreams in her eyes, and her thin, whit
J., hands clasped across her breast.
/ at is too late said DR.. Fargood
r once, seeing her thus. And at the foo
d of the lower prccipicc, with that whit
y still face before him, and another, dea
4 est of all faces in the world to him, l.
cursed in his heart the civilization thu
h had wrought such wreck and ruin.
One evening, just at dark, the prince
C opened her eyes.
"Ruth,n she called, softly.
o Ruth dropped her work and came oy'
to the bed.
/ "Ruth," said the princess, 'isn't
strange l have been growing veal
weak every day. | could not even lii
a myself now You know ] said | shoul
not 90 until got well, and yet, eve
is day, it has seemed as if l were gettin
ready to 20 to Spain"
lie Ruth dropped on her knees beside Il
err bed. Some one knocked without, an
+ then softly pushed open the door an
it entered. lie came over beside the pril
l. IA