Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-09-17
4 WOMAN'S REVENGE.

near. BLY, was the most promising
young man in the neighborhood of
Gray Eagle church, Arkansaw. He
possessed many good traits of char
acter, yet he had not that steadiness of
purpose necessary to the achievement
of-well, people who knew him said
that unless he cultivated tenacity he
would never set the world afire.
Ruth was 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. ''He is the dear
est man IN the world,'' she mused. Il
will spend my life in devotion to him."
s'There she stands" Ned mused.
"Good girl, the right kind of girl to
make a good wife but-heigho.'
''Ned, | thought you never would
come,'' she said, advancing to meet
him.
Il thought that l was making good
time, Ruth
"Oh, you might have thought so for
it is much more WEAKNESS to wait than
it is to travel.
'Yes, suppose so. Is your father
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 90 to
the house or walk awhile?"
''You have walked enough, Ned.
Why didn't you ride:?'
''Well, | was out in the woods, think
ing, when the time for me to set out
arrived, so l thought that it would be
saving time to walk rather than to 90
back to the house and catch horse"
Mr.. Hatford, with feeble tread,
was walking up and down the porch.
He cordially greeted the young man,
for whom he had pronounced regard.
Believing that he could not live much
longer. and with natural anxiety for
the welfare of his daughter, he looked
upon Ned as he would have looked upon
q son.
''How are you feeling, Mr.. Hatford?"
the young man asked as he seated him
self in a large arm chair which Ruth
room.
Il am not at all well, Ned. 10 tell
you the truth, | believe that my time
here is short"
"Oh, don't say that father" the girl
implored.
II cannot help but say it, Ruth,
when 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 recovery. 1t is
the pain of this world that makes us
willing to try the fortunes 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 inabili-
ty to look after my affairs, compelled
me to 90 in debit
Ned made no reply Ruth looked at
him with an expression of eagerness.
She longed to hear him tell her father
that it made no difference. ''He is de-
vising some noble plan," she mused,
but Ned's face showed no sign of gen.
erous contemplation.
''Well," said the old man, 81 must
lie down. | am afraid of the pleasant
air out here"
'Ruth," Ned remarked when the
old man had withdrawn, "let us walk
out into the garden"
They walked among the flowers
which the girl had so carefully cult
waited. The air was sweet with the
rich perfume of roses.
Ned, something seems to be weigh
ing on your mind"
Il am not very we'll"
Il am so sorry. Can l do anything
for you?'
mo, I'll be all right after awhile"
They walked in silence. Ned's man
ner was restless, and his frequent
sighs did not escape the girls observa-
ton.
Med, please tell me what is the mat
ter with you. Something must be
troubling you"
Ruth, let us sit down here"
They sat on rustic bench. After
few moments of meditation, Ned re-
marked:
Il fear that you are deceived in me,
''Now please don't upbraid yourself.
You are the best, the noblest man in
the world"
He sighed wearily. mo, l have be-
gun to believe that there is nothing
good about me. Ruth, i"
''What, Ned?n
81 cannot marry you now. My cir
cumStances-"
Now, Ned, you know that makes
no difference.
''Let me get through, My circum-
stances are such that | cannot afford
to marry-cannot in justice to you af-
ford it. Another thing, | have lived
here in the country all my life and have
never seen anything in the world. 1t
is all right with woman, but man
who has never been around don't
amount to anything. l have thought,
for several days, that we'd better in
definitely postpone that little affair of
ours, l want to 60 out West. want
to see something"