Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1885-04-30
A TALE OF RUE.


ATALE OF RUE.
OF all tired passengers of the mid
night express bound eastward over the
Old Colony road, perhaps there was
not one more thoroughly used up than
John Coleman, Esq, of the law firm
of Coleman 4 Riggs, Ashland, Massa-
chusettS. From the morning of Nov
ember /, when he had started for San
Francisco, till the evening Of this De-
cember /, he had been constantly on
the wing. TO aggravate his fatigue,
the trip, in business view, had been
highly unsatisfactory, if not unneccs-
sary.
But as he drew nearer home his
scowl vanished, and the lines about
his firm mouth softened. Stretching
his long. suffering limbs across the
seat, he spread the EUcning JOmHdt
between his aching eyes and the glare
of the bobbing lamps, and INDUCED in
tender spGculations. How would Rue
look when he appeared before her
next morning, two days earlier than
he had promised? She might be wat
oring her plants in the bay window,
and he would walk in nonchalantly, as
if he had left her the evening before,
and say, Good morning, Rue" and
she would drop her watering-pot and
rush toward him, all smiles and
bushes, crying, "Oh, John! John! how
glad | am to see you how ryo missed
you!'
Dear, warm-heartcd, impulsivc little
Rue! She certainly was fond of him.
He wished he had never been such 4
brute as to reproach her about Mr.
Lypde. lie was convinced now that
she had not really cared for the fellow.
She had not only been cordial with
him in her free, girlish way. What
charming, inimitably ways she had!
The lovers rcveric merged into Il
dream. Mr. Coleman was unconscious
of the Stacking up OF the train at b =,
and of the entrance of two young gem
tlemen INTO the seat in 'front.' but the
name of Miss Rue Haywood, spoken
almost in his ear, aroused him like an
electric shock.
"Nlr. Lyndc is bcwtchGd with her
that's plain continued the voice.
ale is having Il hnc time out Of Cole"
mans absence"
"Plupcrfect,n SAID an answering
voice. They say Miss Rue wouldn't t
mind Coleman's taking himself of for
good"
"IIc's an able man. You know there
is talk of running him for congress-
"Oh, yes; he's dig, and all that;
but he's crotchety old fellow. Makes
Miss Rue walk Spanish, | hear. By
the way, how are she and Mr.. Lynde
coming on with the operetta? | had
10 cut last rehearsal"
"Famously. Miss Rue's solo will
bring down the house. Lynde thinks
the entertainment will root up Mt least
one hundred dollars toward the new
organ. lie is jubilant. | believe that
instrument comes next TO Miss Rue in
his affections. Can't he get the music
out of it, though? Halloo, hero's
Ashlandm
Wincing beneath his newspaper,
Mr.. Coleman had recognized the voices
as those of two college students re-
turning from the lecture at b.
Forgetful at last of travel-stam, wear
mess and headache, he waited till the
youths had left the ear, then walked
out at the opposite end, his whole en-
ergies ongrossed in weighing the evil
dence so gratuitously afforded. How
far could he rely on current gossip?
What attitude should he assume
toward Rue? Morning found him un-
decided. He must be governed by
Rue's own manner. As test of her
feelings toward him he would ask her
for his sake to withdraw from the
opcretta. If she loved him sho would
do this cheerfully. If she would not
do it-Mr. Coleman had not provided
for the latter contingency when Brid-
get ushered him into Mr.. Haywood S
parlor. Miss Rue and Mr.. Lynde were
practicing Il duet for the operetta,
both too wrapt to observe the intruder
a fact ineXplcable on musical
grounds to poor Mr.. Coleman, who
did not know the notes apart, or care
to know them. According to his in.
ference, the young people were alb
sorbed in each other, and he was off in
limbo. Under these circumstances il
may not be strange that his face, that
instant sped by Miss Rue, was not the
face of an amiable man. 1t promptly
reminded Mr.. Lynde of waiting pu-
pill, and having congratulated Mr..
Coleman on his safe return, he hustled
his music under his arm and departed
in haste.
Miss Rue wheeled the big easy-chair
in front of the CRATE, playfully forced
her sullen suitor into 1t, and perched
herself on its arm to hear about his
journey. Had he been ill? Mop Then
he must be fearfully tired. She knew
his head ached. Shouldn't she try to
magnetic it and put him to sleepP
No, he preferred that she should
not. He had kept his eyes closed too
long already.
As well might zephyr have at
tempted to pet an iceburg. With a
shivcr Miss Rue slipped from her
perch, and seated herself with her
work in a neighboring rocker. What
had come over JohnP She had never
seen him like this before. He did not
seem a bit glad to meet her. He
turned away from the distracting WIS.,
ion, mentally preparing his brief
this astute lawyer, as ignorant of the
nature of a girl as an elephant of the
structure of rose. Presently he be-
gan about the festival He admitted
that Rue had once conlided to him her
intention of participating in an oper-
eta, but he had supposed an operetta
to be something like an oratorio, not
jumbling of silly love songs. Did
she think it becoming in herself, an
engaged young lady, to carol amor
GUS ditties from morning to night with
a tunefur swainP
"They are burlesques, John, only
burlesques If lhad dreamed of your
disappearing l wouldn't have prom
ised to sing, but | can't retract now."
"Not when particularly request it,
Ruep"