St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-04-02
A Tale Of Rue.
BY PENN SHIRLEY.

Of all the tired passengers of the
midnight 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 81 Riggs, Ashland,
Massachusetts, From the morning OF
| November |, when he had started for
San Francisco, till the evening of this
December l. he had been constantly
on the wing. To aggravate his fatigue,
the trip, in u business view, had been
highly unsatisfactory, if not unneces-
Sary.
But as he drew nearer home his
scOwl vanished, and the lines about
his firm mouth sOftened. Stretching
his long sutfering limbs across the seat,
he spread the Evening Journal between
his aching eyes and the glare of the
bObbing lamps, and INDUCED in tender
speculatiOns. How would Rue look
when he appeared before her next
morning, two days earlier than he had
promised She might be watering her
plants in the bay window, and he
would walk in nOnchalantly, as if he
had left her the evening before, and
say, "GOOdmOrning, Rue" and she
would drop her watering-pot and rush
toward him, all smiles and bushes,
crying, sob, John ! John how glad
am to see You! how I've missed you ~
Dear, warm hearted, impulsive little
Rue She certainly was fond of him.
He wished he had never been such a
brute as to reprOach her about Mr..
Lynde. He was convinced now that
she had not really cared for the fellow.
She had only been cordial with him in
her free, girlish way. What charming,
inimitable ways she had The lovers
reverie merged into a dream. Mr..
Coleman was unconscious of the slack
ing up of the train at B, and of
the entrance of two young gentlemen
into the seat in front; but the name of
Miss Rue Haywood, spoken almost in
his ear, aroused him like an electric
shock.
"Mr. Lynde is bewitched with her,
that's plain" continued the voice.
Giles having fine time ont of Cole
mans absence"
"Pluperfect," said an answering
mind Coleman taking himself off for
good"
"He's an able man. You know
there's talk of running him for Con-
gress."
"Oh, yes; he's "a dig and all that
but he's a crotchety fellow. Makes
Miss Rue walk Spanish, | hear. By
the way, how are she and Mr.. Lynde
coming on with the Operetta | had
to cut rehearsal"
"Famously. Miss Rue's solo will
bring down the house. Lynde thinks
the entertainment will foot up at least
one hundred dollars toward the new
organ He's jubilant. | believe that
instrument comes next to Miss Rue in
his affections. Can't he get the music
ont of it, thought HaIlOO, here's Ash
land"
Wincing beReath his newspaper. Mr..
Coleman had recognized tho voices as
those of two college students returning
from a lecture at B. Forgetful at
last of travel-stain, WEAKNESS, and
headache, he waited till the youths
had left the car, then walked out at
the opposite end, his whole energies
engrossed in weighing the evidence so
gratuitously afforded. How far could
he rely on current gOssipP What at |
titude should he assume toward Rue |
Morning found him undecided He |
must be governed by Rue's own man |
ner. AS test of her feelings toward |
him he wOnld ask her for his sake to |
Withdraw from the operetta. IL she |
loved him she would do this cheerfully.
If she would not do it-Mr. Coleman
had not provided for the latter con-
tingency when Bridget ushered him
into Mr.. HaywOod's parlor. Miss Rue