Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-08-27
A W0MAN'S REVENGE.
CHAPTER 1.

Diy anu hutn HatiOru was drawing
near. Bly, was the most promising
young man in the neighborhood oil
Gray Eagle church, Arkansaw. He
possessed many good traits of charac-
ter, yet he had not that steadiness of
purpose necessary to the achievement
Orwell, 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
q 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
dearest man in the world" she unused.
81 will spend my life in devotion to
him."
There she stands" Ned unused.
Good girl, the right kind of girl to
make good wife but--heigho. "
med, thought you never would
come" she said advancing to meet
him.
81 thought that was making good
time, Ruth"
Oh, you might have thought so for
it is much more wearisome to wait
than it is TO travel"
yes, suppose so. Is your father
wellp" he asked as he opened the gate
for her.
'No, not very. His cough does not
seem to get any better"
Sorry to hear it. Shall we go to
the house or walk awhilep"
''You have walked enough, Ned.
Why didn't you rideP'
''Well, L was out in the woods,
thinking, when the time for me to set
out arrived, so thought that it would
be saving time to walk rather than to
go back to the house and catch a
horse"
Mr.. Hatford, with feeble tread, was
walking up and down the porch. He
cordially greeted the young man, for
whom he had a 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 son.
Chow are you feeling, Mr.. Hat
fordp" the young man asked as he
seated himself in large arm chair
which Ruth had drawn out from an
adjoining room.
81 am not at all well, Ned. To tell
you the truth, believe that my time
here is short"
"Oh, don't say that, father" the
girl implored.
81 cannot help but say it, Ruth,
when / feel it so strongly. 1t should
not make you sad, for it is much bet
ter to be dead than it is to suffer with
out 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 1 cannot help but regret: This
farm is mortgaged for all it is worth.
Being hard pressed, in consequence of
inability to look after my affairs, COM
PEELED me to 60 in debt"
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 devils
ing some noble plan," she unused, but
Ned's face showed no signs of generous
contemplation.
SWELL" 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 Guilt
waited. The air was sweet with the rich
perfume of roses.
"Ned, something seems 10 be weigh
ing on your mind"
81 am not very well.
ii am so sorry. Can do anything
for youP"
"No, 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 obser-
walton.
sNed, please tell me what is the
matter with you. Something must be
troubling YOU"
Ruth, let us sit down here"
They sat on a rustic bench. After o
few moments of meditation, Ned re-
marked:
81 fear that you are deceived in me,
am"
"Now please don'tupbraid yourself.
You are the best, the noblest man in
the world"
He sighed YEARLY. "No, have be.
gun TO believe that there is nothing
good about me. Ruth, /"
"What, NedP"
II cannot marry you now. My cir
Cumstances-"
"Now, Ned. you know that makes
no difference.
sLet me get through. My circum
stances are such that cannot AFFORD
to marry-cannot in justice to you af
ford it. Another thing, l have liyet
here in the country all my life ant
have never seen anything of the world
1t is all right with woman, but
man who has never been around don
amount to anything. have thought
for several DAYS, that we'd better in
definitely postpone that little affair o
ours. Iwant to go out west. wan
to see something"
She had arisen. The moon
coming from behind fleecy fragmen
of cloud, threw its light upon her col
orless face. 49,.
"Then vou-have- deceivinI
me. You don't love mel" she sal
with sob.
"Now here, Ruth, don't talk tina
way. You can find better HUSBAND
than could possibly be. Ruth, wher
are you going"
ITO the house."
III hope that ! have not offende