The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-08-03
A WoMAN's REVENGE.


lhe tlHlo Aor eHe mhTIlaSe Ol NED
BLY, and Ruth Hatford was drawing
near. BLY, was the most promising
young man in the neighborhood Of.
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.
Il will spend my life in devotion to
him.
There she stands Ned unused.
Good girl, the right kind Of a girl to
make a good wife but--heigho.
Med, ! thought you never would
come, = she said advancing TO meet
him.
II 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
well?" he asked as he opened the gate
for her.
"No, not very. HIS cough does not
seem to get any better
'tScrry 50 hear it. Shall we 90 to
the house or walk awhilePn
"You have walked enough, Ned.
Why didn't you rider
"Well, / was out ia 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
90 back to the house and catch a
horse.n
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, aud with a natural anxiety for
the welfare of his daughter, he looked
upon Ned as he would have looked
upon a son..
How are you feeling, Mr.. Hat
fordp' the young man asked as he
seated himself in a large arm chair
which Ruth had drawn out from an
adjoining room.
II 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.
II cannot help but say il, Ruth,
when | feel it so strongly. It 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 ito try the fortunes of the
world to come. There is one thing
that | cannot help but regret: This
farm is mortgaged for all it Is worth.
Being hard pressed, in consequence Of
inability toslook 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. she is devils
ing some noble plan, !" She mused, but
Ned's face showed no signs OF geserous
contemplation.
"Well,' said the old man, II must
lie down. am afraid of the pleasant
air out here
"kuth.n Ned remarked when'the old
man had Withdrawn, s.let us walk out
into the garden
They walked among the flowers
which the girl had so carefully culti-
waited. The air was sweet with the rich
perfume of roses.
Med. something seems 20 be weigh
ing on yoEr MUD.
II am not very we'll"
Il am 50 sorry. Can ! do anything
s0r youe"
|, No, I'll be sI right after
awhile"
They walked in silence. Ned's man
ner was Nstless, and his frequent
signs did not escape the girl'sebser-
walton.
wNed, please tell me what is tne
matter with you. Something must be
troubling you
Ruth, let us sit down ESre.'i
TheySsat on . rustic bench. After d
few moments Of meditation, Ned re-
marked:
X fear that sou are deceived in me,
L am
Now please don'tupbraid yourself.
You are the best, the noblest ! in
the world.
He sighed YEARLY. .sNo, / have be-
gun 10 believe that there Is nothing
good about me. Ruth. IT.
"What. Nedp's
81 cannot masry You now. MY cir
cumstances-ff
Now, Ned. you know that make.
no difference.
.I.et me ret through. My circupA,
stances are such that 1 cannot afford
10 marry-cannot in justice to yon at
ford il. Another thing, / have liseG
here Ia the country all my life and
have never seen anything Of the world
II Il aIl right with a woman, bur
man who.has never psen around don
anonnt to anything have thought