The examiner. (Hartford, Conn.) 1881-188?, 1888-03-03

&c. She isn't bit stuck up though she
has come into fortune. You'd better 60
right along, and wish You all the luck
you deserve.n
Palmer eyed him sus piciously for mo.
ment and then swaggered up the road,
with the gold headed cane once more
fitted across the small of his back.
sWell. swami said Jim, eff that
don't beat all. I'd like to take that walk
iu' stick and prod him in the back with IL
right out of the village. But 1 s'pose
she'll take him and kill the fatted calf,
and all that sort of thing, thanks to his
pooty face, whilst never even darst-n
but the last Of the sentence was lost In
the merry clink, clink, ciink that had be-
gun again.
Ruth Corbett was hanging out her wash
ing when Jack Palmer stepped on to her
front porch and raped on her front door
with his gold-headed cane.
She was a tallish, slim woman, with
soft, fair hair drawn up on the top OF her
well-shaped head and arranged there I'm
three or four large loose puRs, and eha
had keen blue eyes, nose of no partic-
ular shape, @ thin, rather decided, and yes
pleasant mouth, and ears that forced
themselves upon your attention
The clothes she was hanging on the line
in the next house. had of ten remarked,
aas white as the driven snow" and Ruth,
with a clothes pin between her lips, had
stepped back on the grass plat to regard
them complacently when she heard the
rapping on the front door. For moment
she stood and wondered who it could be,
for it was very unusual thing to have
any one come to that door, all her friends,
after the manner of country people, pre-
ferring the back. Then she dropped the
clothes-pin on the grass and went 60 see
who the caller was.
Jack Palmer grasped her hand as she
opened the door-the thought passing
through his mind at the same time how
different it was to the soft hands he had
exclaimed, in as impassioned a tone as he
could command: Ruth, dear Ruth, and
do indeed see you once more?"
Miss Corbett wrested her hand from his
and looked at him in amazement. Then 3
light began to dawn upon her. SIS it,
can it be Jack Palmer?n she asked.
s9t-fs-it can, replied that gentleman.
on, with cool, calm directness.
"What-do-I want?u stammered the
caller.
'fYes, what do you want?''
"What do want?, again repeated Mr..
Palmer. why, Ruth, how can you ask?
came to see you"
'tAnd why ?" pursued the lady.
ssWhy? Because my heart has returned
to-its old allegiance. Because longed
for my boyhood's home Because. Ruth.
I want you to forgive and forget the
pa st.
And then?v said Ruth.
aThen-then,n ~ replied the city gentle-
man, shifting his hat from one hand 90 the
other and wincing perceptibly under the
steady glare of those claim blue eyes;
and then hoped, Ruth, You would be-
come my wife,
Have you lost all your money?'' asked
Miss Corbett.
''WelI, yes, have lost the greater part
of it, but before lost it I made up nasr--
mind to seek You again. did. upon my
word, and ask your forgiveness"
@Sorry to say / doubt that very much.
And now, MIR. Palmer, I advise you TO ra
turn to town as soon as possible, while
hang out the rest of my washing.''
"And you won't forgive me, Ruth?1
swell, really, I've quite forgotten what
/ have to forgive you for. But, there,
forgive you, il that will do you any good,
and wish you pleasant journey back to
your city friends.n
If ever city gentleman walked on q
front porch after an interview with an
elderly rustic maiden, utterly routed and
discomfted by that elderly rus tic
maiden, Jack Palmer was that city gentle
man. He could not have felt more dis
comfted even il he had seen Miss Cor
bett, with a tranquil little smile lowering
about her mouth. go placidIy back to her
grass-plat, pick up the clothes pin she had
dropped to answer his knock, and to let
him in, and proceed TO fasten q handker-
chief to the line herewith.
Jim Farlow spied his old chum coming
back and went to the door of the shop.
'tHallo," !" said he; ttwhat Iuck?', But the
other never answered, but strobe by, his
jaunty manner all gone, without word or
sign.
sHal hal hoi hop shouted the black
smith. nearly doubling himself up In the
excess of his mirth. 1.-THE darnyer ray
sort didn't work. - So
That very evening as Jim Farlow was
ON his way home he stopped for
moment to speak to Ruth Corbett. She
was standing by her gate evidently on
the lookout for him.
ibid you see Jack Palmer to-daysv she
asked.
ssWen, yes, had that honor,n replied
the blacksmith. "Dfd your"
81 did, said Miss Corbett, sand all
I've got to say is-and I couldn't bring
myself to say that If it wasn't leap-year
that it's pity you haven't little OF his
assurance"
.tAnd if had, what would I do with
it?" asked Jim, coming as near to her as
the gate between them would allow.
s'Let it help you to ask me the same
question he asked me" returned Ruth.
9And that was-that was-?n said the
blacksmith.
'sYes, it certainly was gravely assent
ed Ruth.
The gate few open-Jim caught her in
his arms-"It was: will you be my
wife?'" he fairly shouted. And sI haven,t
the slightest objection, /" said Miss Corbett.
-Margdret Eytinqe, ia Detroit Free Press.
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