St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-03

there in three or four large loose puffs,
and she had keen blue eyes, a nose of
no particular shape, a thin, rather de-
cided and yet pleasant mouth, and ears
that forced themselves upon your at
tention.
The clothes she was hanging on the
line were, as the widow Crummins,
who lived in the next house, had often
remarked, "as white as the driven
snow" and Ruth, with a clothespin
between her lips, had stepped back on
the grass plat to regard them compla-
Gently when she heard the rapping on
the front door. For a moment she
stood and wondered who it could be,
for it was a very unusual thing to have
any one come to that door, all her
friends, after the manner of country
people, preferring the back. Then she
dropped the clothespin on the grass
and went to see who the caller was.
Jack Palmer g%rasped 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 for years been accustomed to grasp
and explained in as impassiOned a
tone us he could command "Ruth,
uCdl u u uO L lIuCCo = JOu
Once more Z"
Miss Corbett wrested her hand from
his and looked at him in amazement.
sis it-can it be-Jack Palmer 7"
at is-it can," he replied.
"And what do you want ~ Ruth
went on, with cool, calm directness.
Observation-Disclosures I" stammered
the caller.
eyes, what do you want ?"
"What do l want ," again repeated
Mr.. Palmer. "Why, Ruth, how can
you ask L came to see you"
"And why 7" pursued the lady.
"WhyR Because my heart has re-
turned to its old allegiance. Because
[ longed for my boyhood's home. Be-
cause, Ruth, | want you to forgive and
forget the past"
"And then !" said Ruth.
"Then-then," replied the city gen.
tleman, shifting his hat from one hand
to the other and wincing perceptibly
under the steady glare of those calm
blue eyes, "and then l hoped, Ruth,
you would become my WIFE"
"Have you lost all your money ?"
asked Miss Corbett.
"Well yes, | have lost the greater
part of it, but before L lost it | made
up my mind to seek you again. did,
upon my woodland ask your forgive
ness"
"Well, really, I've quite forgotten
what l had to forgive you for. But
there, | forgive you, if that will do you
any good, and wish you a pleasant
journey back to your city friends"
If ever a city gentleman walked off
a front porch after an interview with
al elderly rustic maiden utterly dis
comfited by that elderly rustic maiden,
Jack Palmer was that city gentleman.
He could not have felt more discom-
flied even if he had seen Miss Corbett,
with a tranquil little smile lowering
about her mouth, go placidly back to
the grass plat, pick up the clothespin
she had dropped to answer his knock
and to let him in, and proceed to
fasten a handkerchief to the line there
with.
Jim Farlow spied his old chum COM
ing back and went to the door of the
shop. "Hallo," said he "what luck 2"
The other never answered, but strobe
by, his jaunty manner all gone, with
out word or sign.
cha, ha! he, ho I" shouted the black
smith, nearly doubling himself up in
the excess of his mirth. "The darnyer
raysort didn't work"
That very evening, as Jim Farlow
was on his way home, he stopped for a
moment to speak to Ruth Corbett. She
was standing by her gate, evidently on
the lookout for him.
"Did you see Jack Palmer to-day 2"
she asked.
"Well, yes, | had that honor" re-
piled the blacksmith. "Did you ?"
81 did" said Miss Corbett, land all
I've got to say is-and l couldn't bring
myself to say that if it wasn't leap
year-that it's a pity you haven't a
little of his assurance"
"And if | had what would l do with
it ," asked Jim, coming as near to her
us the gate between them would allow.
"Let it help you to ask me the same
question he asked me-" returned Ruth.
"And that was-that was" said
the blacksmith.
eyes, it certainly was," gravely as
Ruth.
The gate flew open. Jim caught her
in his arms. ''It was, will you be my
wife ?" he fairly shouted.
"And haven't the slightest objec-
said Miss Corbett.-[Margaret