Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-03-30

pose Naturally such homely girls max
still homelier old maids"
II never thought her homely, no
neither did any one else but you,
guess, Palmer, and you didn't think 81
till you got amongst them city gals
You treated Ruth all fred mean. yo,
did, and Jim Farlow turned to his anvil
again.
"Oh, look here. Jim, don't go to worl
for minute or two more. Does she
live at the farm? know | didn't treat
her exactly right, but when one find,
ones self surrounded by handsome fash
ionable girls one cant help but forget
the rustic maidens one leaves behind
But have good reason to think can
still make it all right, Better late than
never, you know She has remained
single for my sake am sure, and / have
come here to reward her constancy at
last. In short, to marry her"
"To marry her ?"
Great heavens what parrot you
are, jim. Yes marry her. She is a
dernier resort"
whats that ?" asked the blacksmith.
"A last resort. can't live any longer
in the city. I'm over head and heels in
debt there--owe for this very suit |
have on. SO | have made up my mind
to return to the home of my childhood,
marry my old sweetheart and settle down
into quiet country gentleman. Not a
bad thing to do when one can't do any,
thing else, is itY"
"Well, swan you are cool card !"
said jim. 'But you won't find her ut
tho farm, but at the little red house Just
this side of it. She isn't bit stuck up,
though she has come into fortune.
You'd better go right along, and wish
you all the luck you deserve" a
Palmer eyed him suspicously for a
moment. and then staggered up the road
with the gold headed came once more
fitted snugly across the small of bis back.
"Well. swan, said jim, "if that
don't beat all. I'd like to take this stick
and prod him in the back with it out of
the village. But | 'sposo she'd take
him and kill the fatted calf, aud all that
sort Of thing, thanks to his pooty face,
whilst never even darst--' but the last
of the sentence was lost in the merry
clink, clink, clnk that had begun again.
Ruth Corbett was hanging out her
washing when Jack Palmer stepped on
to her front porch and raped on her
front door with his gold headed came.
She was tallish, slim woman, with
soft fair hair drawn up on the top of her
well-shaped head, and arranged there in
three or four large, loose, puffs, and she
had keen blue eyes, u nose of no par
ticular shape, thin, rather decided,
yet pleasant mouth, and cars that forced
themselves upon your attention ""
The clothes she was hanging on the
line we're, as the widow Cummings who
lived in the next house often remarked,
"as white as the driven snow and Ruth,
with 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 mo-
ment she stood and wondered who il
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 clothes-pin on the grass and
won't to see who the caller was. a
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 hand he had
been for years accustomed to grasp
and exclaimed in as impassioned tone
as he could command: "Ruth, dear
Ruth, and do SEQ you once more n
Miss Corbett wrested her hand from
his and looked at him in amazemcnt.
Then light began to dawn upon her.
"Is it--can it be Jack Palmer p she
asked.
"It-is-it-can," replied the gentle-
man.
"And what do you want ?" Ruth went
on, with cool, calm directness.
"What-do-I---want 7" stammered
the caller.
eyes, what do you WANT" Hf
"What do | want ?" again repeated
Mr.. Palmer. "Why, Ruth, how can
you ask met came to see you"
"And why 2" pursued tho lady.
"Why2 Because my heart has re-
turned to the old allegiance. Because
I longed for my boyhood's home. Be-
cause, Ruth, | want you to forgive aud
forget the past"
"And then p said Ruth.
"Then-then," replied the city gen
tleman, shifting his hat from one hand
to the other and wincing pereeptibly un-
der the glare of those calm blue eyes
"and then, | hoped Ruth. you would
become my wife"
"IIave you lost all your money
asked Miss Corbett.
"Well, yes, have lost the greater
part of it. but before | lost it | made up
mind to seek you again. ] did upon my
word, and ask forgiveness.
"Sorry to say, that | doubt that very
much. And now, Mr.. Palmer, ad
wise you TO return to town as soon as
possible, while ! hang out the rest Of my
washing"
"And won't you forgive mo. Ruth p
"Well, really | have forgotten what
I have to forgive you for. But, there,
I forgive you, if that will d, any good,
and wish you pleasant journey back to
your city friends"
II ever a city gentleman walked off
front porch after an interview with an
elderly rustic maiden, utterly routed
and discom6tel by that elderly rustic
maiden. Jack Palmer was that city gen.
tleman. He could not have felt more
discounted even if he had seen Miss
Corbett. with a Tranquil little smile
lowering about her mouth, go placidly
back to her grass plat, pick up the
clothes-pin she had dropped 10 answer