The morning news., 1889-03-24
CHAPTER XVIII.
Counting THE DAYS.


know 1t. 1t is only when we are face &c
face with some great event Of JOY or pain
that we count the days first and then the
hours.
Ruth Forth began to count the davs
W ich had co ne to twelve, on the morning,
in the pale dawn, after Audley's second
visit. Only twelve daysl She got up on a
lovely summer morning, the pink cloudlets
of sunrise tinting the sky, and drew up the
window blind, and brought out her little
almanac, and read there the record
of days that were gone by and days
that were to come. She had to be married
on the second of August, and this was July
the twenty-second, ami tomorrow would be
the twen, y-third, and 50 on swift time
would pass away!
And the winged hours fed, and moons
merged IN o eventides, and eventldes to
dewy nights; and then another dawn stol4
over the silent, sleeping world, and the pale
girl VINO VS. not sleeping, who was watch
ing for the coming light, which br ught
her nearer aud nearer TO an abhorred fate,
saw the rising of the sun with shudder
and a moan, a ID hid her fa,e many time
ol her pillow to shut out its rays.
Another day gonel An, reader, have you
ever cried tais In the anguish OF your SOUL
THE noiseless foot of Time" treading 50
heavily on your heart that you wished
you had never seen the lighte II
not, you can scarce understand the misery
of Ruth Forth, as she lay reckoning the
few days left to her; the last few days O.
fore she was forced into her loveless mar
riage.
Even her father, sour as he was and anxi-
Gus as he was that bis dau ghters should
marry we'll, began to understand that there
was something wrong with Ruth.
II don't understand you girls" he said,
pettishly, to Frances; "there's Ruth, looking
much more like going to bs
hanged than gong to DO married, and
yet no one ever asked her or urged her to
marry Audleyl At least, 1 didn't, and that
l can safely say, for l was never SO aston
ished in my life as when he told me he was
engaged to her. What is it all aboutq'
"Oh, she's all right" answered Frances,
and the colo Iel saw very well he was not to
be taken into their confidence.
He, however, gave Frances hundred
pounds to ''throw away on wedding fiuery.n
as he called it; and Col Kenyon also slipped
a check for the same amount into Frances
slim white hand.
"My dear" he said, enderly, when she
prettily demurred, "all that have is yours;
this is your gift to your young sister;
shall bring mine by-and'by.
And he did bring it, and for the first time
in her life Ruth Forth was the posses sor of
shining stones and gold circlets. There was
a heavy diamond ring on her slender third
finger now, that her bridegroom-elect had
placed there, and he brought her a diamond
necklace aud other ga ads, but they did not
make her heart less heavy.
And Audley saw this, and it enraged him
and embi tered him that he could not win
her love.
"Can she be pining after that young fool
Seaf0rthp he thought, jealously; and these
wooing days of his were not happy ones for
him als0
One more appeal Ruth made to him, and
only one; and this was like the rest, in vain.
He was sitting beside her, three days before
their wedding, and after looking at her
shadowed face for few moments, ne said
impatiently:
Il wish you would look little happier,
Ruth.n
IL am not happy" she answered, and she
raised her gray eyes and looked straight at
him, and he understood the silent re-
proach.
Il wish to make you happy ;" he said,
starting to his feet, yet more Impatiently
"but you persist in making q martyr OF
yourself-you are not wise, Ruth, you will
rouse the devil in me presently"
81 cannot seem what am not" she said,
gravely aud sadly, land you know very
well what you are doing. Before it is too
late, will you end what can bring you no
happinssf'
"No," answered Audley, loudly and pas
sionately; and the veins on his temple
started; mo, thousand times mol IL you
don't love me, love you; and l mean to
marry you whether you love me or not,
and unless you are a very foolish girl you
will try to make the best of it. gave you
fair warning; you can make or mar me, and
am not a good man to cross"
Ruth did not speak. What was the use
of saying anything, she thought.
Love comes often to peop.e after they
are married, he continue 1, few moments
later, aud again he sat down by her side;
and with an air OF ownership, hateful to
Ruth, he put his arm around her slender
form. "My little girl. there is nothing
very bad about me, you know; am not au
old man, nor a hunchback, nor particularly
ugly for that matter, aud though l don't
think you deserve it at my hands, when
you worry me by looking as unhappy as
possible. still | really mean to m Ike you
happy, if l can. Let us kiss, and be frieads,
Ruth-this is Monday, and on Thursday we
will be married; so, as l said before, you
may as well mako the best Of it."
He bent down and kissed her. but her cold
lips made no response, and her cheeks did
not flush, but grew only a little paler and
colder; and he, whose love had been met
with love, and on whom many women had
smiled, turned in hot anger away, 9 raged
that this girls heart was as hard to him as
il bound BY bands of steel
1t was in trutl bound from his by some.
thing stronger than steel; by something un-
seen, yet living; an image palpable and DO
teIt to her, if half forgotten by those
around her; for never for one moment did
tle memory or the love Of Kenard Seaforth
leave her, though she was Just about to
wed another man.
And the night before her marriage she
dreaInt of him-a dream so vivid so clear,
that it ever afterward see med to her tAaL in
the dark dim hours of night his soul, his
splrit--whatever is the Immortal part of us
had passed away for a time from its
earthly form, azd had come to her in re-
proach and pain.
She saw him distinctly, and be came near
to her, and looked at hsr with eyes full Of
sorrow, and she bent I rward and kissed
him. aud then she heard him speak.
"Whatl you have kissed me?' he said, as
il surprised. and still reproacnful, and she
answered.
at will make no change in nv heart to
you, Kenard. none, none;n and tney clasped
each others nands as a silent covenant be-
tween them, tlat in their hearts there could
be no change.
Sne awoke with this scene so impressed
upon ber mind, its realism 50 clear, so GER
tain, that she bslived that tneir spirits had
indeed met, and that there was now a bond
bet cen them whica death even cluld not
break; and it was sort of comfort to her;
some time at least he would know, she
thought, that she was not false.