The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-23
Ia LII r IG &
CHAPTER XIII.
A DIVORCE.

puth led a very quiet life during the six
.,onths which followed Keuard Seaforth's
dsnarture for India. And in These
months a change crept over her heart, for she
found by experience that there were sorroWs
in the world as keen and bitter as her own.
She never saw AudIey; his once passion
ate love for her had indeed turned to hate
arer after he knew she had told the story OF
his disgraceful conduct to Seaforth, and the
4 onIv communication that had passed be-
tween them had been carried on by his law
yer and Col. Forth.
The lawyer had written on behalf of Maj
Andlev. to offer sufficient income for his
wife to live on. but this, at Ruth's earnest
and even fearful entreaty, Col. Forth de-
clined.
Don't let us take penny from him,
fsther.n she prayed; you would not in
4 deed. if you knew all.
Of course, Col Forth had his grumble,
for it was his nature; but still on the whole
the father and daughter got on much bet
fer together than before Ruths marriage.
Perhaps Ruth began to realizs that in their
oirlish DAYS neither Frances nor herself had
aver tried by kindness to soften the sour
mans heart. Her own troubles had made
her nature very pitiful, and she began to
excuse her fathers little outbursts of temper,
and her soft answers" often turned away
his wrath"
that the people in Headfort followed the
common rule of being cold TO those who
need most kindness. The sun of prosperity
having ceased to shine on the Forths, their
friends passed away with its rays. OF
course. they had very good reasons for this
change, they told themselves, with some
truth. Mrs. Kenyon's disgraceful conduct,
and then the scandal Of Mrs Audley leav-
mo her poor, wounded husband, was sutfi-
IL, af.ta hi "
ious to drop such acquaintance In vain
tbe kindly young Scotch doctor told them
fiat the person who ought to be ashamed
Of himself was Maj. Audley, and not his
Young wife; that he had absolutely struck
her, and SO on.
1--WE no doubt he had very good reason,
if he did," answered the lady to whom DR..
Murray was talking. And Lady Hastings.
who of all women ought to have been a
little lenient to the failings OF her own sex,
was very bitter in her remarks both on
Frances and Ruth.
sand such a charming man as poor Maj.
Audley is. tooln she said with little shrug
of her pretty shoulders, to one of her new
admirers at the fort. II met Mrs. Audley
in the street the other day, and felt so en-
barrassed. for one does not like to seem I'M
kind, you know, and yet felt ought not to
bow to her; but she had the good taste not TO
give me the chance, for she never looked up. "
Ruth, indeed, gave no one chance of
being cold or ungracious to her, for she
never looked in the face of any of her
former acquaintances. Even when the
vicar, with good natured otfciousness,
called and approached the subject OF her
separation from Maj. Audley, saying:
Gould nothing be done, my dear young
lady, in this sad, sad cases If you think the
kind offices of friend would avail any
thing toward reconciliation, permit me to
be that friend" Ruth answered colby and
repressively-
ii do not wish to be reconciled to Maj.
.Audley: willingly | shall never see him
again, and do not care to talk about it. y
''Of course" said the vicar, when after
ward relating this conversation, 81 do not
wish to be censorious-I trust
never am; but still | hope there
may, not be something more in
this than.appears. Maj. Audley may have
had good cause for depriving his young wife
of the shelter of his roof, and her retlcence
on the subject TO my mind points strongly
to guilt. True, it may have been from in
compatibility of temper, for the temper of
some ladies is 10 doubt very trying" THE shoe
pinched the vicar himself here), but then if it
were only this, why shrink SO from the 5
cussion Of the subject? 1t is truly sorrow
full, and l hear Col. K7nyen's divorce case
will soon come on"
Now tbs fat, comfortable, little man
meant no harm by his idle words! 1t was
simply that he loved gossip and liked to
have his finger in every pie, that he was
ready to shrug and whisper away womans
good name. Luckily we do not hear all
that is said of us, and Ruth, leading her
quiet self-contained life, was beginning to
realize some of the immense gravity of our
existence.
As she had told Seaforth, from her earli-
est childhood and all through her young
girlhood, she mad heard only SCOTS and
jests at Things high or holy. Frances never
pretended to have any thought or hopes be
You'd her own selfish enjoyment, and ever
thrust from her mind the idea that time
mustcome;wben her beauty would be as moth
ing, and she would stand face to face with a
silent shadow she could not charm away
Col. Forth's character had not been an ele-
waiting model for his children to have con-
stantly before their eyes. He also made no
pretense to seem what he was not; but still
in Ruth's young heart germ lay hidden,
the bud and blossom of which could but be
sweet and pure Her early love for Fran
ces had blinded her to right and wrong; she
would have done anything for the beautiful
Sister whom she could not blame. But now
the scales had fallen from her eyes, and
g with her clearer sight she began to look
around; to see there was something more
TO live for than each passing day.
A very simple incident first drew her at
tention to the sorrows aud wants of those
. around her. In oae of the small back streets
OF Headfort, whea she was out shopping,
she came upon group of errand boVs, who
y were surrounding q little fellow weeping IN
their midst. Ruth stopped to inquire what
was the matter, and half dozen Young
voices were eager to tell her. The small
boy, who was crying, had been given six
pence by his mother to purchase some tea
and bread, ard had lost it on the way.
And nanny has no money" he sobbed
out, rubbing his little dirty hands over his
red and tear-swollen blue eyes.
IF that is ALL said Ruth, kindly, don't
cry any more--like good boy. I'll give
you sixpence.n
She drew out her slender purse, but found
she had nothing less than half crown.
She was not rich enough to give this, so she
asked the boy to take her to the shop he
was going to buy the tea at, and that she
would pay for it. The little fellow bright
ened up at once at this proposal, and glee-
fully led Ruth to the small general dealers
shop where he was accustomed to make his
purchases
a respectable woman was standing be-
hind the counter, to whom Ruth related
now her tiny companion happened to be in
her charge.
Il am sure it's very kind of you, ma'am, !"
SAID the woman, 'for this is little Johnny
Robson, and his mother is poor widow
VINO could i'll have spared her dropof tea,