The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-04

and the ice on her head had their effect,
ana one evening the doctor. on visiting
her, SAD that he thought a change had
taken place, and that she was now sleepl q
naturally. The next morning there was
CONSCIOUSNESS IN her eyes when she oDened
them, and she looked in sur
prise at the room darkened by
a curtain pinned across the win
doW, ana at Hesba, sitting by her bedside.
with huge night-cap on her head
w nat Is It, mother, what has happenedf"
fou have been i'll. Ruth, but thank
God you are better now. Don't talk, dear.
and don't worry. l have got some beef-tea
warming by the fire; the doctor said you
were to try and drink a cup when YOU
woke, and then to go OF to sleep again"
Ruth looked with feeble surprise after
Hesba as she left the room, missing the
sharp, decisive foot-tread. In a minute
she returned as nOiselessly as she had gone.
Can you hold the cup yourself, Ruth, or
shall L feed your
Ruth put out her hand, but it was too
weak to hold the cup. She was able, how
ever, slightly to raise her head, and Hesba
held the cup to her lips
What have you done to your feet,
motAerp she asked, as she finished the
BROTH
Il have left my shoes downstairs, Ruth,
the doctor said you were to be kept quiet :
now try to go to sleep, that's a dear"
She $50 ped and kissed the girl affection
ately, and Ruth, to her surprise, felt a tear
drop on her cheek. She was wondering
over this strange circumstance when she
again fell asleep
In few days she was about the house
again, but she was silent and grave, and
did not gain strength as fast as the doctor
had hoped for. However, in three weeks
time she was well enough to return to the
Hold. Hiram had strongly demonstrated
against her doing 50, but she seemed to set
her mind upon it, urging that she would be
better for having so nething to think about
and do than in remaining idle at home; and
as the doctor was also of opinion that the
change would be rather likely to benefit
than to do her harm, Hiram gave way.
The day before she left she said to her
father:
do you know whether George Forester
has been caught, or whether he has got
awayn
He has not been caught, Ru h, but l
don't think he has gone away; there is q
talk IN the village that he has been hiding
down at Dareport, and the cons able has
gone over there several times, but he can't
lind signs of hun. | think he must be
mad to stay so near when he knows he
Is wanted. ! can't think what is keeping
him"
Il nave made up my mind. father, to
give him up. You have been right, and l
know now he would not make me a good
husband. but please don't say anything
against him; it is hard Tough as it is"
Hiram kissed mis- daughter
THANK God for that news, Ruth, /
hoped after that poaching business you
would seq it in that light, aud that he
WASN'T fit for mate for one like you. Your
mother will be glad. child. She amt like
the same woman as she was, is she?n
mo, indeed, father, | do not seem to
know her."
II don't know as / was ever so knocked
over in my life as | was Yesterday, Ruth,
when your mother came downstairs in her
met and shawl, and said Il am going to
church with you, Hiram. I didn't open
my lips until we were halfway, and then
she SAID as how it had been borne in on her
rs how her not being here when you was
brought in was Judgment on her for
being away at Dareport instead of being at
church with us; aud she said more than
that, as how, now she thought over it, she
saw as she hadn't done right oy me and you
all these years, ald hoped to make better
wife what time she was left to us. WASN'T
sure all church time as it wasn't dream to
see her sitting there beside me, and Joining
in the hymns, listening attentive to the
pal oOu ~ DIG Ieio always p6cu running
down. She said on toe way home she felt
just as she did when she was a girl, five
and twenty years ago, and used to come
over here to church, afore she took up with
the Methodies."
Ruth kissed her father.
Then my fall has done good after all y
she said. 1T makes me happy to know it,
81 snail be happy when / see you quite
yourself again, Ruth. Come back to us
soon, dear"
Il will, father; in the spring will
come home again for good, | promise YOU, y
and so Ruth returned for a time to the
Hold.
81 am glad you are back again, Ruth, {"
Miss Carne, who had been down several
times TO see her, said. 81 told you no. to
hurry yourself, and l would have done
without you for another month, but you
know | am really very glad to have you
back again. Mary managei my Fair very
we'll. but could not talk to her as | do TO
you"
Ruth had not been many hours in the
house before she had learnt from her fellow
servant that Mr.. Gu!ston had been tvo or
three times over since the shooting
party, aud that the servants in general had
an opinion that he cana over to see Miss
Carne.
"I.'s easy to see that with half an eve, :"
one of the girls said, land | think Miss
Margaret likes him too and no wonder, for
a properer-looking man is not TO be seen; but
l always thought that she would have mar
ried her cousin. Everyone has thought so
for years"
Its much better she should take the
sailor gentleman" one of the elder women
said. 81 am not saying anything against
Mr. Ronald, who is as nice young gel5le-
man as one would want TO see, but ne is her
cousin, and I don't hold to marriage among
cousins anyhow, and especially in a family
like ours"
II think it is better for us not to talk
about it at ALL" Ruth said, quietly; II
don't think it right and proper, and it will
be quite time enough to talk about Miss
Mar garet's affairs when we know she is en-
gagged"
Tho others were silent for minute after
Ruth'S re mark, and then the under house
maid. who had been an old playmate of
Ruths, said:
"You never have ideas like other peo-
pie, Ruth Powlett. 1t is a family thi G,
and we can't say word about people in the
house without being apDed up"
Ruth is right" the other said, 'and
your tongue runs too fast, Jane; as Ruth
says, it will be quite time enough to talk
when Miss Margaret is engaged; till then,
the least said the better"
In truth, Lieut.. Gulston had been several
times, at the Hold and his friend the doctor,
seeing his ad noaition had been altogether