South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1890-07-18

thought, wnen enc was 50 miserable. |
She pick.d no book that Rob had
brought her .from town only q week |
before, and tried to read. but the first
lines which met her gaze were:
" Careful With ere is good advice you know.
Careful with words is ten times doubiy SO.
Boys flying kites, haul in their whitening.
ed birds;
You can't do that way when you are d. ing
words.
Tho uRh's rn,spressed may sometimes fall
back dead,
Bat God himself can't kill them when they
are said"
With shudder she closed he book.
feeliog as IL some one had hurled a
merited Teproach upon her. Then
she crossed the room, and from hox
in the. closet. che brought forth some
dainty 6ne linen and mysterious pat
terms, and was soon busy with the
loving task OF fitting together tiny
garments, soft and delicate enough for
the queen OF the fairies.
In the meantime Rob West drove
to the station as rapidly as the roads
would permit, his mind filed with
thoughts of Ruth and all that she had
said Perhaps she was right in CEN
suring him for coBdemning her TO he
dull and laboiious life OF farmers
wife. when she might have bean the
bride of wealth. Then her words,
Better get W ur life insured il you
are going TO die kept ringing in his
ear. OF course he was not going TO
die, but il would be 90 foolish thing
TO insure, and then il anything should
happen, Ru,hie would have some
thing to lift h above wan.
He arrived just in time for the train,
and soon he was in the busy town
After he had finished his business, he
entered an office of q reliable and
weli-known life insurance COMPANY,
and presented his manly robust form
st the desk for a policy. payable at
his death 10 Ruth. lie found no diff
1culty In securing what he sought,
and having been accepted for policy,
he pail the required premium TO
make the policy in force from that
date. With deep sigh OF relief, lie
placed the receipt in his breast rock
al an ! started for home.
'P, or little Ruthie,' he thought. as
he hurriei toward the depot. Il must
he kind and forgiviug wi h her just
now. expect she cant hell, being
n, rvous aud irritable. AMI am a grea,
big bear to even give her thoughtless
words second thought
And at tho same moment, Ruth, in
her cottage home, WAS saying TO Ro.
yer: Il was a naughty girl, wasn't l
Rover, 10 treat Rob so badlyp am
going to- have nice warm supper for
him, and afterwards we will make il
all up. and L Will never, never do SO
again
I.
Hs,f past sevcn-oight o'clock.
How slowly the minuie-hand drags
along. The table was spread with a
dainty, inviting .supper-the very
things that Rob liked best. The
bright FIRE roar.d ami spatkied in the
wide chimney, Rob's comfortable
armchair stood in the warmest corner
waiting for an occupant, and the dog
move uneasily about the room seem .
ingIy wondering why his master tar
Iied. For the iwenlie'h time Ruth
opened the door and peered out into
the darkness. Some one is coming,
but it isn't Rob. One, two, three
lanterns What can it mean? Near.
er aud still nearer hey Dome. Some
thing strikes chill to- her wildly
tbrobbing heart. They have opened
the gate and are driving in Who
can they beP Sh, does not move, but
watches them with Mortified stare
as they Ifs out a heavy buroen and
halt at the door. mechanically she
steps aside, and they enter and lay
l,ob's mangled form upon the white
draped bed. Then, like the sudden
fash Of grea, light, Ruth realizes
what has happened. and with a cry
Of agony she springs 20 bis 81 ie. 'Ob,
Rob. Rob Don't you know me ? 1t
is your Ruthie. Oh. am so sorry,
ard Won can never know it. Rob,
my darling. don't leave me alone
Without struggle the young
wife sank down senseless and cold
All night che lay in a mereifnl STU
por, and when morning dawned a
wee pr ecious life bud was laid pale
and pu'seless by its dead fathers
side.
True hearted, sympathetic friends
! To lowed Rob's form to the grass"
grown city OF the dead, talking IN
low, subdued tones of the fair child
widow, and how Rob's spirited
horse bad SHED aud thrown nim
yer a high bank, causing instant
death.
Roth came slowly back to life
and bitter remorse. None but
/ God knew how keenly she suffer.
ed when the life insurance came to
light. Her cruel singing. words
reproduced themselves like the
handwriting on the wal, and free
~ would she have given her young
life # she could have recalled them,
but God himself can't Kill them
when they are said
ROb's last act in life had been
~ V,rrtv1yJ, g. al. f..s-a - 80