St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-04-11

Gashes through heavy piles Of eloud that
were mounting rapidly. si
"Never-nevery' he muttered, - be
strode along and barred his hot brow ia
the pelting drops Of rain.
"Never!" she said. sadly. as she list
ened to his retreating footstepa ~
was disappointed In him We can
never Be united aeain."
And the wind blew and beat upon
that house.
Ruth Jarvis felt that her heart was
breaking. not because her lover was
gone, but because she felt that she
ought not long for his return. he was
unworthy of her love.
The sultry days Of summer crept
slowly BY. Autumn breathed upon tho
landscape, like the fair daughter Of
Rappacini in Hawthorne's tale, and
every living thing withcred and died.
Winter buried its dead in deep saow
and sang requiems Of the noFthland
over tho white moundA
Ronald McAllister went wearily 70
and from his work, ycazning for ono
word from Ruth, the woman he had
loved and wounded 90 grievously.
He dared not write 70 her. nor even
look at her Is they me& In tho street
He hsd no trusty friend who could
plead for him. How could he reach herr
One day as he was passing = news
stand he saw the little figure he knew
80 well standing at the counter. She
was buying . paper. the beading Of
which he recognized Is one Of the lead
ing journals Of the city. .-'
A thought flashed into his heart and
burned there like . star Of hope
He hurried home, seized pen and pa-
per and wrote rapidly and increasingly
TIM daylight crept in. gray and wan. Il
his window.
On his way downtown he dropped .
thick package OF manuscript into the
letterb0x.
What days Of torturing anxiety fol-
lowed At last il came-thc envelope
bearing the imprint Of the periodical
He tore Il open and read:
''OFEIcE OF rnE CoCRlER-Deas Sir:
Your story entitled 'Ruth's Lover Il
accepted. and will be published In our
issue of December IS lncloscd please
6nd check In payment for samc.s
On the morning Of December 70 Rom
aid stood shivering 1t the corner op-
poeite the newsstand. He had remained
there several hours watching for her.
The paper was just out containing his
story. Would she buy Il and read it7
II was signed by IN assumed name. but
she surely would-ah. she Is coming.
She enters the little store, purchases
the paper-his paper-snd turns 70 20
out glancing idly down its columnA
He can see her plainly in the brill.
iantly lighted interior Of tho store.
She Is about to put the paper In her
sachel when something near the bot
tom Of the page catches her eye. She
reads Il eagerly.
The newsman stares, but she does not
heed him. Ronald can restrain himself
no longer. but draws near. trembling
with hope and fear.
In that sketch. hastily scribbled at
midnight he has told her story and his
own. has portrayed the anguish Of the
remorseful lover. his penitence. his
longing for reconciliation.
She glanees up: her eyes arc dewy
with tearA
What face b that 20 near? Il II hisl
''RonaldT'
''Ruth-darling! Forgive mel"
And. although the notice was rather
sudden, the wedding did take place on
that bright New Years day. after all
Is --t ElvOL 30 rf
: Reader. have You OWNED? This is
my own story: this Is my own paper;
] am Ruth's lover. Will she, see this
and forgive me7-Wilis Boyd Allen. h
Boston Courier.