The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-17

June roses, one of the prettiest, and puts IL
into the little outstretched hand.
As she turns TO look after the child Miss Ruth
sees him and pauscs shyly. Something has to
be said, so he comes forward.
"What lovely evening" he exclaims,
though he scarcely knows whether 1t rains or
whether the sun shines.
"Yes," she answers. Won't you-were you
will you como inP"
He follows her into the house with an in
tense longing for something, however dreadful,
TO happen to him. and save him from what IS
to follow.
Ruth takes him into the dining-room. He
feels vaguely that his task is becoming more
difficult. In the bare, chill little drawing room
he could have said his say better. But she
brought him straight into the sanctuary of her
home, aud again he feels oddly that her life lies
open before him.
There is her work lying folded together
What tiny thimble. He glances down at her
small bare hands. She has taken of her ugly
gloves. What bit of woman for strong
man 10 fight What gentle life TO be marred
and shattered by bitter shame!
Still Mr.. Stanford does not speak, but stands
there before her, looking very pale. His back
is to the window and she cannot see his face
well, but the light shines full upon hers.
Il did not show my sister your letter" she
begins, hesitatingly. Il thought had better
wait-that perhaps you would change your
mind, think differently about it all, and then
it would be best that only We two should
know"
She does not say o word about changing her
own mind. She stands there before him, a
sweet, fair woman, in spite of her old fashioned
gown and her oddly -arranged hair.
She looks at him with smiling, steadiaSt
eyes, and bids him take or leave her as pleases
him best And his courage to hurt, wound,
perhaps kin her, fails him. In moment his
resolution is taken. He strides hastily forward
Ruth, do you love me?" he asks, holding
out his hands. And the calm of her face breaks
up as she sinks into his arms.
"Oh, SO mRch-so much!" she almost sobs.
But / am not worthy of you. You should
marry some one ever, ever so much better ana
younger and prettier than ]. Do you know"
hiding her ashamed face and cOnfessing 1T as
she would have confessed a sin, " am 3D. :"
And l am 81" he answers. Dreadful,
isn't it, a"
When Miss Jocelyn hears the news, she goes
away suddenly on a visit to some friends.
Three years have passed, and Laura Jocelyn
is older. sadder wiser. She has loved and SUI
fered, aud learned to sympathize with others.
But she has never seen MIR. Stanford or his old
maid wife again.
When she returned home the marriage was
over, and they were gone to his new living.
This was the worst thing | ever did" she
says sadly to herself" 90 will go and confess,
and tell him how sorry 1 am. What horrible
thing TO have ruined two lives!"
So she goes on her penitent errand to the
small town 40 miles away. On getting out of
the train she asks the way to the vicarage, and
walks there slowly.
A cbild's laugh startles her from her bitter
musings, and she looks up and across the
sweetbriar hedge that is in bloom at her side
for it is July again.
She sees but dimly an old fashioned garden,
quaint, rambling house, for that is Dir. STAN
ford himself standing SC close to her that she
could almost touch him..
And who is that lady, the pretty little woman
in the dainty gray gown, her fair, wavy hair
knotted close to her head, and her eyes shining
with happiness?
With a gasp Miss Jocelyn recognizes her.
That -noi-that was Ruth Blake.
a. Now let him come to me-" the little wo-
man cries gayly. Harry, you are spelling
the child Let him come to his mother"
Ruth stoops down and holds out her arms,
and tiny figure in white rushes wildly for a
little distance toward her, and then totters un-
steadily, and finally sits down plump upon the
grass, the performance being hailed with a
shout of laughter from the father, echoed more
softly by Ruth.
Under cover of their mirth Miss Jocelyn
steals away. She has received forgiveness un-
asked, and she has the sense to see that to
apologize to either of these two happy, blessed
people would be an impertinence.