The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1892-04-02
her hear. and soul are filed with one

you say you do. and love has alN.vs seem
| ed such beautiful thin; 70 ne. though |
| never thought that IL wa, likely TO c0tue to
| either my slater ~ ME Hut am very. very
glad 10 hss, had your lsiisF, and shall al
| WAYS " 50, even IL you elsnse your mind
| ~, indeed, ] am not worthy at all the kind
thing. you say Of me. sill whatever hap
I~ns, shall Alsays ieel happy 10 know
that you once though, a, you have written,
Though IL seem, iniPefiinent Of ne "a al
Wise you, yet think only OF your soUi.
And .ni always your iai'hinl MEND,
htEn BLAKE
She reads tho letter over several
times and then shakes her head.
"liow poorly | nave said IL" sh.
thinks. ''But hv is 30 kind; he will
understand that mean we'll. ="
The eurate. when b. receives the
gentle. humble .pis,l- !, filled with
dismay, lie PAGES wildly up and
down his small sittins,room.
Somebody has played cruel,
heartl-ss trick upon tia, poor little
woman. and have TO thrr hcr and
tell her 30. would rather be
| shot
lie drank his scaldins tea in great
eulps, and Ii glad OF tho pain IL causes
| him.
but what am I to do Go and
tell woman-a kind. gentle. little
iady-eoarsely and bruthlly to her
lace that rhc has been played with
and insuitei; that never dreamed OF
loving her; that II is impossible for
me TO do sog oh. cruel and coward,
ly! How can strike a gvntlrwoman.
or indeed, any woman. such "a blow
AS that
lie rests his head upon his hands
and groan-.
After Will. lac read, the letter over
| again slowly. lie reads between the
lines and seems to see a soul laid bare
before him. She loves him, and h~ 70.
allies how much that means TO her.
Wha, new Hood OF light has been
turned suddenly upon that sad, un.
selfish LIEF
And Their. is no help for either OF
them. II, mus, do ~ Well. then. let
IL Ice done at once.
Mechanically hc takes hin hn; down
from it- r-s and eor, out into the
street. walking with his head bent
down. seeing nothing. hearing nothing.
until hc Is close to thslitllr green gate.
then child's clear high voice rcachr,
his ear.
My s'nnnie made IT, she says.
Ain; II pity
Its beautiful doll. gentle voice
answers. lis |, good baby"
"W.liy dood." the child says. tuck
ing tho ra: doll under on- chubby
arm. "biv- mr wo,-. please
Miss Ruth plueks one OF the few r..
naming June roses, one ot tho prctti,
est. and puts /, into tho li,tlc out
stretched hand.
As sh. turns to look after III. child
Miss Ruth secs him and paus~- shyly.
Something Inns TO be said. so lao comes
forward.
"Wha. n lovely evening"" he ~.
claims. though hc scarcely knows
whether it rains or whether tho sun
shines.
Yes" she answers, Wont you
were you-will you com. in9'
lie follows her into the hou-, with
mn intense iongin; for some, hing.
however dreadful. to hAppsn to him
and save him from what j. to follow.
Ruth take, him into the dining.
room. lie feels vaguely that hi. task
is becoming more difficult. In the
bare chill. li,,i. drawinr.room he
could have said his say better. But
she brought him straigh, into the
sanctuary of her home. and again lac
feels oddly that her life lies open be.
fore him.
There il her work lying folded to.
g.thcr. What a tiny 'himblc' lie
glance, down Mt the bare hands; she
has taken oil her ugly gloves. What
h,, OF woman iorn strong man to
fight VIVA, n gentle lie to bomurTcd
and shattered by bitter shame.
Still Nj. 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 falls full upon hers.
IL did not show sister your letter.
she begins hcsi,atinrly. II thought
had better wait-that perhaps you
would change your mind, think diiIcr.
emily about it all. and then IL would
be hes, that only we two should
know"
She docs not say n word about
changing her own mind. She stands
there before him, n sweet. fair woman
in spite of her old.fashioncd gown and
oddly arranged hair.
She looks Mt him with smiling.
steadfnst eyes. and bids him take or
leave her as plcnses him best. And
his courage to hurt. wound, perhaps
kill her. fails him. In n moment his
resolution is tnken. lie 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 much-so much" she al
most sobs. But I am not worthy of
you. You should marry some one
ever, ever so much better and younger
and prettier than /. Do you know"
hiding her shamed face and coniessing
it as she would have confessed sin,
II nm 1872"
"And am a." he answered
dreadful, isn't it."
When Miss Jocelyn hears the news
she goes away suddenly on n visit to
some friends.
Three years have passed, and Laura
.Jocelyn is older. sadder and wiser.
She has loved and suffered and learn
ed to sympathize with others. But
she has never seen Mr.. Stanford or
his old-maid wife again.
When she returned home the mar
riage was over, md they had gone to
his new living.
"This was the worst thing | ever
did" she says sadly to herself. will
90 and confess and tell him how sorry
nm. What n horrible thing to have