Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-07-22

at the table, not mirding in the least
that one Of the cups crashed of it.
And then-Ruth was never hopelessly,
at loss in any case-then she darte |
forward and caught Mrs. Marlow's tall
nephew by his coat lapels.
"Paul," she said, but inaudibly,
"Paul Wilkes"
"At your service!" said Paul Wilkes.
Then he laughed, almost boisterously,
and then he folded Ruth in his arms.
"What- how" she began, feeling
as though the world was slipping away
from her 10 the mists of absurdity and
impossibillty.
"Why-when-wherel" her lover
supplemented. Mrs. Marlow was wip.
ing her eyes, and his own were softly
moist. "Why, l anu Mrs. Marlow's
nephew, that's all, dear, dear girll |
am the nephew of several other persons
also, and cousin to quite an assortment
of individuals, and the grandson Of"
"You never told me" said Ruth,
"never a syllable!'
''He will explain it" Mrs. NARROW
murmured, amid such tears as women
shed for happiness.
"But 1 spoke of you to him. I re-
member speaking of you to him." r nth
protested, "more than once, Paul"
''We were not on the very best of
terms then, Paul and I, said Mrs. Mar.
low-"not the bes,. You see, l had
asked him to take the management of
my two factories. was very anxious to
have him, but he would not He said it
would throw out of place Mr.. Gersel,
who had wife and three children.
promised to provide for Mr.. Gersel other.
wise, and will; but no. This unworldly
Young man refused point blank! l was
seriously provoked with him, my future
heir, to treat his poor old auntso cruelty,
and l suppose was plan about telling
him so.
Mrs. NARROW wore a guilty expression,
which added a whimsical charm to her.
"You WERE" said Paul, uncomprom-
isingly-"you were, aud was put out.
And it was about then that | went to
Greene Harbo---blessed Greene Harbor
and met you, dear. And when you
mentioned Mrs. NARROW to me, came
alarmlngly near saying, Il know her.
She's a relative Of mine, unfortunately
well-n,eaning, but unreasonable and
OBSTINATE"
"Paul" his aunt begged.
"But I didn't say it-I didn't say
anything at all. 1 thought that was my
best plan"
"And just recently, DEAR said Mrs.
NARROW, "my manager has taken another
position OF bis own accord, because my
factories needed a younger man, he said.
And then Paul did condescend to come.
And in the course Of our correspondence
about it he mentioned you, and I was
perfectlv delighted wrote back that
we wouldn't say word to anybody
about it, but that he must meet you here
in nv house, and-and you see it all,
don't you, Ruth, dearl" Mrs. NARROW
demanded, overaowing' with pride a1d
Joyful satisfaction.
"Lucid!" said Paul.
But Ruth understood. Her happy,
earnest eyes turned from Paul to his
aunt, and from his aunt TO Paul.
With Paul's hands fast grasping hers,
and with his laughing, loving eyes upon
her, all thlDgs-the strangest-were ex-
tremely easy to understand.
"Mother and Sarah" she was saying
to herself, gladly-"how fortunate, how
nice for them"
She wrote saucy little letter to them
that evening:
81 have met Paul Wilkes here" she said,
land it is all settled now. We are truly en-
gagged, and am SO happy
And she told all tue astonishing truth
in detailed six-page postscript.