Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-12-03
HE SAILED AWAY

-, - i-iiiuonA, mother an4 /, y
ser, were not poor They own VI aaSst
interest IN whaler Of wbieh q nal
IONS iather had been can,si Nn. IL
mouse and garden were their o.-- an u
Every evening when nm
closes the village store he NJ Nalnsi
the Widow Lintonis eotts.a ~ 70 10 I /
soop 70 SEQ the widow. On Tbus,a1ss 90
Slndaya he walked home Nil, ghsi D',g ~
the little Methodist meeting h s,usA eaa
prayer meeting, and they somss 49, ~
TO party or excursion, but No, - sssiH
Ray was s2 and Just the ~, ' vs.,
whom one would expect a III ~ iiass
to fall in love with. perhaps ~ ~ t'Is
the case of these two young ' 49,, "a
been wrongly applied. II VA ss ~
been hard for either OF them Ia ~
when they fell in love. n I'wh
steady growth, going on ever $40. ~
were little children. 1t Ind ~ "
stood, not only by Ruth ana ~. sacs
the two families IA well, that ,ous IVY, "a
should marry. But there wa, M w V, "a
either side. Ruth was neyrr a.,
Ray walked or talked with hno.i..
the village, and Ray was tar ~. X.
suspicious II he found a yonns ~ y
on the front porch or in The Ma
when he stopped on his way hor.' ~ y
the store. The perfect confaenss' n II
they had In one another mnde 49,
run on smoothly and peacefully T,.1a
Ray did not whistle when he or.s ~. \
gate and hurried up the flower =. ~
His face was troubled, and /. v,.-
time before Ruth could undeaisnd \.
1t came at last.
Ruth" he said, az am going ~,
cannot always stay here, worl3,,
drudging, with small pay and few tl,,s Il
He hurried on, not giving Ruiz \
portunity to express her views m ! \
GUS a question as Rays leaving b.
looked frightened at first, then witt *
tiently.
MY uncle in New York, - Rsyo..
ned, "has made me n most exc,ll1, y J.!
to represent his house In the Rsy NJ n
Iwant money and influence, al ~, h
return in u year want Ruth Ia h, II
my little wife. "
Ruth said but little. The r,umu
sudden, and she would miss Raypr,s r
"Only promise me that you VIVA h
for me" said Ray,
"Why, of course will wait Ia u,
Ray, dear" answered the Rih. ~.
wondering that she should be erpsaa +
promise Il thing which to her ssua i |
natural and + ght. And so he etkst,I
his East Indian mission.
During the FIRST year letters rsu,h
quently-as frequently as possible esi8
ering the long distance, and tho ain
ships which IN those days had to a.
them. At the end Of the first yeir I'd
wrote that his business would kepl
longor than he at first expected, bot tz
the tone of his letters Ruth could n.ii
doubt her lovers devotion.
Two, three years dragged slowly ll1i
for Ruth, and still Ray did not rs.tn
Then the letters stopped, and 200; I'd
Ruth had 20 bear her sonox and in,
pointment ~ best she could. But
never doubted Rays fidelity. nrsr,
he had met with an accident p1ir1
he was coming homo TO surprise hs ~
haps he was-no, the possibility o. hhe!
ing dead fell across her soul like d :
shadow.
Ruth was 30 when her mother did n
still she waited in the little cottage
bravely kept her promise. Many adzrs
had come, asking for her hand and ~
during the ~ years, but TO them all y
said, mo"
Time went drearily on until 80 Fa5
were numbered since Ray had sailedi'sf
Ruth was 30, but she was stu conel
spite Of the care and trouble, hetsi
pointment and grief which had lenn
marks upon her.
Thirty years Did, you ever wait u II
night for some loved ones return'
long the hours seemed How otea
looked ut the clocll How you stan
your ear for tho familiar footstsp-s
sign of his comingl And tho disPIS,
ment when he did not comel Ihe VIZ
ing and waiting, long after the liehbi
been turned out and You had gone y
The broken dreams and the vague iHp
ings OF danger To Ruth itwas no
night, but so years. N
There was ringing step aops
street, u stop at the little gate, aena
the latch and figure hurrying "
gravel walk. Was it Ray Rulh q.
bled so that she could scarcely r'4p@-
the knock at the door. Then she "
IL, and n man stood before her he"
bearded, old and gray.
"Niiss Ruth Liutonr he asked y
removed his hat N
lie went into the little parior Az 4
awkwardly upon the black haircio'es Il
81 have come from India, he %
"You are not Rayfn broke In hu'n
"No,n said the stranger, VI va
friend"
WAS his friend" The man nee ''i !. = n
said no more, but he slowly and iAi'a' y
told his story. Ray had died !eaS,
fore. "Go to America, " he haa ~
his friend, land tell Ruth to wait luI
We shall meet In some other World N.
er and better than this The irlens
been reckless wanderer, but ny
meant to keep the promise mace
Now he had done 50.
Long after the messenger haa y
Ruth sat by the open window
OF light from the dying day ersps WE n
a rift in the rose bush outside tnsr.
and touched the threads Of silver
hair. 1t fell upon her worAwo ,a. :
and upon the sad lines in hef ~ M =.
the light-the glad, expectant ils.s
had shone there for so many NAM q, K
had gone out from her eyes 49,,
not cry. But how draary and ' ~ y, Il
little parlor seemed 1t Wa ln h IA
now-that her lover would ne'1
again, on this earth. ...n,,e ~
The bell in the spiro Of The wn ai'a,,
ing house down the strest rang ~ v
1t was Thursday night Ruin ~
chanieally. tied the ribbons Of n tg2|
firmly and squarely under her q ene o,'r n
her dark, old fashioned shawl w WI :
shoulders and went to prayer
Albert Hardy in Romanee-
80 .,t-a