The evening times., 1895-08-12
EXCURSIONS.
RUTH DID NOT SAY mo-"
And Yet She Kept the Word She
Pledged TO George wiInot.

Ana Yet She Kept the Word She
Pledged to George wiimot.
| what am ] 10 do? Pray advise me.
feel perfectly incapable OF deciding for my
self"
| The speaker was young girl of about
nineteen or twenty, attired in deep mourn
ing, rather above middle height, slender,
with welI-cut features, sensitive mouth, a
mass OF silky, red-brown hair. ard hand
some, dark gray, thoughtful eyes. She
was seated In a pretty drawing room on
low stool by the large glass doors opening
upon a veranda, which gave on to lovely
| garden, where the tree ferns and numerous
plants OF Australia effectively blended
with the flora OF the dear old country-flora
I which grew with lu uxuriance that it would
have surprised the old country to see
| In deep wicker chair sat a pleasant,
| elderly lady at work, while IN the yeranda,
| trimming the climbing plants, was an el
| derly gentleman with white hair and in
/ clerical dress. The girl was leaning for
| wari, her arm resting on her knee, her eyes
| fixed on letter which the Rev. Frank
| Lester had pronounced the most eccentrt
| he had ever heard. 1t was 10 this effect:
| Ny Dear Nieca: / was much grieved to
learn of your father, my brotaer-iu-Iaw's,
| sudden death. i Cont Know that we two
1 ever hit our horses well together, though
| my poor sister Just held him perfection,
| which W as well, as it was he to marry him,
| not I. Hence, when / say eTieved. much Of
| that is for you, left 20 abruptly alone in
a distant land without kitA or kin. Also,
| as draw from your communicated, with
| very little money. Indeed, your father was
| one of those unfortunate men who always
| miss their chances, and now death has
| seized him, when, go you tell me, fortune
was really going to turn in his favor. Well,
at any rate, be or his destiny was consistent
Bat about yourself; that now is the cues
ton What are you to do? II you must work
| for your living, should think your chance
of success would be far greater in Australia,
where you are, than in this crowded old
country.
You ask for my advice. Well, that's q
fraction of it; but the whole of it is-get
married. Yes, L Fever tried the experiment
| myself, but it's the advice / give you.
Between US there is a difference. i am, and
always was, tolerably rich-you are poor.
can keep myself; you can't.
IF you weren't SO far away Il should wait
for an answer to this before proceeding
further; but writing to the Antipodes is
like communicating with the North Star
So shall proceed further at once, and ask
you If you are i'll love already or half lost
your heart, or may do so? If that be the
case, my proposition falls to the ground,
and you may throw the letter into the fire.
II you be heart free, go on ard give my
proposition your graycst consideration.
Not only, then, do / propose that you
should marry, but 1 propose to you hus-
band, provided you have not one already
In your eye. Your cousin Maurice, my dear
brothers son. As you perhaps know Ihave
always contemplated making him my heir,
but am willing To make u proviso in your
favor, which is that you two shall marry
and share my fortune between you. There
the cat is out of the bag.
Ihave suggested the IRA ngement to Maui
rice and he has jumped at it, Because
well, here pops out anether cat-he has
fallen in love, verify believe. with the
photo you sent of yourself. He says he
remembers you pretty little tot Of 10.
He believes you were his first love at
least there has been NO second-as yet
You have evidently developed into a hand
somer girl than he ever thought you would
There! Now you have it all in
nutshell and In, tired of writing. IL you
have plans Of your own and intend to work
for Jour livelihood my advice is, as said,
stay where you are. II you decide to marry
Maurice any advice is. come over as soon
as you like You shall be heartily well
comed to Biythedenc and treated as ny
Tt,1f sw3y
NO" hate suspense. Put 1t to my ae,
count as the money for your passage over.
if you come. Let it be first-ciass. Yours,
affectionateiy, hoping sooR ia meet,
PRISCILLA KINGSLEY.
Ruth Henderson had read this letter
to herself, then, after some nervous con-
sideratiou, to the clergyman and bis wife
with whom she was staying until she
could arrange some definite plan for her
future.
Let it be understood that she had had
a good three hours think before she
came to them for help, and. having read
the letter, uttered the piteous appeal:
"What am I to do? Pray advise me-"
My dear" said the elder lady, ''of all
the questions put on earth. that is one
You alone should ans wer, for it is a ques-
tiou upon which the whole happiness of your
future life depends.
THAT is it," remarked Ruth, another
wrinkle in her brow.
1t should not be a matter of money"
put in the Clergyman, pansing knife in
hand, Though, unfortunately, that must,
in a way be consideration The qiies-
tiou really is, how do you feel toward this
young man? Were you struck with him, as
he evidently was struck with you?''
Ruth shook her head, as she rejoin.sd:
mo; most certainly 1 was not Then
you see, the last time We met 1 was
only 10, he nearly double my age. Ny
recollection is that he was good-tempered
and nice when he took notice of me. That
lie was patroDizing, aud and - well,
conceited"
Most youths are at H." sagely re-
marked the Rev Frank Lester. What
was he like?'
Il scarcely can tell you," effectively.
'.Hs was laEky-I fancy, good looking
at least. it did not strike me that he WAS
plain, with rt.Sdi:,h hair, and-yes, 1 think
freckles."
And what character does your aunt
give him."
.She-my aunt" Ruth burst into
merry laugh. Aunt Priscilla makes him
an Adonis, a Bayard-without fault
Certainly, he must hava been very kind and
atf-nt1v, to her; but, then, there is the
money"
"A de- NIL" said the clergyman. That
ths selfiesaess OF man should make that
natural remark"
The telegram to Miss Priscilla did not
go off that day, OF the next, or the next
Than IT wna tho s.yea- that went. 1t