The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-08
A Tale of English Life.
BY WALTER BESANT
CHAPTER Iv.-ContInued.

Ruth drew her breath quickly. On
her pale cheek there showed a spot OF
color. .~-.s -.--.. .. ...---
@'Cut it, he says, and you shall be q
partner; keep it on and you shall be a
beggar. ..
that's the situation, Ruth"-he
threw himself into q chair with lauda-
BILE assumption Of carlessness. "A beg
gar. There is nothing in the world that
I can do. don't know any trsde-I
can't do anything. There isn't man
In the world more helpless than when
It comes to doing any work that will
pay. So you see, as cant afford to be
q pauper, and it would only make things
for you worse If I made you pauper,
tco, I've made up my mind that the only
thing for US to do is to cut 1t; to have
done with ito separate-to go on as
II we had never met. ....
But we cannot, Harry. 1t Is too late
to talk of such thing" ..-.. e..
1T is never too late. That Is my res
olutlon, Ruth. .,.a
3 @Good Heavens! Why, we are mar
ried. Have you forgotten that? |"
1 Are = re wsI' We no.,,
Look here, Ruth" he threw himself
into chair and tried to assume a fine
air Of carelessness, as if the matter was
one Of very small Importance. $50 long
as there was any chance at all for us l
was willing TO go on. But there isn't.
It would be only cruel to you to keep up
the thing any longer. want to consult
yonr interests first. I can't keep wife,
you see. I can't even keep myself.
Well, now-don't fly out more than you
can help, Ruth. Look here. you've got
q dozen Of letters of mine; you can
make yourself Internally disagreeable
f you please. If you 90 into court Of
law you would even get damages, dare
say. Now look here. Don't let's have
any scandal. I'll buy the letters-pll
buy up everything at big price. Any
thing to prevent row and to part
amicably."
She stared at him with a mind only
half awakened.
Buy your letters? What do you
mean? Harry-husband"-she laid her
hand on his arm as he sat up In the
chair; tell me what does this mean?
Buy your letters to your wife?"
~Wife-ah! -well-of course, / don't
pretend to believe that you didn't see
through the trick. Where were you
married, pray?" +-&
AT registry"
where is that registry2"
Il don't know You took me there"
Il took you to an Office; but, my child,
It was sham registry.
He turned away his head. Cold and
selfish as he was, he could not face her
fo1I ;pP 10
"a sham office" he went on, and
took false name. You are no more
married than your sister, Miss Ruth
Heron" s.t
He forced himself to face her.
Il don't know, ! don't know" she
said, not in fact knowing what she said.
Then she stopped and neither spoke.
DO you man all you say-all?" she
asked. a
All; mean it all. Hang 1t, Ruth, no
body wants you to come to any harm!
tell you frankly that will buy back all
the letters"
She bent forward and whispered.
He sprang to his feet with IN oath
and walked across tho room. When he
came back to her his face was dogged
and obstinate, as it had been with his
father. Unhappily, the girl would not
meet him with equal stubborness.
What does that matter to me2" he
asked her, with brutality incredible.
DO as you like. Only when you come
to think it over you will say that the
best thing you can do is to follow my
advice. Give up all the papers and I'E
see you through-buy you business,
send you abroad-anything you please.
Remember that this man up to this
moment had been her passionate lover.
one who would not find respect too great
or worship too complete. What did ]
say? Fear Of poverty reduced him in
one moment to this level. Again say
1T makes one tremble lest through
some temptation we, too
The girl stared at him. It was as If
beneath the visor Of the knightly helmet,
where moment before had been the
face of man, there should be grinning
the ugly features Of q mocking ape.
You mean all this, she said again.
~Of course, mean it. What the devil
should say it for unless I meant it?"
Brutality, you see, once begun must be
kept up, even If one has had enough Of
1t. Yet declare that to this young man
the recollection OF his fathers fierce
eyes and of his awful threats drove pity,
love, memory, honor-everything out Of
his mind. He had but one thought, to
get out Of the mess.
You have no pity? Consider-oh!
have told you-consider-because you
did love me only week or two ago"
Drop it, Ruth. II one of US two is
going to be pauper it shall not be me,
Il can help it. We've had a good time,
and it's over You shall be taken care
of. 1t is all over, I tell you"
"No-no. OH" She clasped her
hands with q cry Of anguish 1T is only
beginning. Oh! it is beginning"
She sank into the chair he had left
and buried her face in her hands. Then
she sprang to her feet again as If there
was no rest in her.
"Oh, my sister-Naomi!' "Oh, my
sister!-how shall l tell her? What
shall I say? What will she say? Oh,
would rather die than tell her!"
He was leaning against the irantel-
shelf. He turned impatiently and took
up little dagger paper-knife, one OF
those glittering toys the handle OF which
is Of mother-o'- pearl and the blade. OF
polished blue steel, and began to play
with it, not even thinking of the toy.
II thought you had more sense he
said, than to 60 on like this. Well, you
know now what hal TO say. Better so
quietly and think it over. Come, Ruth,
it won't be 50 hard, after all. tell you
that you shall always have friend in
me. and"