The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-11-09
CHAPTER yII.-[CoNr1NUrD.l

would never have picked me up out OF
the streets unless he had known who
I was. or who my parents were before
me-"
well; now you come to put it like
that, Miss Margaret, remember when
Mr.. James first brought you here, he
did tell me"
Eyes! yesi"
ct isn't much, after all: but he
said Garrett says he, I want you to
be kind to this girl, for my sake, he
says; and 1 said: of course you know
who she is, sir?' and he said: Yes,
of course 1 do but never word more;
So if it is true or false, he can best
say for himself"
II wish you would ask him for me-
"Bless you, my dear! wouldn't do
such thing to save my life. You
don't know Mr.. James. He's very pc
culiar in some things and won't brook
any interference"
But why should he have adopted
me, and brought me up, and done all
he has for me, if I am an utter stranger
to him."
"Out of his own fond heart, my dear.
It's big enough to do anything"
Still, Margaret was not satisfied, and
daily she lost something from the
brightness of her manner or her look.
Ruthven was disappointed in her.
At first he was afraid she was going to
develop sulky disposition, from which
he had already suffered too much with
Hamilton; then he fancied she must
be unhappy with them, and wanted to
get back to Pomona Villa. Several
times he attempted to solve the reason
of her melancholy, but the girls re-
serve baffied him. At last, two or three
days passed without their doing more
than exchange the ordinary morning
and evening salutations with each
other
At the end of that period, however,
he came into the dining-room suddenly
one afternoon and surprised her, with
the book Of 'fThe Poisoned Flower" in
her hand, and tears upon her cheek.
He could not fail to notice them.
"Why, Margaret, how is this? You
are not unhappy, I hope, my dear? Is
there anything I can get for you?"
Nothing, Mr.. Ruthven,' she an
swered, in a stifled voice.
Il am afraid 1 shall nave to forbid
you this pernicious literature" he said,
smiling as he pointed to the pamphlet
in her hand, eff your tears are a COM
pliment to my writing"
She did not reply.
"It has made me very uncomfortable
to observe your low spirits, Margaret,
and I feel anxious to remedy them.
Can / do nothing?"
Nothing, Mr. Ruthven," she repeat
ed. He was going to leave the room
then, when a word from her recalled
him.
"Mr. Ruthven, I hardly know how to
speak to you, but this"-she said, init
mating the book on her 1ap-"you did
not mean it, did you? 1 mean, it is not
you and me?"
AS soon as the question had left her
lips, Margaret O'Reilly blushed scarlet,
and hid her face. How could she have
said it? Oh! how could she have said
it?
Ruthven colored also and almost as
wildly. He comprehended tAe girls
meaning in a moment She thought
perhaps feared-that he might prove,
like the benefactor in the play-to be
her father.
Was it fear she felt-and why?
He fastened to disabuse her mind
of the idea
my dear girl, No! How could you
imagine such a thing? If it were the
case, do you think l would have been
such brute as to leave you to starve
in the streets whilst 1 lived here in
plenty?"
"Oh! forgive me,sir,' continued the
girl, still blushing violently; "but l
thought could not believe-Is it pos
sible you know nothing of my father
and mother? that you really never saw
nor heard of me until the day we met
in the court?"
Hush! Don't speak of that! Yet,
it is quite possible. 1t is indeed true
that that was our first meeting
But why did you choose me to bene-
fit by all your goodness, out of the
millions who, like me, are cast out to
perish without any one to help them %
II do not know, Margaret; l suppose
it must have been fate that did 1t.