The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-22
FOR HERSELF.


left her, "and wbnt sort Of u win will 10
DO, wondcr-this Englishman--not oven
one OF us-not perhaps good looking Tn
some girls, but ~ mo everything He'll
have rather nasty quarter Of I'm hour
when he meets my father, but everything
will soon be right again. He said IL was
for love, but mon are deep. wonder how
much lover Would II equal miner"
Ruth was go. Her mother had died q
few years previously. leaving bor marriage
settlement OF considerable magnitude To
her daughter, absolutely to do as sho
wished with. The money was invested,
and invested well. II was rapidly iDcreas-
ing. Whom Ruth first met John Dare, shc
knew little Of him, and no knew next TO
nothing Of her. Che was with her aunt,
and they met first nj the hotel ut tho falls.
These meetings could not have happened
had she been with her father, but her aunt
had said 10 her sometimes:
II married your uncle for love, my
child, and II have anything to DO with
your life will help you to do the same.
And when the opportunity came she kept
her word.
The acquaintance ripened, and they fell
In love with one another, although this
Englishman was poor man In compari-
son with Ruth. He soon found out of her
wealth by sundry little remarks acciden-
tally dropped, but he loved her, and as
nothing daunted him he proposed to her
and was accepted.
She sometimes wondered why she cared
30 much. Perhaps IL was his decisive way
In things. He could SO readily make up
his mind for both, and when anything was
rad IN ha Avrp M hnp MT
was rarely wyong.
1t was the evening of the day after that
on which he had been accepted that he
came to the house again. Ruth was alone,
and ho took her In his arms and kissed
her.
Ruth" he said, seeing her face cloud
ed, something has happeDedf Your father
will not hear Of our engagement. Is that
90, dears'
"Yes, john" she replied sorrowfully,
father said some disagreeable things, but
1t will make no difference to me. Go and
sec him, and will follow you soon."
John Dare required no second bidding
TO obey such an order. He went.
After knocking at the door, he received
a curt "Come in" He entered, and
found Mr.. Haldane sitting by the win
dow. The old man turned and scowled.
"Sit down." he said irritably. $50
you've the cOnsummate cheek to como
here, you penniless adventurer! Tut, tut /;
don't interrupt me, sir, ;" as John was try
ing to check him. "You insinuating ras-
cali"
Dare tried to stop the torrent of abuse
that was being poured on him, but finding
1t useless, let the old man have his way.
Had he been other than Ruth's father 1t
would not have gone quite 80 well with
him.
"Yes, sir. we have made up our minds
and II you cannot give your consent, we
we'll, we must manage without It,"
"You insulting curl DO you know that
the money my daughter proposes to endow
you with was the money settled ON her
mother when married herr"
"No; did not know this, and, besides,
money 10 not the question just now. i
have my own income, and 1t Is a good
one. Perhaps I may not be able to give
your daughter all that she has been used
to while with you, but II she loves me she
won't mind that. Mr.. Haldane, I have
come to a decision, and, with her consent,
she shall hand you the amount Of your
wife's marriage settlement. 1t Is Ruth
want, and neither her money nor yours. I"
Peter Haldane had heard of eccentric
Englishmen-in fact, they all seemed to
him to be set Of cranks. but this man,
with his assurance, was the prince of the
lot, coolly throwing up all this wealth
when 1t was practically his. The old man
knew his daughter quite we'll enough to
know that II she intended to marry this
fellow she would do SO, and give him her
money as well as herself, SO that he was
powerless to prevent Johns getting it,
At this moment Ruth entered the room.
Her father turned to her and said:
"Do you know what the young fool has
been saying2"
"No; unless that it Is that we love one
another" she quietly answered.
"Lovel Bosh He said that IL you were
willing he would give up all your fortune
that your mother left you, which, remem-
Der, gave her."
What" she thought "Does he care
for me enough for this, for myself alone?
For have no money but this. Father, I"
she said after a moment, II cannot, II /
would be less generous than he. I have
decided too Money cannot give love- To-
morrow you shall have back the present
you made my mother % years ago. You
will not live to sec your daughter bestow
her worldly possessions on u man you 90
not approve of, for she will 60 to him as
he wants her, for herself alone. Whatever
comes afterward I shall know he loved me,
and not quite as the other men you have
brought to the house,
They left Peter Haldane to his reflec-
tions. He was learning bitter lesson in
his old age, the lesson that money Is not
quite everything, even In this mercenary
world, and that small income with love
Is moro to be envied than endless wealth
and unhappiness.
1t was four months afterward. Ruth
bad been staying with her aunt. She had
returned, true to her promise, the amount
of her mothers marriage settlement tho
day after the interview with her father.
John and she were to be married OH the
morrow. They had asked Mr.. Haldane To
be present, but he had returned short
though kind refusal.
1t was tho wedding morning. The post
man had just left the letters. Among them
she saw ono from her father. She opened
this ono first, and as she opened IL somo-
thing fell to tho ground. She read on and
did not stop To pick the small bit Of paper