The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-02
A
Prairie


Nature has arranged the stage on which
this little human drama with the heart
throb I'm IL, is to be played. Nature is
particular about having things right
when the full responsibility Of scene-
shifting, curtain-raising and general-man-
aging is laid on her shoulders. 1t is
one-act play and the stage appointment
Is perfect The sun is far enough west TO
bring out the misty blue hills of the back
ground, and TO lend to field and home
stead a silence and broodng; an innocent
white cloud comes bashfully creeping up,
to be chased and caught by the laggard
beams, and sent on warm and blushing
with the heat of their caress; the strag-
Cling path, made by the cattle going often
to quench their thirst in the mimic lake
below the hill, by some skilful arrange
ment takes on the appearance OF a high
way that might lead to some far-off happy
hunting ground; there is the sounds of
insects buzzing, the distant song of
bird, the foriorn call of a strayed-away
chicken.
There are but two actors, and these two
have been long time preparing. One is
the niece of Judge Bertoile, who, with his
aristocratic French-Canadian wife, Is In
the front room of the farm house to the
left; the other is Ruth Platte, the settlers
daughter Ruth, who opened her eyes on
| spreading praries and wide stretches of
| blue sky, who can turn a furrow as
| straight as a birds course, who can ride
and row and shoot Ruth with the rose
| bloom on her freckled face, ana the care
| less grace of a handsome boy in every
| movement. She comes on, pail of milk
| in her right hand, a sun-bonnet tied under
| her chin.
80 you are his cousin Hermoine," she
says, IN answer to the others opening re-
| marks. well, this beats the Dutch!
| Come in on the boat to-day, 1 supposeY'
| She puts down the pail. If any one less
| perfect than nature were attending to ac-
| cent and expression, 1t might be said that
| Ruth evinced lack of trepdation, show
| ed too little surprise. i've heard him
! speak of you heaps of times. We ought
to shake, but I've been doing rough work.
with an indulgent glance at her brown,
supple fingers. you say you came to see
me?'
| "Yes. VIII you understand me If talk
| to you l wonder? We are strangers to
| each other, but women speak one common
| language when they discuss certain
things" She is cultured and fair. Scorn
| is on her face, but the anger in her dark
eyes is more than half envy of the youth
and beauty of this lowly sister of the
plains. Il want to talk to you of Rom
| ald."
strangers! Now look here, has Ron
never told you about mc?'
"Of course he has. How else would 1
learn of your friendship for each other?"
They look al each other, a faint blush
| touches HermCine's face.
Why were engaged to be married-him
| and me. Didn't he tell yOu?"
Listen, Rdth," and the gloved hand of
one grasped the bare hand of the other.
You mustn't expect Ronald to act a
fools part in SO weighty a matter as
| choosing a wife"
Ruth takes off the sun-bonnet and hangs
it on her arm, and unfastens the brooch
| holding her dress together at the throat.
so hot!' she says. Then at the other
stamps her foot impatiently, "You think
he'd be actin the FOOLS part if he married
me, eh? / told him l wasn't half good
enough for him, but laws! nothing could
make him see it that way. tried to make
him quit, 'pon my word did, but he was
just bent on going on loving me as hard
as he could"
She does not biush a certain soft dig
nifty comes on her. Ruth Is no more
ashamed nor afraid of love than she is OF
any other of natures good and perfect
gifts. You drove over?"
Yes; my uncle and aunt wished to see
his ranch, and l wished TO see you. 1t IS
a pleasure trip. We start back tomorrow
or the next day. l want
She pauses, and Ruth comes to her res
| cue. - n Ou want
II want you to set Ronald free"
1t is very still. The sun slips out Of
sight the crimson cloud is reinforced by
others. Humiliation is new to the woman
OF the world 1t awakens a fury of cruelty
in her. a desire to hurt this sweet-faced,
childish thing with something brighter
than laughter Oh her parted lips. The life
and happiness radiating from her is too
subtle and too strong.
| "GiVe I'm Ronald - criaS Harnnoipa ap5
puts out her hands graspingly. Send him
away-make him forget YOU! Make him.
1t has been tame playing all this while.
Nature now begins to wake up her actors
and hurry on the denoument
! There amt a bit of use," says Ruth
earnestly. Hes been away now for six
months, and 1t hasn't changed things a
particle. l recon we amt of the forget
ting kind"
And do you imagine that he thinks OF
you as you do of him? That with many
beautiful women about him, he carries
always your memory? Oh, but we women
are all foOls-fools-fools! Ruth Platte
he has forgotten all about YOU" She
shakes the girl backward and forward
He made love to you, poor child, because
he had nothing better to do. He will
never marry you, never."
'He hasn't forgotten" says the coun-
try girl, gently.
How do you know? You can put nc
| dependence in what he writes"
He doesn't write"
'Whaf"'-N1ending eagerly forward
| Doesn't answer your lettersY"
II never write any. He had to go back
East; he had TO be gone six months
'You'll write to me every day. says he
no. says |. Il won't write to you at all
You must go off an try your level best tc
forget all about this summer and me
| take long Won like for fifth an
when you get ready to come back, If evel
you do says /, why come and Wen see
who has been the loving'st aud thought
fulest.'"
Hermoine laughs. 30, the folly of twc
children playing at love"
I'VE weren't playing, we were in ear
nest" Ruth rises to her part now "Ht
didn't need a scrawl from me--he knew
loved him; l didn't need one from him
knew that no woman-no woman" softly
could take my place in Ronalds heart
but how do you know?" imratiently.
Why, when girl loves a man as / love
him she knows when he changes. There
may be a thousand miles between them
but she knows. ] haven't see the scratch
of pen but my heart has been calling
out TO him, Ron, / amt forgottenp ant
his heart has answered every time, Nc
more am /! He'll be back before long
an them"
He's back now; he came with us. His
father thinks he is to marry a woman
who is fitted to give him companionshiI
and ambitious desires"
That's you. Well, amt fitted to give
him much of anything worth speaking
about, but say-"Ruth pauses to let tn,
pride die out of her tender eyes, "you car
offer him anything you like-anything-
an he'll come straight to me when all'.
done and said. l can't explain it. Some