Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-11-17
CHAPTER vi.

/ nope II VIII tie happy.
Mrs. Erie looked up from her letter
with II face so bright that her husband
put his paper down the better 10 ad
mire il.
$50 am Tor | shall be-when You
restrain your raptures and tell me
Ruth's news" he said, with n smile.
Il dare say you can guess it, Vim
cent
Not at all improbable, my dear"
Mr.. Erie answered. coolly chipping his
egg. Suppose | venture a wild guess
low-Tom Carlton has %proposedE
Yes and Mrs. Erie opened her
eyes in wonderment. How quick YOU
4 are. Ninceutr'
Il am" her husband agreed. modest
~. And Ruth has accepted HIM
aim quite sure on that point"
"She has; and Lady Caroline is
nice TO her. The wedding is 10 take
place In May, and uncle John gave her
five thousand pounds; and Oh. Vim
cent, we must 90 home ut once
The little woman rose in her excite
ment aud came over To her husbands
side, flushed. smiling and radiant.
Vincent Erie drew her down on the
stool beside him, and brushed the love
locks back from her fair face, as he
said. half-laughingly:
..Sit there, Mistress Grace, You eau
never stand while | have To consider
the Amazing budget OF propositions
you thrust all at once upon mt! Sup
pose we take the last first. n deal
with the question of returning! You
are tired of Paris and me-?
"0f neither = beyond endurance,
Grace answered. in the same testing
tone; but Ruth is 10 be married in
May
The beginning of her honeymoon,
then. must mark the termination OF
ours. Well, what must Je must be;
and you are eager. / imagine, to be
busy with the details of Ruth's trous-
seau. | suppose you had better order
your packing 10 begin
.Ycu are not cross, N~incentT' the
girl asked. puzzled. rs she sometimes
was, by the seglo~comic earnestness OF
his tone.
"Crcss? IT, and he laughed and
kissed the pretty, earnest face. II am
rs glad as you can be. for / am almost
as fond of pretty Ruth"
You should be- Grace replied, a
faint shadow coming into her eyes.
"She was your champion always, even
when
She paused: and her huband filed
up the blank with cheerful readiness.
when | most needed championship
-ehg Brave little Ruth, / think she
would always cling to the losing side.
But She is the winner now. Tom Carl
ton viii make the best husband i'll
England"
when Vincent Erie is put Of it,
Grace observed. saucily: then She add
ed, in a more serious tone. HE should
be. for he will have the sweetest and
dearest little wife"
Agreed! And now that matter is
settled. the next thing is to get home
and congratulate the perfect pair
The evening of the next day but one
found Mr.. and Mrs. Erie comfortably
established at River View. The meet
ing between mother and daughter WAS,
as n matter of course, affectionate, but
that between the sisters was rapturous
indeed. Ruth even forgot her tall,
handsome lover, who stood, rather
~sheepishly, in the background, as she
FASTENED to welcome the returning
bride.
"It does one good To see you, dear,,'
She whispered, as she flung her loving
arms about her sisters neck. Home
will he like home, now you have re
turned"
And it has only been like Paradise
lately. 1 SUPPOSE Grace queried, re-
turning the embrace with interest.
But. come, Ruth-I must speak TO my
new brother now"
Mrs. Vincent Erie uttered her con-
gratulations in the cordial, gracious
manner that had come to her with her
new happiness; and Tom Cartons
honest face flushed with pleasure as
he thanked her heartily, adding, with a
little laugh:
Ruth said you would be pleased,
otherwise / do not think should have
had a chance with herr
Certainly notr' Ruth replied, put
ting her bright face in between the
two ard blushing very prettily. II put
Grace before everyone, you know;
and. had | to choose between you and
her, l should net hesitate an instantI'
They both laughed at her asseyera.
ton as a coquettish exaggeration.
They were pleasant days that fol
lower Grace Erie's return. The course
OF true love. for once. ran smoothly,
and Ruth's wooing and the prepara-
ticns for her wedding went on with a
brisk cheerfulness that augured we'll
for the life beyond the bridal day.
Lady Caroline. il not entirely satisfied
with her sons choice, was too wise "A
woman actively to oppose what she
could not possibly prevent; moreover,
she felt that she herself had done
much TO bring abou. the match.
IF l had not been so obstinately
bent on reconciling Vincent Erie and
Grace Santley, / should never have
flung Ruth Leger and Tom together.
So much for playing the part of good
fairy!' she exclaimed. with the queer
little grimace OF one who swallows
some not particularly palatable NOR
sci. However, l suppose 1t might be
worse. Though not to my mind as
charming as her sister. Ruth Is pretty
and well bred, and her connections are
In no way discreditable. One thing Ia
certain-Tom would, In any case. have
chosen for himself, and died an old