Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-08-09

mitted to fathom the mysterious ways
of a maiden when in her heart she be-
gins to prefer one man over another,
and before she dares even to ack-
nowledge the truth to herself The
distance back to the Willard dwelling,
which was more than a mile by the
roadway seemed to be annihilated as
by pleasant dream, from which they
were not awakened, until they came TO
the Willard gate, which was always
closed by latch that baffled strangers.
The picket fence forbade leaping or
climbing with safety; while the
house, with shutters closed toward the
street, had the air of one who pre-
ends to be asleep to avoid being spoken
to.
1t was then that Ezra suddenly ex-
claimed: Ruth, what will your
mother say?"
Her eyes fell. "She will not like it;
nor my father" she answered.
Then it must not fall upon you to
speak of it first to them. If hard
things are said will mind them less
than you; and it is my place to shield
you in all the ways that can"
How strange" said Ruth, that l
never thought, until we reached the
gate, how bitter the feeling is between
your folks and mine!"
at must not stand between us, Ruth
Il will not let it. Is not love
stronger than hate? And right, than
wrong? Unfasten the gate, Ruth, and
l will go in and have it over with your
people, at least. AS for mine"
Ezra's lips shut in determined way.
although the thought of his fathers
wordless wrath and his mothers
cutting speech made him sick at heart.
When and how the feud between the
Hagers and Willards began were
matters which had been buried with
the grandparents of Ruth and Ezra.
In the latter generation it seemed to
have settled chiefly into religious
differences. Josiah Willard was a
deacon in the Baptist church in the
village, while Levi Hager was
Second Adventist, with a gift for ex-
hortation, and resting firm in the con-
viction that he could support his be.
liefs against every kind of attack with
line upon line of scriptural texts.
Both were good men, and true in all
their dealings. They were charitable,
even, toward moral and religious
faults among people in general. But
for each other they could not entertain
a thought of forgivness or tolerance.
The acquaintance of Ruth and Ezra
had grown wholly out of their COM
partnership in school and in the few
social gatherings which the country
town afforded. Neither of them had
beer in the home of the other. Once,
Ezra had walked home with Ruth in
the evening. and Mrs. Willard, peering
through a closed blind, saw them
standing together at the gate. AS a
result Ruth heard from her father and
mother such words and threats that
she hung her head with shame. After
ward the matter was never spoken of
in the home of the Willards, and Ruth
came to think of the experience as
nightmare Of the past. From that
day, however, she was conscious of a
different sentiment for Ezra than she
felt toward anyone else; he enticement
OF being forbidden ripened her love
for him all the more swiftly.
Standing together again at he pro-
hibied gate brought back to Ruth all
the bitterness of that first experience.
She remembered that she had loitered
long upon the road with her lover
while her mother longed impatiently
for custard.
mo, no, Ezrai" she protested as he
would have passed in with her
through the gateway LET me speak
to them alone. know they would be
angry il you were to come in without
their consent"
1t was not Ezra's way to argus a
point, and so the lovers only clasped
hands and looked into each others
eyes as they fingered for another mo-
ment at the Willard gate. Except on
Ruth's account Ezra did not care how
many Willard eyes might be peering
at them; nor would he have let the
clinging hand of Ruth go il her father
had appeared and commanded it. Obe-
dience to parent is a strong New Eng
land trait; but obedience to love is
older and wider, and the gentler bond
age brought with it emancipation from
the old.
Ezra Hager was Industrious and
'stiddy," as the village people all
agreed. But there were some who
thought his nature too non-resistant
while he was going to school, and
when he ran against the tyranny of
boys and the patronizing humor of the
buffoons at the country store. Yet his
eyes never fell when they met other
eyes because something disagreeable
was spoken.
He went home with swifter stride
than his usual one, and not once did
he relax the firm set of his lips. When
he went into the house he nearly
eollided with his father, who was just
coming out.
Got it mended?" his father asked,
referring to the chain.
Yes. But Lew said it wouldn't hold
week. the links are so full of flaws
Said that's what you get for trying 10
save nine-pence when you're buying