Middletown transcript., 1906-10-06

EsdFed WH0h- yuu were JOunS "
graduate me from that blessed
Normal school, and the patience
and perseverance. also inherited
from sou, kept me persistently
at work till | gained the position
/ now hold, which will enable me
TO do what have all my life been
dreaming of and striving for
|liberate you from cruel slavery.
The little, faded mother shud
dered and sank her voice to a
whisper as she said:
The Lord only knows what be
would do If he knew that money
had been used. IL has been q
nightmare to me ever since, fear.
ing that he would find it ont.
But it was yours, Mother, and
yon win soonbe out of his reach,
so drop that load of your mind,
now and forever. Every cents
worth that belongs to him, and
much that belongs to you. will
be left for him, and that ought
TO satisfy him
But it will not, Ruth; he will
rage like Q demon, and lin afraid
he will easily lind Us.
Never. / have planned this
in my mind, over and over, and
it shall not, cannot fail.
The tired, childish, broken.
down woman buried her face in
her hands and again wept hys-
terically; then she calmed her
self.
Tomorrow morning he is
going. with al the hired men,
over to the farther farm, she
said, sRd I have baked all day so
that ley would have plenty to
car With them to eat, for you
b key always stay there two
days, and your father cooks veg
etables and coffee for them and
himself. They sleep on the
hunks that have been there SO |
long in the old farmhouse, with |
quilts and pillows that they take |
from here. She paused, looking |
sexpectantly at her daughter.
You see We are specially favor.
ed, Mother, said Ruth, replying |
TO the look, and then she added, |
bitterly: Let us go in now. I am
sure he viii be delighted to see
his only child.
When mother and daughter
entered the kitchen they found
it dimly lighted BY a tallow can
die, and this was carried in the
hand Of a man, who met them
face TO face as he entered the
room from one beyond it.
He regarded them in astonish-
ment, his eyes giving forth a gilt
ter of the hate which be did not
care to conceal.
How do you do, father? said
Ruth, pleasantly. She had little
love for her father, but it was
neither polite nor necessary to
show him this; She had always
been ready and willing to be
friendly If he would.
How d'do9 he returned grufay.
Wasn't looking for you. Out of
q iobs Sick2 +
No; oh. no. I'm quite well,
thank you; plenty Of work, too.
That's all good. Needn't thank
me- Little cause indeed had she Il
to thank him. Since her earliest
girlhood she had supported her.
self and given her mother all the
comforts she had known in that
time. II
He passed on, boots in hand, to
bis bedroom, and his wife and
daughter went upstairs to the
room that had once been Ruth's.
Bare and comfortless it was,
but Ruth's eyes filed with tears !
IS she entered it. The broken
and bitter-sweet dreams of her
carly girlhood, briefly indulged
10, had been dreamed there, and
the sight of the old fashioned
she had once used brought !
back the old time joys and pains,
loo, distinctly.
! wish you could stay and chat
With me, Mother, but / suppose
t is the same old story.
Yes; | mustn t seem to be talk
NO with ven. He'll hate III leave I
Us here together tomorrow, but :
he's got it all SO planned that he
can't help it. Il
II | had known, I would have /
lone some planning, and not ar
rived until tomorrow morning.
Yes, but I did not know in time
70 write to you. Hnrriedly the !
harassed wife and mother passed :
put Of her daughter 5 dear pres
snce and ran softly down the