Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-05-08

~ " as CONSIDERABLY later, almost at
the end of the cream toast and eggs
before she made little announcement.
i had a letter from Mr.. Willard to-
DAY, mother. He is coming down on the
8 o'clock train tonight"
Mrs. Wings mild, sweet face began
to look troubled.
don't mean to interfere, Ruthie,
dear, but am dreadfulIy afraid he Is
going to ask you to marry him. He's
been coming pretty nearly every week
lately"
Wen, mother, If he did, would you
mind Can't you like him?" There was
a note of decided anxiety in Ruth's In
terrogations.
why, yes, like him. 1 guess he's
real nice, as men go, but wouldn't oh,
dear, no! Ruth, l wouldn't want You
to marry him"
But why, mother?"
Haven't just you and got along
together for twenty years, no trouble
to speak Of, or anythIngT Mrs. Wings
voice was quite piteous. "If a man
comes in, you just can't tell how things
are going to go. Anything is liable to
happen. know clerkIng in the store Il
hard, trying work, but 1t isn't a cIrcum-
stance to what some married women
have to put up with"
Mother, dear, you married"
Mrs. Wings fingers twisted nervous
".
It was such a little while, though
Ruthie, and SO long ago, that / don't
rightly consider by experience 1 know
anything about It, Only a year and
a-half; but | have seen SO much since.
Don't talk about it. dear / just can't
think OF 1t, even"
Ruth sat and thought with a iron.
bled face. This tender timid little
mother had been her charge ever since
her sturdy babyhood. 1t was so sell
dom she ever expressed a wish, or OBJ
jected to anything, and now, to object
to this, the one great light that had
come into her barren, monotonous girl
hood! He had asked her In that, letter
to marry him, and tonight he was com
ing for his answer.
Looking at 1t Just from a worldly
standpoint, how 1t would life them from
their pinching life
Every one knew Arthur Willard and
how he had prospered from the time he
first came to Lenox, beardless, omen.
faced boy, soliciting his first orders for
Belfast & Mayhem, paper manufactur-
ers, until now he was head salesman of
the firm.
She did not especially love clerking
In the general merchandise store of
Spencer & Spencer; but the Goldfish and
calico had been glorified a good many
times, when the big yellow grip, mark.
ed A. w. on the ends. entered the store
door.
She knew very well what her answer
would be; 1t had sung itself In her
heart all day; but If her mother OBJ
jected so much, that settled it, for the
time. anyway.
When she told Arthur that night, she
was indlscreet enough to give her opln-
ion first
MY dear little GIRL" he said, with
generous, masculine superiority, "she
will get over that and enjoy the city Inn
mensely; possibly your servant, too,
Mistress Ruth, when she knows how
nice am. Let me talk with her."
The embarrassed, nervous little lady
in the next room certainly did not seem
very formidable; but she did look so
appealing that he said, very gently and
quite deprecatlngly
you must have known my feelings
toward Ruth for some time, Mrs. Wing.
l hope you are willing that l should
marry her"
.'No." Mrs. Wing answered desper.
ately. 81 am not willing. How dare
be willlng7 l don't know how 1t is go
ing to turn out. Anybody is wicked to
be willing to have daughter marry"
"why, Mrs. Wing!" the young man
answered, rather taken aback. "a great
many people have been willing. 1t Is
natural that people should marry"
Mrs. Wing was not arguing the alb
stract question, so she ignored the last
remark.
Il am very sorry" she said, tremu-
lousy, "but l know I am doing 1t for
Ruth's good. / wish you would just let
1t go-for quite a while, anyway" This
last relenting in response to the distress
in Ruth's face.
The silence that followed seemed to
Ruth and Mrs Wing intermlnable
Then Mr.. Willard spoke slowly:
81 am both grieyed and surprised.
Mrs. Wing. hardly think l deserve
It stu. feeling as you do, and know
ing Ruth as do, there is nothing to do,
l suppose, but obey you. would like
to ask just one favor Of you, though,
and that is, that you and Ruth will
spend Easter in the city with me.
planned that little recreation for us all,
quite while ago. Think Of me as a
friend. If you win, and grant me that
much"