Year: 1875

thy footsteps on the brink Of ruin


Would you deceive the noble heart O


Ralph Ray? Bind him to you an IN


loved husband by . wreath Of rossi


with glittering thorns beneath Whai


sweets would faturity hold for you


How dare you trife with such sacred


bond which unless prompted by love


is accursed and stricken eternally. Dc


not sell your freedom, your womanhood


for such bitter recompense. Itwould


mock the God who gave you. Il


would stamp honor with q lie, and


leave stain upon truths escutcheon


that could never be obliterated. Oh


Ruth, without loves VOW upon your


lips you would desecrate the bridal


altar and impoverish virtue. Do not


become dissembler to your husband


and . traitor to your God. Ruth,


Ruth, in the name of heaven / beg, do


not marry Ralph Ray" She wound


her arms around her and sobbed like


4 broken hearted child.


But, Willis, he is so good perhaps


/ could learn to love him." pleaded


Ruth.


Willis sprang to her feet and with
crimson cheeks and burning eyes she
said. Learn to ioUe ham, you trusting
little idiot2 Teach your heart strings
new melody? RsyolutioniEs your
being? Fling aside the golden goblet
from which you have quafed the elixir
Of love and mold new one out of the
dross of despair? 2 A splendid age this
when women are furnished with hearts
SO extremely msllesble rs to be shaped
to convenience. A precious pair you
will make" she hissed in unconcealsd
scorn. "a grand farce in the play Of
life. I imagine the sweet loving Of
Egyptsqueenwill besplendidly drama.
tized by you and your duped 'lisse
lord You ara brave indeed to come
before the world in the character Of
Byblis. Adjust your mask well. else
the peerless critics vill probe the
depths and present to Ralph Ray a
picture of his wife in the charitable
mission of learning TO loge Ains.' lam
tempted, Ruth Clifford, to unmask
your heart TO him and thereby save
him lifetime Of grief. Were it not
that am anxious to see the play end
ed. / certainly should not hesitate to
expose your perfdy. Learn to Iope
him 1t is absolutely too ridiculous"


There broke from her lips o harsh,
bitter laugh. and gathering her en-
broidery from the table she sped from
the room. Reaching the door she
turned and said in . eontemp4aous
tone, II the stratagem proves sue
cess, Ruth. and you End in the untrisd
feld no bothering brambles Of con-
sclencs, commend me to the art, oh |
young experimenter. You will then
be able TO impart to the world q knowl-
edge long sought for and precious-s
knowledge that will lift thousands
from the bondage of idolatry and
will crown your sex with the
chaplet of immunity, and believe me,
you have my sincere wishes for your
signal success"


The moeking tones died away and
the echo of her steps on the stairs was
the only sound that reached Ruth's
ears. She had expected Willis op-
posal; but her vehemence and wrath |
shocked her. Her remarks she knew
we're wisely worded and the warning |
she gave was deep and just, jet what
could she do. She had bound herself
to Ralph by promise she considered
as sacred as the marriage vow, and
fulfill that pledge she must at the
sacrifice of happiness. honor, freedom.
She knew he was generoEs and loving.
and for his noble attribates she gave
him her life.


There is loosened cog somewhere
in woman's reason. That fact plainly |
asserted itself in the garden of Eden
when Eve, for the taste Of . ripe, red |
apple, took downfall. ruin and baniSh-
ment in lieu of life and Paradise. Re-
membering that fact, zoe are not TO |
blame altogether, as it is heritage in
evitable; still that does not make the
truth any less deplorsble. Women
have from the beginning of time flung |
the golden fruit of fate back into OBJ
security and set with folded hands |
pining and signing for chance aud an
episode. When destiny holds for
them brightest sunlight and softsst
shadows, they are nonchalant of the
fact, aud then If the clouds lower and
the trail toys are tempest tossed,
they murmur bitterly against hfs- |
j Judgment is the defzulter. not the |
heart. Entire soms our share Of fiat |
peerless characteristic Is limited be-
cause Of the trsusgression long agorin
the holy garden.


Il is noon Of a glowing Spring day.
The rare golden sunlight litrp the face
of nature in silent splendor. The
matchless dome of azure spread out
like a summer sea and dipped its bright
bending mantle behind the distant hill
tops. The hum of the city is distinct
aud prolonged and the early Spring
sunlight is welcomed with smiles and
hilarity. The day is radisntly beau-
tiful, but its sunshine glitter and song
is shut out from the stately mansion
of the Cliford's, for within its closed
doors q bensfactor is passing away. q
sire is bidding long farewell TO his
broken hearted children, vhilom
tinklipg bells are mufned, and the
servants glide about with echoless
tread. Within the fated chamber