Year: 1875

lust eS he WAS W Aitty DaIt, the nal
cracked woman from the poor house
who came to the farm for her tidbil
of doughnuts and cider, and brough
dried herbs that were quite as ikel
to be desdly-nightshade or poison-iv
as anything. He seemed anothe
order of man from that with which
Ruth had had to deal hitherto an,
her presence appeared to affect him n
more than if he were made of fin
instead of flesh, and she were tn
ugliest girl in the township. He re
lieved her, to be sure, of dozel
burdens; when Uncle Isaac had al
I'LL turn, he watched and sent Ruth t.
bed he repaired her spinning wheel
and praised her cooking but whether
he took the heavy milking pals on
Of her hands, whether he turned the
churn -dasher in her stead, or held hel
skein of yarn in place of the broker
reel, he did it with such nonchalancs
that it was more aggrayarion than
pleasure, just as he would have done
it for any woman, plain or pretty,
married or single, with no mere visi
BILE emotion than if she had been a lay
figure instead of a breathing beauty
accustomed to homage. He never
said pretty things to her. He came
in and out, and sat at the same table
and beside the same hearth, and went
to the same merry-making, and kuelt
beside her at evening prayers in Un-
Gle Ioaac's keepingroom, for six
months and better without making
answers to the coquetry in her eyes,
without taking recognition Of her
charms. Naturally flesh and blood
ike Ruth's could not long endure
such treatment; she must either
hate or love him 3!


One morning they were cutting OF
dead limb from button-wood tree
near the house and just as it was
about to fall Ruth came sauntering
across the yard, her curls blowing
back from her rosy face, and carry
ing handful of burdock leaves for
Uncle Isaac's rheumatism. In half a
minute more her chances wouldn't
have been worth a fig had not Ell
kanah Reed dropped the axe he was
grinding, and snatched her away i'll
two strong arms at the risk of his own
head.


That night, when Ruth lighted
Elkanah's candle, she detained it a
moment, and began to say, "You
were very good this morning-to-to
do you as you did. r


ooh, that's nothing" he inter
rupted, brusquely. "Do you think
I'll stand by and see woman knock
ed DOWN.


But you might have been hurt
Yourself. | don't-know how to
reward you" she stammered, drop.
ping her eyes before his. II was the
first time she had ever hesitated in
her speech toward man.


"You will reward me-if reward Is
necessary for doing ones duty-by
forgetting all about it, he said. And
Ruth felt as if it had been less cruel
had he allowed the button-wood
bough to crush her instead.


"If you are going over to the quilt
ting at Jackson's" said Uncle Isaac
the next day, "you had better let
Elkanah drive you"


Il prefer to walk, thank you, said
Ruth.


They've found bears tracks in
the woods between here and Jacksons,
said Elkanah. "You can 90 round
by the highway if you like walking.
Its mile further, but you avoid the
wood"


Ruth made no response, but FL
kanah was. busy in the yard when
she passed out, with saucy DO"
and smile. and he saw that she per
versely chose the short cut through
the woods. She went along through
the foot-path with her head down, not
much caring for the bears or beiiev
ing in their neighborhood, but delay
ing here and there TO pick the tempt
ing raspberries that overhung th'
way, or to gather the wild geraniuH
flowers for boquet. She had for
gotten all about danger, in fact. wher
a rustling in the underbrush startled
her out of her thoughts, and she haC
only time to look ever her shoulder /!
season to see Bruin spring across tn
path and plunge ntothe woods again
before there was a sharp click and
flash, and it seemed to Ruth as
the trees were all dancing togetbe
and the earth was shaking under her
and then she had fallen like ont
dead among the brambles and tn
scented ferns, shot through the foo
by gunner oil the track of the bear
whose fowling.piece had caught i
the underground and discharged II
self.


When Ruth got about after this
was very plain she would never ski
down the well again for the lost bucs
ct, nor catch the colts in the pasture
nor NOW long summers afternoon
nor dance at cuttings or weddings
, nor be much of a match for IN
young farmer now as the neighbor
said, for she walked with the crutc
| Elkanah Reed had fashioned TO
her, and would probably never lay
aside.


The Hill Farm had yielded largel
, under Elkanah Reeds management
> but he was to leave it at Christina
1t was he who had assisted Ruth
; picking, preserving and canning, an
: had become almost as necessary
her indoors as he was to her uncle ou
y side. He anticipated her. wants b.