Ruth's Romance

CHAPTER XIV. One day when Ruth carne to the "shop" Uhoda Wier met her in the hall. "There's a gentleman insiile that's been inqulrlng for you," she said. "It must be Arthur," eried Ruth, and full of plea8urable excitement, she opened the door and looked in. Yes, it was Arthur. She ran to hlra with outstretched hands. The sight of his face was like a breath of Winsted air. "I am so glad to see you !" she eried. "You don't know how glad, Arthur " "I am glad of that, Ruth," he said, Bmilcs getting the botter of his gravity. "l'm glad to see how well you are looking, too. Work seems to agree withyou. This is your workshop, they tllme." "Yes, this is my workshop," answered Ruth, "orrather - excúseme, girls - our workshop. You see bef ore you the 'Companv.' Let me introduce you to the firm of Nugent & Co." "I shall be happy to have you," answered Arthur; and accordingly he was presented to the individual members of the thrifty "Companv." "I move tliat "the head" be allowed a holiday," said Rlioda Wier. "All iu favor oí that move - ahem! I beg pardon - that motion, will respond with the usual sign." All voted "aye,'' Arthur taking the liborty of doing so, too. "Carried," announced Miss Wier. "Miss Nugent, you are at liberty to get just as mueh pleasure out of the day and your visitor as you possibly can. Benedicite!" "Thank you, girls." Ruth said, gratcfully. It was not so rnuch the holiday thatshe cared for. She knew she could have that without consulting the others. But the thoughtful kindness which promptcci the suggestion of it tonched her. rhis seems to be a kind of sisterly firm," Arthur said, as they went. out. "Does love BCttle all disputes;" "We never have any disputes," said Ruth. "Then your firm must be unlikc any I have ever known, made up of the stronger sex ; laughed Arthur. ''How do you avoid them;" "We pull together, answered Ruth. "There is a subtile meaDiuginthatdeflnition, quite as deep to me as somc of the Concord philosophy," said Arthur, as he tucked her arm in his, and tlicy strolled down the avenue of trees in the little square oppositc the "shop." "You shall explaiu it to me at your leisure, and then I shall know what to do to make my sex harmonizo when it is 'in companv.' " "The secret shall be made plain to you," laughed Ruth. "Ruth," cried Arthur abruptly - the burden of his mission was heavy upon him, and he could not f eel easy uutil he was relieved of it - "I want to know whv you broke off your intimacy with Robert ilaviland as you did. Don't think I asi! this out of any idle curiosity. I have a better motive than that in doing it." The face Ruth turned to him had suddenly grown grave with pain. He had probed the wound in her heart with his question, and it bied afresh. "I dia not break off the intimacy that had exieted between us," she answered. "He did that himself. Why, I don't know, unless - unless he had growu tiredofit, and the amusement it afforded him." Arthur looked at her in bewildermeut. "Do you teil me that it was not brokeu off at your requesti" he asked. "Yes, I teil you that," answered Ruth. "The flrfit intimation that I had of its ending carne to me in a good-bye message from Robcrt Ilaviland." "And you had not asked your step-mother to go to him, and ask a release from the tacit claims he had upon youi" "I never asked my step-mother or any one el6e, to go to - to Robert Haviland on any ciocj wj gu tu - lo iouurt navuauu üu auy inis sion ior me," Rutli answered. "Why Arthur,' wíth a sudden vehemence that shbwed how dceply she feit what she uttered, "would I be llkely to do that when I loved him botter than any one else in all thoworld?" Then a congeiousness of the confession sh had made came to her, and her cheeks becam hot with shame. And yet- she lifted her han( with a Budden gesturc of pride as the though eame - what had she done to be ashamed of f "I doa't understand it at all," Arthur said usinc the same words he had used when he and Robert was talking about the matter. " ncver knew, until a week ago, that Rober Haviland and you had known each other. W have been fast friends - he and I - for a year When I came back from my summering ou West, I showed hlm the pieture I had just reccived from you. ïhen I learned that he hac known you, and loved you. And he think that you asked to be f reed from the claims he had üpon you. lic told me that your stepmother eent for him, and he went to see her and she told him that Aunt Rachel had plannec that yon and I should marry, and that you were favorable to the plan, but you feit bound in kooor to him, unies? he saw fit to release you and that, since no spoken promise existed between you, you could no ask snch release, but delegated her to ask for you. Believing that you were not the woman he had thought you to be, he wrote you a few liues that gave you to understand tha he relinquished all claims. That is Robert Haviland's story. How do you explain it? Ruth was silent for some time: then - "Ican only explain it in one way," she sald "My step-mother must have found out - how ] do not know - what Aunt Rocbel's plans were. 8he never liked Robert. She told me I was foolish to care for a one-armed man without money, when I might do better. In marrying as Auut Rachel wishcd me to, I could 'do "better' in her way of thinking. She must have done what you say Robert told you she did, expecting, or at least hoping, that when the intimacy between him and myself was broken oiï, I would raarry you aud thus secure Aunt Rachel's wealth. " I never suspectcd that she had anything to do with it before, but now I understand what she meant by certain remarks which puzzled me at tho time they were made, and I believe that through her agency was wrought the trouble that came tous. Ithardly seemed possible, though, that a woman would be eapable of doing sueh work." "I think vou have guessed the truth," said Arthur. "toor Ruth, poor Robert ! But af ter the rain, sunshine. It will all come right at last, and f ate has made me the instrument of effecting its purpose. I'm glad of that!" and the look in Arthm's face told how true and unselflsh his friendship was. "Af ter the rain, sunshine." Ruth heardno more than that. She repeated the words soft . Iv, as if there was a prophecy, a promise in tnem of happiness to come. They went back up the avenue of elms slowly, eaying littlc. Ruth was too busy, too bewíldered with her many thought sto care totalk much iur-t then. At last - "You don't know how hard it was to think Robert lacking in honor and truth. I believe I am as glad to know that 1 was mistaken in thinking that. as I am to hope we may be friends again." Her eyes were bright with a woman's faith in the man she loves. Contidonce had come back. The Robert of oíd times- the Robert she had counted as deasl - was alive asain. CHAVTER XV. Ruth was full of restlessness that October evening. She sat down by the lire, and watched the little flame that flieKered on the hcarth for a moment or two, theu got up suddenly aud went to the window, and stood there looking out into the almost deserted strect. The leaves were falling swiftly on the littlc grass plot, from the elm tree by the gate. They pattered against the pane like rain-drop6. Then she turned and went back to the fire where Rhoda Wier sat, with a book open upon her knee. "How uneasy you are to-night, Ruth," her eompanion said. "What's the matter with you?" "I don't know," answered Ruth. "I don't feel like sitting still. That's all I ean teil you aliOllt il.' '¦¦¦¦ "When is your cousin coming back'" asked lUioda, as Rüth paced up and down the Hoor. "MycouBln! - oh, Arthur Fonl, you meao. ie isn't my cousin, Rhoda, His father was :i cousin oí niy father, so tlie relationship between us is very vague,"' exolained Ruth. "I lon't know when he will come. There can'tbe mueh for him to do at Wlnsted, bevond taking rossession of tlie property Aunt Rachel leit lim ; so he may be expected at any time, now." "He told me lic should iusist ou dividing what she left him with you,"' Rhodft said. "And I sliall insist. "on his doing no" sucH thing," Baid Ruth. "I don't need the mouey - I don't want it. But he is unselrish onougli to dve me all of it if be thousrht I would take It. He's a noble fellow, Rhoda.' "Yes, I think he is,' auswered Rhoda. and then the flrelight seemed all at once to have giveu a brighter color to her face. Ruth went to the piano, and begau playiug softly. All at once the fingtrs tbat wandercd among the keys struck the familiar notes of the laat song shc and Robert liad sung together- Robín Adalr. Sbe played it so feelingly that it brought tears to Rhoda's eyes. There wer steps in the hall. Some one was coming unannounced. Ruth half turned from the piano, a swift excltcment taking possession of her. lier eyes were on the door when it opened, and Arthur's face looked iu. Sbc rose, and went toward him with au outstretched hand and word of welcome. "Robert flrst," Arthur said, softly, and then another handreached out to Ruth'sand caught it in a grasp that sent tbrill after thrill n her swif t-beatiug heart, andkindledan electric flre in the eyes she lifted to - Robert's face. ''Ruth ! - am I to cali you mv Ruth,after all .-" he said, and thcre was a tender accent iu his voice that brought sudden tears to her eyes. His voice was full of eager hope. "Yes, if you want to,'' she answered, and then his arm was held out for her to creep into its protection, and Ruth was crying softly on his breast. And the eyes of Arthur and Rhoda wei e not dry, as they turned to the fire and talked together in low voices. Arthur was going back ntxt week. Ruth and Robert must be married before he went away. He insisted on that, and tJie.'y did not oppose him. "It must be the quietest wedding any one ever heard of,'" Ruth said. "Just the girls and us." "That excludes me- and the minister.'' Arthur said, laughingly. '¦The minister must be here, as a matter of course," answered Ruth; "and I said 'us,' didn't I. That includes you. Always reinember that, Arthur; we consider you one of ." It kym a quiet wedding. Arthur insisted on furnishing flowers for the parlor, and "the girls" in6isted on taking charge of everything else, so that really all Ituth had to do was to stand up at the appointed time and be married. The ceremony was over. Ruth Nugent was Ruth Nugent no longer. "There is somethiug you must uot forget," Arthur said. "Lawyer "Crawford told me to remind you of it- Aunt Rachel' s legacy. You know what her request was about it." Ruth left the room, and came back presently with the pockage she had brought from Winsted. "Let me cut the cord for you,'" Arthur snid, with pleasureable eagerness and a look of auticipation on his face. "Walt a moment," Ruth said, and thtn, in low and reverent tones sbe read Aunt Rachel's last message, while tears of loving remembrauce feil upon it. Then Arthur cut the cord, and Ruth removed the wrappings from the old Bible. As she lifted it from the inner paper, it feil open, and between the pages lay a paekage bearing her name. "Open it, Ruth," cried Arthur, eagerly. ''I can hardly wait to know what Is in it." She untied the string that bound the package. Witlnn were several bits of paper, the valuc of whieh she did not recognize. But Arthur did. "It's just as Lawycr Crawford hiuted to me," he cried. "These pieces of paper are bonds to the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars; and this" - holding a legal-looking document - "is a deed of the old noroestead. "You're quite a wealthy little woman, Mrs. Ruth Haviland. Al low me to congratúlate you." Ruth was iu a maze of bewildermeut. Was she dreamingi Twenty-five thousand dollars ! and the old home at Winsted ! It was likc the outcome of a fairy-tale. "You haven't rêad the verse she referred to," Robert said, and Kuth, putting one hand in his, turued to the open Bible and read the words about which Aunt Kuchel had drawn the pencil with which her last message had been wntten: tlLoie one miothcr."1 "Amen!" Robert said, reverently, and bent and kissed his wife's cheek. The "shop" went on. Ruth ceaeed to be an active member of the "lirm," but it continued tobeknownas "MissXugent's," and Kuthoccupied an "honorary" poeition in it stil!. She has established a school for poor girls, wherc they are taught to read and write, to sew and eook, and fit themselves for positions which may open to them when they go out to win a way in the world. She finds plenty of work to do, and does it becauso. shc loves to. And Arthur? Well. he is happy with Rhoda Wier íorf a wife, and Rhoda secretlv thinks that sho has won more of a prize in her husband than Ruth has in hers. Ruth doeen't, and 60 both are satisfled. "We can do a gveat deal of goodwith the money Aunt Rachel left us," Ruth says often to Robert, "but the dearest fortune of all, is the fortune of love which God has given us." And always when she 6ays that, her huBband kisses her and says softly : "Thank God for the gift, Ruth. Hów rich we are!" THE END.