CHAPTER XXIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 216, 20 August 1887, Page 8

CHAPTER XXIV.

IN THi: MIDST OK LIFli TItKKK [=I— DEATH. YViiln Mrs Goidon hoard of Ruby's rejection of Mr Edmund Carpenter, she was much disappointed and depressed. She had set her heart upon the match, for it seemed to be the only .i\ enue of escape from their troubles. To Mrs Gordon, accustomed to afHuence as she had been, the restrictions of po\ erty were little less than a, series of calamities. A calamity moi c gi ie\ ous than all others, however, was destined soon to overtake the Gordons. The holidays drew on .ipncp—those days that had always been .so full of gaiety and exciiemcnt— and though our friends coidd not l.nl to feel, moie keenly than evor, the difference in their circumstances and the pinching poverty thai, would make itself lelt whichever way they turned, yet two of them at least .smiled bravely into each other's face and cheerfully went their round of daily duties. "1 am atraid, petite, it is going to bo rather a lean Christmas for you this year, 1 ' remarked Mr Goidon, regretfully, one morning dining breakfast, as his eye caught the ilauiing advertisements m the paper that he had boon reading. Ruby looked up with her brightest smile. " No, indeed, Robuit " -she said. '* I expect it will be a \ery happy one, tor i havo <\. delightful little piojeet in my head. Beside.-*," she added, with gia\e .sweetness and a tender gleam m her eye, " I believe I understand better this year than L e\er vdid before what Christmas means." Hoi brother looked up inquiringly. '• ' Peice on earth, good - "will toward met 1 ..' " she quoted, in a low tone, adding : *' We can at least have that in our hearts, if we cannot gi\e lavishly from our purses this year." The week before Christmas was bitterly cold and stormy, and one evening Robert Gordon came home shivering with a chill and a fearful hoarseness and pain in his chest. The nc\t morning he was in a high fever and rawng with delnium. A phjsician was summoned, but his gia\e taec as lie examined his patient, and hj& t'\.ishe answeis when questioned, struck a sudden teiror to Ruby's heait. She obtained a subr-tiDute tor her cla.ss, And iv t once took hci position by the bedside nt her idolized biothei, and it fused to lea\e him during all tho-eanxiou-j days that follow yd. H> grew constantly woi>e ; human acency could a\ail nothing, though the be-t vf nm>es and ad\ier was procured, aul in a week all that lemained of the nob'c. generous, and talented KobeitGoidon lafeold and still in the pietty parlour otthnt little hou«e, w here so iccently that chceu'ul little ciicle befoie mentioned had been tratheicd. If it had not been for Walter, Kuby felt that =he must hd,\c sunk beneath this bitter blow. As soon as he learned of Mr Gordon's illness, he went to the aiiiietud fanui\ , and remained with them until the end. He was remarkably emci'W — gentle as a woman in the .sick-room ; aetiu; and peltreliant ovit of it He cook all cart Horn J'uby-foi Mrs Gordon was paralysed and uttei ly useless, in \iew of this new trial — and \. lit n all was over, anangert for the last -ad zi.'-es, so that the sorrowing ones were not harassed in any ' way with the details. The respect that was -lunvn M r Gordon by all <«Us-,e.- at this time U'-i died to the esteem and love with -ttii'th he was legardul by business mci :ind .ill others whh whom he came in contact during lite. A long 'ii:e of carnages, tilled with triends aatfuf qua.intances, tollowed him do his la*t resting -place, while man} kind oHers of symi'.i'liy and assistance had been already tendticd'the beieaved widow and sister. Walter Richaulson and Edmund Carpenter met again in this house ot mourning tor the til. st tune since the evening of tin-o-rand rece])tion in Mr Gordon's furmer oleg\nt IP-jidezice Walter gieetod t!ic son of his former benefactor kindly and courteously, but he ■was l.'f I v.ith a h owning brow and a haughty manner that amounted almost to rudeness. Poor Ruby was heart-broken. She seemed fairly dazed by this mighty grief that had o\et taken hei so suddenly ; and it was enough to make the strongest weep simply to look into her white face and note the wild, hunted look in her sunken but tyario^s aye.-. Wlumi her broth ei's body was borne from her sight and ljid within the costly Goidon toaii), the teiiM'Hi on her oMrstiained iier-ics ga^e way, and she full back fainting in the carriage. Mis (.Joidon siwieked, and Lijiscl into hyttciics, er>inci" out tliat Ruby, too, was dead ; and Walter, healing the sound, and fearing the worst for his darling, leaped from his* own carnage, and lushed to their aid. A gluMce within the coach showed him Ruby's ghastly face and inanimate foi m : a-'d, with compressed lips, he spuing away to a fountain neai by, wrenched a cup fiom its chain, and boie it, full of wafer, back to the b'jusel&ss girl. He entered th/j cairiage ; li° gathered his loved one into hi.-, aims, ftid bathed hei face and temples until she began to recover coiiFcounness. Just as she drew a deep breath and unclosed her eyes, Walter chanced to glance iii), and saw Edmund Carpenter standing by the open door of the cairiage, and glaring at him w ith .something of the ferocity of a wild animal as it is about to spring upon it,* piey. Ruby saw him also; and, suddenly idealising whose ,'iims were supporting her, she sat up, holding out her hand for the cup of water. She drank freely, and the clear, cool liquid revised her more fully. '' Thank you, Tarn better," she sflid, with a long drawn sigh. "Hush, E.stelle ! I vail not be weak ;my moie It is all over ; let lib rr 0 hone now." Walter half aro^o from his 1 seat. "Mall I toll them to drive on?" he asked. " No ; stay with us, plense," Ruby said, laving a detaining hand upon his arm. Then, turning to Edmund Carpenter, she added : " Will you kindly give the order, Mr Carpenter?" He bowed giavcly, and turned away to do her bidding : but, in striving to_ control the nige that suddenly flamed up in his heart, ho bit his under lip until his teeth met through the ileah. He had read a great deal during those few moments that he had stood by that carriage door. Walter's lace had told its owii story as he ministered to fchc girl whom lie loved co well, while the fact of Ruby's clinging to

him and dosi'jfote", him to remain, Yfffit Itar had shown thftst[w heart turned to Iriftwin this time of sornWdfe to no other, and ihe sight had aroused a» demon of jt»a&x»i»y within him, Mrs Gordon recovered her composwro somowhat before reaching home, but one® there, she shut hciself in her own room anal would see no one. Walter led Ruby into the now desolato parlour, feeling that ho could not go away and leave tho delicate girl alono with her crushing grief. "Toll me what I can do for you,' he said, gently, as she looked around and shivered slightly, remembering whose pre sence would never more brighten that room. " Nothing'," her white lips murmured, as she sank weakly into a chair and closed her eyes. "Shall I call Jane?" Walter asked, feniing 1 she was going to faint again. "No. Oh, please do not let anybody come hero now," she burst forth with a pathet ic sob. Ho bent down before her, saying, with infinite tenderness, while his oyes weie full of tears : " Let me take ofF your wraps, Ruby, and make you comfortable, then I will leave you, it you wish.' Ho removed her heavy cloak, untied her sable bonnet, and laid ib aside, took off hor thick overshoe?, and then drew her chair clo&c beside the glowing grate. "Aro you comfortable now V" ho questioned, his heart beating with a sweet, fond hope, for she had let him wait upon her like a trusting child, and as if he had the right to do so. " Yes, thank you." " Can 1 do anything more before I go V" The sorrow ing girl shook her head. She could not speak, for his gentle kindness hud unnerved her, and two great teais, the lu>t that she had shed, Hashed out upon hoi silken lashes and rolled down her cheeks. Walter bent lower over hey, his heart aching for her " You will let me know— yon will send for me if I can be of any use at any time T lie pleaded. She looked up at him. Thci o was a world of tenderness in his face, and his eyes told her, as plainly as eyes could tell, how dearly he loved hor, and how" he longed to coinfoit heir. She broke down utterly then. lleichiny out her hand, she clasped tho one that ho had laid upon the arm of her chair and cried, helplessly : " Oh, Walter, how can I e\ev bear it and live?" That clinging touch, the appealing look and agonised tone were too much for the young man's selt- control. He was on his knees before her in an instant, and had drawn her into his arms and laid her head 115)011 his breast. *• My darling, how I long to comfort you ! Oh, if I could but shield you fvom all sorrow!" he mm mured, fondly. His tender tone, tho sense ot protection, of sympathy and love thus thrown around her," when she fell, so utterly desolate, opened the flood-gate* that had been so long closed, and she biu>t into astoimof tours. The young lover said not a word ; he did not attempUo soothe her, but held her close to him and let- her weep until all her wild giicf wib spent. Then ho laid her gently back in hor chair and stole softly ii-om the room. He found Jane in tho kitcheny and asked her for a cup of tea. She had just taktn one to Mr* Gordon, and coon had another ready for hi-nx if-) look it and returned to the p:\rlour. '• Will you drink this, liuby ?" heaski-d. " I know you need it." And, as it it were enough for him to bimply make the request, she drank ik " Now could you eat just a little- bit of something ?'' he pleaded, knowing how little she hail eaten during tho past week, and lon fin rf to see the colour come back to her wan cheek. She shook her head with a sad smile. He did not uigo it, for he saw that she could not ; but his heart was throbbing w ith a "Teat, new joy in spite of his sorrow tor her, foi the sweet, shy glance that she had lifted to him told him that she did not lesont his imnul^iw and almost unconscious, freedom ot a few moments ago. It almost told him that A\g owned and recognised his light to be her *poeicd comforter, from the fact of his own great love for her. He knew that thcio must be a verbal understanding between them very soon, but not |ust yet while she wu« so sorrowful ; it -would seem selfish and inconsiderate- to press her for any confo&bion or pledge at such a time. The shovt wintry day was drawing to a close ; darkness was settling about them, and with it the funereal gloom seemed to deepen in that quiet parlour. Waltei knew that he must not linger there longer, though he could not bear to leave the". almost heart-broken girl alone with her giicf. But ho had duties. He had become a teacher in one of the evening schools for drawing this winter, and was occupied three nights in the week. This was one ot them, and presently lie told Ruby that he must go. " You need rest, too," he said, tenderly ; "and you uill rest, will you not? Remember that you have taxed your strength \ciy severely" of late, and you will break down if you do not give yourself proper attention. Promise me that you will tiy to sloei) to-night." " Yes, I mil try," Ruby answered, feeling thai it was very pleasant to have him .so' thoughtful for her. " Tell me if I may come again soon ? he added, in a lower tone. "I know, of course, that you will not care to see visitors ao present; but, Ruby, you know that / must sec you again very soon. Hoy face Unshed crimson for an instant, for she knew what- he meant, and she was too truthful to pretend to misunderstand him ; so she simply murmured : " Yes, do come soon." Hi* handsome face lighted, and an expression of endearment trembled on his lips. But ho repressed it, and held out his hand to take leave of her. She arose, and laid her own within it, and as she did so gave him another quick, 1 shy glance that spoke volumes to him and sent°the blood bounding through his veins to the glad pulsations of his heart. lie hesitated a moment, then bent and touched her forehead lightly with his lipa, released hor hand with a lingering pressure, ; and then went away, knowing that he had won the heart of the beautiful girl who had been like a poem and an inspiration to him ; ever since ho iirsb met her on that bright summer day more than Iwo years before ; knowing, too, that when he should come to her again Ruby Gordon would tell him that 1 some time, when ho should foel it right to claim her, she would be his wifo. -