"Hoping you are in health, I remain, "Your obedient servant, "R. GREENWOOD." Ruth sat stunned. The bell rang, but she heeded not. Alice came up, but she took no notice of her anxious inquiries. Hearing of her condition, Harry Groombridge left the dinner-table and went to her. "She's had some shock; this letter doubtless! May I read it, Ruth?" he asked. The girl mutely assented. The young man glanced through the contents, and handed it to his mother, who had followed him. She read it, and they exchanged looks. Then Mrs. Groombridge took one of Ruth's cold hands in hers, and said: "Ruth, my dear girl, this letter is a hoax, I am persuaded, for you know John's brother is an unprincipled man. I think he has quarrelled with John, and then revenged himself by writing to you in this cruel way. I can't think John has gone so far wrong as to talk of you before his brother in such a manner. My impression is, that he was glad to get your letter, and left his brother, resolving to prove himself worthy of you yet." "That's about it," remarked Harry. Ruth gasped with a sense of relief. "Oh, if I could but think so; but then, why doesn't he write himself?" she said. "I can't say, but trust him a little longer, Ruth. When did his parents last hear from him?" "I don't know, ma'am. Lately I've felt I couldn't go there." "You shall run down to-night; or stay, you are not fit to go. Harry, will you go at once to Mrs. Greenwood, and ask her to bring John's last letters?" "With pleasure, mother." He soon returned with Mrs. Greenwood. "You've had a letter from Dick, my dear, that's upset you, so the young gentleman says. I hope he's all right, for it's long since we had a line, though we hear every other mail from John," she said. "Do tell me where he is, and what he is doing, for Dick says he is going to the bad fast, and I can't believe it," said Ruth. "That I'm sure he isn't," cried the mother; "he left the store to go with Dick, but he's gone back now, for he says it was a wild life that didn't suit him, and he got into a bad set; but he's doing well now, and living quiet and respectable, and tells us he has signed the pledge, and--and--but oh, my dear, I wasn't to tell you this; for he meant to write himself and tell you all about it, but you were so anxious, what could I do?" Ruth's eyes filled with happy tears. How abundantly her prayers were being answered she only found when she came to read John's letters! "I must wait patiently till he writes to me; but why doesn't he reply to my letter?" "Depend upon it, Ruth, he never had it, or he would at least have mentioned it when writing home. It must have fallen into his brother's hands," replied Mrs. Groombridge. "I don't believe Dick is as bad as that," said the mother, when Ruth's mistress had left the room.