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Taylor, Bayard, 1825-1878

"Beauty and the Beast, and Tales of Home"

You look so bright. How glad I am!"
"Is he not here?" David asked.
"No; but there he is now, surely!" She turned towards the lane,
where Jonathan was dismounting. "Why, it is yourself over again,
Jonathan!"
As they approached, a glance passed between the twins, and a secret
transfer of the riding-whip to David set their identity right with
Ruth, whose manner toward the latter innocently became shy with all
its friendliness, while her frank, familiar speech was given to
Jonathan, as was fitting. But David also took the latter to
himself, and when they left, Ruth had apparently forgotten that
there was any difference in the length of their acquaintance.
On their way homewards David said: "Father was right. We must
marry, like others, and Ruth is the wife for us,--I mean for
you, Jonathan. Yes, we must learn to say MINE and YOURS,
after all, when we speak of her."
"Even she cannot separate us, it seems," Jonathan answered. "We
must give her some sign, and that will also be a sign for others.
It will seem strange to divide ourselves; we can never learn it
properly; rather let us not think of marriage.


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