The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-03-16

But she caught my sleeve.
"Dinna be vexed, she said. "Just
bido wee, and answer what speer.
It's for the love of you, for I've seen
We waste like the snaw-w wreath in tho
sun sin the squire wooed We. Was it
your will the lad that loved the earth
ye trod on should have his ring
again p
"What do you mean ?" said |.
an speek gin ! lose my place, said
Jennie 81 rode with the mistress to
the doctors house past the moor. and
there she lighted and gave him ring
and what she said / know not, but it
turned him the tint o death, and saws
he: There's ma q drop O true bluid
in woman, gin she is false. An he
turned to the wa and covered his eyes.
an your grannie rode home. There,
It's all / ken; will il do?"
"Aye, Jennie" said /; God bless
you'll"
And had I wings on my feet, could
not have come to the cottage door
sooner.
l stood before my grandmother
trembling and whia nd said /:
"Oh, don't tell ne, grannie, You
have cheated me ard robbed me OF my
true love by lie. Did you steal the
troth ring from my neck and give it
back to Evan, as if from me? You
I've loved and honered my life long.
I'd rather die than think it."
She turned scarlet.
"True love 2" said she. you've
but one true love now-Squire Turn
CT"
you have done i'll" 1 cried. cts
written on your face"
And she looked down at that, and
fell to weeping.
my own old true love was break
ing his heart, she said. "My hus-
band I'd loved for fifty years. 1 did
it to save him. Could [ let a girls
fancy worth nothing stand in the way,
and see him beggar in his age? Oh
girl-girl r
And then l fell down at her feet like
stone. | knew nothing for an hour
or more; but then when was better,
and they left me with Jennie, | babe
her fetch my hood and cloak, and her
own, and come with me, and away
went across the moor in the starlight,
to where the Hall windows were alb
laze with light, and asked the house
keeper to let me see the squire.
She stared at me for my boldness-
no WONDERFUL called him. SO in q
moment he stood before me in his
evening dress, with his checks flushed
and his eyes bright, and led me into a
little room and seated me.
Agatha, my love, l hope DO mis-
chance brings you here" he began.
But | stopped him.
Not your love, Squire Turner"
said. Il thank you for thinking SO
well of me; but even after all that has
passed, Ia
1 could say no more. He took my
hand
Have I offended you, Agatha ?" he
said
MOI you. Inc onence-the guilt
oh, L have been sorely cheated 7"
and all | could do was to sob, and l
think he thought me mad.
AT last strength came to me. l
went back to the first and told him all
how we had been pli9hted to each
other, waiting only for better pros
poets to be wed, and how, when he
honored me by the offer of his hand,
fingered my grandparents by owning
to the truth, and of the ring grannie
had stolen from my breast, and the
false message that had sent my prom
ised husband from me. "And though
L never see Evan Locke again, said /,
still | can never be another mans
true love, for / am his until / die"
Then, as | looked, all the rich color
faded out OF the Squire's face, and /
saw the sight we seldom sec more
than once in a life-time-a strong
young man in tears.
At last he arose and came to me.
"My little Agatha never loved me-
he said. "Ah mel The news is bad;
l thought she did. This comes of
vanity"
"Alany higher and fairer have
hearts to give" l said. mine was
gone ere you saw me.
And then, kind and gentle as though
/ had not grieved him, he gave me his
arm and saw me home across the
moor, and at the gate paused and
whispered:
BE at rest, Agatha. The good
ship Golden George has not set sails
yet
l liked him b~',tar than / had ever
done before that night when L told
grannie that | would never wed him.
Eth but he was tit to be king
the grandest, kindest, best of living
men; who rode away with the break
of the morrow and never stopped I'M
til he gained Liverpool and found
Evan Locke just ready to set foot up
on the Golden George" and told
him tale that made his heart light
and sent him back to me. But our
young Squire? God bless him
And who was it that sent old grand
father the deed OF gift that made the
cottage his own, and who spoke kind
word to the gentry for young Doctor
Locke that hepled him into practice
Still no one but Squire Turner, whom