The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-04-08

He put it in his pocket and went
on, intending to oyertake Wayland
ard give him his lost trinket. But
by dint of fast walking, maybe,
George was out of sight And on
the morrow one of the hands gave
him pencil note from Wayland:
1--WE little business to attend to
further down for week or so. Keep
things going on Back as soon as
can. G.. W."
Then, when Jim started off on his
days work, it suddenly occurred to
him that. as George would be away
probably more than a week, he would
send his cross home for a week for
safe-keeping. He knocked around
so among the machinery, that it
might get broken or lost, aud he knew
George priced it highly. So-the
fates willed it that be had no time to
write note-he thrust into an en-.
velope lying on Georges desk, al,
ready directed to Maggie. and sent il
on an ill-omened message, ali uncon-
scious of the mischief he was brew
ina by the act
The long Winter passed away
somehow or other, but Maggie Car
roll hardly knew 1t was enough
for her she had been very wretched
and unutterably miserable since
day, months past, when, without q
word of warning she had received
from George Wayland the cross he
had solemnly sworE to always wear
( for her sake.
Ned Morrison, too, had seemed so
delighted when be learned-how
such pitiful feats do leak out-that it
was all over with Maggie and George,
and full of pomposity and self-impor-
tance over his inheritance, had tor
mented Maggie half crazy to accept
him.
And now when even his dull head
had been made to know it was i'm
possible, and be had transferred his at
tentions and affections to Amy Har-
row, he was to be married and
George Wayland and Jim Carroll
were coming home on the same
night.
Now it was sundown, and in an
hour they would meet, for George was
obliged to see Maggie's father on
business at the earliest moment.
And so she dressed in the self-same
suit she had worn that night George
had tied the velvet around her neck,
dark, claret-silk dress, and in q
painful memory Of that dear past,
fastened the cross in its old place.
George Wayland should see she had
kept her word if he had not. She
would let him know that though
carelessness lost her hers, still she
would be true to him no matter how
false he was TO her. And SO when
her father called her down from her
room, she went with slow listless
footsteps, and wildly throbbing heart
that would not be still, to meet the
man she loved so dearly, the man
who had ceased to regard her al
most as soon as he was out of her
presence
She had heard his voice so round
and full, and so sweet to her hungry
ears, before the door that stood ajar.
Ned Morrison to be married tonight
to little Amy Harrows! Why /
thought" and that very moment
Maggie walked quietly in, her face
pale as death, her blue eyes burning
like stars.
George, / am glad to see you.
How do you do ?"
She extended her hand and looked
him frankly in the face. And why
should she not? Maggie had natu-
rally supposed that he would have
been perfectly careless, utterly indif
ferent, and here he was actually
trembling like man with an ague.
Had he been conscious smitten at
sight of her loyalty faunted so open
ly in the very face of his treachery ?
Yes Maggie was deciding, "it was
the cross that made" and then
Georges voice, this time low, intense,
addressed her:
Maggie, can you explain away
this sickening mystery! | find to
nv utter Decentralization, that Ned is
to be married, and not TO you. Aud
vet the cross came to me in his hand
writing.
All over Maggie's face famed the
red surges. Her lost treasure found
by Ned Morrison, and sent,-oh, so
maliciously to George Wayland.
And then a giddy, binding rush of
happiness almost choked her.
20, George! I lost it somehow,
somewhere. ] never knew. Do you
think, really, Icould have been So
So"
Her tears swelling thick and fast
almost choked her.
"But this cross, Maggie, that you
have on ?'
at came in a blank letter one day,
two or three weeks after / lost mine,
and / supposed you wanted to get
rid of me. You know what you
said"
Wayland looked thunderstricken.
II have mine at this moment /
have been true as steel See!"
He threw back his overcoat; there
was the tiny cross attached to his
watchain.
"Oh George y
Maggie, my own darling!n
1t was utterly incomprehensible to
them, but they loved each other, and
what did they care?
That evening, when all the family,
with the two guests, were sitting
around the fire, Jim Carroll asked
Maggie if she ever received the little
cross he sent her, and then it was as
plain as sunshine, although none of
them ever knew of Ned Morrison's
theft, nor in their new blissful happi-
ness did they care.
JUDGE BRowN has just rendered
decision in sewing-machine case
of interest to thousands of poor girls
who pay for their machines in small