The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-06-15
BIBBs: A LOVE STORY.
CHAPTER I.


he didn't mean to stand IL any longer.
He didn't care if she was pretty, that
was no reason why she should let half
a dozen fellows hang about the shop, or
their elbows, chatter and smirk and
smile over the counter, cadets and Off
GERS too, wild young fellows, who only
did 50 for their own amusement, and
would no more think of marrying her
than they would of inviting her to the
ball shat was coming off next month. =
To be sure, he was only common cav
airy soldier, but then he had been in the
service a good many years now, had an
excellent character and a good trade at
his back, and moreover, his father had
died not long since, and there was the
cottage already for Jennie to walk into,
and they might settle down at once #
she'd only be sensible Jennie acted as
shop woman for her SISTER, Mrs. Evans
A very poor little shop it was, very small
and badly stocked, for Mrs. Evans had
only managed to get a few pounds worth
of things with what had been subscribed
for her in the garrison after the fever
had carried off her husband. The spec
ulation answered very well at first, for
many of the officers wives, knowing
what an industrious woman Mrs. Evans
was, made point of buying their tapes
and eottons and sticks of sealing wax of
her. Then Jennie's pretty face was seen
filled from morning till night with Off
GERS and frisky young cadets, and the
original customers took fight-though
Mrs. Evans did not know it, for she, be-
heving the business was safe in the keep
ing of Jennie, worked hard at the dress
making (she had three children to sup
port, and the shop alone would not do it, J
The officers were not profitable Gus
toners, for they only went to firt with
Jennie under the excuse of buying
penny paper, or perhaps asking for n
time table. Jennie made the most trim
and pretty and obliging of the shop
women, and the place itself was always
a pattern OF neatness but the officers
wives did not care to go and buy their
threads where they were evidently inter
continued to fall off, and Mrs. Evans
began to be quite uneasy about it. Jen-
ME, pretty, kind hearted thoughtless
Jennie, had no idea she had anything
to do with it, or she would have sent
every one Of her admirers off. at pace
that would have astonished them. She
had been only too delighted, after her
brother in-law died, to come from Dew
onshire and because she had wished
many times to see John Weare again.
She had made his acquaintance when
her brother and he-for they had been
in the same regiment-were stationed at
Plymouth, and she had paid them a
flying visit with her father. John had
told her that he was tired of the service,
and wanted to settle down, and she il
wardiy thought that he could not do
better than ask her to settle with him.
He had been very attentive when she
came to Woolwich, and gradual Y estab-
ished himself on the footing of lover,
till he found the shop always filled with
officers and cadets. At first he was shy
of appearing before his superiors, then
he got jealous, and at last angry, for he
felt and knew that they meant her no
good, and besides it was doing real in
jury to the business of the shop. At
last he spoke his mind, and told the CO.
quetish Jennie what he thought, and
was snubbed for his pains.
eff you think I don't know how to
take care of myself, Mr.. Weare, you are
much mistaken, and I don't want any
one to tell me what's right or wrong. I
know my duty
swell, Miss Jennie, l don't mean to
do you offense, I only told you what I
heard"
''Then you might have kept your
thoughts to yourself" she said with
little toss of her pretty head" unless
they were nice ones," she added. He
heard the aside and picked up his cour-
age.
s'It's awfully hard, too, when one that
cares for you really can't get near you,
he added.
Just then Jennie caught sight of Cap
tain McGce, tall and handsome man,
with long whiskers and red nose, COM
ing in the direction of the shop, with a
big bunch Of flowers in his hand. She
heard John Weare's last words, but she
was secretly of the opinion that che
ought to have come up to the scratch
before y SO she thought little jealousy
might do him good.
90! here comes Capt. McGee," she
said, in delighted tone.
"Well, he's just the biggest black-leg
in the service, Jennie, and If you take
nv advice, you'll send him off sharp"
.sI belieYe you are jealous, Mr.. Weare.
and telling stories abont the Captain !;
he's always very polite to, !" and smooth
ed her pretty hair she arranged the
tri1es on the counter.
ssOh, he's polite enough, no doubt. !"
ssAnd hes bringingme some flowers. .
'Now look here, Jennie, are you go
ing 70 take them ?'
ssOs course I am."
"Well, then, goodbye