The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-06-13
WITHOUT A PlGTAIL.
The Story of a Pleasant Love.
CHAPTER l.


CHAPTER I.
Il have got some news for you, Maggie"
he said, one day, about eighteen months after
he had gained his commission. "Guess what
it is"
They were walking along the green lanes Of
Porlock listening to the ceaseleSs murmur Of
the sea. as at Intervals they had walked and
listened ever since they could remember, or
ever since Maggie could remember, at any rate,
FOR she was six wears Younger than her former
playfellow.
&. Iou are going to be promoted" she said.
"prCmoted, YOU little goose No ono ever
gets promoted in the British army. Guess
again
"Youare going to marry an hcircss."
There was 4 lump i'll her throat as She
said it.
Wrong again. No inestimable young per-
son with green eyes, a turn-up nose, suscepti-
be heart. and fifty thousand year. has turned
uD set. But it is something nearly as good.
I'm ordered to China -
"Oh Alic she gasped, and burst into tears.
1t was very foolish Of her, but then she WAS
only sixteen, and had not yet acquired the
praiseworthy art Of concealing her feelings,
- Why. whatever are you crying for = ne
asked and kissed away her tears. He'd kissed
her ever since she was five, and thought no
more of It than if she had been his sister, or
cat. excepting perhaps that it was nicer
which it was, no doubt. Il shall only be
away five years at most, and when come back
Il! bring you pigtai and an ivory toothplck,
and Whole lot of things, and y
Yes :" she said, listening attentively.
Bat then youl>be young woman--l for
cot and ont. and all that sort of thing, and
wont rondeScend to speak to poor lleuten-
ant YOU will have all the squires and fox
lun!,rs about the place at your feet:
"U! no, indeed I shan't Alic," size said,
eagerly: 49,, ,,.r.,ouo
q bern little tlirt, and l shall come back and
find you -
But shc burst into tears again, and put up
her pretty little hand as if to stop his teasing.
which she could not bear just then. 1t seemed
80 cruel Of him to laugh and joke when he was
going away for five years. He did not seem to
care Il bit, and she could have broken her heart
on the spot. ard would have gladly done so,
and thrown the pieces away so rs never to be
bothered with it again. Then, seeing her
mournrul blue eyes, he was merciful.
Il believe shall come back and find you
Just as great little darling as you are now.
and If We have got any money we'll get married
and live happy ever after, and if we haven't
wen get married and starve ever after-unesS,
of course the heiress turns up.
.:Oh, hope she won't '" said Maggie, like
truthful little idiot. 'Shall You ever write to
me, Aic dearI"
.'Yes. of course shall, and l shall expect
you to write back six pages crossed, and all
that sort of thing, you know.
So Alic Granger went TO China, and Maggie
waited hopefully enough for letter, but six
months passed and none came. 'fcrhaps it
takes longer fora letter to get here from China,
she thOrght knowing as little about the mcails
of transit and the time it took as if the Celes-
tial city had been in the moon. But Year
passed and no letter came.
..Perhaps he's i'll, or its miscanied, she
said tcarfully. half wondering if it could be
possible that Chinese heiress had turned up,
and that WAS the real reason of Allcs silence.
Two years passed, and nevera word. 1t : too
bad. she said bitterly. and wondered ruefully
if he really had married wife with plgtail.
And the days and the months went by, and
Maggie journeyed Oh into womanhood, but no
word or sign came from Ac Granger, and at
last she gave him up altogether.
CHAPTER Ii.
Maggie was twenty years old when her father
died, and the creditors did pounce down.
and she and her mother were sold out. Mrs
Dunlop was offered home in London by sis
ter who was well off and bad tempered, and it
was thankfully accepted. Maggie was Informed
that she must get her Own living. which being
precisely MagSie's own opinion as well as In
tention, she advertised for d situation as gov
crness. Now, Maggie had q very modest idea
of her own merits, and therefore only asked for
twenty-five pounds q year and comfortable
home, so no less than five answers came to her
announcement that she could teach English.
French music and tho rudiments of drawing.
One of these answers came from Woolwich.
and stated that Mrs. Marshall required
gorerneSs for her three little girls.
Mr.. Marshall was a stiffnccked sort Of woman,
and stared az poor little Maggie (who looked al
most as childlke and twice as pretty as cvcr)
through double gold glasses. Colonel Mar
SHALL her husband was 4 nice old man, with 4
bald head and an iron gray 1nustacle, and there
was grown up daughter, Miss Patterson,
Mrs Marshall's daughter by her first husband,
who was really the mistress Of the establish
ment, for Maria Patterson had stiDng will,
and she was an heiress. "A very nasty
heiress too. poor Maggie thought, and she Was
right for Maria was skinny, and thought her
self sarcastic. and always said nasty tlIinSs to
people who did not dare say them back again.
One evening, when Maggie had been about
a year at Woolwch, and she vas sitting alone
in her school-room as usual, .or her pupils had
just said goodnight and been delivered mp to
the tender mercies Of their nurse, Miss Pattcr-
son walked il very much dressed, ard rather
flushed and excited.
.sAIiss DunloD," she said wc shall have 4
few friends this evening, and know one or
two Of them like an impromptu dance: will you
be ready to come into the drawinS-rOom and
play. if we should want youY'
II fear cannot play dance music very well:
never keep time" said Maggie.
Yes feared so, and thought would come
and tell you, SO that you might practice for
an hour or two till after dinner" and she sailed
ont of the room, evidently considering The
matter settled and Maggie meckly proceeded
to practice the Mabel Waltz and tho Flick and
Flock Galop. Then she put on her shabby
e, 0f
flowers into hrr golden hair, and waited pa
tiently for summons, hoping she would wait
in vain. Il very soon came, and with roll OF
music under her arm, q flush Oh her innocent
frightened face, and scared, almost hunted.
expression in her eyes, she descended, ana
timidly opened the drawing-room door, and
there stood still for moment staring III as
tonishment at the scene before her. There sat
the hciress with all eager, pleased expression on
her face. and leaning over her, talking and
laughing. and more handsome than ever, and
. s,Inburnt and soldierly looking, was Alic
Granger. There was no mistaking him. The
color rushed to Maggie's face, as if to say 4
hurried goodbye, and then left it altogether.
She recovered her elf.possession. however,
and walked with what she fattered herself was
great dignity toward the piano. She felt rather
than saw him raise his head and look at her, and
the next moment he was by her side.
..AIaggie-my dear Maggie! Why, fancy
You being here where dld You come from
have been trying to find You out for months.
Il thought you - And then she did not
know how to so on, so added, almost piteously:
"I am the governess here"
"Arc you? Oh, see, then, that is the rea-
son I've not seen yon before, I suppose"
do you really know Miss Dunlop" the
heress asked, coming up, and speaking in her
coolest manner.
Maggie wished sincerely she could sink into
her shoes and bury herself.
D. "Why, of course do; we have been play
fellows ever since We were born-haven't We,
NJ ggie?'
And Maggie, feeling she was being backed