Stevens County tribune., 1877-06-21
WITHOUT A PIGTAIL.
CHAPTER T


Maggie he said, one day, about eighteen
months after he had gained his commits
sion. "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 years younger than her former play
fellow.
You are going to be promoted" she
said.
Promoted, you little goose! No one
ever gets promoted in the British army
Guess again"
"You are going to marry an heiress."
There was lump in her throat as she
said it.
Wrong again. No inestimable young
person with green eyes, turn-up nose,
susceptible heart, and fifty thousand a
year, has turned up yet. But it's some
thing 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 &C
quired the praiseworthy art of concealing
her feelings.
why, what are you crying for2"
he 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 the cat, excepting per-
maps that it was nicer-which it was, no
doubt. "I shall only be away five years
at most, and when come back I'll bring
you pigtail and an ivory toothpick, and
whole lot of things, and -
"Yes?" she said listening attentively.
"But then you'll be a young woman-I
forgot-and out and all that sort of
thing, and won't condescend to speak to a
poor lieutenant; you will have all the
squires and fox-hunters about the place
1t your feet"
"Oh, no, indeed l shan't, Alic,' she
said, eagerly.
But tell you, you will, I believe
you are born little f1irt, and l shall
come back and find you"-
But she 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 SO cruel of him to laugh
and joke when he was going away for
five years He did not seem to care
bit. and she could have broken her heart
on the spot, and would have gladly done
so, and thrown the pieces away so as
never to be bothered with it again. Then,
seeing her mournful blue eyes, he was
merciful.
Il believe 1 shall come back and find
YOU lust as great a little darling as you
we'll get married and live happy ever
after, and if we haven't we'll get married
and starve ever after-unless, of course,
the heiress turns up"
"Oh, hope she WON'T" said Maggie,
like truthful little idiot. "Shall you
ever write to me, Alic, dear?"
g Yes, of course l shall, and shall ex-
pect 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 a
letter, but six months passed and none
came. perhaps it takes longer for let
ter to get here from China" she thought,
knowing as little about the means of
of transit and the time it took as if the
Celestial city had been in the moon. But
a year passed and no letter came.
perhaps he's ill, or it's miscarried,"
she said tearfully, half wondering if it
could be possible that Chinese heiress
had turned up, and that Was the real
reason of Alic's silence. Two years passed
and never a word. ats too bad" she
said bitterly, and wondered ruefully if he
really had married wife with pigtail.
And the days and the months went by,
ard -Assggiee iiessttssssEeyed on into woman
hood, but no sign came from Alic Granger.