The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-26

L opened my lips Observation-Disclosures nahu
covered them. Grandpa drew me to him.
'Thou art young, lass" he said, "and they
are right who call thee pretty. Say, could'st
like the squire well enough to wed himr'
"Eh?' cried grandma. "Sure, you're notwan-
| dering?" l,s-.
| ours tonight OF all women in the world
| there is but one he loves as ne should his
wife, and that is our Agatha"
/ 81 dreamt of golden rings and bunch OF
white roses on Christmas eve" cried gran
ME. ''I knew the lass would be lucky"
But put my head on grandfather's shoul-
| der and hid my face. The truth must out, L
knew.
s.Wllt have him, and be a rich lady?" said
| grandpa.
And when he had waited for an answer, |
burst out with mo" and sob together.
"She's frightened" said grandmamma-
''Nay, we must all wed once in our lives, my
| child"
Then grandpapa talked to me. He told me
| how poor they bad grown, and how kind the
| squire was, and had but to marry him to
make my grandparents free from debt and
| poverty their lives through. III | refused and
| vexed the squire, heaven only knew what
i might happen.
| shell never ruin her poor grandpapa,
sobbed grandmamma.
Ahl it was hard to bear-bitter hard; but
now there was no help for it. l took the
ring from my bosom and laid it in my palm,
\ and told them ii was Evan Locke's, and that
l had plighted my troth to him. And
grandmamma called me deceittul wench,
and grandfather looked as though his heart
i would break.
| Oh, would have done anything for them,
/ anything but give up my true love-
/ That night / kissed his ring and prayed
| heaven that he might love me always. 10
| the morning il was gone, ribbon and all,
| from my neck. / looked for 1T high anu
/ low, but found no sign of it. And began
! to fear the loss of the dear ring was sign
| that would never marry Evan Locke. The
days passed on, and he never came near me.
"Oh, it was cruel in him." l thought, Ito
hold such anger for a hasy word he had
| provoked, when L spoke it that he must know
| loved him So"
And grandma would scarcely look at me
| I know why now, and grandpa sighed and
| moaned and talked of the workhouse. And
| thought / should die of grief among them.
One day grandma said to me, ut seems
| that your sweetheart is not over fond of you,
nor over anxious to see you"
'Wby not?' said l.
sWhere has he been this month back?'
BUSY, doubtless" said 1, with a smile,
though thought my heart would burst.
Perhaps you know all about it, said
grandma. "You are going with him, may
be-"
sWhere?' said l.
She went to the kitchen door and beck
oned in a woman who sat there-Dame
Coombs who had come over with eggs.
81 heard you rightly" she said. You told
me Evan Locke and his mother were making
ready for voyage"
They're going to Canada My son, a car
penter-and a good one, though l say it
made the doctor a box for his things. The
old lady breads the new country, but she
e. Il a NV
to be made there, they say. That's what
takes him."
'I told you So" said grandmother.
Il don't believe 1t" said /.
They've sold the home, and gone to Liv-
erpool to take ship; and you may find the
truth for yourself if you choose to take the
the trouble" SAID Dame Coombs. Pm no
chatterbox, to tell falsehoods about my
neighbors.r And she went away in wrath.
And still / would not believe it until had
walked across the moor and bad seen the
shutters fast closed and the door barred and
not a sign of life about the place. Then
gave up hope | went home all pale and
trembling, and sat down at grandmamma's
| knee.
Its true" said 1.
"And for the sake of so false lad you'll
see your grandfather ruined and break bis
heart, and leave me, that have nursed you
from babe, a widow"
strength to say:
Give me to whom y0n will, then, since
my own love does not want me-"
And then | crept up stairs and sat down
on my bedside, weak as though had tainted.
/ would have thanked heaven for forgetful-
ness just then, but it wouldn't come.
The next day Squire Turner was in the
parlor as my accepted lover. How pleased
he was, and how the color came back into
grandfather's old facel And grannie grew
so proud and kind, and all the house was
aglow, and only l sad ButI couldn't forget
Evan-Evan whom L had loved so-sailing
away from me without word.
/ suppose they all saw looked sad. The
squire talked of my health, and would make
me ride with him over the moors for
strength.
The old folk said nothing They knew
what aIled me; only our little Scotch maid
seemed to think there was aught wrong.
Once she said to me:
What ails ye, miss? Your eye is dull and
your cheek is pale, and your Draw grand
lover canine make ye smile; ye are ma that
i'll either"
mo, I'm well enough" said L.
She looked at me wistfully.
"Gln ye'd tell me your all, / might tell
you cure" she said
But there was no cure for me in this world
and l couldn't open my heart to simple
Jennie. So the days rolled by, and L was
close on my marriage eve, and grannie and
Dorthy Plume were busy with my wedding
robes. L wished it my shroud they
were working at instead.
And one night the pain in my heart grew
too great, and went out among the purple
heather on the moor, and there knelt down
under the stars and prayed to be taken from
the world; ''for how can live without
| Evan?' 1 said.
spoke the words aloud, and then started
upin alright, for there at my side was al
elfish little figure, and heard a cry thai
at first scarce thought earthly. Yet it was
but Scotch Jennie, who had followed me.
why do ye call for your true love now?''
she said; -'ye sent him fra ye for sake o. the
young squire"
"How dare you follow and watch me?''
But she caught my sieve.
"Dinna be vexed," she SAID. Just bide
a vice. and answer what | speer. It's for
love of you, for I've seen ye waste like the
snaw wreath i'm the sun sint squire wooed
We. Was il your will the lad that loved the
ground ye trod on should have his ring