Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-06-27
But l stopped him.

Oub SSOpPCO illAAs
Not your love, Squire Turner said.
4 thank you for thinking so well of me,
but even after all that had passed, -
could say no more. He took my hand.
Have offended you, Agatha?' p he said.
Not you. The offense-the gult-oh,
have been sorely cheatedr and all
could do was to sob and think he thought
me mad. At last strength came to me. 1
went back to the first and told him all
how we had been plighted to each other,
waiting only for better prospects to be
wed, and how, when he honored me by
the offer of his hand, Iangered my grand
parents by owning to the truth, and of
the ring grannie had stolen from my
breast, and the false message that had
been sent my promised husband from me.
'And though never see Evan Locke
again, said I, still can never be anoth-
er mans true love, for 1 am his until
die
Then, as [ looked, the rich color faded
out of the Squire's face, and I saw the
sight we seldom see more than once in a
lifetime-a strong young man in tears.
At last he arose and came to me-
My little Agatha never loved me- he
said. All, me! The news is bad-I
thought she did. This comes of vanity
Many higher and fairer have hearts
to give, said Mine has gone ere you
saw me-
And then, kind and gentle as though I
had not grieved him, he gave me his arm
and saw me across the moore, and at the
gate paused and whispered:
BE at rest, Agatha. The Canadian
ship, Golden George has not sailed yet
liked him better than had ever done
before that night when l told grannie
that I would never wed him.
Eh! but he was fit to be king-the
grandest, kindest, best of living men :;
who rode away with the break of the
morrow and never stopped till he reached
Liverpool and found Evan Locke just
ready to set foot upon the Golden George,
and told him tale that made .shis heart
light and sent him back to me, but our
young Squire? Heaven bless him!
And who was it that sent old grand
father the deed of gift that made the cot
tage his own, and who spoke kind word
to the gentry for young DIR. Locke that
helped him into practice? Still no one
but Squire Turner, whom we taught our
children to pray for every night. For we
were married, and in a few years had bows
and girls at our knees; and when the eld-
est was nigh two, the thingI needed to
make me quite happy happened-and from
far over the sea, where he had been three
good twelvemonths, came our Squire,
with the bonniest lady that ever blushed
beside him, and the hall had a mistress at
last-and mistress who loved the Squire
as loved Evan.
| Eh! but it's an old story. She, that 1
remembered girl, saw in her coffin,
withered and old. And then they opened
the vault where the Squire had slept ten
| years to put her beside him; and I've
nothing left of Evan, my life and my love,
but his memory, and it seems as if every
hope and dream of joy l ever had were
put away under tombstones. And even
the Golden George, the great strong ship
that would have borne my dear from me,
has mouldered away from the bottom of
the sea somewhere. And 1 think nv we'd
ding-ring is like to outIast us all. for
have it yet, and L shall be ninety to-mor-
| row.
Ninety! Its good old age, and it can't
be long now before meet Evan and the
rest in heaven.