The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-12-04
A PLEASANT LOVE.

Maggie" he said one day, about eighteen
months after he gained his commission.
~Gues.s what it is"
They were walking along the green
Iancesof Perlock, listening to the ceaselesa
murmur of the sea, as, at intervals, they
had walked and listened ever since they
could remember, at any rate, tor she
was six years younger than her former
,playfellow.
"You are going to be promoted" she
said.
"Promoted, you little goosel No one
ever gets promoted in the British army.
Guess again" =.
You are going to marry an heiress." "
There was a Mmp'in Her throat as she
said it,
Wrong again. No inestimable young
person, with green eyes, turn-up nose,
susceptible heart, and fifty thousand q
year, has turned up YET. But it's some
thing nearly as good. I'm ordered to
China"
"Oh, AlicW she gasped, and burst
into tears. 1t was very foolish of her,
but then she was only sixteen, and had
net yet acquired the praiseworthy art
of cOuccaling her feelings.
why, whatever are you crying for?'
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,
perhaps, that it was nicer which It was,
no doubt. al shall be away five years,
at most, and when leone back I'll bring
you a pig tail and an ivory tooth-pick,
and a whole lots of thing, and
"Yes?' she said, listening atten'
lively.
"But then you'll be young woman
I forgot and out and all that sort of
thing, and won't condescend to speak to
q poor lieutenant; you will have all the
'squircs and fox-hunters about the place
at your feet
"Oh, no! indeed I shan't, Alic," she
said, eagerly.
"But tell you, you will. believe
you are born little firt, and shall
come back and find"
But she bust into tears again, and put
up her pretty little hands 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 a
bit, and she could have broken her heart
on the spot, and would have gladly done
80, and thrown the pieces away 50 as
never to be bothered with it again.
Then, seeing her mournful blue eyes, he
was merciful.
"I believe I shall come back and find
you Just as great little darling as you
are now, and if we've got any money,
we'll get married and live happily ever
after, and if we haven't, we'll get married
and starve ever after unless, of course,
the heiress turns up"
ooh, hope she WON'T said Maggie,
like truthful idiot. "Shall you ever
write to me Alic. dearT'
eyes, of course I 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 hopeful enough for let
ter, but ayear passed and none 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. And the
DAYS and the months went by, and Mag
gle journeyed into womanhood,, but no
word or sign came from Alic Granger,
and at length she gave him up alto
gether.
Maggie was twenty years when her
father died, and the creditors did pounce
down, and she and her mother sold out.
Mrs Dunlop was offered home in Lon
don by sister who was we'll off and
bad-tempered, and it was thankfully &C
cepted. Maggie was informed that she
must get her own living, which, being
precisely Maggie's own opinion, as well
as intention, she advertised for situa-
ton as governess. Now, Maggie had a
very modest idea of her own merits, and
therefore only asked for s25 year and
q comfortable home, 30 no less than i've
answers came to her announcement that
afle could teach English, French, music
and the rudiments of drawing.
One of these answers came from Wool.
wich. and stated that Mrs. Marshall re.
qulred governess for her three little
girls. Mrs. Marshall was a stif-necked
sort of a woman, and stared at poor little
Maggie (who looked almost as child-like
and twice as pretty as ever through
double gold glasses Col. Marshall, her
husband, was q nice old man with q
gray head and an iron-gray mustache,
and there was grown up daughter, q
Miss Patterson, Mrs. MarshalPs daughter
by her first husband, who was really the
mistress of the establishment, for Maria
Patterson had strong will, and she was
an heiress. -. -,
One evening, when Maggie had been
about year at Woolwich, and she was
sitting alone in her school-room as usual,
for her pupils had just said goodnight,
and been delivered up to the tender
mercies of their nurse, Miss Patterson
walked in very much dressed, and rather
flushed and excited. ., ...........
m