Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-08-12

wedding outfit for you.'
eff he only comes back p said Mag.
gle, and went ont of the door, leaving
the ribbon still in the hand of Mr.. Nc
Graw-a meditative, softened, altogether
changed expression upon his face.
"a most remarkable coincidence!' he
repeated to himself. "This accounts fol-
the interest I've taken in that girl from
the start. A queer freak of destiny has
thrown us together, and here we both
hang upon the fate of this sailor. don't
suppose he's worthy of her. No doubt
he's n rough, common, abusive brute;
but he's young"--here Mr.. McGraw
gave vent to grunt that was meant for
a sigh" and, I suppose, after his low
fashion, good looking" Here Mr.. Nc
Graw kicked over the ottoman that OBJ
structed his way, put the blue ribbon in
his vest pocket, drew chair to the win
dow, filed his pipe, and looking out up
on a triangular bit of the western sky
fell into q profound reverie.
The next morning Maggie was at her
old post at the attic window. Mr.. Nc
Graw was also rattling at his blinds; but
he looked fully as often up at Maggie as
! IL,
and was quite jocular and smiling for a
man OF his nervous temperament.
"Any more signs, Maggie?" he said,
almost dislocating his neck to get good
look at her pretty fnce.
Maggie shook her head, and smiled
mournfully. Y Is 1852. ~
II dreamed: Of white horses, sir, and
mother says it's bad sign.
"Your mother is always f. Here
the postman stopped at the door, and
nobody will ever know whether Mr.. Nc
Graw meant to call his landlady a fine
woman or fool, for all further CONVEX
sation was stopped by the coming Of the
long-looked-for letters. There was one
for Maggie, and one for Nh. McGraw.
Maggie had run down to the door, taken
both letters, and fed up stairs again.
! Her hand was trembling and cold as she
put the letter in Mr.. NIcGraw's hand.
''1'n afraid to open nline," she said;
cts in strange handwriting" Mr..
McGraw watched her disappear, then
tore open his own envelope without a
tremor. At the first sentence, however,
Mr.. McGraw started, and put his spec
tacles tirmer upon his nose, and by the
time he had read the missive half
through, his face had become the index
Of many conflicting emotions. All at
once there was heavy thump upon the
| floor of the room above.
"My God! said Mr.. McGraw, "she's
got the news already. And rushing out
Of the room and up the stairs as fast as
his rather equity legs could cary him, he
saw the poor girl stretched lifeless II pom
| the floor, the fatal letter crumpled in
her hand. Then he pounded in right
good earnest; and being man of action,
had proper restoratives used. doctor
brought, and after time poor Maggie
YEARLY opened her eyes. The moment
she saw Mr.. NIcGraw she screamed and
tainted again.
"Im bitter reminder Of her loss"
said Mr.. McGraw. The doctor and
Maggie's mother looked at him inquir-
ingly, wondering how Mr.. McGraw could
remind Maggie of the drowning of her
lover. But MI. McGraw did not explain;
he merely stepped aside when Maggie
opened her eyes again. After her first
long, sobbing breath, her first words
were for Mr.. McGraw
"Where is he ?" she said. "Let him
come to me. He has lost his money,
and I have lost" Here the words froze
on her lips, and she held out her hands
to Mr.. McGraw, who had reached the
couch upon which they had lifted her.
She put her arms around his neck and
sobbed there like little child. Mr..
McGraw had lived lonely bachelors
life; his Hth and kin were far away
This was new experience to him
new and strangely sweet. For years
and years the fragrant breath of wo-
man had not touched his lips. His eyes
were wet and blurred; a queer choking
sensation arose in his throat; his voice
was husky as he blurted out some con-
soling words.
"He can never come back to speak fol
you," said poor Maggie. "You have
lost all your money. I'm very sorry
for you, Mr.. McGraw.''
She meant she was sorry for herself,
but the poor child craved companion.
ship in her grief. - ~ !.
Heaven knows she got it from Mr.. Nc
Graw. From this time out he became
devoted to the duty of assuaging the
grief Of the bereaved girl. He filled his
pockets with bonbons, and ribbons, and
the various gewgaws he thought would
soften the affection of girl of twenty,
and failing with those, sought to dis
tract her by junketing to parks and
promenades end shows, and finding these
were distasteful to her, at last yielded to
her desire to go down to the wharves
where the big ships lay. Here theysp
hour after hour, Mr.: McGraw content to
hold one of her hands in his, while the
other lay idly in her lap, and her eyes
went wistfully wandering out over the
water, till the shadows grew longer and
longer, and the day was done. Then he
would say, gently, "Come Maggie, .
and she would obey in sweet, dutifll]
fashion, lifting her face to his, full Of
some sort of affection-he didn't stop tc
consider what it was; but Maggie knew
that she owed this luxury of melancholy
!, entirely to Mr.. McGraw. He had coaxed
her mother into giving over Maggie
ordinary druggery to other hands, sc
that she could have the comfort of nurs
|. ing her grief under the auspices of Mr.
McGraw. His landlady had, indeed
needed very little persuasion, and me
his entreaties half way. Mr.. McGrav
AosAAASA A4oU4AAAS5 u40CuSCC4u4 III
solcitude, having for years parried TIL
thlusts and caterings Of anxious mother
in behalf Of their portionless daughters
! the more so as it furthered his own hap
piness, and rendered him more and NOR
comfortable as time went by.
Now that the hot surumer was gone
and the stormy winds of winter began t
blow, the old brick lodgings were not g.
> gloomy. The obliquely visioned an
, cestor had been taken from the wall; tn
horsehair furniture covered with ga;
chintz; the rusty CRATE was rubbed int
a rubicund brightness, and therein tn
Goals blazed generously. There was n
stint in the maternal blessings showere'
upon this Slodger, and Mr.. McGraw 70
the. first time appreciated his dealing
with commercial woman, who was will
ing to spend money when there was con
: siderable to be made by it. This excel
lent woman even endeavored to put 81
air of smartness into Maggie's wardrobe
and garnished her cloak with o crimson
trimming. Maggie wore the cloak. bu