The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-04-30

seemed to understand how matters
stood, although 1 had never preached
the subject to him. In fact, it was pres
entity as well-known in the village that l
intended to marry Peggy Giles as if /
had published the bans at Crumble
Church. erE
Three weeks passed, and was more
in love with Peggy than ever. had
made up my mind to marry her; but l
had no idea precisely when, and was
therefore very much surprised when
she asked me one day if my father was
aware of my intention. / replied that
l had not yet told him anything about
it; and l was sorely worried to think
how should ever be able to do SO. And
from that moment my love for Peggy
commenced to be trouble to me as
well as pleasure.
l was sketching, and Peggy was sit
ting beside me, when the conversation
just alluded to took place. l had man.
aged to meet her in the park that day,
having heard uncle say at breakfast
that he intended to drive over to Crum-
BILE to see Giles, the bootmaker, and not
wishing to excite his suspicious by meet
ing him there again, if l had hitherto
been fortunate enough not to have done
so. Peggy was very late, SO 1 set to
work again at the sketch which had
been left SO long unfinished l did not
expect to see her that day, it was so
late; but at length she came. She told
me that she could not stay long with
me, and babe me go on with my work. l
promised to give her the sketch If
she would wait till / had finished
it. After the conversation l have re-
corded, however, continued it, as had
commenced it, with the intention of pre-
senting it to my uncle. At any rate,
Peggy did not wait, for she rose to go
in less than twenty minutes. / accom-
panied her only to the end of the park.
wished her good-by, and was going to
kiss her, when she said that there was
somebody coming; and with that she
snatched her hand out of mine and was
gone. looked down the road and saw
q lady, tall and erect, walking up the
hill. She carried her umbrella like a
soldier carries his gun; and, as she adj
vanced, l recognized my military cous-
in. rl tl4
returned to my sketch, and was bus
lily at work when Cousin Tabitha en-
tered the park. She halted in front Of
me.
"It's you," she said, sis ftp"
l could not make out what she meant |;
but l turned very red as answered.
,"Yes, cousin Tabitha. I'm just fin
ishing-"
"Haven't you finished that sketch
yetp Well, little man, you're sitting
near very unlucky spot, let me tell
you. Your uncle lost diamond pin
there" and she pointed with her UNI
brella to our trysting-tree. 81 say"
she continued, after pause, 'you've
been up to your tricks again, l see."
"What tricks, Cousin Tabitha?"
"You know" she replied; and she
shouldered her umbrella and marched
away, leaving me to brood over my
doubts and fears. s.. -....
As soon as l reached home Cousin
Tabitha told me that Uncle Peter wished
to speak to me, and was waiting for me
in the library 1 guessed at once what
he had to say, and pale and trembling
sought his presence. When l entered
the library my uncle was writing.
81 dare say you know what have to
speak to you aboutp'' he said, after a
few minutes.
81 think so, Uncle Peter" replied,
looking down at my boots.
"Of course you have found Steeple-
town dull" he resumed, every dull
ehP"
p,odo NO ancuar --F...f. ...r .
"Don't say you haven't he contin-
ued, "because know you have"
l thought this was intended for satire,
so said nothing.
Perhaps you have managed to amuse
yourself pretty well-pretty welln
l thought we were coming to it then !;
but here, to my establishment, Returned
off in another direction altogether.
"But week or two in Paris would
perhaps induce you to think better of
Steepletown when you return to Lon
don. Now what do you say to fort
night in ParisP"
said eyes," with all my heart; and
we arranged forthwith that | should
drive over to Dover on the following
day, and 60 by the night-packet to
Calais.
The next morning 1 went over TO
Crumble to take leave of Peggy, and
once more l met my uncle at the boot
makers shop. AS 1 walked into the
shop he took up his hat and walked out,
and found myself alone with Peggy. l
told her that it panied me much to part
from her, but l was obliged to go that
very night to Paris. 1 begged her not
to grieve at my absence, and she prom
ised me that she would not. .t
returned to England at the end of a
fortnight, and from Dover 1 drove
straightway to Crumble. / passed
through Steepletown, but | did not call
upon my uncle, as the picture had in
my mind of Peggy waiting for my re-
turn hurried me on to the bootmaker's
shop in Whipple Street. But no well
come was waiting for me there. When
l pulled up at the bootmaker's shop l
found it closed, and Peggy and her I'M
Gle were gone, MOI one could tell me
where.
consoled myself with the reflection
that it was really the best thing that
could have happened. BY the time l
reached Steepletown l felt very pleased
to be released from my engagement,
and l wished never, never to see Peggy
again; and so, with clear conscience,
l went to pay my duties to my uncle. l