The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-05-05


The idea of not being cared for wa'
not cheerful. That night he strollec
carelessly by the shop, but on the op
posite side of the way. Nothing was
to be seen of Jennie lie walked on in
a brown study, then crossed over, and
went deliberately by the shop, with only
one eye, however, turned in its direction
but not a sign of Jennie.
Its an awful pity-such a nice girl
and there's the cottage all ready for hel
to step into, and me ready to retire
from the service, and a good trade al
my back; it's too bad, all along of that
Captain McGee; too. And the fruit in
the garden (of the cottage) all ripe, and
no one to pick it.
The very next morning John Weare
walked deliberately into the shop and
asked for penny newspaper, and had
the feli3ity of being served by Mrs
Evans.
"Quite stranger, Mr.. Weare." she
said but that was the only remark she
made, and for the life of him he could
not screw up his courage to ask for hel
sister.
That night John Weare was miser.
able.
'She cant care rush for me-" he
thought, and marched all over the town
and nearly to Greenwich and back in
his excitement.
The next day was a lucky one fol-
John. He came across Bibbs. Bibbs
was Mrs. Evans eldest boy. No one
knew what his real name was, or why
he was called Bibbs, but he was never
called anything else.
"Bibbs," said John Weare, "come
and have some fruit" and he carried
him off in triumph to the cottage and
stuffed him with gooseberries until he
couldn't move, and with black currants
till his mouth was as black as a crow
Then he carried him inside and stood
him on the table and sat down before
him.
"IIow old are you, Bibbs?"
He thought it better to begin the con
versation with question.
olive and a half. Is that your SWORD
up there?'
"Yes. Who gave you those bronze
shoes, Bibbs ?"
Now he knew Jennie had given then
to him, but he so wanted to hear hel
name.
"Auntie, She's going away soon." he
added: 'Let me look at your sworC
now 2"
"Where is she going to-" he asked
in CONSERVATION.
"Devonshire. DO let me try on you
sword?'
"Why is she going?" he asked, will
a sick feeling in his heart.
"Shes i'll, | think, and she's always
crying now; one day she was crying
over that silver thing you gave her, an(
kissing it like everything
The "slver thing was little hear
of about the size of n shilling, which
he had bought at Charlton Fair las
October, and timldly asked her to ac
cept
John Wearc jumped up and shove,
Bibbs his sword, and carried him ol
his back all over the place, and entreat
ed him to have more black currants il
his delight. But Bibbs declined.
aunt Jennie's going to bring m
some from Eltham's tonight" he said
So Jennie was going to Ethan, wa
she. John Weare took Bibbs home
and on his way presented him with
white woolly lamb that moved o
wheels and squcaked, and monke
that went up a stick on being gent
pushed.
"Crying over her silver thing" sal
John Weare ''I'll go and hang abou
the Ethan road till | see her and be
her pardon
And he went, and Jennie met hin
and pouted and declared she hadn
once thought of him, and then brok
down and cried. And John begged hC
pardon, and declared that he had bee
a heartless brute, and then Jennie col
tradicted him and said it was all h,
fault, and told him how Mrs DuuloI
the Colonel'S wife, had one day wake
in and told her, in the kindliest possib
manner, that she was spelling h,
sisters business, for the ladies who ha
been interested in her welfare kel
away because of Jennies Irritation pr,
pensities, which filed up the shop wit
idle officers who were always in Il
way, and how she had been so ashamC
and wretched and so cut up at the d
sertiOn of John Weare that she had i
tended to go back to Devonshire.
"But yon won't now?' he said,
they leaned over the stile leading to Il
Ethan fields. you'll get ready
once and we'll be married as soon
possible, before the fruit in the gard
I is spoilt p
1t took a long time to talk her INTO
y (about three-quarters of an hour,
then she was very happy at heart, II
chartered like young magpi, and to
: John how she had snubbed Capita
- McGee, and had thrown all his flow,
:, out of the window.
a And it really was all through Il
= dear BibbS that you waylaid me
night 2" she asked.
" Certainly
"Why, but for him | might ne,
= have seen you again ?"
. Perhaps not
Ill give Bibbs Il regular hug wi
=, | get home she thought. And she d
:, and the day before she was MARI
q she bought him a rocking horse, VIII
\ he delights in to this day,
LIVE AND LET lave.