Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-12-09
not screw up his courage to ask for

That night John Weare was miser
. able.
} "She can't care rush for me-" h,
thought, and marched all over the towr
and nearly to Greenwich and back ir
his excitement.
The next day was lucky one fol
John. He came across Bibbs. Bibbs
was Mrs. Evans eldest boy. No ONT
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 stuff
ed him. with gooseberries until he
couldn't move, and black currents I'm
til his mouth was as black as a crow
Then he carried him inside and stood
him on the table, and sat down before
him.
"How old are you, Bibbs ?"
lie thought it better to begin the
conversation with question.
Five and u half. Is that you,
sword up there?"
eyes. Who gave you those bronze
shoes, Bibbs?"
Now he knew Jennie had given them
to him, but he wanted to hear her
name.
"Auntie. She's going away soon,"
he added "Let me look at your SWORD
now?'
"Where is she going TOP" he asked
i'll CONSERVATION.
"Devonshire. Do let me try on your
sword?"
"Where is she going?" he asked, with
asick feeling in his heart.
She's ill, 1 think, and she's always
crying now; one day she was crying
over her silver thing you gave her, and
kissed it like anything"
The ''silver thing" was little heart
of about the size of a shilling, which he
had bought at Charleton fair last Oc-
tober, and timidly requested her to ac-
cept.
John Weare jumped up and showed
Bibbs his sword, and carried him on his
back over the place, and entreated him
to have more black currants in his de
light. But Bibbs declined.
"Aunt Jennie's going to bring me
some from Ethan tonight" he said.
So Jennie was going to Ethan, was
she. John Weare took Bibbs home.
and on his way presented him with
white woolly lamb that moved on
wheels and squeaked, and monkey
that went up stick on being gently
pushed.
Crying over her silver thingr' said
John Weare. "I'n go and hang about
the Ethan road till see her and beg
her pardon"
And he went, and Jennie met him
and pouted and declared she hadn't
once thought of him, and then broke
down and cried. And John begged
her pardon, and declared that he had
been heartless brute; and then Jennie
contradicted him and said it was all her
FAULT, and told him how Mrs. Dunlob.
the colonels wife, had one day walked
in AM told her, in the kindest possible
that she was spelling her sis
ter's business, for the ladies who had
been interested in her welfare kept
away because of Jennies flirting pro
pensities, which filled up the shop with
idle officers who were always in the
way; and how she had been so ashamed
and wretched, and so cut up at the de-
sertion of John Weare, that she mad
Intended to go back to Devonshire.
"But you won't now?" he said. as
hey leaned over the stile leading TO
,he Ethan fields. you'll get ready
It once, and we'll be married as soon as
possible, before the fruit in the garden
S spoilt?"
1t took her long time to talk her
nto it (about three-quarters of an
lour) but then she was very happy at
leart, and chartered like a young mag
'ie, and told John how she had snub-
'ed Captain MCGEE, and had thrown
III of his flowers out of the window.
"And it was really through that
lear Bibbs that you waylaid me to-
light p she asked.
Certainly ,
"Why, but for him I might never |
ave seen you again!'' Al
Perhaps not" |
"I'n give Bibbs a regular hug when
get home," she thought. And she |
id, and the day before she was mar