The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-13

and she smoothed her pretty hair and
arranged the trifes on the counter.
"Oh, he's polite enough, no doubt"
"And he's bringing me some flowers"
"Now look here, Jennie, are you going
to take them?'
"Of course I am"
"Well, then, goodbye"
"Good- bye," she laughed. Of course
she knew he wouldn't go.
Jennie, hel Il be in directly, and !
shall be OF, but you must choose be-
tween him and me. If you are going
to keep on talking to him, shall never
come in the place again, so which is it
to be-"
"The captain"
"But 1 am not joking: I'll never see
you again
ono more am I joking. 80 goodbye"
"Good -bye"-and he went.
He kept resolutely away for a whole
mon.h-never once went near the place.
If Jennie wanted him she might send for
him or get her sister to invite him to tea
as she had done before. But John
Weare was not..sent for, neither was he
invited to tea, and his spirits began to
wax low.
eff she cared for me she'd have got in
my way somehow before this-trust
woman he thought.
The idea of not being cared for was
not cheerful That night he strolled
carelessly by the shop but on the oppo-
site side of the way. Nothing was to be
seen of Jennie. He walked on in
brown study, then crossed over and went
deliberately by the shop, with only one
eye, however turned in its direction, but
not sign of Jennie. He went back to
the barracks in detected frame of mind.
cts an awful pity-such mice girl;
and there's the cottage all ready for her
to step into, and me ready to retire from
the service land good trade at my back;
it's too bad, all owing to that Captain
MCGEE, too. And the fruit in the gar
den (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 felicity of being served by Mrs.
Evans.
"Qnite 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 her
sister.
That night John Weare was very mis-
cradle.
"She can't 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 for
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 of
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 crow. Then he
carried him inside and stood him on the
table and sat down before him.
"Bibbs, how old are your"
He thought it better to begin the con-
versation with question.
Five and half. Is that your sword
up there?"
Eyes. Who gave you those bronze
shoes, Bibbs?"
Nov 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?" he asked, with
sick feeling at his heart.
"She's i'll, think, apd she's always
crying now, one day she was crying over
her silver thing you gave her, and kiss
ing il like anything"
The "silver thing" was little heart
of about the size of shilling. which he
had bought ct Charlton Fair last Octo-
Der, and timidly requested her TO 60
cept.
John Weare jumped mp and showed
Bibbs his sword, and carried him on his
back all over the place, and entssated
him 10 have more black curzants in his
delight. But Bibbs declined.
Aunt Jennie's eoine - bring ne
hone ffom EIthnm 5o-niGht,r - safd-
30 Jeanie NJ goinG - ll1hnn, ~
-. Jokn VeaEe - 49, No.
ed = his Ny psuss.1sd Nh NJ >