Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1882-02-18
Stories, Sketches, sc.
A PLEASANT LOVE.

Maggie he said one day, about
eighteen months after he had gained
his commission. "Guess what is it,
They were walking along the green
lanes of Purlock, listening to the
ccaseless murmur of the sea, as at
intervals they had walked and listen
ed ever since they could remember !;
at any rate she was six years young
or than her playfellow.
"You are going to be promoted"
she said.
Promoted! you little goose! No
one ever gets promoted i'll the Brit
ish army. Guess again.
"You are going to marry an heiress."
There was lump in her throat as
she said it.
"Wrong again. No estimable
young person with green eyes, a turn
up nose, susceptible heart, and fifty
thousand a year, has turned up yet.
But it's something nearly as good.
"I'm ordered to China.D
ooh, Alicw she gasped, and
bursted into tears. 1t was very fool
ISL Of her, but then she was only
sixteen, and she had not yet acquired
the praiseworthy art of concealing
her feelings.
"Why, whatever are you crying
for ~ he asked, and kissed away her
tears. He had kissed her ever since
she was five, aad thought no more of
it than if she had been his sister, OF
the cat, excepting perhaps that it
was nicer-which it was, no doubt.
81 shall only be away five years at
most, and when | come back I'll
bring You pig tail, an ivory tooth
pick, and a whole lot of fittings, and y
"Yes," she said, listening atten-
lively.
But then you'll be young
woman forgot-and 'out,' and all
that sort of things, and won't condo
scend to speak to a poor lieutenant;
you will have all the squires and fox
hunters about the place at your
feet.D
ooh, no, indeed, l shall not, Alic,n
she said, eagerly.
"But [ tell you, you will. l be-
lieve you are born a little fiirt, and
shall come back and find p
But she burst into tears again,
and put up her pretty little hands as
if to stop his teasing, which she
could not bear just then. 1t seemed
so cruel of him to laugh and joke
when he was going away for five
years. He did not seem to care a
bit, and she could have broken her
heart on the spot, and would have
gladly done so, and thrown away
the pieces, so as never to be bothered
with it again. Then, seeing her
mournful eyes, he was merciful.
81 believe ] shall come back and
find you just as great a little dar
ling as you are now, and if we've got
any money we'll get married and
live happily ever after, and if we
haven't we'll get married and starve
ever after-unless, Of course, the
heiress turns up"
ooh, / hope she won't!n said
Maggie, like a true idiot. "Shall
you ever write to me, Alic dearf'
eyes, of course l shall, and I
shall expect you to write back six
pages crossed, and all that sort of
thing, you know
So Allie Granger went to China,
and Maggie waited hopefully enough
for letter, but six months passed
and none came. perhaps it takes
longer for a letter to get here from
China" she thought, knowing as
little about the means of transit and
the time it took as if the celestial
city had been in the moon. But
year passed and no letter came, and
Maggie journeyed into womanhood,
but no word or sign from Alic
Granger, and at last she gave him
up altogether.
Maggie was twenty years old
when her father died, and the credi-
tors did pounce down and she and
her mother were sold out. Mrs.
Dunlop was offered a home in Lon