Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-10-09
A NOBLE HEART.

1 sat spinning at my little wheel in the
sun, for the autumn day was cold, when l
heard some one whistling; and looking
up, there was young Squire Turner with
his arms folded on the gate, looking over.
When he caught my eye he laughed and
I blushed.
When | courtesied he bowed. making
his curls dance over his shoulder, and
said he:
"I've spoiled one pretty picture that /
could have looked at all day, but I've
made another as pretty.so III not grieve.
May come IMP"
"And welcome, sir" said ], and set
chair for him, for he was grandfathers
landlord; but for all that l felt uncom-
Portable, for was not used to fine COM
pany.
He talked away, paying no more COM
pliments than l was used to, for grand
mother, who brought me up, always said:
Handsome is as handsome does, and
beauty is but skin Deep
Since am telling the story, will tell
the truth had done wrong about one
thing. Neither of the old folks knew
that l wore Evan Locke's ring in my
bosom, or that we had taken vow to
each beside the hawthorn that grew in
the church lane. l never meant to de-
ceive, but granny was old and little
hard, aud that love of mine was such u
sweet secret.
Granny came in from the dairy five
minutes after the Squire was gone and
heard he had been there.
That night we had something else to
think of; misfortune had come upon
grandfather, but l didn't foresee that
when the half years rent sheHld become
due not penny to pay it would be
found.
All this time Even Locke and had
been as fond as ever of each other, and
he came as often as before to talk with
grandpa in the winter nights; and still
every little while our yOGng landlord,
Squire Turner, would step in and sit IN
his lazy way watching me knit or spin.
could not help his coming, or help
seeing bim when he came, and | did not
deserve that Evan should be angry with
me, but he was
He made me angry and l spoke up:
Il
glad to have me promise to marry him.
He thinks more Of me than you dc just
now."
"Maybe you like him better2" said
Evan.
81 don't say that replied I, "but bad
temper and jealousy scarcely ever make
me fond of another. pray may nev>
or have a husband who will scold me-"
For he had been scolding me. There
was no other name for it.
Web, Evan was wrOth me and l with
him-not heart-deep though, thought
and | did not see him for more than
week.
So | did not fret after Evans absence.
nor quite snub Squire Turner, who liked
me more than ever. But one night
grandfather came in from lonely ride,
and, shutting the door between grand>
mamma and me, looking at me, and so
very strangely, that we both became
frightened. At last he spoke:
"I've been to the Squires. For the
first time had to tell him that L could
not pay his rent when due"
| opened my lips. Grandmamma's
hand covered them. Grandpa drew me
to him.
. "Thou'rt young, lass" he said, and
they are right who call thee pretty. Say,
couldn't thee like the Squire we'll enough
to wed him?'
"Eh?" cried grandma. "Sure you're
not wandering?"
esquire Turner asked me for this lass
of ours tonight. OF all the women in
the world there is but one he loves as
he should his wife. and that is our
Agatha"
"Wilt thou have him and be rich Ia
dy?" said grandpa.
And when he had waited for an an
swer, burst out with mo" and sigh
together.
She's frightened" said grandma. Nay,
we must all wed once in our lives, my
child
Then grandpa talked to me. He told
me how poor they had grown and Row
kind the Squire was, and l had but to
marry him to make my grandparents
free from debt and poverty their lives
through. If l refused and vexed the
Squire, hesven only knew what might
happen.
All, it was hard to bear-bitter hard;