McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-09-18
PETER M4CKEY,S SWEETHE4RTS.
From the Argosy.

From the Argosy.
Though am, suppose, an old maid,
take much interest in other peoples
love affairs. My friends know and
humor this little weakness, and conse-
quently in the course of twenty years or
so have collected large number of
love stories. They are of all kinds
sad, joyfully touching, absurd, senti-
mental or eccentric. But perhaps the
oldest of them all is the one 1 am
about to relate.
The reasons which decided me to
spend a twelvemonth in certain little
Aberdaenshire village, unknown to hui
man ken, need not be entered into here.
l had a cottage to myself, and one
maid servant, by name Mary Duthie.
And what a pretty creature she was,
with her golden hair and big gray eyes,
and tall supple figure! 1t was real
pleasure to see her at work, in her
spotless lilac gown and tucked up
sleeves, and to watch the fascinating,
unconscious grace with which she did
the simplest thing.
l lam afraid 1 spoiled that girl. She
was engaged to Jem Leslie, farmers
son, who nearly worried the life out of
her by his jealousy-for which / sus-
pect he had sometimes cause. The two
quarreled nearly every Sabbath, but
always made up again in the course of
week: so that was by no means sur
prised when Mary informed me one
day that she had broken off with Jem
Leslie forever; but very much aston
scho fnInnI fn h0o,. n farxy xryanl-, To- 70,
that she had promised herself to Peter
Mackey.
"Well," 1 said to her, 81 do not wish
to intermeddle with love affairs, but 1
must say that 1 think Jem the better
man of the two.'
But Mary tossed her pretty head, and
remarked with reference to her rejected
lover, that ''she was weary O. the
creatures havers, an had jist tauld
him that he medina fash himself ABBOTT
her ony mair, for she cud cen tax
care O. her main SELF" Peter Mackey,
she told me, was about to start for
Aberdeen, a well-to-do uncle having
found good situation for him there.
1 knew something of Mr.. Peter, as he
was my landlords son. He was tall,
handsome young fellow, with ''gweed
aneuch held" as his father used to say,
but an all too-susceptible heart. A
pretty face captivated him indirectly,
though his attachments were generally
more violent than lasting. | had made
up my mind that he would marry
Jeanie Saunderson, a handsome enough
lassie, a good housekeeper, and an
heiress in small way; but Jeanne had
left five or six months ago for London,
to visit an infirm aunt, and now Peter
was engaged to Mary Duthies was
vexed to about the whole affair, espe-
cially as sympathized with poor Jem
Leslie. Yet certainly it was no concern
of mine,
do not think that Mary ever re-
ceived any love letter from Aberdeen.
1t was not the fashion in her village in
those days for lovers to correspond.
But she always wore round her neck
half of the sixpense which Peter had
broken with her, so began to be quite
in despair for my favorite Jem.
But after three months or so from
Peter Mackey's departure for Aberdeen.
some little incidents occurred which
showed up that young man in his true
light.
The first of these events was the re-
turn of Jeanie Saunderson from Lon
don, and a visit paid by her to her old