The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-09-27
PETER M1CKEY,S SWEETHEARTS.
From the Arg ,sy.

PETER M1CKEYS SWEETHE4RTS.
From the Argosy.
Though 1 am, suppose, an old maid
1 take much interest in other peoples
love affairs. My friends know anG
humor this little weakness, and conse
quently in the course of twenty years OIL
so have collected a 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 am
about to relate.
The reasons which decided me tc
| spend twelvemonth in a certain little
Aberdaenshire village, unknown to hui
man ken, need not be entered into here.
l had cottage to myself, and one
maid servant, by name Mary Duthie.
And what pretty creature she was,
with her golden hair and big gray eyes,
and tall supple figure! 1t was a 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.
am afraid spoiled that girl. She
was engaged to Jem Leslie, a farmers
son, who nearly worried the life out of
her by his jealousy-for which 1 sus-
pect he had sometimes cause. The two
quarreled nearly every Sabbath, but
always made up again in the course of
a 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
ished indeed to hear few. weeks later
that she had promised herself to Peter
Mackey. "
"Well," l said to her, 81 do not wish
to intermeddle with love affairs, but 1
must say that 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 a good situation for him there.
l 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, 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 Duthiel 1 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 l 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-
urn of Jeanie Saunderson from Lon
Ion, and visit paid by her to her old
Mary Duthie. The two
yirls had not been together more than
quarter of an hour, when sounds of
,iolent weeping proceeded from the
Kitchen. Fastening in to see what was
he matter, found Jeanne and Mary
their tears over some letters
which lay out on the table. Jeanie
greeted me respectfully, and on my in
luiring the cause of her grief, handed
ne a letter saying:
f"Will We be pleased to read that
nemp"
1t was an effusion of Peter Mackeys
lated nine months back. 1t began,
My dearest Jeanie," spoke of the
writer's unalterable affection, reminded
Teanie of her promise to become his
wife as soon as he should be able to
provide a suitable home for her, and
vas signed, "Your Pate"
must confess that my first feeling
N reading this was one of satisfaction
t my own discernmcnt. $50 you
we're engaged after ALL" | remarked;
but why was nothing said about it,
nd why was it broken Off"
"Oh," said Jeanne, looking at me in
ignantly, .'Patie just asked me to be
is wife the vera day before sailed, so
here wasna muckle time to lat it be
nown. And as for is being broken
f. it's Patie ye must speir at ABBOTT ,
hat, for never heard tell OF till this (
ay. Eth! but men are deceivers! But :