The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-02-24
miscellaneous.
JACK AND JILL.

Two figures standing in the bay-window OF
country drawing-room; q glorious sum-
mer's sunset was gliding the topmost branches
of the trees in the old garden with its last
rays, and the chimes in the village church
tower rang out eight o'clock. Their sound
broke long silence which had reigned in
the room, and the young man, fixing his eyes
on his girl companion, spoke hurridley:
81 did not know it was so late must be
off, or | shall miss my train to town, and
my regiment at Portsmouth, and all my
chances of getting on in the world. But by
Heaven, I'll do even that, If you will only
only say to me 'Stayr !"
But don't say stay, Jack;I say go, go,
and God bless you!"
There was deep tenderness in her low
voice which any maE might have been proud
to hear, but, because she would not grant
him his Wish, yong Marriott found her harsh
and cruel
"Aud what's the good of that, if you your
self won't bless me, Jill? What else in the
world do care for but your"
"Then go and do your duty, and prove
yourself worthy ofme!'
But if you will not promise me that you
will be minc?" he asked sadly. And Jill
went ON to answer him in her sweetest firm
est way.
81 have told you, Jack, that although
will not promise now to be your wife, will
promise it to you in three years, or sooner,
if you come home; and till then, you and
are both of us to be free. know my own
heart well enough, and dare say you think
you know yours, but how can you tell with
whom you may fall in love while you are
away? You are only one-and-twenly now,
and am almost the only girl you have ever
known. How can you tell what the world
may have to teach you and show your"
"Ob, my darling No one else in it can
ever be the same to me that you arel"
well, then, if you think so after three
years, will be your proud wife. Surely, if
we are in earnest, We can be true to each
other without any formal promise to bind us !
And, if we cannot, then ii will be ten times
better for us never TO have been engaged
Now, goodbye, jack" she added, utter
pause. "As you say, il you stay longer, you
will really be too late. Goodbye"
you are so calm and quiet All, Jill, if
you cared as much as DO r And he seized
her hand and covered it with kisses
She was very calm, certainly, but for all
that, when in another moment he was gone
and there was no one to see her emotion,
she threw herself on the sofa, murmuring be-
tween her deep sobs: "Oh my darling, my
darling And he thinks it is because l do
not love him enough. Am right to treat
him so Is it wiser"
Was she right? Was it wise? At any
rate she had sent him away from her. And
as he left her that summers evening, bright
splendid, perfect knight, whom any fair lady
might well be proud of, she never saw him
again.
And yet it was because he was so splen.
sl,nt cl,,h ol I -
was the only child of the squire of the parish,
General Marriott; and Jane Armstrong, once
named Jill by Jack and afterward universal
ly called so, was the daughter of the rector.
The rectory garden was bounded ON two
sides by the woods around the hall, and from
their childhood, Jack and Jill had been ac-
customed to play together during the holt
days like brother and sister.
When she was seventeen and he nineteen,
he passed with credit into the engineers, and
went up to Chatham 10 study, and when he
came back from his first term there the old
relationship between the two was at an end,
a change in it being unavoidable, if sad. Jill
was shy and Jack officiously polite; wearing
his best clothes when he was likely to meet
her, bringing her flowers from his fathers con-
servatory and grapes from his winery and,
in fact, making hot love to her, which state
of things continued until the occurrence of
the scene described above.
General Marriott saw it all plainly enough,
but being fond OF Jill, he was well pleased at
the prospect of having her for a daughter-in-
law.
1t was Jill, only Jill, who saw any hazard
in the engagement, although 1t seemed to her
that her whole happiness depended upon it.
1t was for that very reason she wished 10
win, not the rash, impetuous, boyish love
Jack could give her at present, but the love
of his future manhood, of his life She was
30 well aware of all the advantages he pos
sessed !; his social position which would in
troduce him into the best society his physi-
cal beauty, his winning grace, his ready wit,
which would insure him friends and admir-
ers wheresoever he might be; was it likely
that he would always remain true to the
everyday English girl with no especial gifts
Yes, it was likely, Jill thought, because she
knew something of his character, but it was
not certain, for he was untred. Let him be
tried, and then if he proved faithful, he
should be rewarded by love as deep as the
fathomless sea, as strong as the elements
themselves, and faithful unto death Little
did Jack know as be left the rectory gates,
that such gift was his already, whether lie
ever came back worthy to claim II or not
And so two years passed away while Jack
was in India They did not write to each
other except on birthdays and special oc-
casions, because Jill had forbidden cores
pondence as likely to make him feel less free.
From General Marriott she heard of him
every other week, and he seemed to be well
and popular and happy.
Ola young curate, who came to the parish
and after doing his utmost to win Jill's love,
left the place in anger and despair it is need
less to write here, his pride was, after all,
more wounded by the utter GOODNESS of her
manner than his heart smittcn by it.
At the end of two years the old general,
who had been long while widower, died,
and Jill learned no more now of Jacks well
fare, for the hall was entirely closed At that
time, too, the second Afghan war broke out,
and his regiment was sent to the front.
Those were anxious days for her, when she
daily waited at the rectory gate to meet the
old postman who brought the morning paper,
and with trembling hands would open it to
see if any battle had been fought and what
names among the killed or wounded or sick.
At last one evening her brother came back
from neighboring town with the news ofthe
defeat of Maiwand he knew no particulars,
and Jill had to wait till the next day in sick
ening anxiety. She spent the night sleep
lessly, but not tearfully, for, if her darling
died soldiers death, why she, soldiers
sweetheart must be brave too-if abe onlv