The National tribune., 1888-07-05
LOVED Ills WARD
The Happy Luck of an Old Bach
elOr.

litll6 naiLs B4ue WIN C3ius CRY iAS 10 IL 1iSA
heart would break ] didn't think the veriest
savage could have helped stopping to ask her
what the matter was, and don'E call myself
savage. II ! do happen 70 have ny little crusty
fits now and then. So says ],
Child, what's the matteTg
Pm lost. says she.
The poor little eli was fatherless, motherlcss,
frieudloss, in all the wide world Of course
took her home and you ought to have seen old
Hannah, my housekeeper stare when walked
in with the yellow-haiTed baby clinging TO the
little finger of my left hand. For she WASH
more than eight years old, and small at that
give you a months warning, sir" says
Hannah. But, bless your soul, she didn't 60
Maggie took her heart by storm, rs she always
has done that of the rest Of the world, and at
a months end you couldn't have hired hannah
to leave the child.
Well sir, she grew up as tall as a reed and
as pretty as a pOsy. l sent her to Madame
Aimard's fashionable French boarding school,
for I wasn't going to have my Maggie whit
behind any one else's girl, can tell you.
When she came home from the boarding
school, she was prettier than eveT-tall, as l
said before, with yellow. silky hair, great,
shady-looking blue eyes, with lashes that curled
up ct the ends. and cheeks as fresh and pink
as I remember the inside Of two big shells that
used to stand on my grandfather's best-room
mantel 80 good years ago.
So l cast about in nay mind to find some new
plan for making the old house lively for my
little girl. / knew she couldn't thrive with
out her innocent gayeties, any more than
bird could without fresh air and sunshine; so
l invited company and made up little i'm
prompfu parties and frolics, and beat my brains
for something to keep her amused And l be-
lieye l succeeded, too for her step was rs light
as a feather and you could hear her sing all
over the house, when she thought she was
alone.
And one day old Hannah came in, dusting
chairs and prying about for inger-marks on
the paint in her odd, near-sghted way.
" Mr.. Pelham" says she, rubbing away at
door-knob that was as bright before as hands
could make ii, what would you say If we
were TO have a wedding in the old house?"
." A wedding / dropped my pen so that IL
made big round blot on the paper and stared.
Why, you're not going to be married, Han
! nan, after ali these years2
'sDo l look like it ?" shifted Hannah, con-
/ temptuously-and to tell the truth, she didn't
! very much No indeed, sir; | hope know
my place better than that. It's Miss Maggie
/ Fn thinking of, sir"
What makes you think 50, Hannah?" 1
/ asked rather doloroGsly, aud the old woman
4 lowered her voice nlysteriousiy as she answer
ed:
It's that Mr. Carlisle-be keeps coming all
the time, and it's my honest belief ne just wor-
/ ships the ground my young lady walks on. lie
is very handsome, too, aud folks tell me ne is
/ worth money"
Mr Carlisle Well, old Hannah was right.
He was a fne-loOking fellow. aud well-tO-dO
in this worlds goods; but-who was there, af-
ter all, worthy Of my tall, gold-haired princess
/ with the deWy blue eyes and the lips like scar
let coral newly plucked out Of the sea? ] be-
gan to hate Carlisle.
Pooh " said L 81 don't think she cares
for Carlisle"
" Just you watch her, then, and see for yonr-
self" said old Hannah, wisely wagging her
cap border. ! never did set up FOR prophet,
Mr. Pelham, but them as isn't blind can't help
seeing, and oHr eyes IS given TO rs 20 use
SO old Hannah went her way, leaving roe
about as uncomfortable as man has any busi-
uess to be.
think hardly slept 1T all that night J
tossed to and fro on my pillow, counting the
chimes of the old clock, as one by one il told
the hours, thinking about Maggie and Carlisle
and wondering if a tardy daytreak would
never rodden over the hili-tops.
But by that time my Iaind was made up.
would repress al these selfish IDEAS aud only
think Of my girls ultimat happiness If sht
liked Carlisle, why, Carlisle should have her.
! rose, dressed and went down 10 my study
The first thing l saw was a note lying on my
library table. Probably it had arrived lat
last night. broke the seal; it was from
George Carlisle asking permission TO addrcs
Miss Magdaen Pelham.
Nell-it WAS nothing more than had ex
, pected-in fact, il rather expedited matters
which ought not to run too smoothly. / re
folded the epistle and looked severely at myseI
IN the opposite glass
You middle-aged old fogy" guoth 7, starin,
at myself with the sevcrest expression Of coun
, teBaace / could call up at 50 short a notice,
see through you. You have dared to suppGs
gay young fellows nearer her own age-yor
have even presumed TO fall little spice in lov
, 4 with her yourself 1t will do you good TO hay
: some Of the nonsense taken out OF you. 4
: your time Of life, too! Did you ever see
chestnut tree b!ossoming in November or
1 grapevine loaded with blue fruit at Midwin
ter2"
So of I tTudgel into the garden, where Mag
dalen always walked IN tie er,y morning I
g tell her Of voting CaFlisle's proposal.
She listened. looking very pretty and pr,
occupied, untl ! had finished.
f Well" said she.
|, Vel. ] rei0ined, 4" what DO you say2"
What do / sayg No, of courset"
. You mean yes, my dear said j, " If yon'
q only take time 70 think"
4 II mean no." she flashed ont Oh. NJ
i Pelham, how can you think so basely Of me?
q Basely, nay dear? I don't comprehen
/. you Z"
She was beginning to cry nOw-big sparE
Y ling drops like TIE first gittering diamonds
r q July shower.
4 A." don't love him. ! never can love him
i " But why not. my dear2"
. Because I love somebody else" she sobbe
J. growing pnker and prettier than ever.
" Who is it, Maggie? You'll tell me, won
a you27 Why child as she shrauk blushing
I. back. ] an old enough 10 be your father
d " You are noti" she exclaimed Indignantly
and you are the last person in the world
3 would tell"
at Ny darling, why not?"
The enigmas these women are! Instead
as answering me, she began TO cry again, as if b.
s dear little heart was going to break
And suddenly great light flashed in up'
,e my mind!
n "Msgdalen! Darling! Is it me that y,
a. Iove?"
AZ And in another moment she was laughi
~ and crying on my breast,
a And that IS the way 1 won This peerless rc
- among women TO be my wife-and ! dol
he think she ever regretted marrying the {
he man.
~ The Revised Edition.
Al lJudgel