Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-10-18
OWENS WIFE.

"Dark men are always jealous men Be-
ware if one crosses your path"
So said the gypsy fortune teller to Maggie
Cameron, when she sought the hollow where
the tents were pitched, with half a dozen
other frightened girls and laughing boys one
summer morning, and Maggie was super
stitious for girl of the Nineteenth century,
yet she accepted Owen Mayna on her way
home The darkest of the dark, eyes like jet,
hair no ravens wing could outvie, the skin of
a Spanird, strong features, and temper that
leaped up at touch, and did not cool again
in haste.
He was older than most of the party, and
had more experience He had been in the
far west; he had fought the Indians once or
twice; he had met with desperadoes who
would have robbed him had he not left them
dead on the spot. A tall, slight man, grace
full and agile; as good a dancer as he was
fighter-he had taken Maggie's heart by
storm
He knew how to make love. too; he was
not one of your timid lovers.
"Your gypsy told you to beware of dark
men, did she not?' he asked Maggie as they
walked home together.
Eyes" she said, because they are jealous;
but, for my part should not like husband
who was not jealous of me; should think he
did not care enough"
'sYou are right" said Owen "Without
jealousy there is no love. Marry me, Maggie,
and think l shall make you happier than
any chilly hearted fellow who only wanted
you to cook his dinner for him could Marry
me, Maggie, and have no fear of jealous
man as long as you are true to him, for he
will not suspect you without cause"
And Maggie put her hand into his, and,
though no doubt all the others saw him do it,
Owen kissed her.
And so they were married not long after,
and for year were as happy as mortals
could be-
At the end of the year there was little
baby in the little home, and the young couple
were as proud of it as young couples usually
are.
Owen was an engineer, and off and away
the little cottage where his wife dwelt, he
always gave her a signal in the shape of a
whistle she had learned to know
81 wonder what that whistle means?" peo-
pie on the cars often asked each other never
guessing that it was the young engineers
signal to his wife and baby.
ture, with its fathers dark eyes and its
mothers golden hair; and except for the fact
that, like any other engineer, Owen took his
life in his hands each morning when he went
forth to win his bread, there was nothing to
trouble Maggie
''The dark man has never been jealous of
me once" she used to say to herself "But,
to be sure, l never look at any one else, and
he has no cause"
The home where the three dweIt was in
quiet little village on the borders of small
but beautiful lake.
On those afternoons which brought Owen
home Maggie used to go to meet him by
what they called the Lake road.
At first she carried the child, then she
pushed him in the little wagon; but at last
he was abba to walk beside her.
He was a sturdy little fellow, with no fear
of anything, and Maggie had much ado to
keep him in good order, but she was very
proud of him.
It was a bright autumn afternoon, and
Maggie was on her way to meet Owen, when
her attention was attracted by an unwonted
sight. Beside the lake an easel was set up,
and an artist was seated before it making a
sketch Of the surrounding scenery. The place
was SO out of the way of tourists or summer
boarders that this thing had never been seen
before, and Maggie, who was very fond of
pictures-though she had seen but few
paused, and watched the painter from afar
Herwas an elderly man, and wore velvet
coat and a large slouehed hat. When he
saw Maggie standing at a little distance hs
turned and smiled kindly upon her
Come" he said, with a strong French &C
cent; leone and see, if you lke-come."
Maggie approached the easel
''Oh, how pretty!" said she. 81 don't see
how you ever do it, Pm sure-au with that
little brush and some paint.
"And some brains, said the Frenchman.
HOh, of course you must think it all out, !"
said Maggie-''the sky and the clouds and the
water What lovely little wavegl"
Maggie stood watching him as he worked
and for the first time in her life she forgot
her child.
The little creature wandered away, going
nearer to the water than his mother ever
permitted him to go, and shortly waded in
further and further down the gradual slope
of smooth sand, until sudden dip took him
off his feet, and at his scream his mother
turned to see him struggling sinking
drowning before her eyes.
The next instant the Frenchman had
thrown off his coat, kicked off bis shoes, and
was in the water He seemed to be d good
swimmer, soon grasped the child's garments
and reached the shore with him.
Maggie clasped her boy to her heart, and
finding the little fellow unframed, and now
laughing, flung herself upon her knees be-
fore his preserver.
How shall 1 thank you2" she said. "You
have saved my boys life"
"Oh, it was nothing, it was nothing" the
Frenchman repeated, resuming his coat and
shoes "a plunge hurts nobody this weather.
go home to dry myself, that is all"
Maggie, however, could not look upon the
matter calmly. She had expected to see her
child drown before her eyes. She was trepl-
bling from head to foot; and, after striving
i'll vain to restrain herself, she burst into a
flood of tears, which ended in fit of hys
tArical laughing and sobbing
"Oh, these women" said the Frenchman to
himself, but he was tao gallant to express his
feelings.
Placing Maggie upon ais sketching stool, he
knet beside her. applied little smelling
bottle to her postrils and shortly restored her
to calinness.
Nov, little mother, do not cry any more"
he said. You should laugh because the
little ono is safe. Ah-good heavensl how
foolish"
And then, in perfectly paternal manner,
ne kissed her. And Maggie. crying out:
GU good, good mani SHAY pray for
,,-l.G l.