Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-02-01
A BROKEN SIXPENCE.

Never mind. lassie, he suid. cheerily
Whats good by, anyway "fis so
much better than farewell "
"Ay. laddie. ey-tis so You'll come
again-youll come again to Margurth, as
you've glen me word. AlunY'
The question was so eager, and yet so
tenderly contidentl
Come again to You and Cban2" he
asked, laughing Now. could | stay
away There. they are calling from the
boat; | must 20. Good By. Margurth;
be true to the broken sixpence.
True to her trOth plight, she thought;
1.-THE angels in heaven could not be truer."
And as he waved his hand 20 her In last
farewell. she did not know that he had
no moro intention of returning 10 her to
keep his pli0hted faith, thar he had Of
putting on a last years faded garment.
thrown aside for a newer fancy.
She watched him till the binding tears
hid him from her sight. A cracked and
querulous voice greeted her as she en-
tered the little cottage.
80 eos aye game, the MOOT An twould
ha' been as weel had it been a month
a-gane. Ye've flashed me sair, Margurth.
wi your lovin's and l%eavin's. Cue to your
wark, girl"
Margurth sighed It was so hard TO
be forced to her regular routine Of duties
while her heavy heart longed for the
brooding silence Of the beach and cliffs.
She had yet to learn that grief is soonest
overcome by firing labor.
I'D ne'er ha' seen him had 'ee game a
month ago, aunt" she said, Gstlessly.
I'm thinkin' 'twould ha' been as well
had We no"
What mean We, aunt2' Margurth cried,
Indignantly. Il hae his fnith-surelie ye
Gamma misdoot the broken siXpencel'
"Ay, can /" replied her aunt. grimly,
AN him as weel till | see him again"
The days went heavily by at the cot
tage. The aunt was more ailing and com
planning than usual, and Margurth's life
at best was a hard one.
She had a soul above busting and dish.
washing, things that occupied her aunt's
whole attention when she was able to
drag herself about her work. ''Ah, bonnie
laverockl' sighed Margurth, catching the
sound Of his merry lifting as it dropped to
her through the blue air. Gould l but
wing wi you for 4 day, how quick I'd find
him, an nestle doom into his lovin' hearth
But these ~longings she kept close locked
in her bosom, and the winter passed in
loneliness, but tinged with hope for the
coming spring.
When the snow had melted enough for
ElI " ItGEn lnt NtllaAG dRdllt 10 Aluht
her simple purchases, she found that dur
ing the SHOWS n storms evil rumor had
been busy also. On every hand she met
with GOODNESS and suspicious glances
where she had been accustomed to warm
cordinlity from her Scotch ~neighbors. She
was vaguely troubled, but forgot AL
about 1t in her bitter disappointment at
finding no letter as yet from Alan.
She was walking slowly, with bent
head. and was half way through the
town, when suddenly a young girl turned
the corner ahead Of her and was h~urrying
swiftly away.
'AliceI" She called, joyfully. Surely
her dear friend. her playmate Of so many
bygone years, would be glad TO give her
welcome.
The girl hesitated, then turned slowly
and waited.
Il thocht ye didna SEQ me-" said Mar.
gurth, smiling. I'm gao wi We to the
mither, noo-I hae a word frne aunt"
To her surprise, the girl did not o
to accompany her
What is't, them she exclaimed i'm
patiently, what ais the folkY'
Il daurna, Margurth, said Alice. sadly.
''Mither forbid that | should speak wi
We, even. / Gamma bide to talk"
Alice saw W. friends coming and tried
TO hesten away, but Margurth caught her
dress and so held her.
"Ge shall "a gae," she cried, It'll We
hae tclied me ar
Guide company, tbs ye're keepin' Mis-
tress Alicel' cried the two girls who had
Just come up. "Whecr's your ine lover,
Marguerite" they sneered.
TITS my lover ye're speirin' after; tbs
for him 80 treat mo sael BecaIso 1 haze O
gran, guide mon to wed ye gle me shame.
Tis that ye arc jealous O. my guide luck,
cried Morgurth. with blazing eyes.
ma na, epitfre." cried one; % tbs not
your lover we care abou'. It's thnt he hao
gotten an game, as tho sayin' rims. He'll
no come again to marry"
Alice had shrunk back at this last
speech, but now she looked inquiringly at
hergurth and waited for her answer. AS
for Margurth she seemed Ike one stricken
10 stone. Then sho tore her broken six
pence from her bosom. where it had rest
ed for 80 many months. and held it out to
them.
"Dyo SEQ thatg" she cried, her breast
hearing with anger and pain; IAN dauI
ye gao against the broken saXpance2 I'm
an honestcr lassie than you the day. ye
bold faced things"
For an instant the girls were silenced,
for to them the ceremony Of breaking a
siXpence when plighting u troth was
much more binding than our engagement
ring, so easily changed from ono hand to
another; and in fact is only exceeded in
solemnity by ahe marriage ceremony it.
self.
But the girls soon recovered them
selves. It would not do to DO cheated IN
that way Of so entertaining a bit Of sean.
dal.
~"Saxpences are mony." said one at last
IAN how ken we but ye brak it yourself
IT'S a year ago the fair night sin he left
ye; If your speech he true, he'll come
again before the year is oot-so wen wait
wi a patience till fair night, an then
well seer
They ran away laughing. carrying Alice
with them. though she looked back and
evidently would ave spoken. But Mar
gurth had turned away and was walking
sadly hoLNeward. 50 this was what it all
meant, and unless Alan was there before
fair night-she shuddored to think what
her life would DO after that. until hC
should come, with pointing fingers ant
cruel sneers following her wherever she
e And II he should never come
Her heart stood stil with sudden fear
You'll come to me. Alan, dearie
deariel' she half sObbed under h0