Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-01-03
A BROKEN SIXPENCE.

"Oh, Alan, Alan-I Gamma lat you go.
The cry was so full of bitter anguish
that it touched even the light and cal
loused heart of the man who heard it.
"Never mind, lassie," he said, cheerily
what's 'good-by,' anyway? 'Tis 81
much better than farewell"
"Ay, laddie, ay-'tis so. You'll come
again-you1l come again to Margurth, q:
you've glen me word, Alan?"
The question was so eager, and yet *
tenderly confdentl
asked, laughing. ''Now, could l STAY
away? There, they are calling from th'
boat; must go. Good-by, Margurth
be true to the broken sixpence."
"True to her troth plight, she thought
"tha angels in heaven could not be truer.
And as he waved his hand to her in last
farewell, she did not know that he hai
no more intention of returning to her tt
keep his plighted faith, than he had o1
putting on last years faded garment
thrown aside for newer fancy.
She watched him till the binding tear.
hid him from her sight. A cracked and
querulous voice greeted her as she en-
tered the little cottage.
$50 'ee's aye game, the moo? An 'twouli
ha' been as weel had it been month
a-gane. Ye've flashed me sair, Margurth
wi your lovin's and leavin's. Gae to your
warl, girl"
Margurth sighed It was so hard tt
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 soonesi
overcome by firing labor.
''Id ne'er ha' seen him had ZEE game
month ago, aunt" she said, listlessly.
''I'm thinkin' 'twould ha' been as wei
had We no."
"What mean We, aunt?" Margurth cried
Indignantly. II hae his faith-surelie "
Gamma misdoot the broken sixpence"
cay can l." replied her aunt, grimly
"an' him as weel till l see him again.
The days went heavily by at the cot
tage. The aunt was more ailing and CON
planning than usual, and Margurth's lib
at best was hard one.
| She had soul above dusting and dish
washing, things that occupied her aunts
whole attention when she was able b
drag herself about her work. "Ah, bonnb
laverockv sighed Margurth, catching ths
sound of his merry lifting as it dropped t
her through the blue air. Gould but
wing wi you for day, how quick I'd fini
him, an nestle doom into his lovin' heartp
But these longings she kept close lockei
In her bosom, and the winter passed h
loneliness, but tinged with hope for The
coming spring.
When the snow had melted enough for
her to reach the village again, to MAKE
her simple purchases, she found that dun
ing the SHOWS and storms evil rumor hal
been busy also. On every hand she me.
with coldness and suspicious rlanraS
| where she had been accustomed to warn
cordiality from her Scotch neighbors. She
was vaguely troubled, but forgot all
about it in her bitter disappointment as
finding no letter as yet from Alan.
She was walking slowly, with bent
head, and was half way through the
town, when suddenly young girl turned
the corner ahead Of her and was hurrying
swiftly away.
"Alicel" 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 see me-" said Mar
gurth, smiling. "I,l gaze wi ye to the
mither, noo-I hae word frae aunt"
To her surprise, the girl did not move
to accompany her.
What is't, then?" she exclaimed i'm
patiently, "what ails the folkY'
II daurna, Margurth, said Alice, sadly.
"Mither forbid that should speak WI
ye, even. l Gamma bide to talk"
- A. sol
to hasten away, but Margurth caught her
dress and so held her.
eye shall ma gae," she cried, It'll ye
hae telled me al"
"Gude company, 'tis ye're keepin' Mis-
tress Alicel' cried the two girls who had
Just come up. "Wheer's your fine lover,
Margurth2" they sneered.
'"Tis my lover ye're speirin' after; It's
for him ye treat me sael Because hae
gran, guide mon to wed ye gle me shame!
'Tis that ye are jealous o my guide luck"
cried Margurth, with blazing eyes.
INA ma, spitfre," cried one; 80 tbs not
your lover we care abou', tbs that he haze
gotten an game, as the sayin' rims. He'll
mo- come again to marry"
Alice had shrunk back at this last
speech, but now she looked inquiringly at
Margurth and waited for her answer. AS
for Margurth she seemed like one stricken
to stone Then she tore her broken six
pence from her bosom, where it had rest
ed for so many months, and held it out to
them.
'D'ye see that?" she cried, her breast
heavihg with anger and pain; 'tan' daur
We gae against the broken saXpence? I'm
an honester lassie than you the day, ye
bold faced things"
For an instant the girls were silenced,
for to them the ceremony of breaking
sixpence when plighting a troth was
much moro binding than our engagement
ring, so easily changed from one hand to
another; and in fact is only exceeded in
solemnitv by the marriage ceremony it.
self.
But the girls soon recovered them
selves. 1t would not do to be cheated in
that way of so entertaining bit of scan
dal
"Saxpences are mony," said one at last,
"an' how ken We but We brak it YOURSELF
'Es a year ago the fair night sin ne left
We; if your speech be true, he'll come
again before the year is oot-so we'll wait
wi a. patience till fair night, an then
we'll see!'
They ran away laughing, carrying Alice
with them, though she looked back and
evidently would have spoken. But Mar
gurth had turned away, and was walking
sadly homeward. So this was what it all