Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-03-28

sake o the young squire.
"How dare you follow and watch
me?"
But she caught my sleeve.
"Dnna be vexed," she said. "Just
bide a wee, and answer what l speer.
It's for love of you, for I've seen ye
waste like the snaw wreath in the sun
sin the squire woed ye. Was it your
will the lad that loved the ground ye
trod on should have his ring again?"
"What do you mean?" said /.
"Pll speak gin lose my place, said
Jennie. 81 rode with the mistress to
young DR.. Locke's place past the moor,
and there she lighted and gave him a
ring, and what she said know not, but
it turned him the tint o death, and said
he: There's ma drop O true bluid i'll
woman gin she is false And he turned
to the wall and covered his eyes, an
your grannie rode home. There, tits all
l ken-wull it do?"
"Ay, Jennie, said l, "heaven bless
you!"
And had l wings on my feet could
not have come to the cottage door
sooner.
stood before my grandmother. trem-
bling and white, and l said: "Oh, don't
tell me, grannie, you have cheated me
and robbed me of my true love by a lie.
Did you steal the troth ring from my
neck and give it back to Evan, as if
from me? You I've loved and honored
my life long"
She turned scarlet.
True love!" sad she; "you've but
one true love now-Squire Turner.
"You have done it'll l cried. It's
written on your face. >"
And she looked down at that and fell
to weeping.
"NIy own true love was breaking his
heart" she said "NIy husband and l
had loved for 40 year. l did it to save
him. Could let a girls fancy, worth
nothing, stand in my way, and see him
beggar i'll his old age? Oh, girl,
grill"
And then l fell down at her feet like
a stone. | knew nothing for an hour or
so; but then when | was better, and they
left me with Jennie, | babe her fetch my
hood and cloak and her own, and come
with me, and away | went across the
moor in the starlight to where the hall
windows were ablaze with light, and
asked the housekeeper to let me see the
squire.
She stared at me for my bolthless-nc
wonder-but called him. So in a mo-
ment he stood Def re me in his evening
DRESS with his ch eks flushed and his
eyes bright and led me into little
room and seated me.
Agatha, my love, l hope no mis-
chance brings you here.
But stopped him.
Not your love, Squire Turner, said
II thank you for thinking so well of
me, but after all that has passed, /"
l could say no more. He took my
hand.
Have I offended you, Agatha?" he
said.
Not you. The otfense-the guilt
oh, have been sorely cheated!" and all
l could do was to sob
At last strength came to me. I went
back to the first a ID told him all-how
we had been plighted to each other,
waiting only for Letter prospects to tie
wed, and how, when he honored me by
an offer of his hand, angered my
grandmother by owning to the truth,
and of the ring grannie had stolen from
my breast, and the false message that
had been sent my promised husband
from me.
"And though never see Evan Locke
again, said |, still | can never be an
other mans true love, for am his until
l die"
Then, as I looked, all the rich color
the sight we seldom see more than once
in a lifetime-a strong young man in
tears.
AT last he arose and came to me.
My little Agatha never loved me,
he said, All, me! The news is bad-I
thought she did This comes of vanity.
"NIany higher and a fairer have
hearts to give, l said. mine was gone
er, you saw me.
And then kind and gentle, as though
l had not grieved him, he gave me his
arm and saw me across the moor, and
at the gate paused and whispered:
BE at rest, Agatha. The Golden
George has not sailed yet.
liked him better than I had ever done
bef re that night hen l tod grannie
that | would never wed him.
Eth! but he was fit to be king-the
grandest, kindes, and best of living
men; who rode away with the break of
the morrow and never stopped till lie
reached Liverpool and found Evan
Locke Just ready to set foot upon the
Golden George, and tod him tale that
made his heart light and sent him back
to me. Heaven bless him!
And who was it that sent old grand
father the deed of gift that made the
cottage his own, and who spoke a kind
word to the gentry for young DR.. Locke
that helped him into practice? Sill no
one but Squire Turner, whom we taught
our children to pray for every night.
For we were married, and in few
years had boys and girls at our knees;
and when the eldest was nigh two, the
thing l needed to make me quite happy
happened-and from far over the sea,
where he had been three twelvemonths,
came our Squire, with the bonniest lady
that ever bushed beside him, and the
Hall had mistress at last-a mistress
who loved the Squire as loved Evan.
Eli but it's an old story. She that
remembered girl ] saw in her coffin,
withereu and old. Ard then they
opened the vault where the Squire had
slept 10 years to put her beside him; and
T'va moi binrr loft nf Evan NV lifa and