The Republican., 1891-03-20

y
my neck and give it back TO Evan, as if
from me? You I've loved and honored
my life-long!'
True love- said she; you've but
one true love now-Squire Turner"
You have done it," l cried ''It's
written in your face"
And she looked down at that and fell
to weeping.
'My own true love was breaking his
heart" she said. MY husband and
had loved for forty years. / did it to
save him. Could l let girls fancy,
worth nothing, stand in my way and
see him a beggar in his old age? Oh,
girl, girl!''
And then fell down at her feet like
stone. knew nothing for an hour
or more, but then, when / was better
and they left me with Jennie, l bade
her fetch my hood and cloak and her
own and come with me. and away l
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 boldness-
no wonder-but called him. SO in
moment he stood before me in his even
ing dress, with his cheeks flushed and
his eyes bright, and let me into a little
room and seated me.
Agatha, my love, / hope no mis-
chance brings you here" But stopped
him.
Not your love, Squire Turner" 1
cn,1 Il r.,
| 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 offense-the guilt
oh. ! have been sOrely cheated" and all
could do was to sob.
At last strength came to me. went
back to the first and told him all-how
we had been plighted to each other,
waiting only for better prospects to be
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
other mans true love, for | am his I'M
til die
Then, as looked, all the rich color
faded out of the squires face, and i
saw 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. ''Ah me! The news is bad
i thought she did This comes of
vanity
'Many higher and fairer have
hearts to give" | said. Mine was gone
ere 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 vet
l liked him better than I had ever
done before that night when l told
grannie that would never wed him.
Eh! but he was fit to be a king-the
grandest, kindest, best of living men;
who rode away with the break of the
morrow and never stopped till he
reached Liverpool, and found Evan
Locke just ready to set foot on the
Golden George and told 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 kind
word to the gentry for young Dr.. Locke
that helped him into practice? Still no
one but Squire Turner, whom we
taught our children to pray for every
night For we were married, and in a
few years had boys and girls at our
knees: and when the eldest was nigh
two the thing | needed to make me
quite happy happened, and from far
over the sea, where he had been three
twclvemonths, came our squire with the
bonniest lady that ever blushed beside
him, and the hall had mistress at last
ID mistress who loved the squire as |
loved Evan.
Eth! but it's an old story. She that 1
remembered girl saw in her coffin,
withered and Old. And then they
opened the vault where the squire had
slept ten years to put her beside him;
and I've nothing left of Evan, my life
and my love, but his memory, and it
seems as if every hope and dream of joy
l ever had were put away under tomb
stones. And even the Golden George,
the great strong ship that would have
borne my dear from me, has moldered
away at the bottom of the sea. And l |
think my wedding-ring is like to out
last us all, for have it yet, and l shall
be ninety tomorrow.
Ninety! It's good old age, and it
can't be long now before l meet Evan
and the rest in Heaven.-Gentleman
Magazine.
Matrimonial Observations.
Miss Mabel Goddard, who has been
studying the relations between indus
try and matrimony for the past ten
years, states in pamphlet form that the
proportion of marriages is greater