The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-02-18
A LOVE STORY.
[Gentleman's Magazine

the sun, Tor the autumn day was cold,
when heard some one whistling. and.
looking up, there was young Squire
Turner, with his arms folded on the
gaze looking over. When he caught
my eye he laughed, I blushed, and I
arose and made him a courtesy.
de was a handsome gentleman, the
squire, and the hand from which he
pulled the glove shimmcred in the sun
with pearls and diamonds, and ne was
bonny to loook at with his hair ike spun
gold in the October sunlight.
When I courtesied he bowed, making
his curls dance over his shoulders, and
said he: ave spoiled one pretty picture
that could have looked at all day, but
I've made another as pretty, so I'll not
rrieve. May come I'M"
aAnd welcome, sir" said |, and set
a chair, for he was grandfathers land
lord; but for all that felt uncomfort-
able, for was not used to fine company.
He talked away, paying me more com
plments than / was used to, for grand
mother, who brought me up, said,
Handsome is as handsome does" and
Beauty is but skin deep"
Since Pm telling the story I'll tell the
truth. / had done wrong about one
thing Neither Of the old folks knew
that wore Evan Locke's ring in nv
bosom, or that we'd taken VOW to each
other beside the hawthorn that grew in
the church lane. never meant to de-
ceive, but grannie was old and a little
hard, and that love Of mine was such a
sweet secret. Besides, money seems to
outweigh all else when people have
struggled all their lives through to turn
penny, and they knew Evan was a
thought I'd wait a while until 1 could
sweeten the news with the fact that he'd
begun to make his fortune.
Grannie came in from the dairy five
minutes after the squire was gone and
heard he had been there. l didn't tell
her Of his fine speeches, but there was
keyhole to the door she came through
and have guess she heard them.
That night we had something else to
think of. Misfortunes had come upon
grandfather; but l didn't foresee that
when the half years rent should come
due not penny to pay it with would be
found.
All this time Evan Locke and I had
been as fond as ever of each other, and
he came as often as before to talk with
grandpa on the winter nights; and still
every little while our young landlord,
Squire Turner, would drop in and sit in
his lazy way and watch me knit or spin.
Once or twice he was flushed with wine
and over bold, for he tried to kiss me.
But squire or no, boxed his ears for his
pains, and no softer than I could help
either.
l could not help his coming, nor help
seeing him when he came, and did not
deserve that Evan should be angry with
me. But he was. Eth, SO high and
mighty, and spoke as though one like
the squire could mean no good by COM
ing to SO poor place as the schoolmas-
ter's.
He made me angry and spoke up.
For that matter, the squire would be
glad to have me promise to marry him."
said l. ''He thinks more of me than"-
"May be you like him better" said
Evan.
II don't say that" replied !. "But
bad temper and jealousy scarce ever
make me over fond of another. pray
may never have husband who will
scold me-"
For he had been scolding me. No
other name for it.
Well, Evan was wroth with me and !
with him-not heart deep, though, I
thought-and did not see him for more
than week. l was troubled much,
though. I knew he would come round
again, and naayhap ask my pardon. For
before you are wed you can bring your
lover to his senses.
So did not fret after Evans absence,
nor quite snub Squire Turner, who liked
me more than ever. But one night
grandfather came in, and shutting the
door, stood between grandmamma and
me, looking at me, and so strangely that
we both grew frightened. At last he
spoke:
Eve been to the squire's," said he.
"For the first time I had to tell him that
could not pay the rent when DUE"
l opened my lips. Grandmamma's
hand covered them. Grandpa drew me
to him.
"Thou'rt young, lass" said he, "and
they are right who call thee pretty
Child-ceuld'st like the squire well
enough to wed him?"
"Eh" cried grandma. "Sure, you're
not wandering
Squire Turner asked me for this lass
of ours tonight. OF all women in the
woi1u Unere Is but ore he loves as he
should his wife, and that is our Agatha. u
81 dreamt of golden rings and white
roses on Christmas eve," cried grannie.
II knew the lass would be lucky"
But 1 put my head on grandfather's
shoulder and hid my face. The truth
must out, knew.
"Wilt have him and be rich ladyr'
said grandpa.
And when he had waited for an an
swer / burst out with "No" and sob
together.
"She's frightened, >" said grandmamma.
"Nay, we must all wed once in our lives,
my child"
Then grandpa talked to me. He told
me how poor they had grown, and how
kind the squire was, and I had but to
marry him to make my grandparents
free from debt and poverty their lives
through. If / refused and vexed the
squire heaven only knew what might
happen.
She'll never ruin u.s." sobbed grand
mamma.
Ahl it was heard to bear-bitter hard;
but now there was no help for it. took
the ring from my bosom and laid it on
my palm, and told them it was Evan
Locke's and that had plighted my troth
to him. And grandmamma called me q
deceitful wench, and grandfather looked
as though his heart would break.
Oh, would have done anything for
them-anything but give up my true
love.
That night kissed his ring and prayed
heaven that he might love me always In
tho morning it was gone, ribbon and all,
from my neck. looked for it high and
low, but found no sign of it. And be-
gan to fear the loss of that dear ring
was a sign that would never marry
Evan Locke.
The days passed on, and he never came
near me.
"Oh, it was cruel in him." I thought,
ito hold such anger for hasty word he
had provoked, when spoke it that he
must know loved him So"
And grandma would scarcely look at