Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-02-24

n N"1 ~ "ol uptli asheU now loHg
Ninea lie had been hurt. / told him
Insree weeks. lie turned his head
'1iway with deep sigh and said 10
ss4iafo for few minutes. Then he
asked; "'Bout how far is it to Cairo,
iil'p said | didn't know exactly,
thought nearly thousand miles.
"Wish | was there" he jerkcd out,
viii an effort.
! began to suspect that "The girl
left behind me-" was troubling him
and he wanted to talk about it and
did not know how to begin. So
Father bantcringly said: "Tell me
about her.
lie locked at me with look of
comieal dismay, and said "Why, how
did You know?' and then said: 81
might as well tell some one, though
there amt much TO tell. used to
I've down in Cairo and was a roust-
;,bout on a Mississippi steamer. There
was another fellow always worked ON
,l'e same gang with me and we were
tAleker than molasscs in winter. lie
was as vain as a peacock and thought
he was some one when he got on his
Sunday togs, and lie was . purity
sizable sort of fellcr Well, there
was a girl who lived down the river
a few miles, whose dad iun a truck
farm and sent garden sass TO 81. Louis,
you know. Hank Simpson and me
10th met her at a dance one night. !
dot Introduced first and danced twice
itli her before Simpson did,
4 ID then she danced several
tas with him, and when | como up
lse7go siir-suiti she corrtyl1r't,
I sac was going TO dance with Mr..
|Silnpson. That made me hot and ]
went and tod Hank he was not doing
The fair thing, not allowing her 10
lance with any one but him. He
laughed and said she didn't seem TO
think of any hardship. Well, we
both got mad, and told him | would
lance with her anyway, and went
back and said Hank couldn't keep his
Well, she dancel with
ne, but Hank and me We're enemies
md lie did me every bad turn he
Gould. Well, l used to go down~tlie
liver every Sunday to old man Lees
nlaee, and sometimes found Hank
simpson there, and he went down
in the week. l couldn't
ell which of us E sic liked the best or
she was fooing both of us.
She was pretty enough for better than
is"
Here a tender no,e crept into his
Toice.
81 had 10 go down on the boat TO
vicksburg, which would take about
wo weeks, as we would have to wait
for a cargo. 1t was a regular purga-
Dry to me all the time | was gone,
FOR | was afraid Hank would get the
oest of me, and made up my mind to
ave it ont when l got back. The
next Sunday went down. had
bought a ring in Viclsburg, with two
,laspcd hands holding little garnet
o give her, and thought maybe that
would help me out. found her in
little arbor in the corner of the gar
len. She seemed glad TO see me, but
Inc acted the same to Hank, so |
;auldn't tell anything from that. She
lsked me about the trip, and wanted
o know if had lost my heart to any
pretty girl in Vicksburg. | thought
I was now or never, so said: "IIow
:ould when left it at home?
"Who took care of it while You
we're gomez she asked.
s'rd like to think you DID, | said.
! wish, Elsie, you could make inc
little better than Hank Simpson.
You know how much | care for
rou.'
"sho looked down AMI dug her
shoe into the dirt and said: 'IIow
should l? You never told me-.
" well | tell you now, and | can't
pear 10 think of Hank coming here
o see you when want You to marry
ne
"E sic looked at me and then said:
Why, Bob, l didn't know that You
meant anything
"Well, Miss Majors, she didn't
make much fuss when put my arm
lround her and kissed her. | felt as
t was in heaven and even felt sorry
for Hank Simpson. | wanted TO do
great that would make me
worthy to have Este for wife.
After she had given me her promise
sidn't care for Hank Simpson and
wasn't bit jealous of him. She told
ne that she had begun to care for Inc
1t the dance but had been afraid to
cross Hank, as he had such a temper.
''AIaybe you want 10 know why
nm away out here, Well, Elsie and