Griggs courier., 1893-10-13

~ guess TIL go west says I, and
turned around and went my way, bid
ding her short good evening and hear
ing her laugh over the quick start she
gave me. l don't suppose was more
Jealous than another, but I'm free to
say didn't like it.
"There was peace with the old coun-
try then and British ships used to come
into the harbor every little while, send
ing their officers ashore TO strut around
as it they owned the earth but civil
enough as q general thing. And just
then q sloop of war, the 'Avenger.' was
lying of the Battery. That much I
knew and it would not be strange if
some of her gold-laced idlers had wan.
dered up to Greenwich village. which
was pretty enough place then, not at
all what you see it now. But that one
Of them should foregather with my
Mary I thought queer, and 1 went
straight to see about it. hoping it
wasn't SO, but far from easy in my
mind But it was true. When asked
Mary she tossed her head at first and
was as independent as you pl ease; as
good as told me it was none of nv
business.
"'Well,' says I, If you think it isn't
I'll never try to make it SO but the
once.' and got up to take my leave
That startled her bit, for she saw
was serious and in her heart she
thought as much of me as did of her,
and, forbye, she knew she was wrong,
/ ca n1Slyn oh 30
But that didn't fetch me then. Says I,
with my hand on the door latch:
Give me your Brithiser's address and
I'll send him word to come and dry
your tears
"'Oh! Joe,' she snuffled, you're
wicked to talk so. He isn't my Brit
isher. He's nothing to me and you
ought to have sense enough to know it.
He met me ON the street and asked his
J way and, he being stranger, what
could do but set him right? And then
he asked me some other question about
the village and answered him, and
before I knew it we got to talking as
we walked along, his way happening
to be the same as mine; but I'm sure he
didn't mean any harm and know l
didn't He was q real civil. we'll
spoken young man.
"I suppose there wasn't a man in
sight he could ask, so he must need
seek his information from you,' says I,
for felt ugly, and her praising him
didn't mend matters.
'He-he-said1 1he-preferred to ask
me- she stammered.
because you were such q pretty
girl. He mentioned that, didn't he?
"I think-he-said something of the
Sort
'The art of the chap and her inno-
cence made me mad, SO that snorte6
in my wrath and broke out: "A fine
gomus am, to put my faith in girl
that lets herself 0e soft sawdered by the
first thing with brass buttons that
comes aIong.'
"'Hon't be angry with me, Joe,' she
pleaded. 4 didn't mean any harm; in
deed I didn't. and won't ever do it
again. AS true as you live, Joe. l won't.
won't oven see him when he comes
again
"Oho!' says I, he's coming again, is
hep
sHe-he-said he would, but didn't
tell him he might. He said he would
come Thursday evening and take me to
a grand concert in the city; but didn't
say would 60 Indeed didn't. And
wouldn't, Joe, even if I knew you
could never hear of it.
swell, we made up and before we
parted she told me everything. The
fellow said he was Lord Fitz- Eustace
Blakely and that he was a lieutenant
on the Avenger, but with all the ad-
vantages of the high society he moved
in at home. and even at the royal court,
he had never seen girl SO lovely as my
Mary. OF course, you know, young
girl likes to hear that kind of stuff,
even if her sense tells her afterward it
isn't true. SO he just charmed her into
listening to him. And nothing must do
him but he must have the honor of es-
corting her to the grand concert, to
show his brother officers. who would
all be there, how fair flower grew on
America soil. said to myself as I
walked home late that evening: If
you 20 to that concert yourself, my
fascinating lieutenant, it will be be-
cause fail of throwing my shuttle
across your web as mean to- And
the next day had talk with three
other young fellows, friends of mine,
and we made it up between us to give
the lieutenant a reception if he came
again after Mary, such as he would not
be likely to forget the longest day of
his life.
''Sure enough, he came; rugged out in
such style you might think it was his
wedding he was going to and golo lace
enough on him to make the worlds
eyes ache If he walked in the sun But
we were not blinded by the glory of
him, for he didn't come until after
dark A fine carriage brought him and
he left it bit of ways of. Imet
him where he had thought to meet
Mary. and civilly bidding him good
evening asked if he hadn't lost his way.
"'What's that to you, fellow% he an
swered me, as proud and insolent as q
parish bull Stand aside! and he put
out his hand to push me out of the way.
| But before he could touch ma oavo