The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-02-01
LOVES TOKEN.
are You doing. Join p

LIVE y tOhEN.
"What are you doing, John?"
John Turner was working hard at some
thing and humming over and over the
same old song. "He had but sixpence; /;
he brak' it in two" to his own melodious
Scotch air. He looked up and smiled
when Milly Gray asked him the ques-
ton, but made no answer for some mo-
ments. Al last he arose and laid before
her flat, worn tenpence, cut in half with
a hole in each piece.
You know lovers always used to
break a silver sixpence. Your song put
ne in mind. I've carved y on your
half and NJ on mine, and you must find
ribbon TO wear them next our hearts
by, all our lives"
bot you are not going ava, John?
Il hope not. It's a pretty idea, though
isn't it? Suppose they were my only
tenpence. wonder whether you'd cast
me of if / had only tenpence in the
world, and that broken?'
Milly, the shy, made no answer. But
she nestled little closer to John and
made herself busy with the bit of blue
ribbon she had drawn from her pocket
Just then it would have taken a great
deal TO make her cast John Turner of,
and he could not fancy it possible that
she could offend him.
Ali their lives long the two lovers re-
membered that long summer afternoon,
and those whispered conversations, and
that sumter home along the shore by
moonlight as little bi, Of paradise which
had somehow lost itself in this hard old
earth. As days are very warm and bright
sometimes before storm, 50 were those
hours the sweetest perhaps of all their
brief engagement year.
When they parted each wore the brok-
en- tenpence, with the first letter of the
others name upon it, fastened to the
slender ribbon Of true blue.
They we're TO be married in August,
and it was now July. Milly's white robe
was made, and mimic orange blossoms
lay in the draws OF the bareau- John
Turner had bought the snug farmhouse
ofold Gilmore, who had lost his " ife and
was going to the city to live with his
eldest son, and had furnished the best
room in manner that awakened the
envy of every woman in the place.
There we're but three Sundays more be-
fore the wedding in the old church, and
the house warming and the changing of
those two lovers into husband and wife.
Only three Sundays, and they had just
broken a tenpence together and had spent
that long day in the old woods and had
gone home TO lie awake and watch the
stars and think Of each other all night.
And yet before those three Sundays were
over they had quarreled.
4 little thing at frst, and both only
waitiog for the other to apologize. Bat
you know the tiny blue fame from a
match may spread and widen into great
tongue CT fire which is strong enough to
lick city into ashes.
Pride and temper famed the little an
CRY spark. She felt insulted. He thought
it her place to given in.
At last the end came, and loving each
other still they parted. Milly sent back
Johns letters and her engagement ring
and little parcel of gifts bedewed with
tears as they were folded away, and be
returned her tiny notes and the watch
guard she had MADE him. But somehow
Nilly never thought ofseniing back that
broken bit of silver about her neck, and
John kept lis half also.
"Hell never remember so small q
thing-I may keep that" thought Mil
ly.
And John sighed
"She has hnng hers away, 1 dare say
and as she can't know I've kept this III
wear it yet"
So the farmhouse was resold, and John
Turner went away to sea, and Milly-
somehow women always have the hard
est part-Milly had TO stay at home, anf
fold away the white dress and the orang'
wreath, and hear condolences and pryins
questions, and sit in the same pew il
church, and walk alone over the sam'
path she had so often trod by her loyeri
side. But upon the stormy ocean or il
the humdrum routine Of weary house
hold duties each wore against the poor
worn heart, that bore so much and told
so little, the broken tenpenee with il
tiny ribbon Of true blue
For long while Milly used to start a
every step and fancy John was comins
back to WOO her again. For long while
whenever the dogs barked after dark ol
the pigeons rustled and cooed upon theil
perches, she thought they heard John il
the garden path. But John never came
aud one year passed, and two, and lou
more, bringing great trouble, for he
mother died, and with that her father
who was very old, broke down and tool
to his bed, and she seemed to be quit
alone in the world.
In another year she was an orphal
and knew for certain that John Turne
was never coming back again. She wa
not poor, and was very pretty still con
sequently many q young farmer had tries
TO lake poor John Turne-'s place. 1t wa
no use. Even the fair haired clergyman
who firmly believed Miss Milly was tn
wife intended by Providence TO presid
over his parsonage, hal no chancs
though when be entered the farmhous
parlor his crayats were like snow and hi
little tender speeches all prepared an
| learned BY note. Miss Milly was solici