Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-02-10
LUCY's LOVERS.

Lucy Watson had two lovcrs-tliis
would be an unfair allowance in these
days, but fifteen years ago there were
more marrying men in India aud fewer
maidens. Besides Lucy was really sweet
enough and pretty enough and adorable
enough to ~monopolize the attentions Of
any number. OF these two SWANS one
was an elderly swaiu-that "a, ii the col
Iector Of a district on two thousand and
some odd hundreds Of rupees q month
and a fund" Of the most liberal nature
can properly be called a swain at all,
which is doubtful. He was a good fol-
low, was John McAllister, bat at least
twenty years older than Lucy, and, what
was more to the point, very prim end
stiff and solemn and serious, and in fact
destitute Of not only appearance, but me
thoughts and ways Of youth.
And so when Colonel Watson cited
instances Of the happy marriages he had
seen between elderly gentlemen and
youthful lassies-he used occasionally TO
draw on his imagination a little-poor
Lucy would %piteously reply:
''Yes, papa, but it isn't his age; that's
nothing, nothingn-oh, Lucy. Lucy
''but he's so old in his ideas and habits;
he has nothing in common with a girl"
Aud then there would bea little break
down in the voice, and a tear would fall
on tho colonel's hand, and he would
turn away to smoke a cheroota and make
the best Of it, for he did not want TO
force his child into q distasteful mar
riage; he was too fond Of her for that's:
but with six sons ranging from fifteen
to five, that his one daughter shoull
marry a well to do M was distinctly
desirable.
Pensions were good in those days, bat
ever &, 100 a year seemed small with
such a troop Of boys to educate and put
into the world. And then there was a
trine Of debt which McAllister would
but what was the use Of thinking about
it If it would make little Lucy unhappyg
II is almost s%uperfuous to say that the
other adorer, whom Lucy did like, was
a hopeless ineligible. George Farleieh
was a subaltern in her fathers regi-
ment, Of about five years service. a
fine young fellow, good at sports, but
with absolutely 10 prospects. There
was no chance Of the adjutancy falling
vacant for a long time, and there wore
no departmental openings, SO far az
least as he was concerned.
In a small, up country station these
two had many opportunities of meeting,
and to do them justice they took advan-
tage of all they could get. But Lucy was
not without a mixture Of sound, com.
mon sense, and she would not pledge
herself 70 George until he could show
some reasonable grounds for believing
that his position would soon justify mar
Tiage; she would not listen to the idea
Of an indefinite arrangement.
Matters were thus at a deadlock, and
there seemed nc hope Of n solution,
Months passed BY, weary months to all
concerned. Then all Of a sudden came
a change. The new governor general
arrived in the country, and it SO hap.
pened that in former years he had
known Georges father rather init
mateiy. The natural result followed.
For q boy who had passed nothing but
the higher standard in H|indOostanee ii
was not possible to do much at once.
but still he might be tried. So down
came the offer Of a semipolitical ap.
pointment in Il native state for sis
months, the continuance OF which wa,
to depend on Georges progress and abil
ity.
There was a fearful parting.
"Now, mind, you are not to write tc
me unless 1 write TO you first. Papa
would be very angryif you We're to writ,
direct to me, aud Of course l won't nav,
anything done in q roundabout way
When l write TO you, il I do write ct all.
sir, then you may answer"
So, half crying, half laughing. Lucy
dismissed him, and both the colonel and
McAllister said goodby with a sigh Of
relief. The %sagacious Lucy had a reason
for the condition she imposed. Over
and above the difficulties Of e CORE
spondence 10 which her father would
object, she wanted TO test her lover.
Married ladies often prone to dismal ad.
vice had snilingly told her of the incop.
siancy Of man, and she had also read
about it in novels aud poems, 80 she
thought TINT az experiment should be
made.
III we begin ~ writing 10 each other, y
she argued TO herself, ''he won't have a
chance of forgetting me, but, if there is
no communication between us for some
time, then that win show whether hi.
affection Is sincere"
Left alone in the field, good, honest
McAllister could make the running al
his own pace, but somehow he never
seemed to get any nearer the winning
post.
But the three months never passed.
for enc fine day the colonel, with 4
white face and broken bones, wa.
brought back IN a dhooly from ths
parade ground (his horse had fallenl
and though the bones were o mended
complications set In and the doctor.
ordered him home-"iutoruai injuries
never get right ia this place. voyage vii
give him strength, etc. Then the poo
man told Lucy that sho really had bet
ter make up her mind, that he could 81
afford the expense Of taking her TO Eng
hnd, and reminded her that she did no.
get ON too easily with her stepmother.
who was looking after the boys. AnC