The Van Buren press., 1894-03-24
THE MAGPIE's NEST.
How John Found Fits Sweetheart
Had Been True.

Had Been True.
There stood In Berkshire. England,
Tar out upon quiet country road. . lit
tie inn, which the wooden sign swing
Ing Ut the door declared to be known as
ssrhe Magpie's Nest"
! It had been thus named because OF
the number Of magpies In the neigh
horhood And straight before the door
stood an oak tree century old, among
whose uppermost branches, year in and
gear out. always hung q magpie's nest,
70 which the country people believed
that the same old mugpies returned
regularly.
No very elegant entertainment was
offered at the Magpie's Nest for either
man or beast, but its patrons thought
the ale good, and then It was served tn
them by the most charming, rosy
checked little barmaid. who wore cap
with bright ribbons, and had waist
that could have been spanned by two
hnnda-a well-bchaved little maid also,
who resented too much freedom by
box on the ear, and who was known by
the rector OF the parish to have been
tho best girl In his Sabbath school. So.
though she was poor orphan. and had
only her little need OF wages, Betty
might have married many o stout
young farmer. However she refused
them all. and kept on with her duties
ct the Magpie's Nest until the son OF
her master, coming home from India,
where he had served "a soldier for
several years, fell In love with her. and
offered her his hand and heart. Betty
did not prove unkind. The innkeepinR
father was willing enough to secure
his handy Betty for permanent as
sistant. and. am!k the chatterinR OF the
magpiea. Betty and John exchanged
their vows under the nest-hung oak
tree ono bright afternoon, and John
put upon her finger thick silver ring.
which he had obtained abroad, per-
haps by purchase, perhaps by gift,
perhaps % soldiers obtain many thinRs
In time of war
II was not . costly gift-to our eyes
II would not be beautiful one-but
Betty valued It highly. She kept 1t
polished to perfection, and wore 1t
with great pride on high days and hol-
idays; but though she loved John and
looked forward to her wedding day
with Joy. she would not alter the
bright coquettish manner which had
always belonged to her. She jolssd
with the farmers. flung item back
repartce for repartee. and even gave
them those bright Chances which John
the soldier thought should only be
given to himself. So John grew jeal-
Gus, and. being moody sort Of man,
said nothing about 1t
1t never entered Betty's mind that
tho very manner which had once en-
chanted John should now offend him,
and she herself grew angry with her
lover for his scowls and sulkinesA
Therefore, when young FrenchmaM
from Marseilles black.eyed, black
haired and as polite in his manners as
Frenchmen usually are, CHANGED, in the
course Of business journey, to stop at
1.-THE Magpie's Nest" she felt that he
would be really fine example for surly
John Leaf. and was amiable to him to
degree that might have made . less jeal-
GUS man angry. Then, indeed, John
Leaf spoke out, and Betty discovered
the secret OF his i'll temper Her pride
being fiattered thereby. she forgave him,
end retired ON Saturday night with the
firm intention Of winning back Johns
smiles on the morrow, her holiday, when
she would 60 to church in her best at.
tire and charm his heart from him over
again a. he walked by her side. What
woman ever had any design on mans
heart ever desired to win from him
any favor or any gift that she did not
bethink her Of all her hnery! Before
Betty slept she took from her trunk
her Scotch plaid dress, her frinRed
shawl, her blue-ribboned cap, her Sun
day shoes and her silver ring, and hav-
ing given the latter IN extra polish,
laid them where they would meet her
eyes the Arst thing next morning.
John Leaf, sulking In his room under
the garnet caves, had not thought of
thiA Those slow natures do not for
get and forgive In . hurry, any more
than they do anything else.
The morning sun. shining aslant
against the inns wall, aroused Betty
with his arst rays She rubbed her
eyes. opened them, put her fat little
feet out upon the floor, knelt down and
said her simple prayer and then few to
the glass. 1t was only q crooked thing
with q flaw in 1t, and . rough oaken
frame, but II was sufficient to make her
happy. She braided her hair, put ON
her cap, buttoned her dress, tied about
her throat the gay neck ribbon, laced
her shoes geometricslly, and then
looked for her ring 1t was gone.
She knew the very spot upon the red
Aeart-shaped pin-cushion into which
sne had thrust the needle over which
the silver ring had been hung. There
stuck the needle still 1t was below
the window sill, ON y little table; II
could not have rolled out; but II was
not In the room. She shook out her
dress, her shawl, her bedclotheA She
swept the floor. 1t was gone. That
was the end Of it
Betty sat down and wept bitterly.
All the cohptry people Of that day were
snpelstitious. The ring had disap.
lpeared in most mysterious way, for
her door was bolted and her window
high from the ground, and she firmly
believed that the loss portended some
great evil
Meanwhile ct the bar Of the Inn .
little scene was going ON. The French.
man had asked for glass Of ale and
John, who was always tapster ON Sum
day mornings, had drawn it for him,
when, rs their hands almost met In the
act, he saw upon the little finger OF his
s.nst0mer n thiclr siluor rinn Tia ,ra-,,