The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-03-15


where's your ring" he asked
Betty burst into tears.
'Its lost, john" she said 81 can
find it nowhere"
'You haven't looked on monseer's
finger, then" said John. "You poor
fool, to give it to him and think /
shouldn't know itr'
''Oh, I'll sweSr l never did!' sobbed
Betty. 81 giva your ring to anyone
elsel Why, John"
But he pushed her from him with his
rough hand, and would hear no word
from her; and the next day he left the
inn and enlisted once more, and was
sent away again to India. And Betty
left the inn also and took service with
farmers wife hard by; and whatever
the magpies chartered about, it was no
more of the love making that they
heard when John and Betty sat to-
gether beneath the old oak tree
Five years went by. At last John re-
ceived letter from England, telling
him that his father was dead, and had
left all his little possessions to his only
son.
John Leafs fighting days were over,
in any case, and he was on the invalid
list for life. He had fought as desper-
ate men do, had been commended and
promoted, and had some medals and
ribbons to show and boast of as COM
pensations for wooden leg. So he
went home again and settled down as
proprietor of the "Magpie's Nest" and
was sort of hero among his neighbors.
but he was very lonely. Men do not
quite forget in five years. He could
still see Betty's buxom form fitting
about the kitchen in imagination, and
when the magpies chartered in their
nests, he could fancy that he sat with
her still under the oak branches. Then
he grew wroth with the magpies. who
seemed to mock him, and ordered his
little serving boy to tear the nests
down.
In vain the lad pleaded for the birds.
In vain he declared that, even if the
new nests went, the old one in the top
most branches should be left 'for
luck"
"If the old magpies that built that
find it gone, they'll peck some ones
eyes out in the night time" said the
boy. Its been known to be done
often"
But John Leaf, the soldier, had cast
away his country's superstitions
'1'l have those magpies chattering
about my ears no more" he said. up,
and leave not nest of them all Some
of the noisy devils will take possession
of that old rag if it is left hanging"
So the boy obeyed. He planted
ladder against the tree and then
swung out upon the branches. There
was grievous noise; and doubtless to
this day old magpies tell their children
of that massacre of the innocents at the
great oak tree. But there were no
birds to chatter and scream in that
great rag of nest which the lads
hand clutched at last He came down
with the relic in his hand, and stood
before his master with a grin.
Eth, master! may have all found
in the old nest?" he asked.
IF it's not a magpie's egg" said
John Leaf
Its better than that" said the lad
cts silver ring"
Let me see it," cried John Leaf, and
snatched it from his hand.
1t was the ring with which he had
plighted his troth to Betty under the
old oak, and he knew now that the
magpies had stolen it, and that the
Frenchman wore only one that re-
sembled it.
The first thing that John did was to
call himself hard names: "a jealous
fool!' "A suspicious bruter Heaven
knows what else. Then he melted, and
all by himself in the bit of woods be-
yond the house shed tears, and vowed
to find Betty if she still lived on earth
Where he went, of whom he inquired,
matters not; but one day when the sun
was setting in the west he opened a
little cottage gate to which he had been
directed and saw, at her knitting, I'M
der uncovered porch, his Betty, not
changed one single bit. And she? She
looked at him and did not know him,
with his thin, sallow face and his
wooden leg.
What may you be wanting, sir?" she
asked.
And he said: "Bettyv'
And she cried out: "Why, it's John
Leafr'
Then he sat down on bench close by
her side.
You know never had many words
to spend on anything, Betty" he said.
IN come to the point at once l know
now that you We're true and no cheat,
and that you never gave my ring to
monseer. found it-or my lad did, for
I'm not very good at climbing now-in
the old magpie's nest in the oak top"
And so, Betty" said John, "if you'll
overlook the past, and let bygones be
btgones, I'll be a happy man"
81 owe you no grudge," said Betty.
"And bygones are bygones, John Leaf.
But you'll let things be as they
were, Betty?" said John. You'll be
my sweetheart again?"
She laughed.
Don't you know?" she said. why,
look there"
He looked. Through the gatecame a
man, with silver ring
upon his finger, who led by his hand a
toddling child.
why, it's monseer," said John.