Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-07-13
A LOVE PLEDGE.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

''Does thee think he will come to-
day, Dorothea?"
"I'm almost sure of it, mother"
Dorothca Dale--''for shortness," ;"
commonly called Thea-was STOPPING
in front of the kitchen oven, gravely
regarding a pie which she had just
taken out-a puffy, haky pie, bleeding
It every pore with crimson blackberry
juice.
"Thee has had good luck with thy
baking, Dorothea, said Friend Mar
iha Dale, who had always persisted in
the costume and dialect of her fore
fathers.
ooh, yes, mothorl And the sponge
cake is beautiful" eagerly spoke the
girl.
Henry used to be fond of sponge
cake, 'refectively murmured the old
lady. "What is that around thy neck,
Dorothea?"
Thea set the pie on the table, and
colored celestial rosy red" as she put
her hand to silver sphere, fastened
on bit of blue silk cord which en-
circled her neck.
Don't you remember, mother, :"
said she, "the silver quarters which
II a, Z a...l.s-IGI,s1 A. ,----z0nfIu
went away. HIS was dated ese<tssly
year of his birth, and mine was 1877.
He called them our love tokens, you
know, and so thought I'd put mine
on and wear it today"
Friend Martha smiled, benignly.
81 think thee will have good hus-
band, Thea" said she, gently. SIS
that the clock striking?"
"No, said Thea, listening. "lt's
some one tapping at the old hall
door,"
And, all in an instant as it were,
the keeping-room door few open and
in rushed pretty young girl, in a
crumpled pink calico dress, with curls
blown about by the summer wind, and
cheeks flushed vivid carmine.
Friend Martha sat upright in her
chair, with grave and almost disap-
proving mein.
"Why," said she, slowly, sit is
Josephine Pearl! It's Gipsy Abra-
hams granddaughter, isn't it?"
The mass of pink calico and black
cast itself bodily into Dorothea's
arms.
Yes" she cried, "it's 10 Pearl
back againl A bad penny always re-
turns, you know-and I've run away
from Old Cat Baker. 1 couldn't stand
the long hours, and the hateful lee
lures, and the stitch, stitch, stitch all
day long? I'm half Romany, you
know, and the gypsy part of ME re-
volted at such bondage as that. Why
have L come here, Friend Martha?"
with a saucy flash of her brilliant
black eyes in the direction of the
quiet Quakeress. "Oh, 1 don't know,
except that l had nowhere else to go
And Thea had been good to me. Thea
is good to everybody. Please l may
stay, mayn't I? Just until 1 get an
other situation?"
Friend Martha compressed her lips
and remained silent, but Thea spoke
pleadingly up:
"She may stay, mother, mayn't
she? There's little room upstairs
where the blankets are kept"
81 can cuddle down anywhere"
said the black-eyed girl, eagerly. "If
there's nowhere else, could string up
in hammock in the apple tree yon-
der, or in the barn loft"
"That is nonsense, Josephine, :"
severely uttered the old lady. "But
thee may sleep one or two nights in
the linen room, until thee gets an
other place. Perhaps thee is not
aware that the hem of thy frock is
torn DOWN."
Jo Pearl looked comically at her
disorganized gown.
81 ran across lots from the railway
station, said she; "as hard as l could
rush. I thought 1 could make the
home run better from Lowood than
from the Brick Depot; but was a
little vexed when two disagreeable
young men, that had been trying to
attract my notice on the train, got off,
too. So while they were asking ques-
tions of the depot agent, L cut and
run. There's where the gypsy blood
came in handy. Did l distance them9
1 rather think did 1 dare say they're
looking for me now in the Lowood
Mills"