Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-04-26
A BROKEN SIXPENCE.

|
| ooh, Alan, Alan-I Gamma lat you
60.
The cry was so full Of bitter anguish
that it touched even the light and cal
loused heart of the man who heard it.
'Ncver mind lassie," he said,
cheerily. whats good by any
wayp IT'S SO much better than fare
WE'LL"
GAY, laddie, ay--'tis SO. You'll
come again you'll come again to
Margurth, as you've glen me word,
Alan?n
The question was SO eager, and yet
| so tenderly confident.
Come again to you and Obanp' he
| asked laughing Now, could [ stay
away? There, they are calling from
the boat; / must go. Goodbye,
Margurth be true to the broken SIX
pence"
True to her troth-plight, she
thought; 1.-THE angels in Heaven could
| not be 1ruer." And as he waved his
| hand to her in last farewell, she did
| not know that he had no more lnten-
| ton of returning to her to keep his
| blighted faith, than he had OF putting
on last years faded garment, thrown
| aside for g, newer fancy.
She watched him till the binding
tears hid him from her sight. A
| cracked and querulous voice greeted
her, as she entered the little cottage.
$50 'ee's aye game, the nooP An
| 'twould ha' been as weel had it been a
month a-gane. Ye've flashed me sair,
Margurth, wi your lovin's an leavin' $.
Gae to your warl, girl.
Margurth sighed. 1t was so hard TO
be forced to her regular routine duties
while her heavy heart longed for the
brooding silence of the beach and cliffs.
She had yet to learn that grief is soon
est overcome by firing labor.
.rd ne'er ha seen him, had ZEE game
a month ago, aunt" she said listlessly.
Pm thinl1in' 'twould ha' been as
well, had We no."
What mean We, aunt"' Margurth
cried, Indignantly. Il haze his faith
surelie We Gamma 1hisdoot the broken
sixpencen'
'Ay, can /, - replied her aunt, grimly,
.'an' him as weel, till see him again. !"
The days went heavily by at the cot
tage. The aunt was more ailing and
complaining than usual, and Margurth s
life at best was a hard one.
She had a soul above busting and
dishwashing, things that occupied her
aunt's whole attention when she was
able to drag herself about her work.
.sAh. bonnie laverock!' sighed Mar
gu:th, catching the sound of his merry
lifting as il dropped to her through
the blue air. could l but wing wi
you for day, how quick I'd find him,
an nestle doom into his lovin' hearth
But these longings she kept close
locked in her bosom and the winter
passed in loneliness, but tinged with
hope for the. coming spring.
When the snow had melted enough
for her to reach the village again, to
make her simple purchases, she found
that during the SHOWS and storms evil
rumor had been busy also. On every
hand she met with GOODNESS and sus-
picious chances where she had been
accustomed to warm cordially from
her Scotch neighbors. She was vague
ly troubled, but forgot all about it in
her bitter disappointment at finding no
letter as yet from Alan.
She was walking slowly, with bent
head, and was half way through the
town, when suddenly young girl
turned the corner ahead of her and
was hurrying swiftly away.
'Alicen' she called, joyfully. Sure
ly her dear friend, her playmate of so
many by-gone years would be glad to
give her welcome.
The girl hesitated, then turned slow
ly and waited.
II thocht We didna see me, - said
Margurth, smiling. "l'll gaze wi We to
the mither noo-I haze "a word frae
aunt"
To her surprise the girl did not
move to accompany her.
What is't theno" she exclaimed
impatiently, what ails the folk9''
II daurna, Marguth," said Alice,
sadly. ''Mither forbid that l should
speak wi We, even. / Gamma bide to
talk"
Alice saw two friends coming and
tried to hasten away, but Margurth
caught her dress and so held her.
''Ye shall ma gaze she cried, It'll We
haze telled me an
..Gude company It's ye're leepin',
Mistress Affect" cried the two girls
who had just come up. "Wheer's
your fine lover, Margurth2" they
sneered.
''1is my lover ye're speirin' after;
It's for him We treat me sac! Because
haze gran, guide mon to wed We gle
me shame. Ills that We are jealous O.
my guide luck cried Margurth, with
blazing eyes
INA, ma, spitfre," cried one; cts
not your lover we care about, tits that
he haze gotten an game, as the sayin
rims. He'll no come again to marry y
Alice had shrunk back at this last
speech, but now she looked inquiring-
ly at Margurth and waited for her