Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-12-03
I'lG Silver King.

out upon a qgiet country ROAD,
little inn, which the wood slgr
swinging at tht door declared Il
be known as The Magpie's Nest
l. uad been bus named becaus'
OF the number of magples in th'
ghborhOod. And straight be
tore thr door stood an Oak.tree, q
century old, among whose upper
most branches, year IN and year
Out, always hung a magpie'S nest
10 which the cDuntIy people De
lieNrd that 'hr s,mr O'd Wfgpl'
returned regularly.
No very elegant entertainment
was offered at The 'MAgple'S Nos!
tor eitaer man or beast; but lts
patrons thought the fare good; and
then 1t wa served to the by the
most charming, rOsy.cheeked little
maid, WhO wore cap With bright
rlbbOus, and had u waist that coulC
have been spsnned ny two hhnds-
a we'll behaved little maid, also
who was known by the rector OF
tue parish church to have oeeu tht
best girl III his Sunday school.
SO, though she was poor or
phan, aud had only her little meeo
of wages, Betty might have mar
ried many a stout farmer. How
ever, she refused them all. anc
kept on with her duties at the
'MagpIe's Nest until the SOD OF hel
master, coming home from ludIa
where he bad sery ed az a soldier
for several years, fell in love witt
her, and offered her his hand aud
heart. Betty did not prove un
kind. The lDn.keepjng father wa
willing enough TO secure hiS handy
Be ty for permanent assistant
and amid the chatrerinS OF The
magpirs Betty ard John excbang
q / tneIr vows uud-c thu ue3t mug
,ak-trte Our bright attera00n; an
j Ihn put upon her finger 'hl"t
silver ring, which hr rsd Ohtdt g.
broad, perhaps 81" pnrc 'A~e, 3e'
haps by gilt, perhaps as Noldl'r
Ohialn many tnIhgs IA he o-
Va'.
l. was uOt costly gift %"
e,es it would u0t o. = b1'at'tu
rue but Betty valued u htgh '
Shr kept 1t polished to perfec TO-
aud wore 1t with great pride al
high days aud holidays; but thoog
she loved John, aud looked foE
ward to her weddlug.day with JOY
| she wonld not alter the bright
coeuetr.sh manner which had vi
ways belonged 10 her. She iOk"
with th, farmers; t1uNg th IN bAcl
repartee tor repsr re, aud eve
gave them those right glance
whIc John, the soldier, though
should be only give" to hlmse'
SO Jehn grew jealous, aud "eing
moody sort of nah, s'l1 no'n'u
abOutit.
| 1t never entered Betty's mlT
t =, the very m."ner which la
once rxcIsnted john shonld no
of, nd him, and sne h-rS-lf gre
angry with her lover Tor his SEQ"
aud snlklness.
Therefore, when q young Frenc
man from Narseilles, black.eye
black haired, aud polite in b
manners, as Frencnmen usual
are, changed, In the course oil
business jour neY, to stop at t
.Magpie's Nes t. sbe felt that
really would b % o fine example Il
surIy John Leaf, and was smiat
, to him to n degree that mig
have made a less jealous mi
angry. Then indeed, John Ii
spoke Ont, and Betty discover
the secret Of his Ill-temper.
Her yrlide being fisttered the
by, she forgsve hLm, and retil
on Saturday night with the d
intention of winning back job
smiles on the morrow, her hold
when che would 20 TO church
her best attire and charm
heart from him over again, as
walked by her side What '
man ever had any EdeHgn o
mans heart, ever desired to "
from him any favor or snv g
that aha did NOT bet hink her OF