The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-11

NS sun loi the autumn Gay was cOlu,
when l heard some one whistling; and.
looking up. there was young Squire
turner with his arms folded on the
gate looking over When he caught
my eye he laughed; | blushed. and I
arose and made him a courtesy
He was a handsome gentleman. the
squire, and the hand from which he
pulled the glove shimmered in the sun
with pearls and diamonds: and he was
bonny TO look at with his hair like
spun gold in the October sunlight.
when | courtesied he bowed, making
his curls dance over his shoulders. and.
said he, I've spoiled one pretty picture
that | could have looked at all day
but I've made another as pretty so
III not grieve May ! come in?''
And welcome sir" said /: and !
set a chair for him, for he was grand
fathers landlord; but for all that / felt
uncomfortable. for | was not used 10
fine company
He talked away. paying me more
compliments than | was used to. for
grandmother. who brought me up. said
Handsome is as handsome does" and
Beauty is but skin deep"
Since I'm telling the story III tell
the truth I had done wrong about one
thing. Neither OF the old folks knew
that I wore Evan Locke's ring in my
bosom, or that we'd taken q vow TO
each other beside the hawthorn that
crew in the church lane | never meant
to deceive. but grannie was old and 4
little hard. and that love of mine was
such sweet secret. Besides. money
seems to outweigh all else when peo-
pie have struggled all their lives
through to turn "A penny. and they
knew Evan was Il poor. struggling
young surgeon. ] thought I'd wait
while until | could sweeten the news
with the fact that he'd begun TO make
his fortune
Grannie came i'm from tie dairy five
minutes after the squire was gone and
heard ne had been there. / didn't tell
her Of his fine speeches. but there was
keyhole tO~the door she came through
and have a guess she heard them.
That night we had something else
to think of. Misfortunes had come
upon grandfather: but I didn't foresee
that. when the half years rent should
come due, not penny TO pay it with
would be found.
All this time Evan Locke and l had
been as fond as ever of each other. and
ne came as often as before to talk with
grandpa en- the winter nights; and
still every while our young landlord
Squire Turner, would drop i'm and sit
in his lazy way watching me knit or
spin. Once or twice he was flushed
with wine and over bold. for he tried to
kiss me. But squire or no. | boxed his
ears for his pains. and no softer than
could help. either / could not help his
coming, nor help seeing him when he
came. and ] did not deserve that Evan
should be angry with me. But he was
En- so nigh and mighty. and spoke as
though one like the squire could mean
no good by coming TO so poor a place
as the schoolmaster's
He made me angry. and l spoke up.
For that matter. the squire would
be glad to have me promise to marry
him. said l. HE thinks more of me
than"
Maybe YOU. like him better!'' said
Evan.
II don't say-that.a replied r.. But
bad temper and jealousy scarce ma Ike
me over fond of another. I pray I may
never have husband who viii scold
me-"
For he had been scolding me. No
other name for it.
Well Evan was wroth with me and
I with him-not heart deep, though. 7
thought-and ! did not see him for
more than a week. / was troubled
much. though. ] knew he would come
round again. and maybe ask my par
don. For before you are wed you can
bring your lover to his senses.
So / did not fret after Evans alb
sence, nor quite snub Squire Turner
who liked me more than ever But
one night grandfather came in. and
shutting the door. stood between
grandmamma and me. looking at me,
and so strangely that we both grew
frightened At last he spoke;
I've been to the squire's, said he
For the first time I had to tell him
that I could not pay the rent when
due
I opened my lips. Grandmamma S
hand covered them. Grandpa drew me
10 him.
"Thou'rt young, lass" said he, land
they are right who call thee pretty.
Child-could'st like the squire well
enough to wed him."
"Eh?" cried grandma. Sure you're
not wandering?"
Squire Turner asked me for this la IS
of ours tonight. OF all women i'm the
world there is but one he loves as he
should his wife and that is our Aga
tina
81 dreamed of golden rings and white
roses on Christmas eve" cried gran
ME "I knew the lass would be lucky
But I put my head on grandfather
shoulder and hid my face. The truth
must out, ] knew.
a
said grandpa.
And when he had waited for an an
swer. I burst out with mo" and a sob
together.
shes frightened" said grandmam-
ma. Nay. we must all wed once in
our lives. my child"
Then grandpapa talked to me. He
told me how poor they had grown and
how kind the squire was. and had but
to marry him to make my grandpar-
ents free from debt and poverty their
lives through. If | refused and vexed
the squire heaven only knew what
might happen.
She'll never ruin us" sobbed grand
mamma.
Ali 1t was hard to bear-bitter hard:
hut now there was no help for it.
took the ring from my bosom and laid
II on my palm and told them it was
Evan Locke's. and that ] had plighted
my troth to him. And grandmamma
called me a deceitful wench. and grand
father looked as though his heart would