Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-11-09
lacks Return
BY OLIVE EDNA MAY
Copyright. 1870 by American Press
Association.

coast. Her work was digging for CLANS
and selling them. One day boat from
a ship that had just entered the port
came up to where Maggie was digging
for clans II was commanded by the
third mate. young fellow Of twenty.
and when Maggie stopped work and
turned TO look at the party stepping
ashore, shading her eyes from the sun
with her hand. her hair falling down
on her white neck, her shapely feet,
without shoes or stockings. the young
officer reJoiced ut the sight. There was
a certain native grace about her that
struck his fancy. And he was equally
comely.
When Jack Winslow sailed away he
left his heart behind and carried n
heart with him. He would not be at
that port again for three years. and
Maggies friends all said: Hes time
enough TO get dozen sweethearts
Sailors have one in every port" But
no one said the same about Maggie
They all knew that her innocent heart
having once been caught. would not
swerve from the handsome sailor boy
who had captured H.
Letters were not frequent between
them. The young man was always
moving and communication was not
easy. But when n letter came to Mag
gle 1t was all the more precious She
would hide it sometimes for a day or
two. that she might revel In the antici-
patton of what there was In It. And
when, touching ut some foreign port,
Jack received one from Maggie he
would go up in the foretop to read the
misspelled words over and over again.
One day Maggie opened a letter
from Jack after an Interval Of silence
that had lasted three months. This
was fully month longer interval than
any that had occurred. Maggie ran
away to the top OF dune and sat her
self down in the sage grass that was
quite long enough TO conceal her to
read her letter. II told her that some
thing had happened to Jack which
would surely kill her love for him.
He did not tell her what 1t was, and
the poor girl was In an agony both OF
sympathy and OF disappointment. Jack
told her that he would never write her
again. but he assured her that he
loved her the same and would never
have another sweetheart. Indeed. he
added. no girl would be his sweet
heart Maggie concealed the bad news
she had received. keeping 1t In her
own innocent bosom. But those about
her saw plainly that some misfortune
had happened TO her. and all shook
| their heads and said: Il told you So
| A lass who loves a sailor is always tC
be pitied. He's deserted her doubtless
for a half civilized creature that he
has met in some port on the other side
of the world"
This happened about a year after
Jack had sailed way. One day Mag
gie's little brother Ben was throwing
stones on the beach where Maggie was
| digging for CLAIMS. A large stone ht
threw with great force accidentally
struck her In the temple. Maggie We.
laid up for few days. when she was
again at her work. But one day sooI
after this upon closing one eye to get .
better focus on a ship that was com
ing into the offing she discovered {
blur before the eye that remained
open. 1t was not long before tn,
sight OF this eye-it was on the side o
her head that had been hit by littl
Ben-was completely lost Then ii be
gan to affect the other eye. and with
In eighteen months Of the time the &C
cident occurred Maggie was entirel.
blind.
Grave as was this calamity. It wa
nothing compared with Maggie's dis
appointment in her love. She felt tina
trouble as keenly as the day she re
ceived Jacks letter. She began q
once to get used to her blindness. blu
she could not get used to the loss o
her lover.
Her only comfort was that she bt
Meved Jack was sincere In saying tina
he would never have any other swee
heart. While her friends did not b,
lieve that the sailor was true to her
any sense. they refrained from twi
ting her with his unfaithfulness.
Maggie continued her work-fo
blind people develop the sense Of touc
In place OF sight-and was happit
while occupied than while Idle. Or
DAY her mother told her that the sh1
that Jack had sailed In was comm
into port. Maggie ran far up the beac
to get away by herself. But in tin
, she was obliged to return and on el
I tering the house felt herself clasped
pair of strong arms and heard h
: name spoken in Jack Winslow's FAM
5 lar voice.
a my trouble will not longer keep I
2 apart. Maggie. dear" he said. ut
- all right now. But I'm sorry for 20