Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-02-09
lacks Return
BY OLIVE EDNA MAY
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

Maggie was u fisher lass-that is. she
belonged to fisher folk-on the Maine
coast. Her work vas digging for clans
and selling them. One day ii boat from
a ship that had just entered the port
came up to where Maggie was digging
for CLAIMS. 1t was commanded by the
third mate. Il 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 at 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 Il
heart with him. He would not be at
that port again for three years. and
Maggie's friends all said: He's time
enough to get a dozen s%weethearts.
Sailors have n 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 it.
Letters were not frequent between
| them. The young man was always
moving. and communication was not
| easy. But when Il letter came to Mag
gle it 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 at some foreign port,
Jack received one from Maggie he
| would go up in the foretop to read the
| misspelled words over and I'VE again.
! One day Maggie opened a letter
from Jack after ar interval of silence
! that had lasted three months. This
was fully q month longer interval than
any that had occurred. Maggie ran
away to the top Of !: dune and sat her
self down in the sag grass that was
read her letter. 1t told her that some
thing had happened to Jack which
would surely kill her love for him.
He did not tell her what it 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 it 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 {: sailor is always to
be pitied. He's deserted her doubtless
for u 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 away One day Mag
gie'S little brother Ben was throwing
stones on the beach where Maggie vas
digging for CLAIMS. \ large stone he
threw with great force accidentally
struck her in the temple. Maggie was
laid up for Il few days. when she vas
again at her work. But one day soon
after this upon closing one eye to get a
better focus on a ship thai was com
ing into the otfing she discovered a
blur before the eye that remained
open. 1t was not long before the
sight of this eye-it was on the side of
her head that had been bit by little
Ben-was completely lost. Then it be-
gan to affect the other eye. and with.
in eighteen months of the time the &C.
cident occurred Maggie was entirely
blind.
Grave as was this calamity. it was
nothing compared with Maggie's dis
appointment in her love. She felt that
trouble as keenly as the day she re-
ceived Jacks letter. She began al
once to get used to her blindness. but
she could not get used to the loss OF
her lover.
Her only comfort was that she be
lieved Jack was sincere in saying tina,
he would have any other sweet
heart. While her friends did not be
1ieve that the sailor was true to her II
any n they refrained from twit
ting her with his unfaithfulness.
Maggie continued her work-fol
blind people develop the sense Of touch
in place of sight-and was happie1