Year: 1875

it; John Weare was perfectly
wretcled that night. He had
quarrelled with Jennie Bell
and he wasn't going to make
q. it up. The fact was she gave
herself tno many airs, and
he wouldn't stand it any Ion
ger, He didn't care if she
was pretty; that was no rea-
son why she should let half
IL dozen fellowsata time hang
about the shop or stroll in,
one at a time, anR- leaning
on their elbows. chatter and
smirk and smile over the
counter, cadets and officers
too, wild young fellows, who
only did Sd for their own idle
amusement, and wonld no
more dream of marrying her
than they would of inviting
her to a ball that was coming
off next month. To be sure
he was only a common cav
airy soldier, but then he had
been in the service a good
many years now, and an eX-
celIcnt character and Il good
trade at his back, and more
over, his father had died not
long since, and thele Was the
cottage all ready FOR Jennie
to walk into. and they might
settle down at once if she
would only be sensible. Jen-
ME acted as shop-woman fOr
her sister, Mrs. Evans. A
very poor little shop it was,
very small and badly stock
ed, foI Mrs. Evans had only
managed to get a few pounds
worth of things with what
had been subscribed for hev
in the garrison aftcrtEe fever
had carried off her husband.
The speculation answere d
pretty well at first, for many
of the officers wives, know
ing what an industrious wo-
man Mrs. Evans was, made
IL point of buying their tapes
and cottons and sticks OF
sealing. wayz, of her.sTheH
Jennie's pretty face was seen
behind the counter, and the
shop was filled from morning
to night with officers and
frisky young cadets, and the
original customers took flight
though Mrs. Evansdid not
know it, for she, believing
the business was safe in the
keeping Of Jennie, worked
hard at the dress making (she
had three children tosupport,
and the shop alone would not
do it,


The officers were not prof
liable customers, for they ou


ly went to f1irt with Jenny
under the excuse Of buying a
penny paper, or perhaps ask
ing for a time table. Jenny
made The most trim and pret
ty and obliging of shop-wo
men, and the ,lace itself was
always a pattern OF neatness;
bpt the Officer s wives did not
care TO go and buy their
thread where they were evi-
IDENTITY interrupting a firta-
tion, and SO the business con
tinued to fall off, and Mrs.
Evans began to feel quite III
happy about it. Jenny
pretty, kind hearted, thought
less JenDy-had no idea that
she had anything to do with
if, or she wonld have sent ev-
cry one of her admirers of
at a pace that would have as
tonished them. She had on
ly been too delighted after
her brotlIer-in- law died, to
come from Devonshire, and
live with her sister at Wool
w,ch--not only because she
was very fond of her sister,
bpt because she had wished
several times to see John
Weare again. She had made
his acquaintance when her
brother and he--for they had
been in the same regiment
were stationed at Plymouth,
and she had paid them a fly
ing visit with her father
John had told her then that
he was tired of the service
and wanted To settle down,
and she inwardly thought
that he could do no better
than ask her to settle with
him. He had been very at
tentiye whom she came to
Woolwich, and gradually es-
tabllshe5 himself on the foot