S. R. Crockett

“ So, his mother being a feeble woman, though still young and buxom, John Charles had perforce to bide at home and shoulder the responsibilities of a farm of two thousand pastoral acres and a rent of £800, payable twice a year in Cairn Edward town.
It was a sore burden for such young shoulders, but John Charles had grit in him, and, what made his heart glad, he could do most of his work, by lea rig and pasturage, within sight of a certain cottage where dwelt the maid with a ribbon of blue about her neck. ”

“ It is the medal of the class. How proud your father and mother will be!"
And she clasped her hands and gazed, but did not offer to take it in her fingers.
"No, indeed, that they won't," said John Charles grimly; "they won't ever know, and if they did they wouldn't care. I am not going to tell them or any one. I won it for you. All the time I was working I kept saying to myself, 'If I win the medal I shall give it to Carnation to wear round her neck on a blue ribbon—because blue is her colour——'"
"Oh, but I could not!" cried the girl, going back a step or two, "I dare not! ”

“ Only the fresh rose on the cheeks, the depths in the eyes (as if a cloud shadowed them) , the lissom bend of the young body towards him were the same. But the hair was waved and plaited about the head in a larger and nobler fashion. ”

“ There are worse things that may happen to a woman, than that she should wait and wait—aye, even if she should die waiting!"
*⁠*⁠*⁠*⁠*⁠*⁠*
It was the evening of the August day on which Mrs. Walter had spoken thus to Carnation that John Charles came cottage-wards slowly and gloomily. He had been thinking bitter thoughts, and at last had taken a resolve that was likely to cost him dear.
In the warm light of evening the girl, who stood at the farther side of the gap, seemed wondrously beautiful. The school-girl look had long since passed away. ”