George Washington's Last Duel by Thomas Nelson Page

Jeff laid to heart the Major's wisdom; but when it came to acting upon / it the difficulty arose. He often wondered why his tongue became tied / and his throat grew dry when he was in Margaret's presence these days / and even just thought of saying anything serious to her. He had known / Margaret ever since she was a wee bit of a baby, and had often carried / her in his arms when she was a little girl and even after she grew up / to be "right big. " He had thought frequently of late that he would be / willing to die if he might but take her in his arms. It was, therefore, / with no little disquietude that he observed what he considered his / friend's growing fancy for her. By the time Lawrence had taken a few / strolls in the garden and a horseback ride or two with her Jeff was / satisfied that he was in love with her, and before a week was out he was / consumed with jealousy. Margaret was not the girl to indulge in repining / on account of her lover's unhappiness. If Jeff had had a finger-ache, or / had a drop of sorrow but fallen in his cup her eyes would have / softened and her face would have shown how fully she felt with him; but / this -- this was different. To wring his heart was a part of the business / of her young ladyhood; it was a healthy process from which would come / greater devotion and more loyal constancy. Then, it was so delightful to / make one whom she liked as she did Jeff look so miserable. Perhaps some / time she would reward him -- after a long while, though. Thus, poor Jeff / spent many a wretched hour cursing his fate and cursing Pick Lawrence.

He thought he would create a diversion by paying desperate attention to / Margaret's guest; but it resolved itself on the first opportunity into / his opening his heart and confiding all his woes to her. In doing this / he fell into the greatest contradiction, declaring one moment that no / one suspected that he was in love with Margaret, and the next vowing / that she had every reason to know he adored her, as he had been in love / with her all her life. It was one afternoon in the drawing-room. Rose, / with much sapience, assured him that no woman could have but one reason / to know it. Jeff dolefully inquired what it was.