Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-09-23
Eli Perkins Tale Of Love and
Hope.

l. WIlte N ptTSOldl lctIcI lO-uay.
This morning ] met the most dis
consulate young man l ever saw.
His name is Mason. He is from
New York. He has been in Sara
toga all summer. He has seemed
to know every young lady at the
Spa, and has been an immense
favorite with all of them. He has
also stood a good chance with the
dashing young ladies from Chicago,
the flipsy hopsy girls from Oil City.
He has danced more, sat on the
back balcony longer, and in closer
proximity to beautiful young ladies,
and walked over the graveyard,
with more rich and aristocratic
girls from the Clarendon, than any
beau in Saratoga. And still this
young man came to me Yesterday
almost heart-broken. His eye had
the look of despair.
81 am discouraged and sick o
life," he said; 81 want to die"
What-you! you want to leave
this festive scene, Robert p ]
said, taking off my glasses and
looking him straight in the face.
"Yes, Uncle Eli, / am tired of
life," he sighed, in q hoarse whis-
per. 81 came to Saratoga with q
theory. / believed in that theory
as 1 believed in my life. | worked
for it day and night. / cherished
it, practiced and worsbiped it, only
to see its utter failure-only to
work out my own ruination by it."
"What was your theory, Robert p
l asked. "Was it to bet continual
ly on the ace-to wager large sums
on the same card, hoping and be-
lieving it would some time win and
make you rich was it"
go, no; nothing of the kind. 1t
was social theory, Eli. You know
l have blood and family and good
looks. My pet theory was to come
to Saratoga and marry rich girl
with a bad cough-with the con-
sumption"
"And you have finally become
engaged to the object of your affec-
ton, then, Robert" ! asked, be-
coming deeply interested in this
good young man.
"No, sir, alas! My theory has
failed. I have been unfortunate.
The first young lady ] met was
from Chicago-Miss Johnson. She
was sweet, and O! so affectionate,
and had just the cough to suit me,
A low, hacking cough. 1t was fair
ly melodious; and | knew it would
prove fatal to the object of my affec-
ton in q year; but, alas y and
then he buried his face in his hand.
"What, Robert e asked.
"Alas in a fatal moment / learn
ed that she had no money to go
with it. She was poor, but such a
lovely cough. Just the one | had
so long and vainly searched for.
"What then :"
"Whv, then / met the rich Miss
Lilly Thompson, of Madison ave-
nue.. She was very rich. She
wore laces and diamonds and
new dress at every hop. She just
suited me. She was just the girl
had been looking for, with just one
exception"
"What was that, Robert :"
go dear, there was no cough to
90 with it. She was all health and
money. There had never been
any consumption in the family
lust my luck r'-and then he buri-
ed his face in his hands again, and
wept long and bitterly.
"Again, Eli" he began drawing
closer, zone happy day | met the
very object of my affection-the
paragon / had been searching for
years. She was rich and delicate.
She had just the cough, the fatal
consumptive cough, had fancied
in my dreams and sighed for in my
waking hours. Two hundred
thousand in her own right, and yet
so frail and dclicate-so near
deaths welcome door"-and Rob-
ert's face shone with joyous light
IS he described the frail, rich OBJ
4 =