Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-09-02
An Unhappy Man.

the remains OF late dinner III New
York, and chatting as friends will
after a long separation. One of them
was merchant of the metropolis,
the other returned Californian,
who had been absent from New
York for six years.
1t would be hard to imagine a
stronger contrast than these friends
presented to each other. Tom Bay
ley, the merchant, was a slight,
dapper little man, with blue eyes
and blonde whiskers, whose face
was the very impersonation Of good
nature and frank kindness. His
companion, tall dark and heavy
bearded, was evidently bowed
down by some bitter sorrow, some
deep ever present grief, that cloud
ed his large dark eyes, and made
even his smile seldom seen. "And
now," said Tom, "tell me something
of yourself. / hear you are to be
congratulated upon legacy from
your uncle, of an odd half million
or So"
"Not quite so much as that, Tom !;
four hundred thousand, if YOU want
the figures"
"Quite enough for congratula-
tons" was the smiling reply.
Congratulations" /" said the other
bitterly. 81 am no subject for those,
if you knew ALL"
, Tom looked sympathetic. His
friend had been away so long that
he scarcely knew how or where to
5 bestow the coincidence evidently
J expected, so he only looked sorrow
fully into the sad face before him.
. "You never knew my wife," SAID
Ralph Vent, after a moment o.
silence, "our meetings were gen.
orally in business quarters ant
Q Ellie was not strong SO Inever both
cred her much with company
When the crash came that swep
away business and credit, we had ;
lovely home in Harlem, and
was the happy father of two swee
little girls, two and three years old
Ny creditors were entitled to a
! / possessed and l was trying to fin'
a situation as clerk in dry good'
house, when my uncle wrote mt
from San Francisco that he woulf
start me in business there, if ! woulC
come out alone. lie was savage
!, old bachelor, and wanted no woman
and children around him, though ht
graciously agreed to their coming
when l was sufficiently well cstab
lished to have a home of my own
Ellie and / held many an anxious
discussion before decided to leave
her, but finally resolved to go foi
year, leaving Ellie at her moth
er's in Philadelphia.
) "For year all went well, and my
uncle consented TO allow me to start
home for my wife and little ones.
| wrote to Ellie to meet me in
New York, and proposed to sail by
the Labrador. The day the steam
er left | was seized with malal'ious
fever and lay for weeks at the point
of death. When | recovered the
/, first news ! heard of was the tale of
the loss of the Labrador with all on
, board.
81 wrote to Ellie at once, and
found that during my illness she
had written me an answer to my
last, saying she would meet me and
telling me of the sudden death Of
her mother. -.l....
"No answer came to my letter,
and as soon as | was able sailed
for New York. / traced my wife
from Philadelphia to boarding
house here, where I was informed
that she had the smallpox, and was
taken to the hospital. The children
were sent away, nobody could tell
where.
"Tom, never knew any more.
Money, inquiries, advertisements,
were all lavished in vain. The
records of the smallpox hospital
show the death of two women nam
ed Wentz, so there seems little
doubt of poor Ellie's fate, but about
the children could learn nothing.
Every steamer brought me urgent
recalls from my uncle, and finally /
returned to San Francisco. My
uncle is dead. lam rich. There is
the story. Judge If millions of mon
ey can make me happy"
at is sad. But now you are free
and wealthy. You may yet find
vour little girls"