Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-03-25

III II moment Sne was at my Slue.
81 am BETTER" l said, quietly /;
and she sank down upon her knees
at the the bedside, quite overcome
with emotions.
"Thank God, you are saved !"
she cried. 80, thank God ~ Then
she drove back little and compos-
ed herself. "You never gave us q
chance to thank you for saving our
lives" she added; and I knew then
she was the companion in the wick
er wagon.
Laura, Laura !" she cried, hast
ening to the door. "Mr. Hodge is
bet er. Oh, I hope-I think he will
get well now !"
Then there was a rustling Of dra-
perry, and light footstep in the
corridor; and while my heart beat
like trip-hammer, Laura entered.
More beautiful, ten times more
beautiful than ever. Without the
inverted straw saucer on her head,
with nothing but a little blue bow
to relieve the white Of her dress,
she was simply perfect. She came
up to me, and took my hand in
both of hers. What a fool | was
about that woman l trembled all
over like leaf; l strove to speak,
and failed actual tears came into
my poor weak eyes, and all l could
do, was devour her with my hungry
gaze. She spoke very prettily.
She took my hand in both of hers;
she was very kind and sweet, and
always beautiful but somehow l
felt disappointed. Why had not
she, instead of the other one, fallen
on her knees at Tie bedside and
thanked God!
"Now, dear aunt" she said, "you
must let me watch in my turn you
are tired, you are worn out; you
must go and rest"
But when her aunt was gone, and
we were alone together, she would
not let me speak.
await till the doctor comes," she
said running to the window. "See,
here is his gig" And she ran out
to welcome him.
I'm glad to see you on the
mcnding side,' said the doctor.
you've had q serious time of it;
but / think now if you put all of
your energies to work, you will get
along"
"Oh, wo'll hurry him along fa-
mously," said Laura. "We'll make
him such nice little dishes, and
wen take him out in the sunshine,
and, If he isn't afraid, Wen take
him out driving"
"With Whisler p 1 said, laugh
ingly.
"Well, Whisker is just as sorry
as he can be. He was heightened,
you know, by that ugly stump"
"Yes," l said. "By-the-by, had
that STUN dug out myself. 1t was
in my way, you see."
"And after all" said the doctor,
''that was the real cause of the ac-
cident."
/ remembered this remark Of the
doctors afterward. became more
in love with her than ever. Deliri-
nm had not cured my passion. Con-
valescence increased it seven fold.
/ found it impossible to get strong
until | knew the best or the worst.
l had fair reason to hope. She
spent the best part of the mornings
in my sick room, and seemed al
ways anxious to know what the
doctor thought about me. She fol-
lowed him down stairs to make him
repeat his directions, and stail long
enough to get them by heart.
OF course the thought of her
fathers wealth was a grievous STUN
bling block but l had discovered
that at my age he was almost as
poor as /. Why should /, from
false pride, render myself misera-
ble 4! But having resolved upon
telling her of my love, i found it
no easy matter. Although there
were many opportunities, never
got courage to avail myself of them.
At last l resolved upon writing
to her, and intrusting the letter to
her aunt. / thought she seemed
favorable to me. We had many
conversations together, although l
had never ventured upon an avow-
al, they were Of tender and con-
fiding nature. felt that in her /
might have q powerful auxiliary.
Heaven knows how many sheets
of paper | destroyed, or how many
hours were spent in writing these
poor little lines:
"MY DEAR Miss LAURA.-You
must know that love you. l am
not rich but i hope to be aud if
you were as poor as /, as Heaven
knows I.wish you were, we should
not be badly off. / can't even en-
Joy my love for you, l am so tor
tured by suspense. Won't you put
me out of my pain, and send me
one little decisive word-only one
and let it he yes 2
Yours devotedly,
ROBERT HODGE"
1t wasn't a pretty love-letter. !
bought of lots Of things to say
about her beauty and her youth,
her incompatible grace, and my
unhounded love for her. But l
couldn't get these things on paper.