Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-02-24
NIab's Promise.

"Better than my life" was the
passionate response.
They both sat silently looking
out upon the bright garden stretch
ed beneath the window. Hester
with her calm, almost stern face
glowing and softened /; and Mable,
or little Nab, as people called her,
with arched eyebrows and q rather
surprised expression in her great
black eyes.
81 always thought if you fell
no that's not the word for you-if
bestowed your heart on any NOR
tai, it would be on some great
scholar, and not on u mere every
day man !" said Nab, teasingly.
"But he is not an everyday
man = Oh, Nab, if you could only
know Him."
81 shall shortly. Papa met him
yesterday at Montmouth, and ask
ed him to dine here next week"
was Mab's composed reply.
The color rushed into Hester's
cheeks, and efrecting to fasten her
belt she bent her head and said
timidly, "Mab, if l should lose
him; if-if he should ever cease
caring for me, / could not" She
stopped and then continued more
quietly. "He is handsome and
rich, while am plain, and only a
music teacher. / do not know
how he came to care for me, but
he does, and oh, Nab l am so hap
pyw Her voice trembled and her
hands covered her blushing face.
Mab's rather skeptical express
sion vanished from her face, and
rising from her low seat, she slip
ped her arm around her friend and
nestled by her side in one of the
pretty attitudes that came natural
ly to her, she gave all her warm
heart uttcrance.
The dressing bell broke upoI
their conference and cut short al
interesting and what threatened
to prove an interminable converse.
ton, for we question if two young
ladies ever voluntarily closed q
discussion Of this kind.
Handsome and rich," unused
Nab as she stood before her mir.
ror putting the finishing touches
to her dinner toilette.
"Would it be worth while to
win him, I wonder 2" and at the
thought her red lips parted and
displayed teeth as white as seed
pearls and they closed determin-
edly, and the next thought that
entered the volatile little head was
-"Perhaps l do iirt, but I'd new
er be dishonorable enough to try
to gain Hester's lover even If l
loved him myself, the most unlike
ly thing that could happen. No.
I'd never do that p
And with a laughing nod at the
pretty face reflected in the glass
the little lady tripped down stairs
to be introduced to Stanhope Nor
ton, "Hester's lover"
"IIe is q handsome man, and
rather, not desperately, in love
with Hester" was Mab's verdict.
In love or not, he certainly de-
voted himself to Miss Grey,
and Nab was left TO entertain
Harry Evans, one OF her numerous
admirers; between tho words and
looks she gave her admirer, she
was covertly watching the twain
upon the piazza, and thinking to
herself. at was we'll / had deci-
ded to angle for other fish, for he
has not even look to cast upon
me-" and here the spoiled beauty
tossed her curly head, and for the
time was desperately angry with
Mr.. Morton however she recover
ed in time to reply sweetly to an
exceedingly soft remark hazarded
by her admirer, and in the mean
while her promise came back to
her mind.
Three weeks passed merrily and
Nab, true to her word, had resist
ed all temptation to win Hester's
handsome cavalier.
AS for Mr.. Morton, he was in
the society of the woman he loved,
and for time noticed no one else.
Perhaps, as Nab shrewdly guessed
the first day he was hopelessly
smitten he pitied the girls hard
lot, and the union between them
was music, in which art Hester
excelled. He loved her certainly,
though not desperately, had pro-
.~oooJ a,I ,voo axoonto6